Author: Jessica R. Patch

Santa, Get a Grip!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Santa. Maybe he deserves a stocking of coal. Is he really all that nice? 


Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer used to be one of my favorite childhood memories.
 
However, as I’ve matured (I use that term loosely) into adulthood, I’ve made a few discoveries, as many of you may have as well.
 
What I’ve discovered is…
 
Santa’s a BIG Jerk!
 
Laughing at Rudolph’s unusual gift and not seeing it as such. Listening to the Elves’ song dedicated to him and not receiving their efforts or praise. Expecting his servants to clothe him before he sets out. Only using Rudolph when he needs bailed out of a jam. And doing NOTHING when others hurt Rudolph through vicious name calling.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I love Santa and the idea of him. I really do! But this holiday season, when it can become all about gifts and Santa, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer makes me even more appreciative of the real meaning of Christmas!
 
Instead of demanding to be clothed, Jesus clothed us in robes of righteousness. “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” Zechariah 3:4
 
Instead of standing idly by while the hurting hurt, the broken stayed broken, He came to heal. To bind the broken. To comfort the sorrowful. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
 
He doesn’t tell us to do better when we sing adoration to Him. He dances over us. Inhabits our praises and takes it in as a sweet smelling aroma. “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;  He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love,  He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.
No matter how off key and pathetic someone else (or ourselves if we know we have zero singing talent) tells us we are.
 
And He doesn’t use us to bail Him out. He needs no bailing out! He doesn’t need us at all, technically. But He WANTS us. Those things that others look at as weaknesses, He uses to show Himself strong. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 1 Corinthians 12:9
 
 
 
He can use the misfit. He LOVES to, in fact. He can use the train with square wheels, the polka dotted elephant, the rag doll that’s been used up, the toy who thinks their name is worthless (I believe He changed a few names back in the day!), the boy who has a dream to be something other than what he’s been told he has to be, and the reindeer whose quirk can bring great light, great guidance!
 
 
He can use you. He can use me.
 

 

This Holiday season, remember…He sees you when your sleeping, He knows when you’re awake, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve been bad or good…He loves you anyway and He still wants to bring you a gift!
 
 

 

 
photocredit: freedigitalphotos(dot)net/dan
 
What was your favorite Christmas show as a kid? 
 

This is TOO Much Fun!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hello friends! I’m hanging out over at Melissa Tagg’s virtual home today and answering some of her fun questions about my FREE Christmas novella. She’s so hilarious and it’s going to be a good time, so pop over by clicking HERE! Let the fun commence.

Sign up for my newsletter and receive the Christmas novella in your inbox and for FREE as a big thank you! And if you’ve read it and enjoyed it, I’d love for you to share about it on your social media sites!  

See you over there! 

photocredit/freedigitalphotos/jannoon028

Don’t Dread December!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I love this time of year! Christmas season. I’m not a fan of the snow unless I’m watching it fall from inside, then it’s beautiful. I try not to look at this month as “all the crap I have to get done” before the BIG DAY! 

I’ve learned to pick and choose what events and parties I go to so I’m not slammed with rushing. It really is okay to say, “I can’t make it.” 

I’ve also stopped all the shopping and baked a lot of my holiday gifts. People like sweets, ladies and gentlemen. Of course if you can’t bake…I have no real advice for you. But if you can, and you don’t suck at it. Holiday treat packages when made in bulk are actually less expensive and less time consuming than going into crowded shops and trying to figure out what so and so would like then settling on automated coin holders, dancing Santas, and snow globes. Unless of course you’re friends do indeed like those things. I would rather have an assortment of fudge, cookies, and candies. Fudge is not a candy. It’s in a class of its own.

Another tip, is I try to do some of my shopping online in one place for the free shipping. Especially, if I know what sizes etc… If you enjoy crowds and lines, by all means toss out the online shopping and go join in the stampeding happy bustling. 

In the last four years, December has become relaxing and I can focus on the important things: Like lit up mornings from my tree, my hot tea since my doctor hates me and said I can’t have coffee, my Bible and the reason for this season (yes that’s a cliche phrase but it’s still true). I can bake with my kiddos, watch Christmas movies till I want to gag–which is never because I love them, cheese and all. I can read tons of Christmas stories. Which are all on my Kindle! I can have lunch out with friends and not feel pressured to be busy. 

Sometimes less really is more. Especially, when it comes to keeping your sanity and enjoying the holidays. 

And one other thing I do that makes me enjoy the season, well two really. I take my son and we do a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. It’s fun, it teaches my son to be a generous giver and I know it pleases God. Do you do this? Oh, you should. You should. It costs very little. 

And number two (yes I said number two) is we give to a ministry that is dear to our hearts. I can’t talk about it or write about it without crying. That is Project Rescue. 

A ministry to rescued trafficked women, girls really, from brothels in India. Not only do they rescue them but they provide an after care for the children of the women who are still in the brothels. If they have no place to go during “work” hours, then some of them may have to lie under their mother’s beds while they “work”!!! But Project Rescue provides a safe place where they can learn about Jesus. Have a meal. And sleep peacefully. They also teach the women how to provide for themselves! You can purchase gifts through Jubiliee Market. And they help them heal through creative outlets, like creative writing! I encourage you to give, if even $10 to this ministry. 

So scrape off the excess on your plate wherever you can, however you can and fill it with meaningful, lasting things like memories and providing hope and laughter to those who may not have a a drop of it this season. Look for ways to meet needs. Bring a smile. And show how much Jesus loves this world. Enough to die for us to give us abundant life. Let’s live it, shall we?

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

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Happy Thanksgiving…Have a Treat!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

“These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, Leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving— celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!” Psalm 42:4

Let’s each be leaders and celebrate as we feast over Thanksgiving. Give God praise and thanksgiving. For He has done marvelous things. 

Praying you and yours have a very wonderful Thanksgiving. I’ll be taking a break the rest of this week, but I’ll be back Monday, December 1st.

Enjoy the turkey and dessert and if you feel so inclined to get into the holiday mood even further, sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive in your inbox my FREE and exclusive Christmas novella, Hope Under Mistletoe!

What’s a must-have dish on your Thanksgiving table?



Music and Writing Go Together Like…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I suppose that depends on the writer. For this one? It goes together like Ham and Swiss, Chocolate and Peanut Butter, Hazelnut creamer to coffee. And so forth and so on.

I love music when I’m writing. In fact, after I figure out what my story is about, I spend several hours on Spotify creating a playlist or soundtrack for my book. 

Sometimes it’s the lyrics. Sometimes it’s the music. Sometimes both. Music has a way of putting us into particular moods. Writer or not. 

For example during my intimate ice-skating scene with Knox and Eden, I had Francesca Battistelli’s “Born In Me” on repeat. Now, their moment had nothing to do with the birth of Christ but the music…oh that was perfection to that scene. And the story behind it was inspiration to the book in general, as it is set at Christmas time. And Christmas is all about Jesus and celebrating His birth! 

Knox is a playboy of sorts and rough around the edges, so when he first shows up at the lake to skate, he’s diggin’ the music. Sister Hazel’s “The Little Drummer Boy.” 

One way or another one of the songs included on the playlist contributed to the mood of a scene, the setting, or a character’s feelings. Or just plain romance! 

So for your enjoyment, here’s a look at my playlist for Hope Under Mistletoe. 

After you’ve read the novella, I’d love to hear if you think the soundtrack and story go hand in hand! 

What’s your favorite Christmas song? 

Have you signed up for my newsletter? Well go ahead and receive Hope Under Mistletoe for FREE as a gift! 

A
rowdy bar owner. A widowed pastor’s wife. And Christmas Hope that brings them
together.

After widower Eden
Snow’s church almost burns to the ground, she’s compelled to find a temporary
place to hold services and Christmas cantata practices.
Has-been hockey player,
Knox Everhart, has a reputation for being fast on the ice and with women.
Except Eden. She’s always been a fascinating mystery to him, which is why he
agrees to let her use the back room of his bar—with one rule: No converting his
customers.
But when Eden brings
the church to the bar, it offers something the bottle can’t. Hope. And he finds
himself falling in love with a woman and a Savior he feels unworthy to pursue.
 photocredit/freedigitalphotos/luigidiamante

Guess Where I Am?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey everyone! Today, I’m over at Jill Kemerer’s blog. Jill is my good friend and critique partner. Join me as I talk about this scripture in relation to my Christmas novella! 

“Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.” James 2:13 MSG

 Hope Under Mistletoe, is a FREE and exclusive gift to you for simply signing up for the Patched In–my newsletter! (top right corner)

A
rowdy bar owner. A widowed pastor’s wife. And Christmas Hope that brings them
together.
After widower Eden
Snow’s church almost burns to the ground, she’s compelled to find a temporary
place to hold services and Christmas cantata practices.
Has-been hockey player,
Knox Everhart, has a reputation for being fast on the ice and with women.
Except Eden. She’s always been a fascinating mystery to him, which is why he
agrees to let her use the back room of his bar—with one rule: No converting his
customers.

But when Eden brings
the church to the bar, it offers something the bottle can’t. Hope. And he finds
himself falling in love with a woman and a Savior he feels unworthy to pursue. 





See you at Jill’s! 

Battling a Legion Like A Headwind

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Ever work
hard all day until you’re exhausted? Maybe you’ve been in charge of a
particular ministry/event at your church and you’ve been pouring out everything
you’ve got all weekend long. You’re flat out drained. 
I’ve been
there, too. 
So has
Jesus. 
Yes, Jesus
knew exhaustion. He was fully God but also fully human. All that walking caused
his legs to ache, maybe he even suffered from a Charlie Horse. His dirty feet
throbbed. And His human body needed rest.  
After
touching multitudes (thousands), healing, speaking, hugging, drying tears He
told His disciples they were going to the other side of the lake. I imagine him
climbing into the boat, barely able to hold his dark eyes open as He stumbled
down below and collapsed, head against the wall, it felt so good to sit…to
rest. And in an instant, His mouth may have dropped open as He breathed
in…out…in…out. Sweet rest. 
But
then…
“A
terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were
about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to
drown!”” Luke 8:23-24 MSG
Jesus
could have shooed them away with words like, “I’m too tired. We’ll be
fine. Let me have five more minutes.”
But He
didn’t. Instead…
“Getting
to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did
it. The lake became smooth as glass.” Luke 8:24 MSG
Imagine a
storm so great suddenly taking place. Why? Out of the blue? 
Because
they were going to the other side. On the other side of the lake was a legion
of demons inside a man. A legion of demons who wanted to keep control of the
man, and the territory they’d claimed at theirs. 
Is
it possible the headwinds, and storm came from the “other side” from
the enemy? I believe it is. Jesus shut it down. Immediately. 
And
on water as smooth as glass, they crossed over. 
Here’s
where it gets completely cool. Okay, rebuking a storm and it obeying is cool,
too, but check this out.
“And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a
certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no
clothes,[b] nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When
he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said,
“What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not
torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the
man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with
chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into
the wilderness.” Luke 8:27-29 NKJV
The
word for torment in the Greek
is bazanizo. It means,
“to question by applying torture” “to be harassed,
distressed” but it also means, “of those who at sea are struggling
with a head wind.” 
Here
comes the Son of the Most High God. The demons immediately know and recognize
Jesus, and they fear! They know their time is short and they aren’t ready to
go. But they’ve been inside this man for so long…binding him in chains,
forcing him to live in dark, empty, dead places (the tombs), they’ve kept him
naked (filled with shame) and have driven him mad, completely out of his
mind. 
And
they wanted to continue. 
Thus
the wild storm on the sea. A headwind according to the dictionary (dot)com is
“a wind opposed to the course of a moving object, especially an aircraft
or other vehicle.” “A wind blowing directly against the course of
moving object, especially an aircraft or ship.” 
Jesus
was on the move. Heading in the direction of a man who needed to be put into
his right mind, released from dead, empty places, given his dignity back, and
freed from his own torment. The enemy tried to blow against/oppose that moving
course.
But
Jesus shut that down. “Silence! Quiet down!”
And instead of being blown back, Jesus Himself became
the HEAD WIND! “I beg you, do not torment me!” Do not
change my course! Do not oppose me! Do not vex and distress me!”
Unlike
the enemy, Jesus did not fail. The legion of demons had no choice but to obey.
 When the people came out to see what had happened, they found the man
sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind. He wanted to go with
Jesus, but He told him to stay, to go home. Imagine how many people came to
believe in Christ because they saw this man who had been a wild animal,
drastically changed. 
Maybe
you feel like you’re being blown away or opposed by a raging headwind. Know
this: Jesus can’t be stopped. Nothing detours Him from getting to you. He can
heal every part of you and give you back your dignity. 
He’s
the only unstoppable headwind. 

The #1 Hindrance to Writing a FAST First Draft!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey my friends! Today, the lovely Laurie Tomlison has invited me to hang with the Alley Cats and talk about fast drafting at the Writer’s Alley.

So come by and find out the #1 hindrance to writing a fast first draft! CLICK HERE

Also, have you subscribed to my Patched In newsletter? It’s easy-peasy and I won’t SPAM you. Not in your inbox and I won’t mail you a can either. Get Patched In and receive my exclusive Christmas novella for FREE as my thank you! 

A
rowdy bar owner. A widowed pastor’s wife. And Christmas Hope that brings them
together.
 After widower Eden
Snow’s church almost burns to the ground, she’s compelled to find a temporary
place to hold services and Christmas cantata practices.
Has-been hockey player,
Knox Everhart, has a reputation for being fast on the ice and with women.
Except Eden. She’s always been a fascinating mystery to him, which is why he
agrees to let her use the back room of his bar—with one rule: No converting his
customers.

But when Eden brings
the church to the bar, it offers something the bottle can’t. Hope. And he finds
himself falling in love with a woman and a Savior he feels unworthy to pursue.
You still have time to enter the $20 Amazon Card give away! CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 








photocredit/freedigitalphotos(dot)net/pakorn 

I Wonder If He is Using the Same Wind…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome back, everyone! Today we are wrapping up our
Princess Bride series. I hope it’s been as much fun for you as it has for me. Who
knows, maybe I’ll come back in January for three extra bonus devotionals! We’ll
see.

Today’s clip could go in any number of ways, as they are
heading toward the Cliffs of Insanity! Ever felt like you’re destination stop
is careening into the same place? I know I have.
Let’s watch the clip first! 

A pretty short clip. But packed with a lot of good stuff.
One of my favorite lines (out of so many favorite lines) is Inigo’s right here.
“Wonder if he’s using the same wind we are using.”
Vizzini says, “Whoever is he is he’s too late.”
Out of nowhere, this man (Westley) begins tracking them
down. Why? He’s after his true love and no one, NO ONE, is going to stop him
from getting to her. He has every intention of saving her from death, from the
clutches of the enemy.
“This is how much God
loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so
that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point
an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put
the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who
refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without
knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the
one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16 MSG
That’s some serious love. That’s some serious rescuing. But
look at how much time passed from Genesis Chapter 3, when sin entered the world
and the curse came into place until Christ came and died.
It was a looooooooooooooooooong stretch of time.
In this clip, Inigo wonders if they are using the same wind.
As time seems to be running out for them, but the ship behind (Westley!) is
gaining.
Waiting is hard.
Wherever your destination is, whatever you’re working toward…time
is involved.
But God is never late. He can use the same wind to move
fast, while slowing you down at the same time. That’s God!
Time is never fleeting in God’s kingdom. Time is always
moving toward something. “Then the time came to pass.” “It came time for…”

“Use
all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product.” Psalm 25:21 MSG

God is
not bound by time. But He uses it.
We live in a “now” culture. Fast food. Self-check out so we
don’t have to stand in line. We text and expect immediate responses and when we
don’t get them, we wonder if we’ve lost a friend!  We can Google anything and have information at
our fingertips in a flash.  There’s an
app for everything.
Except for God.
God is not an app. He moves at a pace He feels best for what
is going on in our lives. It can be frustrating, disappointing, and
aggravating.
Or it can be joyful, peaceful, hopeful.
My choice. Your choice. We can learn. Mature. Grow. Lean.
Trust. Acknowledge. Pray. Study. Hope.
And when time comes to pass. When His timing is perfected.
It won’t be late. It’ll be the sweetest. We’ll have no regrets.
The answer yes. He is using the same wind we are using. He
controls it. Because He’s sovereign.
And the answer is no. He’s never, ever too late.
You may feel like you’re lost to the Cliffs of Insanity, but
I assure you, you are not.
Thank you for joining me for this SIX WEEK series! If you’ve
missed any, you can catch up!
Is This a Kissing Book?
Never a Need to Doubt
The Fire Swamp
Never Go Against a Sicilian
Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya

What
do you do when you’re anxious over waiting?


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