Faith Filled Friday

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. If you are just joining us for the first time, you may want to read Wednesday’s Word as this is the continuation of that blog on divine appointments. Grab your coffee and come get comfy as I conclude my story of events that led me to a divine appointment.

With the help of my assistant, I had a rental car, and a new plan set in motion. I was going to miss picking up my granddaughter from the bus stop but I wasn’t going to miss my grandson’s choir performance, even it if meant putting on my big girl panties and driving there all by myself. This would require me overcoming my fear of driving on the Austin freeways that tend to make me feel as though I am riding the most twisting, spiraling roller coaster and ending up where I started off!

You would think that 4.5 hours would be plenty of time to relax, unwind and get over my unpleasant experience, and it was…sort of. I don’t even remember what I did during that “downtime” but before I knew it, it was close to time to board my new flight so I quickly went around the corner to get something to eat for the flight. As I was waiting for my order, an alarm went off in my head and I checked my watch! Terror filled my bones as I realized that I was supposed to start boarding ten minutes ago! My order wasn’t complete but I asked for it anyway, grabbed it and ran back to my gate…but there was no one there?

I began to look around me as if in a bad dream, looking to the left and then to the right and I bolted toward the left looking for an American Airline attendant. Finally, several gates later, I found one and quickly walked up, cutting right in front of someone. I practically pushed my ticket in her face and said: I CAN’T MISS THIS FLIGHT. She sent me to the wrong gate.” The combination of the look of panic on my face, and my tone sent her to her computer and within seconds she let me know my flight was at gate 47B, not 45!  THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING, I screamed silently to myself.

I didn’t even have time or energy to wonder if the attendant from earlier had sent me to the wrong gate on purpose, but of course, looking back, I wonder but I won’t waste my time or energy on that possibility.

I made it to gate 47B with maybe five minutes to spare! My heart was beating faster than a basketball being bounced down the court for a slam-dunk! I sat in my seat, right in the middle of two others – I hate the middle – I was close to tears and in no mood for talking. I got my seatbelt on just as the door was closing and they were preparing us for takeoff. I had all but forgotten about any sort of divine appointment!

But God hadn’t!

It took me just until the plane began traveling down the runway to realize that I was sitting right next to my divine appointment. It started with small talk at first, but picked up speed as we delved into each of our lives. I still can’t believe how much we have in common. But then again, why am I so surprised? By the time we were in the air, my soul began to sour as if on new wings of an eagle.

The proof of the divine nature of this appointment was the fact that her husband had recently lost his dad due to an unexpected tragedy, and my husband had just lost his mom in much the same way: an unexpected tragedy! We both cried as we shared our stories with each other, how hard it is to see our men hurting and how grieving changes a person, which ultimately can change a marriage…for the good or not so good.

The most encouraging aspect of this particular appointment is it wasn’t so much about me as it was for me! What I mean is He wanted me to receive more from this appointment than give. This appointment was for both of us, not just one of us. It was a cup of happiness to my sad and tired soul…just when I needed it most, and I received this medicine like a child yearning for candy. It was such a sweet, sweet time of connection, validation and preparation for the next…divine appointment.

Thankful for my Abba who goes ahead of me and has my back…

Evinda,

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power & to a beautiful Thankful Thursday with Trench Classes United. This is Kat Lange again…Let’s get real.

So put on some comfy clothes (preferably yoga pants, an oversized sweater and some slippers… my personal faves), grab a venti extra hot Pumpkin Spice Latte and stay a while.

Truth runs deeper than a lie so let’s just lay it all out. I have kept no secrets that I am bipolar and I have depression and ADHD. It is so hard at times to deal with this emotional and physical roller coaster but you know what I have discovered… mercy is waiting on the other side… if I am honest.  I truly feel that I was given this gift to be transparent and to tell my story. Too often we are hushed like it’s a bad thing. Why?? Why should I hurt in silence when I can voice it??  Since I have been diagnosed I have found that my mental challenges are so prevalent around me and it isn’t something any of us should be ashamed of. We aren’t doing anyone any favors by keeping it silent and in the shadows.

I have accepted that I have to work through this and learn to use it.  God has given a purpose to my pain and a reason for my struggle.  I consider it a gift to share my feelings.  And although at times I am hurting, I pause; take a deep breath and say a prayer to my friend, my God, my Father.  I thank God for showing me that I am alive, that I have a purpose and that it is ok to not be ok sometimes.

In this roller coaster life I have learned to have faith and trust in Him.  I have learned to be a transparent person; a person not emotionally blocked by the constraints of a culture thriving on the perfectionist blanket of any form of media.  I must always remember to thrive in diversity: difference in thought, emotion, appearance, motive, heart, faith and love.

Transparency is the key; hope is the way, and faith is the guiding principle.  Love…well, that is the universal language that unites us.  It is our words and actions are what make us stand out for things that matter.

Thank you, Lord, for my purpose.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to fulfill his good purpose.  Philippians 2:13

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

And in everything you do… Let your faith be bigger than your fear.

Love,

Kat

Wednesday’s Word

di·vine ap·point·ment

An arrangement for a meeting which is of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God

Wow, when I put those two definitions together, without any punctuation, I am humbly excited about this truth: These appointments really do happen!

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. Come on in for a short story about what led to a divine appointment.

The ride to the airport was peaceful despite the traffic…until I looked at the clock and realized we’d been driving for over two hours and we were still quite a ways away. Immediately I retreated inside my head, spider-webbing with all sorts of thoughts, the predominant one being: I can’t miss this plane! I began fast and furiously texting my daughter-in-law, and two of my closest friends asking for divine intervention for me to make my flight.

Hope appeared as the off-ramp came into view but the closer we got to the off-ramp, the faster the hope diminished as the “CLOSED” sign loomed larger than life, almost like a slap to my face. It

My husband dropped me off in the “Arrival” part of Los Angeles Airport, gushing with stressful apologies as I assured him it wasn’t his fault. We both had thought that 2.5 hours would have been enough time, but traffic in Los Angeles is hard to describe, the conditions varying with such intensity that it makes winning the traffic game impossible. I was shaking with intensity, determined to not give up, to cling to the thread of hope; the alternative: disappointing my granddaughter who would be looking for me later that afternoon at the bus stop after school.

I can only imagine what others thought as they witnessed this half-crazed lady running through the airport desperately needing directions to get to the right place to check luggage and then make it to the gate before the door to the airplane shut. You’ve been there, right, that point where you couldn’t see past any other solution but your own?

I did make it to the line and frantically waited my turn. I even asked the lady in front of me if I could go ahead of her as my plane had just started boarding. She didn’t speak any English…really? That false truth was revealed as she made her way to the ticketing agent and appeared to hold some sort of conversation, laughter included! Finally it was my turn!

I put my suitcase on the scale and handed her my boarding pass, explaining I’d been driving for three hours in traffic and that the “Departing Flights” off ramp had been closed.

How pathetic I must have sounded to her as she quickly splashed a lack of empathy on my hope, informing me it was too late to check my bag.

“I can’t miss my flight!” She responded as if she didn’t even hear me: “Let me see when our next flight is.”

My tears splashed on the counter

“I can put you on standby for our 12:50 flight, or for $75 I can guarantee you a seat” she said without an ounce of care in her tone.

I could have caught flies with my opened mouth. I was in such a state of profound denial…or maybe even a bit of disbelief at the rudeness I was being handed so matter-of-factly, like a plateful of apathy!

I fumbled in my purse for my credit card only to come up empty-handed, forgetting whether I had brought it or not. I took a $100 bill out of my wallet and put it on the counter, unable to speak, choking in my tears.

“We don’t take cash, Ma’am. You’ll have to go to the kiosk.”

I swallowed an “Are you kidding me,” and handed her my debit card.

“Here’s your receipt and your boarding pass.” I was lost in my thoughts and guilt of disappointing my granddaughter.

“I need $25 for your baggage now, Ma’am.” Her tone of voice was like a hard yank on my emotions. She might as well have yelled it to try and mask the sarcasm a bit more.

I paid for my suitcase – which I later found out I wasn’t supposed to – and then like a child I ended our interaction with: “I’m never flying American again!”
Like she cared! NOT! Her response: “You need to get to your gate on time, no matter what airline you’re traveling,” again sarcasm dripping from her voice like a broken faucet.
I was stunned into silence as she finished taking my money. Her lack of empathy continued in her explanation of where I was to go for my new flight. No smile, no nothing.

I turned to walked toward the security check but I was so overcome by all of my emotions that I knew I just needed to go outside, make a couple of phone calls and reach out in an effort to calm down.

I let my husband know I had missed the flight but was booked for the next one 4.5 hours later. I then made the dreaded phone call to my daughter-in-law. Not only was I going to miss picking my granddaughter up at the bus stop but I had to figure out how to get to my grandson’s choir performance that evening at 7:00 all by myself! That was terrifying for me because the freeways in Austin are every bit as confusing as driving in LA looking for two-way streets.

At the sound of her voice, the sobs came immediately. In between sobs were pieces of my experience to give her a picture of not only missing my plane but the horrible interaction between myself and the ticketing agent. I don’t believe she has ever heard me this uncontrollably upset in the 23 years we have known each other.

But God used her mightily that morning to assure me that my granddaughter would completely understand and that there had to be a reason I missed my flight; that there must be some sort of divine appointment waiting for me on the other side of this.

The prospect of a divine appointment worked like a harness on my wild emotions, and this same theory was confirmed later by my two BFF’s when I called them to let them know of the answer to their prayers for me not to miss my flight. I wish I could say that I was all better immediately and I went off looking for my divine appointment in the airport, but honestly, it took me a good hour to begin thinking rationally again!

Have you ever experienced moments where you were so completely beside yourself you were coming out of your own skin? Has someone else’s lack of empathy or rudeness ever splashed you in the face like a cold glass of water on a chilly day? The last thing we’re thinking in those moments is about a divine appointment, right? Join me Friday for the conclusion to “Divine Appointment” in our Faith-Filled Friday series!

Baffled

Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Tuesday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. Grab your coffee and come on in for a moment of truth.

Have you ever been super embarrassed about something someone you care about did; in other words, their actions made interaction with them and others awkward?

Okay, so maybe I’m the only one who parented a wayward child, got phone calls from the school about my child’s misbehavior and wanted to just run away. Have you ever been embarrassed by your spouse’s rudeness, or their I-don’t-give-a crap attitude about something others found important? Oh, and let’s not forget about that sibling’s or family member’s choice of lifestyle; or unhealthy choices they made which impacted their life and yours.

Am I knocking on any doors yet?

So even if you don’t want to admit that you have any kind of “issues,” aka, problems, including behavioral problems in your family and those closest to you, I’d like to share a powerful trench truth with you and hey, if it’s not for you, well, then maybe you can pass it on to a friend…but only after you promise to make sure it’s not for you! J

The truth is those we hold closest to us, we see as an extension of us so is it any wonder their behavior embarrasses us?

Please accept this invitation to learn how to live free from guilt as a result of others’ behavior, free to forgive and be forgiven!

Truthfully,

Evinda

Megan’s Monday Mantra

“Trust me in the midst of a messy day. Your inner calm—your peace in My presence—need not be shaken by what is going on around you.”   (Sarah Young, “Jesus Calling”)

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

I am not particularly fond of medical tests. As I rested on the medical exam table, shivering from the cold temperature of the room, I kept reciting, “I love You Lord; I thank You Lord; I trust You Lord.” By the time I got to the fourth repetition of, “I trust You Lord, I started to laugh at myself …

This past year has been a very challenging one for me. If it’s not my health issues, then it’s one of my dogs, or a loved one’s health issue. It’s been one thing after another. Every time I manage to gather my strength and energy, to face these challenges from a Godly perspective, another wave comes crashing in and pulls me under. It’s like being caught in an undertow - I just can’t seem to come up for air. I continue to express my love for the Lord and thank Him for these faith-growing opportunities. I continue to tell the Lord I trust him … yet, I find myself exhausting my own source of strength to conjure up the trust I need to have in Him. I am weary and afraid. There is no fear in trust, so I know if I am afraid, I am not fully trusting in the Lord.

Why is it so easy to put our trust in the electricity that turns on our TV’s, or in the “wisdom” of Amazon’s Alexa? Why is it so easy to trust people of human knowledge and accomplishment, or a test result without question? Why is it so easy to put our trust and dependency in our own strengths and abilities?  And why in the world, do we get so surprised and indignant when one of the above does not function the way we think it ought to?

Trust is only as good as the person or source we put it in.

God’s Word promises we can trust in Him. He is the truth and only speaks the truth. He never changes His mind. There is no problem, no debt, no illness or fear, too big for God to handle. I do not pretend to understand why it is sometimes so difficult to place our complete trust in God, but I do know, if we ask Him for trust in Him – He will answer.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”  (Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV)

I have never asked for prayer in my blogs – but for me, it’s been a messy year.                                              

Your prayers are always most welcome!

Lovingly in Christ,

Megan

Faith-filled Friday

Repeat after me: I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Yup, the brain only knows what you tell it! Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and faith-filled Friday @ Trench Classes United. Come on in for what I hope will be an a-ha moment in your faith journey!

Psalms139:14 says: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Now I don’t know about you, but when I sit in that verse for more than a minute, I can’t help but scratch my head with a couple of questions and check in with my heart at the beat of conviction for my disbelief.

See, we don’t get to just take the verses we like and claim them; the entire Word of God is God breathed and useful for teaching, and correcting. I don’t know about you, but I have NEVER praised Him for being fearfully and wonderfully made! In other words, I have not claimed that truth in my life. Whew, that confession’s out.

This is what I absolutely love about His principles and promises: They speak to me right where I’m at in His time.

I have another confession to make: I have never really deposited this truth in my heart to sprout up in my life because I’ve just not really thought about it, number one, but another reason is I actually felt there was a contradiction in the verse. How can I be fearfully and wonderfully made at the same time?

Oh, He loves our questions, Coffee Hour friend! Here’s His answer:

We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us!

That’s why/how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. And that’s something to praise Him for. Isn’t it crazy to think our Abba Daddy, our Creator, our Maker has respect for us?

May this feed your faith and starve your negative image!

Love,

Evinda

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Thursday’s Trench Truth with Trench Classes United. Allow me to introduce myself and invite you into a few of the details of my life!

My name is Kat Lange and I am a freelance graphic designer, a connoisseur of coffee and all things sweet, a full-time mama to my little chicken nuggets (ages 6 & 7), a wife to an awesome Veteran Psychologist, and of course a big time cheerleader for the Lord.  I am super excited to be here with y’all sharing my little piece of know-how.  So put on some comfy clothes (preferably yoga pants, an oversized sweater and some slippers… my personal favs), grab a venti extra hot Pumpkin Spice Latte and stay a while. J

I am learning that learning to be more intentional within our interactions is a key to living a healthy life.  This is something I think many of us struggle with because we have our routines and our busy schedules so who has time to pause and think deeply?  We need to learn to switch off the cruise control of life and be more intentional in our relationships, interactions, with our confidence, goals, and dreams in life.  

If you are lost and broken, take a moment to pause, reflect and realize you might need to change lanes and reset your direction.  Try to stay focused on that direction but know that even if you veer off the path, as long as you have a goal your course can be corrected.  It can be changed to an alternative route to get you back on the right track.  

Always keep moving forward but know it is ok to stop and reset. Here’s a great verse that tells us how: Colossians 3:2: Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

By being intentional about your life you are prioritizing what you value.  Value the good and ignore the toxicity in your life, for it will only mislead you if you play into it.  So many times in my life I have come to realize that I was feeling so icky and my emotional state was so “junked” up because I have not taken a second to realize where I was on my path.  My car was doing donuts in the dirt and my windshield was dusty with confusion.  

By applying those brakes in life and cleaning my system – aka, my mind, I can inevitably clear my view to redirect myself.  This is a redirection away from toxic thinking and negative ways onto an intentional goal and a more fulfilling life. Here’s another great verse to tell us how: Romans 12:9: Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

These are a couple of valuable trench truths to take with us in the journey of Christianity and I love the fact that I get to share them here.  

Have a blessed and Thankful Thursday

Love,

Kat