Faith Filled Friday
When we are in the midst of a battle, or a season of suffering and sorrow, we can’t see beyond what we feel. Debra’s love letter from the Father’s heart to hers and now to yours is filled with reminders that nothing, not even sorrow, is wasted. ~Love Letter~ My child, I am close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain, and I am always ready to restore the repentant one. I desire to heal and to restore you and then you can be witness to your family and friends. Then I will bring people to you that you may speak life into them. People are dying on the inside and are looking for Salvation but they don’t know it. They are looking for love and acceptance. Can you be the one that shows them the way? Can you show them Me? Can you love and accept the ones others shun? My Word gives you examples of people that others shunned but I did not, for I was concerned about their heart’s condition and their brokenness and My great desire was to love and to heal. Beloved, let your desire be to love and to heal through Me and My strength in you and you will see the change in others as they come to know and love Me, even as you do.
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From my heart to yours:
As is our custom at CPM, and Trench Classes United, I like to say thank you to all who have continued to support us prayerfully and/or monetarily and those who have been in any of our trenches. I pray that this season of thanks will find your heart and burdens lighter and your perspective about it all brighter. May you enjoy this poem and may it bring a smile to your face and a giggle to your heart. Twas the night before Thanksgiving all through the house Every creature was stirring, including the mouse Everyone was working on all of the fixings The noise and smells were coming from the kitchen The children were busy with their tablets and toys Captured in their games, they made not a noise While the adults laughed and worked all collectively What a beautiful sight it was for any heart to see When all of a sudden there arose such a clatter Mom ran to the kitchen to see what was the matter She looked to the left and she looked to the right She couldn’t believe what was in plain sight There was broken glass from a favorite platter And at first glance, she knew it didn’t matter Everyone was frozen, waiting for her reaction But she didn’t give the devil that satisfaction The counters were a mess, preparations everywhere It looked as though a tornado had just gone thru there The turkey had flown from the platter to the floor The poor thing looked like it just couldn’t take no more The stove was a disaster waiting to happen full of pots and pans, handles overlapping The old mom would have immediately gotten on her broom And painted the atmosphere with a bit of doom and gloom But the new and improved mom was no longer that way For she had learned the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day She stared at each of them and the mess they surrounded Knowing her response would leave them astounded Now sons, now daughters, in-laws and friends like family Is this ever a sight for the eyes of my heart to see? More than the chaos, the mess on the floor The memories we’re making are worth so much more So grab a rag, and a dishtowel too Here’s one for each and every one of you Let’s work together in cleaning up this mess It will only take a few minutes or less Pick up the turkey, and we’ll wash him off We’ll stuff him but good and put him in the trough We’ll baste him all over, and get him ready to eat No one will ever know we stepped on his feet And when the morrow comes and we gather for the meal We’ll be able to discern what matters and what’s real Faith, family, friends, love and laughter Help to bring us all the happily ever after I looked to each of them with tears in my eyes And said something I had just realized Oh, why can’t it be Thanksgiving every day? Loving each other in a Christ-like way Patience, self-control, love and joy too Are there for the asking for each of you We don’t have to wait for a holiday to see That Christ’s greatest gift is that of family Joyfully, Kim-Evinda Mondays Message The old adage goes:
"What advice would you give to your younger self?" Personally I would rather have the younger version of me Speak to the present day woman that is often living in ambiguity Reminiscing back in time When I was truly 'one of a kind' 100% percent me Not caring what it was that I gave the world to see So full of life, love, & laughter Not caring what it was I was chasing after Because the 'after', well that would come later What was present had my presence There were no hidden layers Just me, myself, my prayers, & learned lessons All of me was me Who I was, was what you would see Never trying to be 'ordinary' I'm not exactly sure where I lost myself That version of me I so wish I could be & every year we change But are we getting closer Or further away? For you, my friend, this I pray That when you look at yourself You remember the younger version of herself Full of hope Full of light With a faith that she can reach her God given destiny No matter the obstacles that get in the way of her dreams Have faith & believe That who you are becoming Is who God intended you to be Remember that child Remember her dreams Never letting anything stop her from living so vividly "But Jesus called for them saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it all." - Luke 18:16-17 Ahh, I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded about this truth of forgiveness. Thanks for joining us for Faith-filled Friday with Trench Classes United and Debra Dolce. Love Letter~ My bride, tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Me. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. This is love in action and is the mark of true maturity. Forgiving others and showing grace is what I have done for you and desire you to walk in. What peace you will have, for you never have to rehearse the offense or irritation, for as you surrender it to Me it is all under the blood. Don't allow the enemy to use or throw things at you like "what about this or that?" Release ALL that you can walk in My love, in My peace, then you will hear My voice. Bless those around you, that releases Me to freely move on your behalf. Beloved, come and spend time with Me where the battles are truly won! Wednesdays WOW Looking back thru my journal this past week, reviewing the highs and lows, the lessons I’ve learned, those I’m still learning and even those I’m unlearning, I am pleasantly astounded at how He speaks to us thru His Word, if we’ll only stop and listen. And I don’t even know why I’m so surprised because He does it again and again, despite me😊 No matter what situation you or I find ourselves in, this verse is a powerful source of encouragement. It can bea life preserver in the midst of the sea, an anchor for our souls. What is so sovereign about this verse is it speaks to us differently EVERY time we read it. Why or how? Because life keeps happening and with life comes different storms of trials and circumstances. Friend, may I encourage you to look at this verse, read it, then say it aloud again and again. I guarantee you that when you do this and allow it to soak into your soul, it will bloom in your life: Psalm 138:8: The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. Now put the “thing that concerns you” in that portion of scripture. I’ll go first: The Lord will perfect my marriage… Here’s the condition to the promise: Does it concern us or consume us? If it’s consuming us then we’re not trusting Him to perfect whatever it is that isconcerning. What if we were to live like we believed the words in this promise? Would we finally stay still on the Potter’s wheel and let Him have His way, allowing Him to perfect us in the process to prepare us for the promise, not allowing ourselves to be consumed by that which concerns us? Trying to not be consumed by that which concerns me… Kim-Evinda Mondays Message I stand here as a child Not sure how to pray Or even the words I should say Wondering if what I am doing is worth while Is it Your calling or my hearts yearning My longing or Your arming Arming me for battle To stand against the world’s babble The piercing words Shooting arrows leaving burns Let those burns rekindle our fires Our hearts long again for His desires To fulfill His predestined projection A life lived as an ongoing lesson It is all now laying right in front of us Yet, our mind so full of thoughts our words seem to caught We lose our composure to pray Realizing it's time to let go & let the Holy Spirit lead the way Screaming from the rooftops, "What a glorious day!" For this is the day that the Lord has made We may not realize the work He is doing Until our feet start to get moving So over the hills and everywhere we go To tell it on the mountain That our Lord is doing more for us And it is Oh, so glorious As a child of God we have one simple job To love and let love Let it in and spread His story The words will come when are living for His glory Listen: “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” song by Delirious Do you ever feel as though God’s not listening? Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United and Kim-Evinda. This week’s word is a great reminder of the truth that when we think God’s not listening, perhaps we’re listening to the wrong thing or we’re not hearing Him. I’ve been in this season of emotional pain for a while now and last week, I cried out to God and told Him I was done, couldn’t do it anymore. When I was done throwing my fit and falling in it, He spoke to me, not in an audible voice but in and through His most reliable voice, HIS WORD. He took me back to a learned and practiced habit: reading a Psalm, meditating upon it and then re-writing it according to the circumstances in my life. But that’s not all: He had me speak it this time, out loud. So I did, and as I did, it was like my faith’s engine was revving up. With each confession and profession, the engine of faith got stronger and stronger. As my voice spoke with more conviction and confidence, Alvin, my four-legged grand-dog, got up from his stupor, looked at me and jumped down off the lounger we were all on, me and the three dogs. 😊 The other two didn’t budge so who knows, maybe God’s word seeped into their little souls. 😊 Anyway, I was so refreshed, my faith renewed, my spirit strengthened and my soul revived as I proclaimed and claimed the promises of God. Can I encourage you, friend, to soak up a Psalm, read it, then read it aloud and begin re-writing it according to what’s happening in your life. Do it again and again: The very worst thing that can happen, and this is a guarantee, your perspective will change from inward to upward and you will begin to know in your inner being that you are not alone; that He in fact is listening! Here is a sample of a few verses from one of my Psalm sessions: Psalm 138:1-3: I’ll write those verses out and then re-write them below: 1I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth, for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3In the day when I cried out, You answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul. 1Abba, help me to praise you with my WHOLE heartbefore my enemy and the pain and sorrow which I have raised up like gods. 2I will praise you in every direction; yes I will praise your name and thank you for your lovingkindness and your truth which you reveal through your Word. Thank you that your Word always proves true. 3When I cried out ‘I am done; I can’t take it anymore, please show me what I ammissing’ and you answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul encouraging me to stay. Soaking up His response… Kim-Evinda Mondays Message It's a Friday It's November 11, 2011 Where were you? Now it's a Monday November 11, 2019 Where are you? Looking back it's as if eight years have flown by It's almost a new decade Yet, as you glance back you find yourself asking "why?" Why am I still unhappy? Why do I still feel so stuck? Why can I never seem to do enough? And then whoosh The years keep flying by And it's November again You stand at your kitchen sink Tears falling down your cheek Asking yourself "why me?" This cycle continues on for the rest of your life You might as well engrave on your tombstone "She never knew why" Morbid, I know Depressing for sure But that isn't you Because you, my darling, are so much more You were given a purpose A calling; A passion It floats around in the air Building up with every years passing But it's up to us to grasp it To hold on to it Reach out for it Hoping in something we cannot yet see With perseverance we wait for it eagerly Believing in every God given opportunity & when that opportunity comes We step out boldly in faith Proclaiming His name Knowing that every trial & tribulation was worth the wait So the message is this: Although you may not see the bigger picture now God is preparing the way He has given you a gift that nobody can take away It's up to you to take the opportunities to use it No excuses. "For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; For who hopes for what they already see? But if we hope for what we do not see, With perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, To those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:24-26 & 28 Faith Filled Friday’s Ahh, I love these gentle but firm reminders to encourage us in healthy relationships with others which begin with a healthy relationship with Christ. Thanks for joining us for Faith Filled Fridays with Trench Classes United and Debra Dolce.
~Love Letter~ My bride, in every relationship, be swift to choose peace over competition, and run swiftly towards holiness. Since only the things you do for Me will last, let Me be your priority, looking to please Me with your worship of daily life. I care about EVERYTHING that concerns you. I care about your daily walk, even about your thought life. That is why My Word says to keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real and to fasten your thoughts on My every glorious work, praising Me always. Life in Me, the victorious life, is a continual letting go of your own life, the thoughts of how you think things should be, because that so limits you and Me. Surrender every thought to Me and think of what is pure, what is holy, what is beautiful, respectful, merciful and kind. Follow My example, Beloved, and I will give you peace in all things. Wednesdays WOW Have you ever been given a gift and just not used it for whatever reason? Maybe it’s not really something you’d ever thought you needed, or maybe it was something you’ve wanted for a long time but you didn’t want anything to happen to it so you put it in a glass case so nothing would happen to it. Maybe keep it for sentimental reasons. Or do you ever buy something only to bring it home and not use it?
Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s WOW-Weapons of Warfare and Words of Wisdom. So I have to tell on myself. I can’t count the number of times I’ve bought something and not used it, for example, a pretty candle. I didn’t want it to burn away so I wouldn’t light it. 😊 A few days ago, my husband and I were listening to Tony Evans’ message about the Lamb of God and he went in depth about some theological words and their definitions and thereafter tied it all up with an analogy that illuminates light on the questions I asked in the beginning, what do you do with the gift that’s been given.? I’ll paraphrase his analogy and add my own interpretation: Imagine I buy you a brand new car – he said, now it’s not gonna happen but let’s just pretend 😊 😊 -- and you take that brand new car that’s been paid for, taxes, title, and a tank of gas too, and you park it in your garage. Every day you come out and look at that shiny new car and you get in your not-so-new car that you’re still making payments on and you go about your day. What’s wrong with this picture? Why aren’t you driving that paid-in-full car that you didn’t have to do anything for? So it is with the gift of grace…we need to be living like we’re forgiven…and forgiving. See, when we truly accept the gift of grace in our hearts and not just into our minds, we should walk through a trial like we’re already triumphant; we should let go of our guilt and shame from one hand and grab grace with the other and live like we’re forgiven, justified, paid for, satisfied. Why is that such a struggle? Perhaps like that gift we were given that we haven’t used, or that candle that we bought but wouldn’t light, we put grace on the shelf and don’t let it light us up inside. Maybe we need to let go of the something we’re hanging on to with one hand and reach out and grab that grace and put it inside and drive that car…live like we’re forgiven for grace is the gift that keeps on giving as long as we’re living. Coffee Hour friend, is there anything holding you back from living like you own that car? Living life victoriously? Let His grace seep into your soul, plant in your heart and bloom in your life. Ephesians 2:8 says for it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; this is not of yourselves; this is the gift of God. May you carry His grace within you and walk in it as easily as you would drive that car! Love, Kim-Evinda |
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