What does that even mean, to let go and let God? I think it depends on what it is that needs to be let go of. For example, is it a worry that has you in a white-knuckle frame of mind? Is it a loss? A resentment? An addiction of any kind? Whatever it is that we need to let go of is something we weren’t meant to carry.

I watched a YouTube video the other day that helps explain it: If we thought of whatever we need to let go of as a piece of trash, we throw it away and we usually leave it there for the trash man to take away and take care of permanently.

Now I’m not saying God’s a trash man, by any means; He’s a trash taker and as He takes our worry, our loss, our resentment and/or addiction, He gives us something in exchange: forgiveness and a peace that transcends our own comprehension, becoming a fragrant aroma in life.

When we take back that which we’ve dropped at God’s feet for Him to put in its rightful place, we begin to smell of spoiled burden. To let go and let God is to exchange our trash for His fragrance, a fragrance so encapsulating and intoxicating it will take your breath away.

Letting go,
Kim-Evinda

She walked over to where they routinely began their playtime, crouched down, almost eye level with her little Toy Terrier, Aniesi, who was already in position, watching the ball that was in her hand…and waiting.
Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United.

This is one of my favorite parts of the day, playtime with Aniesi. It almost always amazes me how something that weighs a whopping seven pounds has the power to pull me out of stress in exchange for the ability to play and giggle.

Aniesi crouched down, waiting for me to throw the ball. When I did, I got into my semi-bridge position while Aniesi ran after it. I watched her run all the way into the T.V. room, and back with the ball in her mouth, running under me (the bridge) and back thru to safety.

She laid down with the ball in mouth, and as she did, I relaxed my bridge position and tucked myself over her, drawing her in, giving her kisses. And as she nibbled on her little ball, I was filled with this overwhelming and overflowing love and sense of fierce protection – I mean I love my little fur-baby, but this was such an intense amount of love and protection, more than I’d ever experienced before. And that’s when I heard it, His voice…

This is how I feel when you draw near to Me.
Wow, that word was so for me, especially considering the last couple of weeks which had become more of a juggling act than I liked.

Tears of gratitude trickled down my face as I allowed His message to sink into my soul. The truth of God really loving me so intensely and protectively had made the 12-inch leap from head to heart in such a powerful and personal way. My Abba was not only relating to me, but He was relating with me.

The picture of me drawing Aniesi to me, encasing her little seven-pound frame into me with a gentle but fierce sense of protection, and the overwhelming love that filled my heart and spilled over onto her is symbolic: This is what our Heavenly Father feels when we make that first step to invite Him in…into whatever -- our day, our circumstance, our thoughts, our attitudes and actions – He loves to love us. It’s not a chore; it never changes; it never lies, steals. It is purely and simply unconditional love.

Can I encourage you…draw near to Him (James 4:8) for when we make the first step towards Him, His unrelenting love and protection will draw us into Him.

In His unrelenting love
Kim-Evinda

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of someone being tricked by lies, walking away from what they’ve known to be true. It’s hard to watch the deception of that kind of reception.

​It leaves us with a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness, which is rarely easy to maneuver. And the sad truth is that the longer they stay in the lie(s) the less they will recognize the truth.
I think the deeper we love, the harder it is to watch.

When we realize that we are powerless in this kind of situation and surrender the one deceived to Him who receives and restores, the only One who has the power to cast light on the dark because of His sovereignty, we retain our sanity, and He promises to bring dignity. It truly takes letting go and letting God, which we will explore more on Thursday with Thursday’s Trench Truth…

Abiding in His truths
Kim-Evinda

Doesn’t it feel as though the older we are, the faster time goes?
 
Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail Rice and Trench Classes United. Time can be a thief, or a giver; it’s up to us to make the most of it.
 
Another month
Another proof
That time flies by
Like a witch on a broom
 
But this
This is only another chance
To let go
and give room
 
To dine with you
To set a place at our table
In our hearts
To make room
 
For our Heavenly groom
Who has no time
Who has no end
For the gift of eternal life does He give
 
A life well spent means nothing
If it isn’t spent with Him
 
So, let’s sit
Lets’ eat
Let’s dine
With the Creator who washed our feet
 
How can we meet?
Where can we go?
If even to the depths of Sheol
He is there
 
Waiting
Holding
For us to open up
To be filled with His love
 
So hold your cup
Filled with wine
And drink this time
In celebration
In remembrance
Of the gifts He has given
 
Creation
Life
Breathe
Divine
 
His love
His life
 
All for us
To have a chance to dine
 
With the Lover of our souls
The One our hearts truly long to know
 
So make room
and be it known
That your God is a God that transcends all time
 
and it is with you
That He longs to dine
 
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will take hold of me.” - Psalm 139:7-9 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
 
Abigail Rice

When someone motions to you and acts like they have a secret to tell you, how do you respond? Is there a curiosity within you?
Welcome to Faith-filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. Today’s Love Letter is a perfect reminder that our Heavenly Father is waiting to meet us at His Word to whisper words of love and promises to us.

~Love Letter~
 
My dear one, for everyone who listens with an open heart will receive progressively more revelation until he has more than enough. But those who don't listen with an open, teachable heart, even the understanding that they think they have will be taken from them.
 
This is a strong Word. So many have fallen for the deception that you can live your life however you choose because I am a forgiving God, but even the Apostle Paul instructed against this. My Word also warns you that I won't be mocked, whatever you sow, you will reap.

If you're living life your own way, how teachable is that? Surely that’s living life with a closed heart. There are not many roads, just one road. When you're pulled away and enticed, then it's easy to be deceived. But when your heart is open and teachable then you will receive revelation.
 
As you continue in My Word and practice it and you will receive even more revelation. Ask Me, how do I relate to what I’m reading? How can I apply it? That's how My Word grows and expands. Now that's pretty exciting.

Beloved, dig into My Word every day; don’t leave it for someday, and write down the new things that are revealed to you. 
 
~DebraDolce

One of my favorite things to do to connect with God, even when I’m not feeling very connectable, is to read a Psalm. So depending on what day of the month it is, that’s the Psalm number I’ll chose; for example, today is the 23rd…Ahh, Psalm 23, one of my favs. I’ll read it, then come back and re-read it and just meditate on it. Then I’ll put my current challenge, circumstance and even a victory in that Psalm.
​
Verse 1 says: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…then I’ll add something I’m doing or wanting that I know I shouldn’t be, and I’ll write it, speak it and soon I’m believing it. I’ll go verse by verse and wow, what a perspective changer this is, friends.

So can I encourage you to try it; put yourself in His word, verse by verse, whatever it is you are facing you will realize you are not alone!

In His Word,
Kim-Evinda

She turned her computer on, eager to start her training as part of the “Soul Care Team” at her church. She smiled a smile of gratitude as she thought about how He had orchestrated her steps to get her there. It had been a very, very long time since she had felt at home in a church, but all she had gone thru over the last three years had brought her home.

Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United.

The revelation was like a bullseye, aiming straight for the eyes of her heart: for almost 34 years now, she had been listening fast…because as a court reporter that’s what you have to do; listen at lightning speed, at times 300 words a minute (which means the brain gets maxed out)! But when it comes to conversations with others, to maintain that pace of listening will cause many important pieces to drop.

She thought back to a few relationships she still had a not-so-pleasant feeling about and realized her “fast listening” probably didn’t help either situation. The humble pie didn’t taste good, but it was necessary to grow in her walk with Christ and be part of this team.

After listening to the first segment of training, she knew down in her soul that God had led her to this team not just to serve others, but to refine her and bring her closer to Him.  Once again, she marveled and reveled in His multitasking sovereignty for this new journey would surely be accomplishing many things.

This training gave her a whole new depth of understanding on the scripture James 1:19-20: So then, my beloved (brothers and sisters), let everyone be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Look at that word picture: hurry up (to show up for the person that needs to be heard); then STOP, (literally sit with that person all in and present imagine tape on your mouth and the pain it would take to remove it every second to speak); plug in to His Spirit, drink in His presence, and as my focus changes from hurrying to resting in His presence in the present with the one I’m listening to, the need to fix, solve will leave as one’s soul becomes more important than the solution.

Wow, I can’t wait to share my experiences with this training and being on this team. I am learning when I’m too busy to really listen, I’m too busy…oh Abba, help me to listen slow.

Listening and unlearning,
Kim-Evinda

Did you know Paul, the apostle, spent at least eight years unlearning all he had learned before coming to Christ? Can you imagine the guilt and shame Paul must have felt facing his history of killing Christians?
​
Why are we so afraid to look back, face those things that still sting and/or hurt even at the thought of them? See, the truth is some history needs to be studied so as not to be repeated, and while it may be uncomfortable, and even painful at first, in the studying, the learning and unlearning, whatever it is we are having to unlearn loses its power!

One of the most confusing and unproductive things we could do is spiritualize an emotional issue; to tell someone they don’t need to deal with their past because it’s under the blood of Jesus is not doing them any favors. While every hurt, sin and shortcoming is under the blood of Jesus, we’ll keep experiencing them if we don’t deal with them!

Do yourself a favor: don’t spiritualize an emotional issue; invite Jesus into your history to learn the distinction.

Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

When I think of heaven, the words perfect peace and joy, utter contentment come to mind. And yet, we don’t have to wait until we get there to experience that sense of peace and contentment.
Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail Rice and Trench Classes United. Today’s message is a great example of how to get to that place when all we need is our God; for then…enough will be enough
Spirit of David
Fall fresh upon us
 
God of Jacob
Let Your covenant
Be our Rock of Promise
 
For we are Your offspring
No good work
No good deed
No habitual creed
Could ever be enough to please
The God who numbered the sand of the sea
 
For He is all we will ever need
and being His children is all our souls long to be
 
No high priest
No celebrity
No fame
No fortune
Could ever guarantee
A seat at the table
With the Most High King
 
Because His love
His promise
His covenant of blood
Bonds us
Showering us with grace
Until we get to meet the Creator of our faith
 
Let’s hold on
Let’s sing a long
Like a child playing a new song
Slightly off tune
But no care of the people watching in the room
Because this room is filled with the presence of our heavenly Groom
 
So let’s hold
To the covenant
The promise
The song
Of The One whom our soul longs
 
“As the host of [the stars of] the heavens cannot be numbered nor the sand of the sea be measured, so will I multiply the offspring of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, Have you not noticed that these people [the Jews] are saying, The Lord has cast off the two families [Israel and Judah] which He chose? Thus My people have despised [themselves in relation to God as His covenant people], so that they are no more a nation in their [own] sight. Thus says the Lord: If My covenant with day and night does not stand, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of the heavens and the earth [the whole order of nature], then will I also cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his offspring to be ruler over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captivity to be reversed, and I will have mercy, kindness, and steadfast love on and for them.
Jeremiah 33:22-26

​~Abigail Rice

Have you ever tried to do the splits, or any kind of stretching for that matter? Many of not most really don’t take the time to stretch daily, and yet, if we did, the benefits would be amazing.

Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. Just as the physical body needs stretching which brings many benefits, so the spiritual self needs stretching as well. Today’s Love Letter is a great reminder of this very truth.
 
~Love Letter~
My warrior, faith brings your hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things you long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.  This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for.
 
Meditate on this good Word. Stick with it until it's planted deep in your heart. Remember I said if you have the faith of a mustard seed and you don't doubt in your heart, you can speak to the mountain (your circumstance) to be lifted and thrown into the deepest sea (pit of hell with the enemy).
 
Does this seem impossible to you? That's why it's called faith. Faith helps you to believe in the impossible for your own life. Look at the generations of old and how they walked through the most difficult things but held onto their faith. Study them and practice stretching your faith.
 
Rely on Me to help you through these difficult times in your life. Reach deep in your heart and let the strength of My Word fill your very being. Beloved, come to Me and rest in My peace, let it fill you with the assurance that I will do all that I have promised. 
 
~DebraDolce