Have you ever been in a state of confusion, or relentless challenge and just
needed answers?

Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with ebra Dolce an Trench
Classes United. Today’s Love Letter is a great reminder of how to not get
caught up in the things of external value that divide the heart, and how to
be devoted to One.

~Love Letter~
It is impossible for a person to serve two masters at the same time. You will be forced to
love one and reject the other. One master will be despised and the other will have your
loyal devotion. Your choice between Me, the Lord God and the wealth of this world is no
different. You must enthusiastically love one and definitely reject the other.
Oh, what a good Word for you to meditate on.

Do you find yourself in the middle of having to choose between two masters? Look at
your life and see if there are areas where you're struggling and just maybe it's because
your loyalty is divided, which cannot be. What is not devoted to Me is then devoted to
the world.

Are you enthusiastically in love with Me? Has your love gone cold as you dabbled in the
world's glam and glitter?

I tell you the more you give in to the world the more it will pull you up and down that
slippery slope. People say they have to have their defenses up at all times. I say, be
alert, be aware, stay in My Word, and in prayer and the defenses you were worried
about will be handled.
​
Beloved, if I can fight the devil with the Scriptures, so can you. 
~DebraDolce

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

When we have physical pain, most of us will do what we need to to relieve
it; but what is it we do with heart pain?

Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail Rice and Trench
Classes United. Today’s message is a reminder that emotional pain is real
and Jesus is there to heal.

The dagger
The knife
The pain
The strife

For what?
To break my heart
To restart

Break it in two
Lord, i give it to you

All i have
All i am
All You have planned
Is far beyond what I can comprehend

But I know this
Your Word stands

and by the power of Your breath
and the strength of Your hands
You will put me back together
And embrace me again

Hold me again

When my mind begins to wander
Bring it back in

Bring me back home
To Your love
and plant me in land
Where my spirit will grow
Never let go

No, You never let go
and this I know

Soon the walls will fall
Like those of Jericho

For victory is Yours
For the weak
The lowly
The poor

You are all
All we need and more

“For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real]
life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him
in [the splendor of His] glory.” - Colossians 3:4

​How many times have you heard “The Bible is outdated?” “The Bible is no
longer relevant”?

Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench
Classes United. Today’s Love Letter is a great reminder of all the benefits
within the Greatest True Story Ever Told, a story of murder, mystery, every
emotion known to man, drama, romance and more.

~Love Letter~
Everything that people wrote in the Bible in past time is there to teach you something.
Those words help you to be patient and strong. As a result, you can trust Me to do what
I have promised.

Wow, this is a Word that's going to make you think. Meditate on this good Word and let
it produce life in you. I called to you to come and spend time with Me and in My Word.
Can you see the importance of being in My Word, how it makes you patient and strong?
Isn't that what you pray for? Do you pray for eyes to see and ears to hear? Are you
looking for My way in My Word?

These are the instructions that you need day by day as you live on the earth. You must
be in My Word believing in My promises, that as a result you will see them come to
pass. Now this is some exciting news.

Many live their lives in a hurry and don't have time to read My instructions but I say, if
you want to walk in My way, if you want to be patient and strong you must spend time
reading how to do this. How I desire you to do this. There is your way and then there is
My way and you must choose because you can't have both.
​
Beloved, stand on My Word; be patient and strong and let Me show you the results,
which is more than you could ever ask or think.
 
~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
23 rd …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

​Wednesday Word

​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? Some history needs to be studied so as
not to be repeated. Sure, it may be uncomfortable, and even painful at first,
but in the learning and unlearning, whatever it is we are having to unlearn
loses its power!

That’s what we do in the trenches. We provide a safe place to unlearn and
learn by sharing either in the small group or with one sharing partner as we
go through the Transform © series.

But here’s what we don’t do: We don’t spiritualize an emotional issue; in
other words, tell someone they don’t need to deal with their past because
it’s under the blood of Jesus. That’s not doing them any favors. While every
hurt, sin and shortcoming is under the blood of Jesus, we’ll keep
experiencing them if we keep running from them.

Think about joining us in our next trench, Rising above Chaos and
Confusion.
​
Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

What does it mean to meet life on life’s terms?
Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Message with Abigail Rice and Trench
Classes United.
To meet life on life’s terms is to know that whatever we go through, He’s
already there. We will always find Him in whatever storm we face.

My heart is breaking
For You
As Yours is breaking
For mine

The pain does not subside
From the terrors in the night

A heaviness
A weight

Too much
I can’t take
One more second
Of this human fate

But then i recall
None of this is about me
None of it at all

Though i stumble
Though i fall
I will still answer the call

Because this life is not my own
i am nothing but dust
Nothing but bones

So alone..
The lies
Hiding in the dark corners of my mind

But I will rise

Not for spite
Vengeance
Or pride

But because He called me
He called me to fight

and in this present darkness
There is still a light

and in this feeble body
There is a warrior
A warrior inside

Not by my will
and not by my might
But because He promised -
All vengeance is Mine

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I
will repay,” says the Lord. - Romans 12:19

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’ - Deuteronomy 32:35