The other side of the mirror
The other side of the line
That you so desired to cross
But oftentimes you felt lost
 
You felt unsure
Of who were
Who you are
and where you are even headed to
 
and the days that were oftentimes covered in stormy seas of dark blue
Slowly become clearer
As the light within you drew nearer
 
It wasn’t perfect
It was messy
 
But what a beautiful mess
That your mind undressed
To let it be naked
To let it be raw
To peel back the layers
and come to light all your flaws
 
All your imperfections
The hard ones
The lessons
The times you felt like this surely can’t be heaven
 
Because that’s what we all desire on this earth
To bring down a little piece of His golden hearth
But our hearts are so scarred
and our minds so dark
 
Like a shooting star in the night
A flash of light
and then it’s gone.
So how do we catch that star
and hold on?
How do we move forward as the days seem to drag on?
When our time here is so precious
So futile
we catch ourselves wondering if it is even worthwhile?
 
and then it hits
The downward spiral
 
As the thoughts become rifts
How do we stop the fault
and take a hard shift?
 
It begins with this:
 
Realizing WHO YOU ARE
and remembering WHOSE YOU ARE
YOU are a child of a King
YOU are called in to this life not just to breathe
But to be born again into a magnificent spiritual being
 
And that
is soul shifting
 
You can say all the words
and you can listen to all the media mogul blurbs
But until you come to term
With what you believe
and realize that the piece that is seemingly missing
Has been there all along
Like backdrop music
That constant elevator song
 
Always lingering
Always there
But most of the time we do not notice
Or even care
 
Until we become aware
Of every breath that we take
Every moment that is at stake
 
And not for the sake of ourselves
But for the sake of being more than just an old dusty book on a shelf
But to become like the words
The actions
The verbs
 
We are doing more
The seemingly unheard
As we rest in His presence
Our minds undisturbed


Defeating the enemy
As the battle continues to surge
Knowing that as we rise up
and Our feet touch the earth
Our mind is renewed
As we seek Him daily
Often
and first
As our souls tread the storms in the dessert
and He quenches our thirst
 
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” - Matthew 6:33 KJV

~ Abigail Rice

​Have you ever spit something out of your mouth in complete anger, and sooner or later wished you hadn’t expressed it?

Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Fridays with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. With so much division dividing family and friends, today’s blog is a great reminder that unchecked anger will take us for a ride that lands us nowhere good.
 
~Love Letter~

My dear one, be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote My righteous purpose. Meditate on this principle. Assess your own life, your own relationships.
 
How can you share My love and be angry at the same time, even if your anger is with someone else? How does that play out in your life? Doesn't anger in your heart spill over into all areas?
 
Learn how to forgive quickly and let go of every offense that you may be made whole and complete in Me. Isn't the purpose of forgiveness to keep you pure, to make you whole and complete in Me? Meditate on this. What part do you need help with? I gave you the Holy Spirit so that you can walk in forgiveness.
 
Think of living each day with no anger, no offense, no hurt, no pride and lay all that at My feet so you may be healed. Healing brings such freedom. Come and spend time with Me and drink in My Presence, let Me so fill your life that forgiveness flows from you.
 
Beloved, learn how to rely on the Holy Spirit! 
 
~DebraDolce

Are you afraid to approach others directly, particularly your family/friends?

How do you know if you are? Confirm or deny these statements:

1.  You see the writing on the wall but you don’t acknowledge it with the one involved    because they will be mad if you tell them you’re upset.
 2. You fear being different, not accepted, not fitting in.

If you’d like to learn how to rid yourself of this type of intangible fear and rise above, then plan on joining a trench class nearest you.

​For more information, check out your options at www.eventbrite.com/e/living-fearlessly-yucaipa-2-tickets-147839204039

PS.
If you have ever been betrayed by someone you love, or even just a friend, join me, Kim-Evinda, for S.O.A.R. live this Friday on Facebook and Instagram for more of the real-time healing journey to rise above betrayal.

Be blessed
Kim-Evinda

Their hunger to understand was made obvious by their questions. It stirred my soul. “Lord, please speak thru me that they would understand” I silently cried. An explanation came dancing into my mind and began to form in my words. “I got it,” I exclaimed!

Thanks for joining us today for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United. Our prayer today is that this blog opens your mind, that your heart would follow as we navigate through this world-wide pandemic and all its aftershocks.

I have the humble honor of introducing, training and facilitating Transform to two transitional homes, and it has been so good for my soul as I get down in the trenches with these women who are hungry to learn, un-learn and re-learn so as to be all that they can be in Christ.

Their first trench was about the Root of Rigidity – now keep an open mind as I share today 😊 – and we were talking about moral absolutes versus rigid thinking. They were truly struggling to understand the differences, especially considering God’s Word.
​
Here are a few examples of our discussion about moral absolutes vs. rigid thinking
Lying and pride are sins
Prostitutes are immoral losers
Abortion is inexcusable
Homosexuals are going to hell
As we read thru the list, I invited them to look at key words as a guide to suggest whether the statement was a moral absolute or rigid thinking.

If you’re like most people, you pick out a couple of key words, for example, in the second sentence, we see the word “prostitutes” and we automatically go, oh, that’s a no, no in the Word of God so it must be a moral absolute. In the next one we see “abortion,” and we think, oh, yeah, that’s a sin so it’s morally absolute. And the same with the fourth sentence; we see the word homosexuals and we know what the Word of God says so we say that’s a moral absolute.

Now back to my Trench:

As I listened to their reasons for calling the last three moral absolutes, I was so elated, not because they were incorrect but because it validated this truth: when we stay stuck in black and white thinking, we miss grace.

I then encouraged them to look for the one or two words/phrases that felt really condemning. The illumination of understanding began to turn on in each of them, not quite simultaneously as they each processed silently. It was like this domino effect of ah-ha’s and I will carry that with me forever!
Back to you:

While each of those “sins” is a moral absolute, who are we to say a prostitute is an immoral loser. When we say abortion is inexcusable, inexcusable to who? That one really got them and one of our sweet Trenchers stood up and shared about being part of an abortion recovery group and stated had it not been for that group, she never would have accepted Jesus!

And then finally, while the Bible is clear about the lifestyle of homosexuality, it is also clear about Who judges us all. In other words, the way we convey our moral absolutes has everything to do with how they are received.

Jesus says to hate the sin but love the sinner. Do you feel loved when you fall short and someone says, “That was inexcusable!”? I don’t know about you, but when/if someone calls me a loser, that sure doesn’t make me want to check out this Jesus we think we need to defend.

When we project this type of black and white thinking on others, it doesn’t convey love, but condemnation. Isn’t that what we see all over social media? Jesus doesn’t condemn; He convicts, and that’s the difference.

Sin is sin and we don’t get to project our punishment on the sinner. That’s God’s job, not ours. Let us not project labels and punishments on others, but leave that up to the Judge who forgives all sins, the only One who has a camera into our hearts, and remember that the difference between black and white is not just gray but grace.
 
Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

Do you often have anxious feelings or worry about what will happen next?
​
How do you know if that’s something you do? Well, let me ask you:
1. You spend a lot of time thinking about the next thing on your to-do list or the next place you are supposed to be, which makes you emotionally detached
 2. You have a hard time just sitting and being.

If you’d like to learn how to rid yourself of this type of intangible fear and rise above, then plan on joining a trench class nearest you.

For more information, check out your options at www.eventbrite.com/e/living-fearlessly-yucaipa-2-tickets-147839204039

PS.
If you have ever been betrayed by someone you love, or even just a friend, join me, Kim-Evinda, for S.O.A.R. live this Friday on Facebook and Instagram for more of the real-time healing journey to rise above betrayal.

Love
kim-evinda

Once you start falling
and get off of track
How does one get back?
How can you face the eye of the storm
When the power is out
And all around
It’s pitch black
Into the depths
Into the sinks
The sinking feelings
Of this can’t be me
This isn’t me
Because I am strong
I cannot be weak
But I’m here to say
Let yourself be
Utterly free
Of every lingering title
and need to be
Now breathe
Breathe in one more deep breath
and fall into Me
Fall hard
Fall fast
Fall deep
Deeper into the stormy seas
As you cry out for peace
You say I’m not there
But you feel that wind
That slight subtle breeze
Like the waves that roll in
And crash into the palm trees
That’s Me
I’m the calm in the storm
The One who has sworn
To love you
and to hold you
No matter what you are going through
Whether it be a bad dream
Or ultimate lack of self esteem
When the walls crumble down
And you let the waves
Pound
and pound
Darling, cry out!
Cry out to Me
and let go of the constant need
For comfort and blanketed peace
For what you will find
Is that its lacking
Unfulfilling
and self-thrilling
You are surrounded by many voices
and unnamed faces
Yet you feel alone
So alone
So deprived
What even is the point of being alive?
Darling, that’s pride
Prideful for you to feel that this world was created for you
No, I created you
The depths of the blues
The tides and the moons
Yes, I created those
and not a moment too soon
I created you here
To be self-aware
To show the world how to really care
How to really love
Show joy
And laugh with the boys
I created you to be
Exactly
Who
You
Were
Made
To
Be
 
“The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

~ Abigail Rice

In a world filled with news of COVID this, COVID that, we need to learn to rise above the fear, to allow faith, not fear, fuel our attitude and drive our actions.

Welcome to Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce and Trench Classes United. Today’s love letter is such a great reminder of how to deal with fear.
 
~Love Letter~
 
My love, don't yield to fear. All you need to do is to keep on believing. Fear is your enemy and opens the door to everything else. If you pull back the layers of all other issues in your life, fear will be at the root.
 
If you grasp hold of My Word and believe it and keep on believing no matter the raging storm, then you will overcome. When you know where to look as things come, then you'll be able to see them for what they are. Remember, no matter what the enemy brings, it's meant to discourage you, make you want to quit and give up. He tries to get your focus off Me and your belief in My Word.
 
I say be strong and courageous because I will fight for you. When things get hard, then hold tighter to My Word, and let it bring you through every decisive attempt of the enemy to come between us. Remember he is the father of lies and there is no truth in him. Come to recognize the lies that would try to bombard you and fight against them with My Word.
 
Beloved, no matter the circumstances My Word is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. 
 
~DebraDolce

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

So a child asks his dad, Daddy, why are all those cars beeping their horns? Dad responds: Because there's a wedding either about to happen or it’s already happened.

The little boy very innocently asks: Don't we beep the horn as a warning signal, Daddy?
To which dad responds: Exactly, son.
​
Oh, isn’t it true that marriage is not for the weak or for the quitter, but it’s also made better when we accept that marriage is a classroom to learn all about ourselves. The biggest dilemma is both partners need to be teachable.

For more encouragement, go to www.trenchclassesunited.com and join our Facebook community at www.Facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

PS Don’t forget to join me for my Facebook Live S.O.A.R. part IV this Friday at 5:30. If you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you love, you won’t want to miss this live journey of healing and instruction.

Be blessed
Kim-Evinda

We all watched as the man boldly walked down the street with the American Flag, shouting God Bless you,” as well as his truths about our world and its current physical, emotional and spiritual climate.

Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United. Please be advised, this is NOT a political post! 😉

The bold young man ended with “Don’t think I’m crazy; I’m just speaking truth.”

A couple sitting in the very front of the covered patio of the restaurant laughed, but not at the guy. “I don’t think you’re crazy,” the man nearly shouted, I happen to agree with you.”

Suddenly all of us sitting in the area started to chime in our agreement, raising our glasses, “Cheers” I said.

Laughter followed and as the last of it melted into the Laguna beach air, we all returned to our meals and conversations but with a sense of camaraderie, as if we’d known each other for some time. No one there spent any time talking about the differences in opinion, or any negativity whatsoever. It was one of many great moments that made for a great day.

The next morning, in my quiet time, I had a thought; It’s easy to feel that sense of belonging and camaraderie when you’re all agreeing, but why can’t we have that when we don’t agree about things, whether they be politically, spiritually, relationally, or anything in between?

Isaiah 1:18 says: “Come, let us reason together…” so let’s look at the word “reason.” In the Hebrew translation, it means “to explain, argue, substantiate, motivate.”

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “argue,” my defenses go up. This holy-inspired scripture is not permission to argue with anger; however, I do believe that God gives us permission to agree to disagree with grace. That’s healthy arguing.

How do I know that? So glad you asked. In 1st Peter 3:15, we’re instructed to give our answers with gentleness and respect. Respect does not mean you agree with them; in fact, to truly respect someone is to be okay with the differences, and when it comes to any moral issues, remember Who has the camera into the heart; you and I don’t!
​
Don’t spend positive time on negative thoughts-meaning don’t spend time figuring out how you can win someone over to your opinion no matter what the situation; just take the time to appreciate the differences.

Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

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

A man came through my lane at the grocery store with a jug of wine and a bouquet of roses. But before paying, he set the two items aside and said, “I’ll be right back.”

He ran off, only to ­return a minute later with a second jug of wine and another bouquet of roses.
“Two girlfriends?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “Just one really angry one.”

While this is a very nice gesture, owning what we do to anger those we love will carry us a lot further toward a healthy relationship…and might even save us some money!

For more encouragement, go to www.trenchclassesunited.com and join our Facebook community at www.Facebook.com/trenchclassesunited

PS Don’t forget to join me for my Facebook Live S.O.A.R. part IV this Friday at 5:30. If you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you love, you won’t want to miss this live journey of healing and instruction.

Be blessed
Kim-Evinda