God loves us too much to leave us the way we are! el

 Wednesday’s Word

I love writing about the relentless refining of God in my life that the searing of my soul may be poured to you in a way that encourages you in your journey. Thanks so much for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

Just the other day, my grandson and I were driving and someone cut me off pretty abruptly and it was scary. I let out an exasperated “Are you kidding me?” and my grandson asked me what was wrong.

“Nothing,” I exhaled…”that guy just cut me off.”

He stretched himself as far up as he could go without leaving his seat or seatbelt and asked “Which guy?” and I pointed. The next thing he said drove home the point I’m trying to make today: “So are you going to cut him off?” he very innocently asked.

I shook my head, No, B, I’m not going to cut him off because two wrongs never equal a right. 

I let the words of my own conviction sit there for a few seconds and could literally see him thinking. And then I continued.

Besides, it wouldn’t make anything better in the long run.

Those words to my grandson came chanting back to me just a couple of days later when someone whom I’ve been trying to show love despite her incredible meanness let it out that she couldn’t stand me!

The pain and struggle were real, and I inhaled God’s promise and exhaled the pain and anger.

I don’t want to use this blog to bash anyone so I can’t get into any of the details, but for whatever reason, this person really despises me, and I have been trying to understand it for a very long time. I am so grateful for His love letters to us replete with assurance, guidance and promises such as this one that has been echoing in the hallway of my heart all week because of this person:

1stPeter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

I am choosing to rise to His standard and repay evil with love instead of falling beneath those who lift themselves up by knocking others down. I can do all things thru Him who strengthens me, include love those who don’t love me.

I pray if you are experiencing anything like this that you too will be encouraged by His promises that will give you the strength to repay evil with good, to love those who don’t love you, because that’s when real growth kicks in!

Have a wonderful Wednesday and a beautiful 4^th!
Love,

Kim-Evinda

Prayer keeps our concerns from consuming us! EL

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Do you have a concern that is consuming you?

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When concerned turns into consumed, that can be the beginning of compromise! EL

 Monday’s Mantra

Just two days away is the day we celebrate our individual freedom as well as that of our nation lest we never forget the cost. And while this freedom does include freedom of speech, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve become imprisoned by our political prattling. And no, this isn’t going to be any sort of political blog, so please, come on in and stay for a few minutes as I share from my heart to yours.

You can’t turn the T.V. on, or even do a Google search without some words of anger and conflict dancing across our eyes and into our mind, the seat of our soul. There is a fire of rage building in our country inflamed with opinions on every level. When did it stop being okay to agree to disagree without becoming so full of anger and hatred? Why do we have to try and force our opinions onto others and blast them for theirs? Why are we so inclined to return evil for evil?

I was talking just the other day with someone and he was sharing his frustration about all the compromising that’s happening around us, politically and otherwise, and he kept sharing, and sharing and I mean, the more he talked about it, the more frustrated he became.

When I felt it was appropriate to do so, I quietly said, it’s great to be concerned about our world, but are you concerned or consumed?

We know who wins, so what if we were to just live, and not speak, our convictions lest we become guilty of the compromising we see around us?

Thanks so much for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Monday’s Mantra with Trench Classes United. May you find freedom from engaging in the opinions of the world and risking compromising your convictions, and remember, when concerned turns into consumed, that can be the beginning of compromise.

Love,

Kim-Evinda

Bitterness and truth cannot coexist! el

Faith-filled Friday

James 3:14 Kings James 

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

I find when I get focused on a situation and my feelings have been hurt and my hurt turns to strife, it usually escalates in my mind. I find I began to play out a scene in my mind that’s never happened. Yet, in my mind I'm predicting it to fruition. Have you found yourself doing this? Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.

James 3:14 instructs us on what to do with our strife or bitterness that seems to go straight to our heart. We aren’t to cover up. We are to address it, and I believe God is instructing us to place it before Him because out of bitterness stems actions that do not bring glory to our Lord.

I've realized that by allowing this strife, bitterness, and/or jealously to take hold of my mind, it opens the door to a downward spiral, and a mall issue becomes far greater in my mind and heart than it really is. Could it be that each situation occurs, He wants to use it to help build our endurance, keep us looking to our Abba? These trails build our character in in Him.

Romans 5:3-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Without these trials of hurt, strife, and jealousy we would never see that there's still so much in us that needs to change. It humbles us, brings us to our knees, helpless for our Abba’s help, for we are helpless without Him.

Be encouraged through these trials, knowing that God will never give us more than we can handle. Praise God for His new grace, mercy, and forgiveness for our sins every second of the day. Take courage, beloveds; He is making warriors of us so He can use us for far greater things.

Humbled,

Ashley

Thursday’s Trench Truth

Knowledge unlocks the door to the mysteries of our mistakes; wisdom guides us away from repeating them. ^el

Join us for more encouragement in the journey at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited 

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Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM. 
Food available for Purchase.

When problems are minimized, not maximized, faith is exercised! el

Wednesday’s Word

Proverbs26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

Have you ever said you’ve forgiven someone for an offense only to find that the next time that anything that even remotely reminds you of it, resentment re-ignites the flame of un-forgiveness? Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.

If there’s one lesson I seem to be forgetting more than I’m getting, especially lately, is that the more I talk about a problem, the bigger it gets and before you know it, I’ve overwhelmed myself! Or what about when someone offends us; do you ever notice that the more you talk about it the more resentful you are? Oh, but this truth reveals the need for some scriptural sanitization of the mind!

Look at the words in this verse. They are certainly more quiet and gentle than my resentments that can build as fast as a freight train headed to its destination!

What a beautiful way of saying let go, let God, and of gently but quite firmly reminding me that I don’t need to keep adding wood to my tough circumstances by talking about them – in the name of venting – and I definitely don’t need to participate in a disagreement by continuing to disagree! That only makes resentment rise and our spirits fall.

Let’s have some fun with the NIV version of this verse:

Without wood a fire goes out – think about it; can a fire burn without wood? Of course not! This part of this instruction is telling me to minimize what I tend to maximize, and it can be applied to relationships and circumstances!

Let’s look at the second part of the verse: without a gossip a quarrel dies down. Ah, can a person fight all by themselves? What a funny picture, right, to leave a person standing there arguing by themselves because we refuse to participate. J J  But this verse is also telling me that many disagreements happen because of un-truths, aka, gossip! If you can’t say it to the person, you shouldn’t say it about the person! OUCH!

Maybe it’s time to minimize what I maximize, and let Him make it go away!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tied me a few knots to remind me of these truths in the journey! I pray you’ve been able to do the same!
Much love,

Kim-Evinda

Tuesday’s Trench Truth

Faith is not a denial of painful circumstances; it’s the ability to trust Him to work in and through them ^EL

Join us for more encouragement at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

Click Me to Buy Tickets  

Looking for a fun filled night full of laughter and GOOD times? Come and join us as we laugh the night away
Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM. 
Food available for Purchase.