One of my closest friends called me the other day to tell me she sent me an email containing a blog post that she thought would speak to me. She’s really sweet like that…and yet, there are times that I wish she wouldn’t be so sweet, if you know what I mean? She speaks truth into my life, and there are times when that truth just hurts! Are you catching what I’m throwing at you? Well, those types of friends are the best for us, truly, especially if our heart is after God’s heart. Well, hers is and she knows mine is too.
Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Monday’s Mantra with Trench Classes United.
This blog post by Rebeka Lyons started with her experiences as a speaker/author, and her striving to get where she thought she should be and how one night in her hotel room after a speaking engagement, that ultimately led her to her knees, a most painfully beautiful place to land. As I read of her experience, I could feel every feeling she was writing, as if I was right there with her, down on my knees! Because when it’s all said and done, I know that there are just those times when we have to bow down in order to get up!
As I read her blog, I nearly stopped breathing as the truth of her words hit a bulls-eye, right smack in the middle of my heart, and conviction began to ooze out and a holy presence filled my space. My eyes filled up, blurring my vision but still I could see: “I don’t live as if You are enough.” Ouch!
I so related to her confession of counting the “likes” or “hearts” on her stuff she puts out there, her heart soaring when there were many, and plummeting when there were few.  Why is it we base our self-worth on how many “likes” or “loves” we get on something we post on social media? Where does our confidence truly come from? It’s a frustrating conundrum truly, because my editor from New York actually told me last week, “Your platform’s too small. You need to get your numbers up because your social media platform has become just as important as what you write”!
So how does one get away from the necessity of social media? Well, maybe we ought to consider why we’re posting what we’re posting. Is it for attention, popularity, to fulfill a need, such as being liked, loved and accepted? Or is it simply to encourage, lift up, inspire and motivate?
We have got to remember who we’re really posting with! See, we can’t do it for Him because if we do anything “for” Him, it’s in our own strength and often for own need or purpose; but to partner “with” Him before we hit that “post” button, well then we’ll never run out of strength…or words, and the “likes” and “loves” won’t matter because our Audience of One loves it and isn’t that all that really counts?
As I finished reading Rebeka’s blog, she cited something that she heard Ann Voskamp speak, and the echo of it is still speaking to me as I write this for you:
“Those who keep score in life just want to know that they count. When you work for an audience of One, you always know that you count.”
My Coffee Hour friend, maybe it’s time to stop counting the “likes” and “loves” and trust that if we’re trying to send a message of encouragement to anyone, He will carry it right to the hearts that need it, and in the process, as it picks up speed in cyber space, the seed will scatter and reach many unseen “likes” and “loves.”
Love,
Kim-Evinda 

​Faith-Filled Friday

Have you ever received a gift and then allowed someone to take it from you? Then why do we allow others and circumstances to get in the way of our specially-crafted God-given gifts? Thanks for joining us today for Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United and Ashley. Come on in.
We all have been given gifts of the spirit. My gifts are writing, teaching children, and as my mom in love would say, I am a nurturer. It took me quite some time to be able to say these are my gifts, but now that I know, it's important for me to utilize each one God has given me. 
Has anyone spoke down to you or tried to squash your God designed gifts? Well, I pray you won't be like me and listen to their lies. The enemy will use anything or anyone to keep us from fulfilling what God has provided us with. People and their thoughts about us do not define us. Our identity is in Christ and all of us fall short. 
Our flesh runs amuck in us; we speak before we think; we lose our patience. The list can go on and on. However, this doesn't mean our gifts or our salvation is lost, just as Matthew 6:12 tells us:
We may lose friends and/or family; but remember they don't define us. We continue to love them, pray for them, and ask God to help us move on. Beloveds, please don't allow someone to steal your specially-crafted gifts from God by believing the lies others say about you. Remember to take all things before the Lord and let Him weed out the truth from the lies. 
2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV:  We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Love,
Ashley

​Thursday’s Trench Truth & Invitation

Are you in need of a long-awaited date night? Do you need a break to get away from things serious and laugh a little? Then mark your calendar for our Night of Laughter and plan on joining us August 24. Doors open at 7 PM, check in by 7:40 PM. Show Starts at 8 PM. Food is available for purchase. 

​Looking forward to laughing with you
Kim-Evinda

I sat there sipping my morning coffee, wondering how I’d make it thru the day. Life had been coming at me hard, on every side, from every angle. In addition to one of my most favorite human beings – my self-adopted mom – being put on hospice care, we had to tell our little 8-year-old grandson that his mommy was no longer with us, and we needed to be as close to the truth as we could without giving him all the details.
Thanks for joining me today for Wednesday’s Word as I share from my heart directly to yours!
Have you ever gotten something just in the nick of time? Maybe it was something monetarily or emotionally, or physically, whatever it was, do you remember exhaling a sigh of relief? Or what about receiving something you had no idea you needed as desperately as you did? That’s where I was this particular morning, just a few mornings ago. I was so sad, heavy-hearted, wanting to protect our little grandson from this loss that would surely affect him, his future.
I looked down at my coffee cup, one I have drank from hundreds of times and it was like seeing it for the very first time. Only instead of exhaling a sigh of relief, I inhaled…and held my breath, startled by the obvious voice of Him who pursues us relentlessly and loves us lavishly, going through great lengths to continuously express it. And then I smiled, encouraged by His command, His reminder that He had already gone ahead of me; everything would eventually be all right.
Words can’t express how encouraged I felt, so allow me to share my coffee cup with you that you too would be encouraged…no matter what you’re going through.
 
I love how He speaks to me; how He is so able to get my attention; He gets me!
Love,
Kim-Evinda

​8 years ago God begin the wildest roller coaster ride I've ever been on! I wouldn't trade it for the world and I'm still seat-belted in looking forward to many more years of serving him and others that they may thrive in life and love.
Love,
Kim-Evinda
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And isn’t it great to know He won’t have voicemail on! He is concerned about all that concerns you!
Join us at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited for a cup of daily encouragement

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. August 24, 2018. Food is available for purchase.
Funds raised will go towards supporting the mission of Trench Classes United: Helping others thrive in life and love through exploring and understanding past and present experiences for a transformed future.  

​ Thanks for joining us for Monday’s Mantra & Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United! Grab your favorite break-time beverage and let’s go ties some knots in our faith through a five-finger prayer!
I love learning new things, especially when it comes to growing my spiritual self.  And then, of course, I love to share what I’ve learned with a heart that hopes to encourage you in your journey in the classrooms of life. Psalm 138:8 tells us that he will perfect that which concerns you and me, and that He will not forsake the work of His hands, meaning us! What a comfort.
So, first, to make this even more real for you, get a piece of paper and a pen and then trace your hand…go ahead, do it! It will be fun.
Okay. Now, looking at your hand-traced hand, right or left, let’s start with your thumb. Thumbs up, those we pray for first are usually the ones closest to us, so inside the thumb, put “those closest to me.” Then the next finger is your pointer finger, which represents those people in your life who point you in the right direction, so write “Leaders in my life” in that finger. Now that third finger…uh-huh, that’s the middle finger, and that finger is to remind you to pray for your…enemies! So write “enemies,” or even personalize it and put a few unlovable people’s names in that finger. And then the ring finger, did you know it’s considered the weakest finger? Oh, my goodness, what beautiful symbolism, especially if there’s a wedding ring on it! That finger is to remind you to pray for the weak, those less fortunate than you and so in that finger, write “Weak, those in need.”
And then finally we have the pinky, which is to remind you to pray for yourself, so write “self” in that finger.  Do you pray for yourself, friend? Many of us are so concerned about others that we may forget to pray for ourselves, but just like the fingers on a hand, every one of them has a purpose…and so do you!
So next time you get ready to pray, remember all of your fingers to accomplish your five-finger prayer; it could be as easy as offering a high-five to God!
Love,
Kim-Evinda

Recently, I made a decision and I felt justified by my decision to remove certain people from my life. Now I didn’t make a big deal or scene with this decision I made; it was a decision I had made in my heart and mind. I felt no remorse for it and was convinced that God was behind this decision. You see I have been hurt by these people all my life, and my weary heart could not withstand it any longer, or so my weary self thought.
Thanks for joining me today for Coffee Hour with Chicklit Power and Faith-Filled Friday with Trench Classes United.
 Last Sunday during worship they played a song that talked about fighting for love. As I sang this song, tears flooded my face. I was to fight to love these people, not for me, but for God because this is what He instructs us to do. I cried my broken and weary heart out to the Lord. I came before him standing, but in my spirit, I was on my face asking God to forgive my wretched heart. After worship, I dried my tears, and the pastor begins to speak in 1 Peter about loving your brothers fervently.  As I am listening to the message the tears continued to flood down my face. I couldn’t contain them. My purpose is to show Christ's love, and here my heart and mind’s decision was the furthest thing from His love.
1 Peter 1:22 New King James Version (NKJV)The Enduring Word 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth [a]through the Spirit in [b]sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
Looking back, I do recall a period of my life where I had fallen away from the Lord, and lived my life the way I wanted for my pleasures, and didn’t want anything to do with God. Yet, He still loved me and sought after me, and here I am throwing in the towel. Needless to say, my heart was convicted to the core, but I love how gentle and tender God is with correcting us. He does it with grace and love.


Can I encourage you beloveds, if there is someone difficult in your life who causes you pain or hurt, just ask God how you are to love them and for the strength to do so. It could be either through prayer or actions, a smile or a simple “How are you?”
You see when we put ourselves and our feelings down and allow God to work it’s not us they see but Christ who lives in us. Let’s be like Jesus, though we didn’t deserve his love or grace, He still gave it abundantly. Let us follow in His footsteps. 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 New King James Version (NKJV)4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [a]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [b]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Love,
Ashley
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Are you experiencing feelings of wanting to give up, or give in to an old behavior? Join us for some encouragement to fight those urges minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day…
www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited or visit us at www.trenchclassesunited.com

Click the picture 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 is available for purchase. 
Funds raised will go towards supporting the mission of Trench Classes United: Helping others thrive in life and love through exploring and understanding past and present experiences for a transformed future.