Faith-Filled FridayWhat is freedom to you? No matter how uncertain things look right now our only source of true freedom is found in and with Him. What a great reminder that He’s purchased our eternal freedom as well as freedom from anything that pulls us from having peace on this earth. This truth is what we need to keep the eyes of our heart upon.
Thanks for joining us for Faith-filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. May the words you read plant in your soul and bloom in your life for such a time as this. ~Love Letter~ My child, continue to look forward to the joyful fulfillment of your hope in the dawning splendor of the glory of your great God and Savior, Jesus, the Anointed One. I sacrificed Myself for you that I might purchase your freedom from every lawless deed and to purify for Myself a people who are My very own, passionate to do what is beautiful in My eyes. This truth is powerful to increase your understanding of My love for you. Meditate on this. Sit with Me and envision the truths that are written here. Speak them out into the atmosphere. See yourself entwined in My Word so much so that it becomes a part of you and you will not be able to separate the two. Let My Word become so passionate inside of you that you declare My promises over yourself and over your family. Allow My Word to touch everyone you come in contact with. Let your actions speak loudly, ten you will do and speak the same thing. Be passionate about Me and My Word, about all I have done in your life. People see and recognize truth and they are drawn to it. Beloved, be open, be honest, be compassionate and be at peace as you wait patiently for My return. ~DebraDolce
0 Comments
Thursday’s Trench TruthDo you often feel misunderstood and/or experience unmet expectations in your relationships that lead to disappointment or…are you able to speak up and let others know they hurt/disappointed you without an attitude?
I don’t know about you, but approaching something or someone that has hurt you without an attitude is probably one of the toughest things to do…but I want to emphasize it’s possible, my friend, it’s possible. If you would like to learn how to share unmet expectations and avoid an emotional collision before it happens, then you will want to join us for our How to Love Who you Love trench, coming to a small group near you, and available on Zoom! For more information go to https://www.trenchclassesunited.com/classes.html Love, Kim-Evinda Wednesday’s WordI watched Roomba go back and forth, getting every square inch, learning the lay of the rooms, one room at a time. It was fascinating, but what was even more fascinating was instinctively it knew right when it needed to be charged and where to go! Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United. I couldn’t help but giggle as I watched my little Roomba. He was showing improvement in learning the rooms of our house and it was so fun to watch him work while I just visited with a friend. In fact, he gave us both a giggle. Suddenly, my app showed he was headed for a recharge. As I watched him return to his place of dumping and recharging, I got to thinking…where do we dump our junk? Where do we go for a recharge? In our current reality, these are relevant questions. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been feeling sucker-punched lately and so this quiet thought inspired by watching little Roomba was intensely powerful: I need to dump up, not out and down, and I need to go straight to His Word to get in His presence to get my recharge. My hope is in Him, not anyone else, not our government, our president or any other person who attempts to interrupt my peace. His Word is a simple fix for a complex problem. So this morning, I got regrouped after dumping my hurt, frustration and even anger up to my Abba who cares for me and ALL that concerns me, and then I sat in His word for a bit, specifically Psalm 95. As I read it and meditated on it the words soaked into my own life and I was able to ground myself with a spiritual reality that overcomes my worldly reality: He wants us to praise Him in the times of uncertainty for then we will become certain of what is true. Can I encourage you, friend, go to the ONE source that will help you let go, let God, recharge and refresh all in one sitting? Dumped and recharging…. Kim-Evinda Tuesday’s Trench TruthDo you tend to be a peacemaker, afraid of making those close to you upset or angry, even being dishonest to avoid conflict, or just give in to get it over with, or…can you initiate a difficult conversation in order to resolve a problem/conflict?
What if I were to tell you that you can learn how to say no without it causing you anxiety and insecurity? And it’s never too soon to learn this! Just the other day my grandson admitted to me he was afraid of making me mad so he didn’t come downstairs to have me rub lavender on his feet after he had been upstairs in bed for almost an hour. Oh, what a teaching moment. I was able to say, you know, Bryden, I probably would have been irritated, but then by the time we made it back upstairs and I was rubbing your little feet to help you sleep, I would have been over it. I told him, Sweetheart, don’t ever not say something because you’re afraid of what others will think, feel or do. Always be honest with yourself. Would you like to overcome this tendency? Then plan on joining us in a small group near you, or even via Zoom for our How to Love Who You Love trench beginning the week of January 25th. For more information, go to https://www.trenchclassesunited.com/classes.html Thoughtfully, Kim-Evinda Monday’s MessageAhh, for such a time as this when all seems so uncertain… uncertainty leads us to fear, but if we remember HE has not changed and will not change no matter what changes come our way.
Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail and Trench Classes United. We trust that Abigail’s words will be such a sweet reminder of this very truth. Lord, I need You today Give me Your clarity today Give me breath Give me strength For I am merely withering Wasting away Can You please show me the way? For as I fall I pray I cry out to You During this season Of something so new So unknown Where is my home? I desire to rest in You But I can't breakthrough Are you still there? Or have you forgotten about me? Despicable me Once a soldier Now as bare as a fallen tree Are You still there? Are You even listening? Because I'm still here Just a broken dream Yet, somehow still radiating Creating life So evergreen Don't You see? You have called me Yet, I feel so lost So lonely My thoughts They haunt me Why won’t You show me? How do I pull out of this mess This weakness This upheaval mountain of distress I am standing before You Naked Undressed Lord, please clothe me With your light beams so Holy So I can be The servant that You need I am here So unaware But I am ready, Lord I am prepared. "…'I know your deeds, that you have a name That you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, And strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; And I will not erase his name from the book of life, And I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." -Revelation 3:1b-2a;5 -Abigail Rice Faith-Filled FridayWow, isn’t it so easy to criticize others’ actions and attitudes? What if for every judgmental criticism you gave you received three back? One thing’s for sure; your tendency to deflect versus reflect would increase.
Why is it so easy to see the speck in others’ lives but not the log in our own? Thanks for joining us for Faith Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. ~Love Letter~ My love, forsake the habit of criticizing and judging others, and then you will not be criticize and judged in return. Don't look at others and pronounce them guilty, and you will not experience guilty accusations yourself. Forgive over and over and you will be forgiven over and over. This is a very easy trap to fall into. Politicians, for example, right away you begin to criticize them and become offended and that opens the door for the enemy to come in. You should hate the evil, but still love the sinner because I came and died for them. I desire that none be lost! The more you give into criticism the easier it is to do, then you move into ministers and their money and then your spouse or in-laws and how quickly you slide into the criticism of yourself, which is the enemies ultimate goal. Did I not make you in My image? Therefore you are perfect in My sight. Would you judge Me? You do at times, you do by picking apart all that I have made. So repent – turn away from that, break that habit and begin to speak life, pray for those you desire to criticize. Beloved, forgive over and over as many times as you need to, that your heart will be pure. ~DebraDolce Thursday's Trench TruthThanks for joining us for Thursday’s Trench Truth, all about relationships and will be for a few weeks as we head on into our Relationship Trench Class, How to Love Who You Love.
Do you tend to struggle to show emotions/cry and think that those who want more connection with you are too needy, or…are you comfortable with emotions and able to offer comfort to those who need it? What if I were to tell you that there is scientific, psychological and even Biblical research to prove that if emotions were basically stuffed, not allowed, expressed or understood as a child, then we aren’t comfortable with showing them or receiving them as an adult. But that’s not how we were designed. God created us with emotions, mind, body and soul. Limping along life without being able to express emotions and not being understood for those emotions is like a car without gas, a boat without a captain, a plane without a pilot…it’s dangerous and will cause emotional wrecks. We are offering you an opportunity to not only change that cycle but break it once and for all and learn to love who you love healthily. For more information, visit the classes tab while you’re here (trenchclassesunited.com/classes). Wednesday’s WordBaffled beyond words, I listened to the nurse mimic my words to her staff as though I couldn’t hear her. “She says, ‘It’s on the books; well it’s not in my book!’” The phone finally disconnected on the other end and I sat there stunned, so stunned I had to pause. Have you ever experienced a moment where you’re like “Oh no, they didn’t”? Thanks for joining us today for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United. Today she shares such a moment as this and equips us with what to do in those moments. May our first Wednesday’s Word of the New Year cause you to pause. The dictionary definition for “pause” is “to stop temporarily in speech and/or action.” I couldn’t pause too long as I was just starting a Zoom meeting. Unfortunately my attendee heard the conversation and we both just shook our heads, and I shook it off for the duration, but when my meeting was finished, I knew what I had to do. I dialed my doctor’s office and another familiar voice answered; I thought it was her at first but then realized it wasn’t. I asked for her and then in an effort to explain why I was calling, I explained the situation from my perspective, first owning that I wasn’t sure if it was my tone, or my words, but to hear her mimic me when she thought we had hung up was very hurtful and I wanted to straighten it out. The nurse on the other end assured me she’d have her call me back. It didn’t take long and as soon as she identified herself, I started to explain that I wasn’t sure if I had done something to offend her, or if I had used a harsh tone or what, but I had heard her mimicking me. Her response surprised me: “I shouldn’t have done that or said that and I’m so sorry.” There was a pause, “but you did come at me a little strong.” “That’s fair,” I exclaimed. I’m so sorry; it’s not my intent. I’m not making excuses for that, it’s something I need to work on. I’m just juggling a bit right now and tired of not feeling well for more than three months and just want answers. So please forgive me and I’ll be sure and pause in order to express myself more appropriately. We talked about the pressures this pandemic had placed on all of us and were on mutual communication wavelengths. And then she said something else that surprised me: “I’m so glad you called; it takes a brave person to do what you did and I’m so thankful. If you need anything, you have my name now, call me and I’ll take care of you.” I was so grateful that I was able to own it so I could disown it, but if I had not paused, I would have kept it inside, allowed it to fester and interfere with not only that relationship, but all of the relationships I have with my doctor’s staff. It just felt so good to resolve it so well. Friend, can I encourage you in this new year, pray about a word that God would have you practice to make you a better person; chances are it will rub off on others and help others in your world to become better people, too. Reflectively, Kim-Evinda Tuesday’s Trench TruthThanks so much for joining us for Tuesday’s Trench Truth, which is all about relationships and will be for a few weeks as we head on into our Relationship Trench Class, How to Love Who You Love.
Do you usually anticipate and meet the needs of those you love making you the giver more often than not in your relationships, or…you can say no to others even when you know they’ll be upset? For those of us who are concerned about others’ well-being before our own run the risk of burnout, fueled by resentment and other negative emotions all of which lead to broken relationships. It’s a crazy cycle but today I want to share with you an opportunity to break that cycle! Yes, that’s right, join us in a trench near you to learn how to love who you love, beginning with yourself. Let’s face it, never has there been a greater need for relational help than now. A virus has wreaked not only physical havoc in our worlds but emotional and spiritual as well. Join us to learn how to love in such a time as this. For more information, visit the classes tab while you’re here (trenchclassesunited.com/classes). Monday’s MessageTo look down or up is a choice. Abigail’s poem is a perfect reminder of this. As we enter another year, by the grace of our Creator, may we keep our focus heavenward. Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail and Trench Classes United.
The first Monday of a new year Do you hear it coming? Do you feel it near? The sky is rumbling Yet the clouds disappear So we can look in awe In wonder In reverence & fear At the sight of our Lord Our Most Holy As mighty as a lion As nimble as a deer And where were we when the calling was so clear? Over here Not there Worried in a world built around walls of fear And when the flames finally appear We point fingers And we blame When we should have been seeking Calling His name and where were we? Seeking out fame Trying to make a way Of success Nonetheless Squandered at the attempt Of trying to be the best When for so long it has been so clear How can we not see through the curtain so sheer? Full of power and might A magnificent sight Drawing us near Simply to be still Simply to be here The world can wait another day We will all too soon will meet our fate But for now come sit And drink it all in So rare is a moment as precious as this “And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom For such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14b -Abigail Rice |
Archives
April 2024
|