Author: Jessica R. Patch

Is This A Kissing Book?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 Welcome friends! Today is the launch of the new 6-week
series using The Princess Bride to
teach us some life applications and biblical principles.

If you haven’t seen this movie (and why haven’t you?), you
should. But it won’t affect anything other than you’ll see clips to a movie
that you should have already watched.

Without further ado, let’s watch the clip first, shall we?
Is this a kissing book? I think we go into reading the Bible
with a lot of misconceptions. I’ve talked about this before. (But I don’t like
the Bible!) You can read it HERE. But the Bible is very much like The Princess
Bride.
Next clip!

The Bible is all about a great adventure. It’s about One who
loves so much, He fights, saves, redeems and would even (and does!) sacrifice His
own life for the ones He loves. It’s a special book. One that helps the sick become well. It takes our minds off our suffering and onto Jesus. We pass it down from generation to generation. It’s ripe with battles, fencing, fighting, torture, giants,
monsters, escapes, miracles…all for true love.


Doesn’t sound too bad, huh? 

“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.” John 3:16 MSG


I think it’s important to have this in mind when cracking
open the Word of God. Every page. Every chapter is about Jesus and the GREAT
PLAN to keep us from the enemy’s clutches. Like Prince Humperdinck, the enemy
doesn’t actually care about us or love us. He’s a deceiver. A schemer. And his
plan is to kill us, given a chance.

BUT…

That’s not God’s plan. God’s plan is that we live. And
abundantly.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” John 10:10 NET
The Bible doesn’t have to be dry toast. It’s all about
attitude and perspective when you read it. I think we’ll discover that a
kissing book isn’t too bad after all.

Next Monday join me for Never
a Need to Doubt!  

What’s your favorite biblical story? Why?

photo credit: wikipedia

Would You Rather with Hannah Conway

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey friends! I’m super excited to have author Hannah Conway on the ole’ blogaroo today to celebrate her debut novel, The Wounded Warrior’s Wife! We’re playing a few rounds of Would You Rather. 

Would
You Rather…
…have a job you love with very low pay or a have a job you
hate that pays very high?
Hannah: A job
I love with low pay! You have to love what you do!
Collier: It’s
not like I’m getting rich in the Army, so I’m gonna go with the low pay.
Whitleigh: Gonna
have to say low pay. I’m a stay at home momma and I’d rather be paid in kissed
any day.
…find your true love but have all your friends hate you or
never find your one true love and have a lot of caring, good friends?
Hannah: That’s
hard Jess! I see the pros in both! It’s all about learning to be content in
whatever situation you’re in. Since I HAVE to answer, I will. I would find my
true love and have all my friends hate me. There’s something beautiful about
the marriage bond God designed. Friends have to understand that.
Collier: Hmm.
Well. I get the whole having friends thing, but when you find the one you love
you need to go for it. Fight for it. Friends don’t cuddle to well anyway.
Believe me, being out in the field with a bunch of smelly guys. Yuck.
Whitleigh: First
off, I’d have to find out why my friends hated my one true love. There’s
something to be said about wise council. Perhaps they could see things in my
love that I couldn’t, and then I could address those issues with him. With that
said, I’m going to side with Collier and his answer.
…If in doubt with the person you love is it better to
continue following or let go?
Hannah: My
initial reaction is to always make it work. I’m so pro-marriage it’s not even
funny, but you didn’t mention anything about marriage, lol. If you’re in doubt
with that person you love, talk to them. Try to work it out. Get professional
counseling if need be. The lack of communication is a love and relationship
killer. 
Collier: As a
soldier you follow orders as their given no questions asked. There are some
serious consequences if you don’t, but in love, that’s a different game. If
we’re talking marriage, follow, work it out, but if you’re dating, try to work
it through but don’t break your back without a commitment there. Know what I
mean?
Whitleigh:
Hannah, I couldn’t agree more. Collier and I struggled with communication. We
weren’t getting each other and then we stopped talking about the big subjects
for one reason or another. I had many doubts about our relationship, but it was
important not to let go.
…always be serious or never, ever be serious about anything?
Hannah: I
would be always serious, but I’d have to have someone never, ever serious
around me to provide comic relief while I freak out over solving the world’s
problems.
Collier: Never,
ever be serious. Life is so full of terrible things that I honestly would
rather laugh my way through life than have to keep seeing the things I’ve seen.

Whitleigh: I’m
okay with Collier being the never, ever serious one. I’ll go ahead and be
always serious. Like Hannah said, that would be a nice balance to have one with
the other. I tend to be more serious anyway.
Great answers! You can connect with Hannah in various ways!
Email:                      authorhannahconway@gmail.com
Web:             www.hannahrconway.com
Twitter:        www.twitter.com/hannahrconway                      #thewoundedwarriorswife
Facebook:   www.facebook.com/authorhannahconway
Pinterest:    www.pinterest.com/hannahrconway
Goodreads:            www.goodreads.com/authorhannahconway
 Here’s a peek at Hannah’s novel:
Battles Raging Within Are The Ones
You Must Fight To Win

Buy the Book! 

Army
wife, Whitleigh Cromwell, struggles after an unexpected deployment during the
height of the Iraqi war sends her husband, Collier Cromwell, away for another
year. Their lives tumble down a path marked with strife, and fatalities,
crippling their faith when Collier brings home a war of another kind leaving
Whitleigh wondering if some wounds are beyond God’s ability to restore.

Why I’m Happy Dancing Today!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

You must hit click. 9 seconds won’t kill you and it’s important because I’m introducing something, so go with it!

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen! Today is the BIG DAY!!!!!
Buy the book! 

Wellington Boarding School is home to human clones, an identity that Lexi Matthews once hoped to escape. Shattered by the loss of her father and then her best friend at the hand of Sandra Whitmeyer, the woman from whom she was created, Lexi Matthews is after one thing…

Revenge.

When Sandra sends a series of threatening “gifts” beginning the night of Lexi’s eighteenth birthday, she determines that Sandra will never stop destroying the lives of her and her friends. Once again, Lexi must battle to grasp the complexities of her creation.

As Lexi and Jack discover the horrific details to experiments Sandra is conducting with human life inside her new lab, Lexi decides there’s only one way to end Sandra’s threats. But following that path could cost her everything—including Jack.

Heather Sunseri is completing the Mindspeak trilogy with her third book Mindsurge! And I for one am squealing and dancing like a drunk at MardiGras (not that I know from experience)

I have loved, loved, loved this series. And she definitely has more to come. So go out. Her first book is FREE! Purchase the next two and join me with all the gushing!!

Visit her website and online store!

Heather tell us about yourself: 

I write young adult science fiction romance (but don’t let the science fiction
trip you up—it’s really just one big romantic adventure). Born and raised in a
small town in Central Kentucky, which can be quite boring at times, I had no
choice but to create stories in my head in which I could be anything from an
FBI agent to a mad scientist who clones human beings to an actual cloned human
with supernatural mind control abilities.

Visit Heather’s website to enter her special giveaway–a $25 gift card to one of the following retailers: iTunes, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble! 
If you could mindspeak and tell someone what to do, who would you mindspeak to and what would you have them do or tell you? 

Sneak Peek Upcoming Series!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey friends! I’ve missed you, and I’ll be back October 6th with a brand new 6-week series. 

I can’t wait to share some biblical life applications using one of my favorite movies of all times! 

The Princess Bride! Here’s a sneak peek at some things we’ll be covering. Classic scenes. Don’t miss out on the Monday morning series. It’s guaranteed to be fun and to bring some hope into your life’s circumstances. 

Our God is great!

See you next Monday. 

Have you watched The Princess Bride? What’s your favorite scene!

A Message for All of Us with Maria I. Morgan

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
I’m so glad to have my friend, Mari Morgan with me today,
and to be able to share with ya’ll her newest children’s book, Louie’s BIG Day! No matter what age you
are, this story has a wonderful message for you and your child.
Maria, thanks for being here today and giving us parents
some ideas to teach truth to our children.
From Maria:
Do you remember when you were really young? Were you afraid you would have a hard time
making friends? Maybe you were anxious about trying out for the soccer team.
You might have been concerned you wouldn’t be invited to a classmate’s birthday
party.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, we all face fears. The
question is whether we let those fears prevent us from doing what we were made
to do – or we persevere in spite of them.

Passing
along truth
The Lord has a purpose and plan for each person He has created.
And part of His plan includes relationships with others.
It’s never too early to begin teaching our children biblical
truths like these. Here’s how Moses put it:
And
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:7

A fun option
Teaching godly truths can be done throughout the day in a
variety of ways. If you enjoy reading to your kids, my new children’s book, Louie’s BIG day! will help you convey
these concepts through a fun storyline:
Louie
is a bright red lawnmower who used to live at the hardware store with his
friends: Ruthie Rake, Eddie Edger, Bobbie Blower, Terri Trowel, and Henri Hose.
Recently he was purchased by a man and his wife and now he’s on his own.
Louie
misses his friends, but it’s time to find out if he can do the job he was made
to do. Join Louie for his BIG adventure and discover the surprise that awaits
him at the end of the day!

Louie
the Lawnmower series
The first in the Louie the Lawnmower book series, Louie’s BIG day! wraps up with questions
to engage you and your child in conversation and help you re-emphasize biblical
truths.
Louie even has his own website where you can download a free
copy of the audio version of Louie’s BIG
day! Louie’s adventures are just getting started. Keep your eyes open for
the second book in the Louie the Lawnmower series: Louie & the Leaf Pile, due out later this year!
Purchase Louie’s BIG day!
here: 

About
the author

Maria I. Morgan was born with an active imagination that
shows up in her endearing stories for children. Originally an inspirational
author and speaker for adults, Maria has widened her circle to include kids.
She lives in the muggy South with her husband, two retrievers, and two Maine
Coon kitties – the perfect mix to fuel her creativity for years to come!
(You can find her devotionals and download a free copy of
her eBook, God Speaking, at
www.mariaimorgan.com)
Connect with the author:
Website: www.mariaimorgan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterMariaIMorgan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariaimorgan
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mariaimorgan/
Connect with Louie:
Website
I’m still on a blogging break until October 3rd! See you then! 
 What’s your favorite children’s book? 

A Side of Krista Phillips

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
@kristaphillips
FACEBOOK 
WEBSITE
Guess who is uber excited today? Me. Why? Because the
hilarious and sweet Krista Phillips is in the house! 
Krista Phillips is the author of Sandwich, with a Side of Romance and A Side of Faith. She enjoys life with
her husband and their four beautiful daughters in Tennessee. She is an advocate
for congenital heart defect and organ donation awareness and blogs at www.kristaphillips.com.
In honor of her newest
release, A Side of Faith, we’re playing a few rounds of Would You Rather with
her and her characters!
Would You Rather….
…Have a car but no shoes or shoes but no car?

Krista:
<— wimp: Car but no shoes… as long as the car has plenty of gas! Momma prefers
not to be stuck stranded… walking… with no shoes!

Cameron:
Shoes. Definitely. He’s has a deep love of soccer and yeah, can’t be kicking
balls barefoot!
 Rachel: Oh, this one is harder. I think it would depend what the
shoes looked like. Not that she’s vain or anything, but she does like to look
snazzy! So ugly shoes = car… pretty shoes = shoes.
…a perfect sense of direction or a perfect sense of time?

Krista:
Neither, but direction more than time!

Cameron:
Definitely time! He’s an investment broker (aka handsome nerd…) so keeps an
eye on the stock markets, so would always know what time it is in relation to
the market open/close.

Rachel:
Probably direction. She knows exactly what she does and doesn’t want in life,
and I think the same would go for “where” she wants to go!
…lie in the sand or the grass?

Krista: Sand.
Grass is SCRATCHY! YUCK!

Cameron:
Grass! Repeat: Soccer player. He is one with the green!

Rachel:
Rachel’s my girl. Her and I would totally be laying out on the sandy beach
together! (She would have a respectable 2-piece tankini… I would have overly
large momma suit complete with skirt…. just bein’ honest here!)
…be the funniest person in the world or the smartest?

Krista:
By
far the hardest question! My humor and my brain are both super important to me!
I guess I’ll say humor, because boring smart people are boo… but that doesn’t
mean I have to be dumb, either, right?

Cameron:
Smartest.
I mean, he can be funny in his own right, but he definitely values a good
brain.

Rachel:
Honestly,
I’ll go with smartest here too. She was super immature and made some really
huge mistakes in her early 20’s, so now that she’s “grown up” she’s
determined to make smarter choices, steering life with her brain and not her
heart.
Oh my word! I loved all these answers. Thank you for being
here today, Krista, you RAWK! 
Here is a peek at Side of Faith: 
Buy the Book! 
Rachel Carter is on top of the world. A new job in a new town, friends, and a house to call her own. Men? Eh, someday. And when the time comes, she’ll go for a nice safe geek or something. She will NOT be repeating the mistakes of her youth.

But then Cameron Foster comes knocking on her door, reminding her of the man she vows never to think of again.

God wouldn’t send her a man who reminds her of everything she is trying to put behind her…would He?


***Don’t forget, I’m on blogging break for awhile and you can sign up for my newsletter at the top on the right hand side! I won’t give your email out or spam you! 


Play
with us and answer one or more of the questions in the comments!

Dawn Crandall and the cast of The Hesitant Heiress

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone! It’s so great to have Dawn Crandall here! A graduate of Taylor
University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at
Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until 2010 when her
husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a
doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit
working in order to focus on writing The
Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was
what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline
Literary.
Apart from writing
books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014)
and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their
local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Dawn is a member of
the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter
(Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.
The Everstone
Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books
composing the series were
semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book
going on to become a finalist in 2013.
In honor
of her debut novel, The Hesitant Heiress,
she’s here to play a few rounds of Would You Rather along with her main
character Amaryllis and the handsome Nathan Everstone. Let’s get started.
Would You Rather…
…be replaced or
ignored?
Dawn: I like to be alone, so being ignored
would be perfectly fine by me. Before I had my son this spring, I could go for
days without leaving my house. So, I guess I pretty much ignore the world as
much as I would enjoy it ignoring me.
Amaryllis: “I’ve been ignored for so long, and
it’s the only thing I knew for such a long time. Only until I was forced to
take part in my aunt’s society did I realize what it was like to form
meaningful friendships. And then there was Nathan—I totally expected he’d want
to ignore me—which I was completely fine with too… for a while.”
Nathan: “I would rather be replaced—I have no
qualms if someone could take my place in society.”
…make a bad first
impression or a bad second impression?
Dawn: “I would rather make a bad first
impression… and then totally change their mind. I think I do this a lot
actually because I’m a bit scatter-brained and say the silliest things at
times. Hopefully the second impression someone has of me will be accompanied
with the knowledge that I have ADD but don’t take anything for it because I
write better without it.” 
Amaryllis: “I’d actually rather not make an
impression. I’d rather not be noticed at all. Meeting new people in general is
not something I enjoy doing.”
Nathan: “Oh, I’d usually want to make that
first grand impression… I’m so used to giving it, after all! However, that has
to do with the family I was born into, and not truly me.
It seems the only time I wasn’t able to make that first dashing impression was
with the young woman who happened to intrigue me the most… Amaryllis.”
(wink)  
Fun answers, you guys! Dawn, tell us
what inspired you to write this story.
I wanted to write a novel reminiscent
of old classical romantic suspense novels like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier—but I also wanted to tie in a very
relevant spiritual thread. The heroine of The
Hesitant Heiress, Amaryllis Brigham, thinks she knows what she wants, as
well as how she will achieve it. But as circumstances beyond her control keep
her from her goals, she finds that accomplishing her dreams of founding a music
academy in Seattle are only secondary to finding the peace she desperately
needs pertaining to the events leading to her mother’s death eleven years
before.
Thanks for being here with us today, Dawn!
Here’s a sneak peek of The

Hesitant
Heiress:

After being unjustly expelled from the
Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a
music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve
her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as
possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis
reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west
coast on her own… and without a husband.
Despite her own misgivings, she soon
finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone,
whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence
has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan
turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she
wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to
fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been
managing her life isn’t who she thought at all.

CONNECT
WITH DAWN
Facebook: facebook.com/DawnCrandallWritesFirst 
Book Review Blog: APassionforPages.blogspot.com 
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/dawn_crandall
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/dawnwritesfirst
Email: dawncrandallwritesfirst@gmail.com
Twitter: @dawnwritesfirst

***Join me next Friday with special guest, author Krista Phillips! Until then, have you signed up for my newsletter–Patched In? No? Well, for the love you should! Just click on the link at the top right hand corner of the website! Easy peasy! Don’t you feel better for having done it? 🙂 
Have a great weekend, friends! 

Beyond I Do with Jennifer Slattery

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
@JenSlattery
WEBSITE

Ever been homeless?
Ever known anyone who has? Jennifer Slattery is here to share the inspiration behind
her debut novel, Beyond I Do, and some fun facts about herself. Thanks for
being here, Jennifer. Take it away!

Have you ever been
surprised by something, only to find everyone else around you knew of this
*thing* all along? I wonder if that’s how a writer’s voice emerges. If one
begins to write something into every novel
without realizing it because that *thing* is as much a part of them as writing
itself.
That’s how it was for
me. One day, as I was chatting about one of my books with a friend, I paused
for an extended moment and said, “Have you noticed I’ve had a homeless person
in each of my novels?”
My friend gave a
knowing smile and nod, and it was then that it hit me, “Yeah, this is kind of a
big deal to me.”
Which will probably
sound strange, once you learn that I was once homeless. I mean, of course it’d
be a big deal, right? Homelessness had affected my life greatly!
But that’s the funny
thing about self-deception and hiding. You see, homelessness affected who I
once was, not who I am now. (Or so I thought.) Ashamed by my
past, I had pushed it so far from my mind I could easily forget that period
entirely. I certainly never thought about it. Except on those quiet, lonely
nights when old demons would rise up, “Remember when?” But then I’d just push
the memories down all the harder, trying to play the part of the perfect,
church-going, suburban housewife.
But God never forgot,
and the God who brought me from my deepest pain and shame wanted to turn it
into something beautiful.
That’s grace.
And as a recipient of
grace, God now wanted me to show others how to grab hold of that same
life-transforming, shame-lifting power.
Though it goes a bit
deeper than that. Now, decades later, camped out in mid-America suburbia with
my middle class friends, many who have never truly encountered a homeless
person; many who perhaps don’t even give them the time of day, God has called
me to another task. That task is helping to call others to action.
I believe that’s why
He birthed the idea for Beyond I Do
within me.
And that’s the impact
I hope this novel has on my readers. For those suffering from material,
emotional, or spiritual poverty, I hope they can see that the same God that
reaches out to the least-of-least is also, always, reaching out to them.
For those of us who
have been rescued, I hope this novel encourages them to look around and see how
they can bring God’s hope and grace into the broken lives they encounter.
On a lighter note…
Jessica asked me to share three fun facts about me. Here goes:
1     I’m
terrified by heights but once took up rock climbing with my hubby. This, of
course, meant there was always more than a few shrieks (and broken nails! Hence
the shrieks.) involved.
2   
          Apparently
my head bobs at neck-breaking speed when I’m writing an intense or humorous or…
okay, when I’m writing period. Imagine the entertainment Starbucks’ patrons
gain from my presence. 
      
             I can
turn many a-heads during the Sunday worship service, and not in a good way. (I
was kicked out of campus choir in high school Enough said.)
I loved these fun
facts and the inspiration behind your novel is moving! I can’t wait to read it! 

Here’s a peek at:



Beyond I Do:


Will seeing beyond
the present unite them or tear them apart?

Marriage . . . it’s
more than a happily ever after. 

Eternally more.

Ainsley Meadows, raised by a hedonist mother, who cycles through jobs and
relationships like wrapping paper on Christmas morning, falls into a
predictable and safe relationship with Richard, a self-absorbed socialite
psychiatrist. But as her wedding nears, a battered woman and her child spark a
long-forgotten dream and ignites a hidden passion. One that threatens to change
everything, including her fiancé. To embrace God’s best and find true love,
this security-seeking bride must follow God with reckless abandon and realize
that marriage goes Beyond I Do.

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-I-Do-Jennifer-Slattery/dp/1596694173/

Jennifer
Slattery writes missional romance for New Hope Publishers, Christian living
articles for Crosswalk.com, and devotions for Internet Café Devotions. She also
maintains a personal blog at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com and writes and edits for
Christ to the World Ministries, an international ministry that shares the
gospel, via radio waves, with thirty-two countries.






*** I’m going to be taking a blogging break but don’t worry! I have some great guests scheduled on Fridays in August! So I’ll still be around some. 


***Have you signed up for the Patched In? What’s that you say? My newsletter! And I’d love for you to! CLICK HERE

Jodie Bailey and the Cast of Crossfire!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
@JodieBailey
Website
Hey everyone! Guess who’s in the house today?
That’s right the amazing, fabulous, wonderful Jodie Bailey! I am so glad I know
her. And I’m so glad she writes wonderful books I can enjoy. She’s about to
play a few rounds of Would You Rather with us, along with her main characters
in her newest Love Inspired Suspense, Crossfire. Doesn’t that sound awesome?
Well it is. I’ve read it!
Thanks for being here today, Jodie!
Would You Rather…
…feel pain (emotional) or nothing at all?
Jodie: At one time, I would
have said “nothing,” but I’ve learned that nothing is far worse than something,
even when something is hard.
Andrea: Nothing. It would be
amazing to wipe away the hurt and go numb.
Josh:  Until I crossed paths with Andrea again, I’d
have told you nothing. That’s a battle I’ve fought far too long, but now… I’m
starting to think it’s worth facing the pain if it means feeling so much more.
…change something about your past or see what your future
holds?
Jodie:  Am I allowed to say neither?  My past has made me who I am today, and I’m
finally able to say that. People say all the time they want to know the future,
but I’m pretty sure they don’t. I guess if I could change one thing it would be
how I handled a particular family relationship early on so that maybe it would
be more healed today.
Andrea: I’d save my
brother.  Knowing what I know now, I’d
have paid a lot more attention back then and he’d still be alive today.
Josh: When Andrea’s brother
came knocking on my door that day, I’d have dropped everything for him.  It would have saved two lives and changed
everything about mine too. Worst decision I ever made was telling him I’d talk
to him “tomorrow.” It cost all of use everything.
…sing every word you speak or always speak in rhymes?
Jodie:  Trust me, you don’t want to hear me sing.
Andrea:  Uhm, this question has me a little bit
concerned. I have an opening two days from now and we could talk about this.
Josh:  Neither. I’d be out of the Army so fast or on
a psych profile so fast I wouldn’t know what hit me. Not to mention, my guys
would have zero respect for me. I can’t imagine how that would play out in
battle. You’ve got to be kidding me.
(Jess here! Josh, you’re so breaking the rules.
And for a military man…tsk! ;))
…be able to fly or read minds?
Jodie:  Fly. 
I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what people really think all of the
time. And I could get to the beach even quicker!
Andrea:  Read minds. It would help so much in a
counseling session to know what a patient was not confronting. Wow. Do you know
how much faster my patients would be healed if we could get to the bottom of
things in session one?
Josh: Fly. No doubt. That
would be awesome.  Man, no one could ever
hit a home run over an outfielder who can fly.
…rather
run out of oxygen on Mount Everest (slowly but surely) or underwater?
Jodie:  Mt. Everest. 
I’d feel totally trapped underwater. 
At least on Everest it would be wide open with a great view.
Andrea:  Do you think about death a lot? I still have
that appointment open in two days. Maybe I can clear something this afternoon
for you instead.

Josh:  On Mt. Everest.  It’d be like that movie where Tommy Lee Jones
played an astronaut and ran out of oxygen on the moon.  At least he finally made it to the moon and
died with a smile on his face. But, honestly, if I knew my oxygen was running
out, I’m pretty sure I’d turn around and head down. Definitely not going to
take a seat and wait for it to happen. 
Oh my goodness, that was so much fun! Loved your answers, Jodie. Thanks to you, Andrea, and Josh for playing!
Here’s a peek at Crossfire!
Buy the book! 

A DANGEROUS REUNION 
After he couldn’t save her brother, army first sergeant Josh Walker isn’t about to let anything happen to Andrea Donovan. Josh may have saved her from one attack, but drug smugglers are desperate to get information about one of Andrea’s patients—a patient who’s disappeared without a trace. Despite the danger, the beautiful counselor refuses to hand over confidential files. Now Josh and Andrea have no choice but to battle on for their lives—and their love—or they’ll be the latest casualty to get caught in the crossfire.

So, answer one or all in the comments! 

#1 Way to Sleep Peacefully

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
“In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 94:19
I quote this verse often. To myself. To others. It’s a deep,
ministering scripture, and a reminder where to focus during hard times.
But I’ve never dug any further into the passage. Until last
week.
“Anxieties” translates into disquieting thoughts. Ever had
any of those? The kind that keeps you tossing and turning throughout the night.
Preoccupied during the day. They grow like mountain before your very eyes.
Me too.
Let’s look at “comforts” in the Hebrew. It comes from the
root word “nacham” which means to console, to have compassion on.

“Through the Lord’s
mercies we are not consumed,
because 
His compassions fail not.”
Lamentations 3:22
In other words: In the middle of all my mountainous
disquieting thoughts, causing me great anxiety, I know that your compassions
that fail not will console me. Because you, O LORD, are merciful. They are new
every morning.
What is this consoling, this compassion like? What does it
do? It delights the soul. I think of delight and words such as joy, happiness,
smiles, sunshine, strength, dancing…they come to mind. What comes to your mind?
It’s interesting however, what that word “delight” actually means in the Hebrew.
It’s the word “sha’a’” and get this! It means, “to be
smeared over, to be blinded, to smear eyes shut, overspread.”
When all the disquieting thoughts swell like Everest, we
should slip into His Word, into His Presence and let Him smear our eyes shut,
through His tender compassion. Let Him overspread us. As moms to young babies.
Gingerly, coating them with creamy, soothing, sweet-smelling baby lotion
creating a calming effect. We generally do it before bedtime to ease them into
a sweet and peaceful rest.
Disquieting thoughts do not give us rest. We need Jesus to
smear us with His love. His mercy, and His compassion.
It’s an experience.
He says in Revelation 3:18, “…anoint your eyes with eye salve,
that you may see.”
We need Him to smear our eyes shut so the mountain, our
circumstances, our crisis fades away. Until we’re blinded.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
Love the Message version:
If God hadn’t been there for me,

    I never would have made it.
The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”
    your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
    you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Maybe you’re beside yourself right now. Move over, let Jesus
get beside you and smear you over with love and compassion that fails not.
You’ll be blinded, yet see more clearly than ever before!

Can you
think of a time God consoled you and helped you get through a difficult time?
What scripture verses or songs (or both) helped soothe you?


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