Faith Filled Friday Psalm 37:5 5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. Growing up I took care of my siblings. Maybe that’s why others often encouraged me to take child development classes in High School, which I thrived in. Children are God’s gift to me. I love working with them. I always dreamed of being a teacher and/or a daycare provider. God answered, my prayer two years ago, and I have been enjoying running my own in-home daycare. I was content; my prayers prayed since I was nineteen had been answered. WOW! I am so thankful and overjoyed. So why rock the boat, right? But I find that oftentimes when you are content and thankful, God opens another door, and at first sight, it may look like walking through that door will pull us out of the place of contentment. Let me share what I mean: Just recently I was meeting with my son’s Independent study teacher, and again, for the fifth year, she told me that I needed to go back to school to become a teacher. Each year I would consider it but felt it wasn’t the right time; I didn’t feel like I could take on the extra load. Well, friends, this time, I felt a stirring in my spirit, and I have been proactive about getting the process started. I feel confident that I can do it! What is ironic about this stirring is that at this time of my life, I am in a very busy season, yet, I feel like now is the time. I am excited for this new season of my life; I am also terrified. This is where I will stand in faith and trust and know that God will lead me down this narrow path. God placed the stirring in my spirit, and the abundance of confidence I have in myself to conquer this mountain. Of course, this new faith adventure comes with the attacks of the enemy, who is doing his best to detour me from God’s plan, using things like finances, time, knowledge, telling me I am lacking in each of these. I combat these attacks by speaking God’s truths over me. The verse that God has tucked deep in my heart is Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation (NLT) 8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This instruction weeds out all of the enemy’s lies. Has God called you to take a step of faith, a new career, a new school, a move, et cetera? Despite how scary it may look or feel, don’t ignore the stirring in your spirit, for God calls us to great and scary adventures not to harm us but to better us, challenge us, and to make us more in His image. As we embark on our new journeys, we will have to lean ever so deeply into His strength and wisdom to get through the narrow and steep climb He’s called us to. Take courage, He has a great purpose for you and me. Love, Ashley
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Thursday’s Trench Truth Oh, to be more spiritually-minded and less focused on things that have no eternal value!
Join us for more encouragement on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Trenchclassesunited Love, Kim-Evinda Wednesday’s Word It’s that time of year again: school’s out for summer, vacations are being planned and couples are endeavoring to embark upon the waves of marriage, committing to do so before friends and family. Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United.
I love weddings for lots of reasons, the first being it refreshes my own marriage commitment. Last week I got to attend a long-awaited wedding. So many of us have prayed that God would bless this guy with someone to love and be loved by. What’s crazy is her family and friends had been praying the same prayer for years! Their wedding was one of the sweetest, simplest ceremonies I’ve ever attended. It was a wedding I am certain I will never forget. The bride’s brother married them and it was obvious he was significantly emotionally invested in his sister’s happiness. Several times throughout the ceremony he had to stop to catch his breath…and dry the tears of joy. He began his message with Exodus 14:14: “I will fight for you; you need only to be still.” These were the words the Lord spoke to Moses to give to His people as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, a long time to get where they wanted to be: the Promised Land. He shared a common piece to both of their stories: they each had been heartbroken several times, had waited for a long, long time for the right person, and had wondered if God was ever going to answer their prayer for a lifelong partner. They both had nearly given up, tired of hearing their own prayers…but the Lord had fought for them and brought them to each other. It was in the struggle that they learned to be still, to trust Him. Her brother then said: “I’d like to say that now that you’ve found each other, and you’re getting married, that you will have entered the Promised Land;” we all laughed. “But that is certainly not the case.” I absolutely loved the truths that followed and to summarize, he compared the Children of Israel’s journey into the Promised Land to marriage; that there will be times of pain, sorrow, doubt, going without…but remember, the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. So, Coffee Hour Friend, what has you struggling emotionally, physically and/or spiritually? Can I encourage you to take this promise to the bank, trusting that it will not bounce; it’s a guaranteed, already-paid for promise! He will fight for you; He has your very best interest at heart. Love, Kim-Evinda Tuesday’s Trench Truth The melody of our lives should bring harmony to others’ lives.
In other words, disagreement need not bring dissention and disconnection, but can actually be a beautiful harmony! Join us on our Facebook page for daily doses of encouragement from the trenches at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited Love, Kim-Evinda Monday’s Mantra Have you ever had a disagreement with the one you love that exasperated and baffled you all at the same time? Recently I had one of those with my husband and it left me truly frustrated and perplexed, but it also taught me something! Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Monday’s Mantra with Trench Classes United.
The disagreement was definitely not what I would consider trivial but without getting into the details, we each were stuck on our interpretation and feelings about what we were disagreeing about. I was defending what was right, not who was right. We were about a good 15 minutes into it when a light bulb went on for me and I realized we weren’t getting anywhere because we both believed what we believe, so I decided to just stop talking about it. I mean the disagreement looked something like a truck stuck in wet sand, the engine trying with all its power to get a burst of traction to move even an inch, but it just couldn’t muster up the power. When I pulled away from the tug-of-war, a very quiet voice said these words: Love does not demand its own way. It was the sweetest scolding I’ve ever gotten. J J J I’d like to say that I immediately, in slow motion, went running to my husband, gushing with apologetic love…but that’s not what happened. But what did happen is these quiet words spoken in the crevices of my frustrated soul, only after I had dared to step back, took me out of the tug-of-war and affirmed my resignation with yet another whisper, an echo of a verse I had heard at a wedding: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 Help me, oh, Lord, to love and respect him, to pull out of the tug-of-war without pulling away from him! Love, Kim-Evinda Faith Filled Friday If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5) Sounds simple, huh?
Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United. What a glorious verse! He is always so faithful to give us all that we need. I find at times when I ask for wisdom that I can’t quite make out what the Lord is saying to me or if He is even talking to me. Sometimes He seems quiet. Recently during such a time as this, I sat in prayer, I felt the Lord calling me to a fast. As I began my fast, I noticed after a few days a calm and peace come over me. Before my fast, I was trying to figure out why things weren’t happening the way I thought they should be. I own my own business and it felt like business was slow. To me it was turtle-pass slow, and I didn’t understand why. I couldn’t understand the whys, and the enemy took full advantage of answering my whys with his lies, which I admit, I began to digest and believe them…but only momentarily. As I fasted, I let go of all my whys regarding all things in my life. I laid them before the Lord, just as we are lovingly guided to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” You see, as I took my thoughts captive to the Lord, all the noise of my flesh and the enemy fell away. It was quiet, and I could once again hear the small still voice of the Lord. It was the chaos of my whys and the digesting of the enemy’s lies that made it impossible for me to discern the voice of God. Are you feeling like God is being silent? Are you wondering why He isn’t answering your prayer for wisdom and guidance? He may be speaking, but the chaos raging inside your head may be making it impossible for you to discern His voice, or, alternatively, God may not be ready to answer your prayer for He may have something far greater for you. Coffee Hour friend, may I encourage you with this truth: He always has wisdom, love, and encouragement to speak into our hearts and minds. It’s up to us to lay our thoughts captive at His feet, so we can discern our Heavenly Father’s words of love that He is continuously speaking over us. Have a great weekend Ashley Wednesday’s Word Driving while not knowing where I’m going, aimlessly, until I reach a dead-end and there’s nowhere for me to go but to turn around and look for the turn I missed…
Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United. There’s something that comes over us when we realize we’re lost, especially in the world of Siri, GPS, and any other navigation system coming from our phones and/or our cars. Some of us may experience frustration, especially if we’re in a hurry; and some of us may be more easy-going about it, and still yet, this feeling of being lost may push the panic button. But eventually, we find our way, right? What about in life, when we feel unsure with the direction it’s headed, not confident with the last important choice we made, or a turn taken? What do we do when we find ourselves in front of a dead-end, with nowhere else to go, no turn to make, and no moving forward? The only choice we have is to do a complete turnaround…or sit and wait for instructions. We can either sit in peace trusting while waiting that He’s working everything out for our good, Romans 8:28 that His plan is not to harm us but to build us up, Jer. 29:11 or we can fight it, squirming within ourselves, stressing instead of chilling in the warmth of His love, our anxiety rising louder than the quiet of His whispers, risking the possibility of missing our next instruction. There is something to be said about a peace that transcends all understanding that guards the heart and mind Phil. 4:7 in a fast-pace world; holding us steady while waiting for a way out of the dead-end, a new direction, all the while enjoying being…versus doing; after all, as Jesus says in Matthew 6:27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his/her stature? Waiting… Kim-Evinda Tuesday’s Trench Truth
Monday’s Mantra It's Monday! Here we are meeting up again already! Thanks for joining me for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Monday’s Mantra with Trench Classes United. Recently I went in for a yearly check up. I had been feeling extra tired and run down as of late. My doctor ordered some blood work. The results came back with healthy levels of everything except iron…turns out I was anemic. This explains the fatigue and a few other symptoms I was having. My doctor suggested I take a supplement, and within days of doing so, I felt better! What a relief to have symptoms checked, and an answer found. Like physical exams, we need emotional checkups. When was the last time you paid attention to warning signs in your emotions? Unfortunately, it's easy to ignore symptoms until it's too late and you've said something out of anger or irritation…or done something you'll regret. At least this is my experience! I was in a self-defense class the other day. The instructor had us take a few minutes to do what he called taking inventory of ourselves…becoming aware of how you're feeling he said. Any tight muscles, he asked? Is there any pain anywhere? I've had all the symptoms of emotional weariness lately: irritation, impatience, sadness, brokenness and anger. I have found myself in the strangest bubble of silence...as if words have failed me. So, for a time, I am just going to sit back and take inventory. What is it I truly feel? Maybe I need to spend more time with the Great Physician. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14 Until next week, be blessed, Jenn Faith-filled FridaysIsaiah 41:10 New Living Translation (NLT)
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Today is a new day. This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is so important for me to say to myself in the mornings. I can wake up joyful and triumph or I can wake up tired and cranky, either way it’s so important to remember to say this to myself. Thanks for joining me for a new day, Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith Filled Fridays with Trench Classes United. The verse above, reminds me that God and I are hand in hand and that He will supply all my wisdom and strength for the day. He will get me through my tough days, reminding me to not be discouraged, for I have great plans for you. Be patient my child I will make a way for you, He whispers in my ear. Be joyful in all things! As I listen to the birds sing, the beautiful butterflies flutter by, and the sun falls warmly on my face, I am filled afresh with God’s great love for me. He reminds me again, to see Him in the small things. Rejoice and praise Him for the small things, such as, the birds singing His praises and the warm sun upon my face. I believe in our fast pace world we need to see the grand in all things. But this thing of instant gratification which is what we are accustomed to makes this a challenge, doesn’t it? When we feel that God is being slow to answer, we fall apart and don’t know what to do, or think He has forgotten us. He hasn’t forgotten any one of us! So in the waiting, remember that He knows best for us, so It is best that we wait. I encourage you today, to think on how God showed up simply this morning for you, a small reminder for you of His great love. Let me share with you one of Gods small things that bring me great comfort. If I am overwhelmed, stressed, worried, and I am outside talking with the Lord unloading my every burden, and I see a butterfly flutter by, right then and there I feel a pouring of His peace over me. I take a deep breath and say thank you, Lord. Is there something tiny like this God does for you, or have you taken the time to notice the whispers of His love for you? I encourage you to take a good look today, a minute out of the hustle and bustle and see and feel God’s love all over and around you. Ashley |
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