Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United.
In these unprecedented times made even more unprecedented by the confusion and anger about it all, what a great reminder Debra gives us today in her Love Letter from Jesus to us.
 
~Love Letter~
 
My dear one, be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity.  Don't allow self–promotion to hide in your heart, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourself. Seek to promote Me in all you do, then you'll know you're headed in the right direction. When you desire to be seen or heard you are headed for destruction for pride has filled your heart.
 
Godly wisdom will make room for itself, it does not need to be promoted. Be sensitive to Me and follow My prompting and you will be what I desire. I will use your gifts that We may build the Kingdom together, as you continually stay focused on Me and My desires.
 
Reach out to others and bless them. Pray for all that you can, being always in an attitude of prayer. Be available to agree in prayer with any that asked. Beloved, I never turned anyone away but ministered to every need that was presented to Me, follow My example as others reach out. 
​
~DebraDolce

Welcome to Thursday’s Truthful Humor with Trench Classes United where we pull truth from humor.
​
There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like that for a half hour. Then a big trouble making truck driver steps next to him, takes the drink from the guy and just drinks it all down.

The poor guy starts crying.

The truck driver says, "Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy you another drink. I just can't stand to see a man cry."

"No, it's not that," the man replies, wiping his tears, "This day is the worst day of my life. First, I oversleep and I go in late to my office. My outraged boss fires me. When I leave the building to go to my car, I find out it was stolen. The police say they can do nothing. I get a cab to go home, and when I get out, I remember I left my wallet. The cab driver just drives away. I go inside my house where I find my wife in bed with the gardener. I leave my home, come to this bar, and just when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink my poison."

What we do when we just can’t take anymore often determines who we become in the outcome. 😊

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I waited…and waited…and waited for her to give her answer to the question, and when it finally came, I was humbled into thoughtful silence.

Thanks for joining us today for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United.
​
Jeremiah 29:13 says “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” The question I put out to each of them was: if Jesus just spoke those words to you, what would “all your heart” look like and what would you ask him?

It was the last night of our first Trench Class together in this transitional home. As I went around the room asking them to tell me their first gut response to the question, I noticed a theme: a desire to surrender and let go of misguided thoughts.

I marveled at the changes that I had gotten to witness in each of them in just eight weeks. Each of them had showed up weekly with their homework done, or nearly done, and ready to participate and break free from the ties that had held them prisoner in their current situations, all of which began with a thought which bred and bled into another thought until those thoughts finally became an action, and thereafter a behavior.

What about you, what does “searching with all of your heart” look like? I don’t know about you, but those few words can create the biggest chasm. What can close that divide? What in the world must I do to seek Him with my whole heart?

DRUM ROLL………

Practice His Presence.

When we practice His presence, we remind ourselves that He’s with us; the more we recognize He’s with us, the more of ourselves we can give Him. The more of ourselves we give Him, the more we will desire to be with Him and like Him, to include Him in all things.

Can I encourage you to begin practicing His presence…you will find Him.

Love,
Kim-Evinda

Welcome to Tuesday’s Truthful Humor where we pull truth from humor.

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident. The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting, they began to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven?

When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,'" and he left.

The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple were still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if it didn't work out; could you get a divorce in heaven? After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informed the couple, "You can get married in Heaven."

"Great!" said the couple, "But we were just wondering, what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"

St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground.
"What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple.

"OH, COME ON!," St. Peter shouted, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find a lawyer?"

Oh, my gosh, that was funny. But why do you suppose marriage has become so…disposable? We’d love to hear your responses.

For more encouragement take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com and be sure and join our Instagram at instagram.com/trenchclassesunited.com

When a certain scent
Takes you back
To a former place
A familiar time
Do you reminisce
Or do you cringe?
 
Wiping your hands
Hoping to forget
Or maybe you think
This is it
Take me back
To this paradise within
 
And that’s the beauty
of being human
Memories that shape us
Thoughts and places
That claim us
Taint us
 
But we have this power within
To rearrange the paint brush
Filling our cracked canvas
With steaks of gold
Like a desert of dust
With rivers of old
 
Now living with mighty rivers that flow
For this, I do know
Our memories can serve us
Or turn us
But it is up to us
To give full trust
 
Knowing the One who created us
Can change us
With one small stroke of His master brush
Filling us up with love
and our hearts once dried up
Quickly melt into mud
Ready to be molded
By the Potter who holds us
Throw us into the furnace
Where the fire does not burn us
Beholding our new surface
Tried and true
With the mark of His golden hue
 
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
Which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”
Ephesians 4:22-23
 
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
- Isaiah 43:18-19

-Abigail Rice

For more from today's author, visit instagram.com/ajourney2life

​Oh, what a beautiful reminder that to focus on our failures is to forget His redemption. Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United.
​
~Love Letter~
 
My beloved children, your love can't be an abstract theory you only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through your loving deeds. You prove that I live in you by your loving deeds. That's love in action.
 
Whenever you are reminded of your failures, begin to thank Me, for My redemption has already settled the matter. Take every thought that's contrary to the Word of God, take it captive, for that is a vain imagination. Do not believe the lies of the enemy for you are saved, sanctified, washed in My blood which cleanses.
 
Now rise above that forgotten failure, My warrior, and begin to walk in the power and authority I give you. Begin to declare what I say about you. My Word says you are Mine, a King's kid 😊 You are enough! You are above and not beneath; you are the head and not the tail.
 
Look at all the Scriptures that say what you are and begin to walk in that. I didn't give you a spirit of fear, but Love, power and a sound mind.
 
Beloved, spend time in My Word and in prayer until you are empowered and I will energize you as you praise Me. 
 
~DebraDolce

Welcome to Thursday’s Truthful Humor where we pull truth from humor

“Harry,” whined Mary, to her husband of 20 years. “What should I do?! I’m not ready for old age! I’m only 50 years old but I look and feel like I’m over 75! My face is all wrinkly; my back is bent over, and my hair is all thinned out.”
“Well,” said Harry after looking her up and down, “There is one thing about you that still works as good as new.”
“Oh Harry!” said Mary sitting down next to her husband, “you always know just what to say! What are you referring to?”
“Never mind” said Harry looking down.
“C’mon Harry, please tell me what you were referring to.”
“Mary, please don’t make me.”
​“Harry I insist.”
“Well I was going to remark about how your eyesight seems to be working just fine!”
-www.greatcleanjokes.com 😊 😊 😊 😊

Gosh, truth can be a double-edged sword, huh!!! 😊 Remember, though our bodies are perishing outwardly, God says we are being made new inwardly!

For more encouragement, join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited and take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com

As we prepared to film this segment, the nerves began to rumble within, threatening to send me running as I had no idea how this was going to play out. I was NOT in control! 😊
​
Welcome to Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United.

We had been in North Carolina filming for a day and a half and it was time to film the Root Removal segment. Normally we interview and walk through this part of every trench with another Trencher, but since our filming location was out of state, that wasn’t possible.

Steve and I had talked beforehand about this part of the filming and he had reminded me that the season I am in right now is not just my story, and it’s still playing out, so I couldn’t share it. His words spoke to my need to be heard, understood, and replaced my cry for justice with a peace and a surrender that led me to understand that I didn’t just land where I’m at in my life; that there were a series of events that had led me there.

I had done a little bit of prepping for this segment, but not too much. I wanted the healing to be real, not rehearsed. My prayer: that others would receive healing as well. I knew the questions that would be asked of me, but I didn’t have all of the answers…until he asked.

I can’t even put into words the power of the process. There I was, camera rolling, raw and vulnerable with tears streaming down my face, sharing the pain over my inability to recognize the warning signs, but also recognizing there wasn’t a whole lot I could do. I shared how helpless, scared and betrayed I felt when signs and symptoms of an identity crisis began to show themselves. I owned my inabilities in the process, shared my would-have’s, should-have’s. Before I knew it, the words “That’s a wrap” brought me back. But I wasn’t the same; I was lighter, more free, free from the anger and resentments that had bound me up for over 15 months. I was finally able to let go and let God take control of this situation and bring all involved healing and restoration.

The next day on the plane ride home, I turned to Steve and said, “I didn’t say anything disrespectful, did I?”

His response made my heart soar with gratitude: “No, and as a matter of fact, I thought it was so cool that you kept it to your feelings about their actions without focusing on their actions.”

I now know in my heart that no matter what happens, I’m going to be okay because I am finally learning the value of truly separating the sin from the sinner, the actions/attitudes from the actor, leaving me free to forgive and soar thru this season without the extra baggage of resentments and unforgiveness.

Friend, can I encourage you in your journey to become more healthily self-aware for then you too can become more selfless; in other words, when we  process what we are feeling, we are free to continue loving and letting others be who they are, right where they are.

None of us is without sin and His Word reminds us of that in Romans 5:8: “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

While the “act” or His “gift” was completed long ago, the gift of His love is ongoing.

Love,
Kim-Evinda 

Welcome to Tuesday’s Truthful Humor where we pull truth from humor

A wife was sitting peacefully in her cozy armchair sewing her husband’s socks. Her husband came in to the room and glanced at what she was doing,  and started badgering, “HONEY be more careful!  PLEASE WATCH WHAT YOU ARE DOING;  You don’t want to poke YOUR finger!
   
He pauses for just a few seconds and starts in again: HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU,  Don’t look up when YOUR’E SEWING! There you go now, slow and steady, nice even stitches.

Finally his wife puts down the needle and thread, looks up at her husband, and says, “What the heck is wrong with you? Do you know how many times I’ve sewn socks before?!

“EXACTLY THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT”, hollered the husband, “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE DRIVEN A CAR BEFORE!?
​-www.greatcleanjokes.com

Ladies, we were created to complete our men, not compete with or control our men!

For more encouragement, join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/trenchclassesunited and take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com
​

Lord, I come before You
Tired and weary
As the fast-paced
Ever changing moments of my day
Make my brain race
You silently remind me
It will all be okay
 
and I open Your Word
Praying that You open my heart
To feel the slow steady burn
The burning desire
To lift You higher
 
Despite the time
Despite the place
Oh, how I long to see Your glorious face
 
And as we await for that day
I sit in silence
And pray
Lord, lead my way
From the womb to the grave
It is You I will praise
 
Despite the time
Despite the day
 
The unrelenting tasks that seem to get in the way
Those
They can wait
Because right now
My breath pauses and waits
To feel the warmth of your embrace
The soul enlightening Words
As they jump of the page
 
Lord, have Your way
 
May I ever be present
May I ever be free
As I jump for joy
Frolicking as I sing
Your love is kind
Your love is grand
and because of that
I do not need to know
every detail of Your plan
 
Not even a peek
As long as it is you that I seek
You will reveal Your mysteries to me
 
Release me of my iniquity
Seep your light into me
Let me be
Your hands
Your feet
 
Move me
Use me
Choose me
I am here
Modest and meek
Humbling myself
Letting You lead

​-Abigail Rice

To hear more from today's Author, check out instagram.com/ajourney2life