Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary.

His wife was really angry and in her anger she said: "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds, AND IT BETTER BE THERE!"

The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was something in the driveway, but it was a gift-wrapped box in the middle of the driveway.
Confused, she put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought the box back in the house. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Bob has been missing since Friday.

Hey guys, have you ever forgotten an anniversary or some other important date? Instead of sarcasm and practical jokes, what would it look like if we simply owned our mistake and followed it with a nice gesture?
 
Leave me your thoughts and for more encouragement, go take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com

The summer wind
It has no end
Barely there
Blowing heat
So discreet
Forcing me
To face this reality
I am no good for me
Or so it seems
Beating up
Tearing down
Every inch of light
Left in this town
This home I call my heart
With no ignition
No push to start
& I dart
Running away from the day
That my body refuses to face
Pick me up
Put me in place
Lord, this isn’t my race
Yet, here I am running
Away from your grace
Trying to keep pace
With who?
I do not know
But I get dressed for the show
The show & tell
We all know too well
The state of this enigma
The stories we feed
To match our reality
Or is it a dream?
A dream to be something
Bigger than you
Bigger than me
A dream to not just be standing on my own two feet
But to slow down
and embrace our God-given peace
A peace “which surpasses all comprehension”
A love beyond definition
 
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” – Philippians 4:7 & 9
 
-Abigail Rice

We’ve all heard the saying what goes in must come out…the same is true for what we allow into our hearts. During this grueling and uncertain season, what are we feeding our souls?

​Thanks for joining us for Faith-Filled Friday with Debra Dolce & Trench Classes United.
 
~Love Letter~
My child, pay careful attention to your heart as you hear My teachings, for to those who have open hearts, even more revelation will be given to them until it overflows.  And for those who do not listen with open hearts, what little light they imagine to have will be taken away.
 
Just like those children in the book of Deuteronomy you have a choice: blessings or curses. You can choose an open heart where revelation will be poured out until it overflows or lose all that you have. You make the decision. I say "choose life!" Meditate on My Word, open your heart today and begin to receive all that I have for you. Keep your heart open to Me.
 
Continually humble yourself for when you think you have arrived you begin to be puffed up in your own eyes. Beloved, I desire a heart that is soft and pliable, a heart that yearns for Me and to do the things I desire. 
 
~DebraDolce

At the end of their first date, which because of COVID-19, was just a walk in the park after eating in their cars from a drive-thru fast food place. He takes her home, walks her to the door and inspired by the nighttime star-filled sky, he decides to try for that important first kiss.
      
With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and, smiling, he asks her, "Can I have a good-night kiss?"
      
Horrified, she replies, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"
    
"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?"
      
 "No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"
      
 "Oh come on, there's nobody around, they're all sleeping!"
      
 "No way. It's just too risky!"
      
 "Oh please, please, I like you so much!!"
      
 "No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can't!"
      
 "Oh yes you can. Please?"

 "NO, no. I just can't."
      
 "Pleeeeease?..."
      
Suddenly the porch light goes on, shattering the darkness with light, and the girl's sister is standing at the door in her pajamas, wearing a bed-head hairstyle.

In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he'll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"

Do you remember your first kiss? Leave us your comments and for some encouragement, take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com

She looked so content, oblivious to the pandemonium that the pandemic was causing. All she knew, looking from the inside out, is that Mom was home more, and that just made her world a better place. It made her smile, and then realize, what if we were to look at this from the inside out? What would we see? What would we be doing differently?

​Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda  and Trench Classes United for a blog that we hope will help you look at this pandemic from a different perspective.

I couldn’t believe it! To say I was disappointed and angered all at the same time is putting it mildly. Why is this happening, God? I want to go out and explore places, see people without a mask that they think covers germs but it doesn’t cover up their fear! In fact, all of this seems so crazy non-sensical because health begets health. It is a proven fact that a disease/virus cannot survive in a healthy immune system! Most of these preventative measures they are asking us to take really hinder a healthy immune system, emotionally, physically and spiritually!

Any of these cries sound familiar? I don’t know about you but after this, what, third extension of the stay-at-home order, I was extremely frustrated. So much of this just isn’t right and I’m starting to feel righteous anger rise. I’m going to steer away from politics and come at this from an emotional, physical and spiritual lens, so please know that as you read this, hopefully with the same lenses.

My current devotional Dangerous Prayers by  Craig Groeschel really came to life as it collides with this pandemic on so many levels. The very first prayer that is referenced is the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139, beginning with verse 23: Search Me, Oh, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

I wonder, in these unprecedented times brought about by this pandemic, if He were invited in to all the hearts who don’t know Him or don’t claim Him as their Savior, would He see anything that mirrors my own heart that claims to love Him, accept Him and yearn to be like Him?

Am I giving more attention to the outside -- all the news media, political opinions and pandemonium – allowing it to infect the inside?  What if I were to take this time to pay attention to what’s in my heart, which ultimately influences my actions and attitudes, and focus on what I feed my heart? Despite knowing and believing that there is VERY LITTLE right about how all this is being handled, what if I were to not allow the outside to contaminate my inside with fear, worry, anxiety?

In 1st Samuel 16:7b, there is something pretty profound that helped shed some light on this uncertain, dark and scary time for me and I pray it does the same for you. And it’s not just in reference to David, who was anointed as King by God while a young…very young, shepherd boy, aka, most unlikely to succeed. I mean this really spoke to me and it does relate to this pandemic.

God said: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Please, please know, I am not saying stick your head in the sand and pretend this crap isn’t happening, but what if we were to look at this from the inside out? It brings me back to what I started this blog with: my little four-legged bestie whose contentment has not been shattered, whose peace is still intact despite her old age. She is not allowing this to move her or shake her.

In a time when everything is up in the air economically, socially, politically, and even spiritually, what does He see in our hearts? This pandemic is NOT from God, but I will emphatically absodarnlutely say it can be used by God…if we let Him work in us through this.

Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

Church is closed temporarily, but God always makes house calls!
​
Jesus washes away sin, but you still have to wash your hands 😊
Church may be temporarily cancelled, but quality time is now readily available!

As far back as the book of Isaiah in the Bible we were told to wash ourselves and be clean
And from those few churches who are staying open: Jesus cleans the heart; we disinfect the pew!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven…This pandemic is not from God but trust me when I say I know it can be used by God!

For more encouragement, take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com

A new month
A new quarter
A new season
The same life
The same kite
That flies high in the sky
 
We hold on to the string
Silently
Listening
For the whispers on what is to come next
But our future is now
Our present is here
In His presence we draw near
He has made the waters clear
 
We see the hope
We see the grace
We hold on to that ever so withering strand of faith
Stand strong
Hold on
The journey is long
The destination is there
No, not here
Not this earth
But in His perfect Word
 
We live
We breathe
Reaching out to our destiny
And that my friend is right here
You and me
We are His people
Chosen to be
Soul searchers
Risk takers
Disciple makers
Pick up your tools
It is your time to wade in the pool
 
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand so that we could walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

-Abigail Rice

​~Love Letter~
My love, I reach down from My heavens and rescue you from this hell, and deliver you from these dark powers. For I formed you and desire to draw you to Myself. I desire to hold you and strengthen you until every cracked and broken spot is filled with My love. Not just the parts you know about, but the parts that are dark, damp and uncultivated, the parts you hide from everyone, even the parts you've hidden from yourself, that you've pushed down and ignored for so long.
 
I don't want to expose those to the world, just to the sun - SON, that you may be healed. I desire that you no longer walk in brokenness!
 
No matter how you pretend or fix yourself up, acting like all is well, you cannot pretend away brokenness. Beloved, let the hope, the love, the belief you have in Me, let it draw you to complete openness that I may shine the Light of My healing upon you. 

​~DebraDolce

Wife: "How would you describe me?"

Husband: "ABCDEFGHIJK."

Wife: "What does that mean?"

​Husband: "Adorable, beautiful, cute, delightful, elegant, fashionable, gorgeous, and hot."

Wife: "Aw, thank you, but what about IJK?"

Husband: "I'm just kidding!"

How many times have we given a sort of backwards compliment or had a motive for saying something nice? We all know that before we can make a withdrawal, we need to make a deposit, right? Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to take away that which we just deposited and be genuine with our compliments.
​
For more encouragement, take a tour at www.trenchclassesunited.com

atthew 16:24-25: If anyone would come after Me, he must deny him/herself [emphasis mine] and take up his/her cross and follow Me. For whoever loses his/her life [emphasis mine] for Me will find it.

Thanks for joining us for Wednesday’s Word with Kim-Evinda and Trench Classes United. In this time of global uncertainty, we pray that this principle found in Matthew 16:24-25, and Kim-Evinda’s personal experience with it will renew your strength and set you free from anxiety or any form of worry.

Every morning I write God letters as a way of communicating and sometimes the echo of my voice reciting what I had just wrote startles me, especially when I dare ask  Him questions. Usually my questions involve wanting to understand why something’s happening the way it is, or why it isn’t happening the way I think it should be. This particular morning was no exception. My devotional from our pastor had really spoken to me, a whisper amongst my racing thoughts, but I heard it.

Daughter of Mine, since you desire to come after Me, will you deny your agenda, the way you think I should perform this miracle, take up your burden, your hurting heart, and let go, letting Me perform the healing the way I see fit?

And then I saw this picture of fingers on both hands being moved away, surrendering, letting go and succumbing to His plan while allowing mine to disappear.

No but’s, no what if’s, just complete surrendering, and slowly albeit powerfully, trust seeps into my being catapulting me into this incredible peace and a childlike joy; and I am free…euphorically free from the need to understand, free from putting His promises into a time capsule…free to pick up my cross and follow after Him.

Friend, can I encourage you today to place yourself and your burden in this scripture…go ahead, write it out and then speak it out.

​Love,
Kim-Evinda