Author: Jessica R. Patch

Fact or Fiction…or Both with Laura Frantz!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Most of my life I’ve read romance novels, suspense and thriller, but a few years ago, I gave historical romance a try. I honestly didn’t expect to like it. I mean how much romance can go on when folks couldn’t even leave the room without someone chaperoning them? 
Was I ever wrong! I can honestly say that some of the BEST romances I’ve read about come from historical romances. Laura Frantz is one author I read early on in my new discovery of historical romance and I can tell you, she is one of my all-time favorites! And she’s super nice! 
I just finished Courting Morrrow Little. One, is that not a great name? Loved it. The story itself is wonderful! Something I love about Laura is the way she keeps you in total angst. It’s off-the-chain! But what really gets me is, I never know if she’s using real-life history or just making it all up. It’s that good. So I asked her about her main character, Red Shirt and she’s here today to share with us what is and what is not real in her story! 
Thanks so much, Laura! Take the floor!
the real red shirt

 
Readers often ask where the inspiration for a character comes from. I always
point to history books and old photographs. Here is the real Red Shirt. Born along Nebraska’s Platte River in the
1830’s to an Indian mother and white father, he is something of an enigma. I
discovered him 20 years ago while researching the Oglala/Lakota (Sioux) Indians
for a Dances With Wolves type novel. He identified with the Lakota and
lived free till his people were placed on reservations. He and his wife, Pretty
Woman, had several children. The photo shows him (far right) accompanying the
famous chief, Red Cloud, in a delegation to Washington DC. Later, he joined
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and then faded from history. There’s a simple
grave at the Rosebud Cemetery that bears his name in South Dakota. I’ve not
been there but I’d like to go. 

I’ve carried him around in my head and heart for a long time:) Of course, I had
to alter him a bit for my book. He had to leave the Sioux and become Shawnee.
And Pretty Woman was a thing of the past! I also had to tweak his name to fit
into the historical context of the 18th-century. Most importantly, my Red Shirt
found freedom in Christ as well as freedom to exist where he pleased. Literary
license is a fine thing. Every reader will have a different picture of him in
their head and heart, too.

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is
the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs
across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. ~Crowfoot

Visit Laura HERE! at her website
On Pinterest
& Facebook
Thank you so much, Laura! Now, everyone stop what you’re doing and go purchase Courting Morrow Little! You won’t be disappointed, I promise…even you skeptics of historical 
romances! 
Do you like stories that mix fact and fiction? Why or why not? 
Here’s a peek at the novel! 
Morrow Little is haunted by the memory of the day her family
was torn apart by raiding Shawnee warriors. Now that she is nearly a grown
woman and her father is ailing, she must make difficult choices about the
future. Several men–ranging from the undesired to the unthinkable–vie for her
attentions, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden love that
both terrifies and intrigues her. Can she betray the memory of her lost loved
ones–and garner suspicion from her friends–by pursuing a life with him? Or
should she seal her own misery by marrying a man she doesn’t love? This
sweeping tale of romance and forgiveness will envelop readers as it takes them
from a Kentucky fort through the vast wilderness to the west in search of true
love.

Joy from Light Bulb Moments and a Lesson from Daniel

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Ah-ha
moments. I love them. How about you? Those moments when the light bulb clicks
on over your head. We’re unpacking Psalm 19 the next few weeks. Let’s look at verse 8 today.

“The
statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes;” NKJV
Here
it is in the Message:

“The
life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.

The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.”

KEY WORDS Today: Statutes/life-maps/pure/eyes
(always pull a few key words from
scripture to help you understand the meaning better)
Statutes
or life-maps are also translated as precepts.
Statutes
in Hebrew is, “piqquwd” and it means “precepts.”
Precept
according to the online dictionary means:
1. A
rule or principle prescribing a particular course of action or conduct.
2. Law An authorized direction or order; a
writ.
So,
we could say, God’s authorized
directions that come from His written Word make the heart glad and bring joy.
The
order, commandment, of God is pure. “Pure” in the Hebrew is “bar” and
it means sincere, or clear. It enlightens, or brings light to the eyes. Eyes in
Hebrew is “ayin” and it means, “eye” “of mental or spiritual
faculties/qualities.”
So
we could say, God’s Word is sincere and
clear and it gives us spiritual and mental ah-ha light bulb moments about our
life and the direction we need to take.
Let’s
look at someone from the Bible who had an ah-ha moment. We’ll look at what it
led him to clearly do and the result that came from his obedience.
Let’s
look at Daniel. Chapter 9 starting in
verse 1.
“It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the
son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of
his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as
revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy
years.” 
From reading scripture (scrolls and Jeremiah’s word more
specifically), Daniel had a light bulb
moment. Here’s what God told Jeremiah:
“This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early
in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. “This
is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple
of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to
worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. Perhaps
they will listen and turn from their evil ways.”  Jeremiah 26:1-3
God’s people were turning from Him. He’d warned them early on that
if they stopped serving Him, He would do whatever was necessary to draw them
back. Jeremiah has come to warn them and bring judgment–which is fair.
Here’s what God instructed Jeremiah to say, and this is what
Daniel read years later.
 “Say
to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me
and obey my word I have given you, and if you will not listen to my
servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you
would not listen to them—–then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed
Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem
an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”The priests, the prophets,
and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s
Temple.  But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying
everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all
the people at the Temple mobbed him. “Kill him!” they shouted. Jeremiah 26:4-7
Not exactly welcoming to God’s
words, huh? So…
“Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his
own defense. “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and
this city,” he said. “The Lord gave me every word that I have
spoken.  But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey
the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that
he has announced against you.” Jeremiah 26:12-13
However they did not. And…
“‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God
of Israel, says: With my great strength and powerful arm I made the
earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to
anyone I choose.  Now I will give your countries to King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the
wild animals, under his control.  All the nations will serve
him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and
great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.  So you must
submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will
punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send
war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.”
Jeremiah 27:5-8
Seems harsh? Nah, not really
and besides…
“‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay
there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to
Jerusalem again.’””Jeremiah 27:22
When?
“This
entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands
will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.” Jeremiah 25:11
And what will happen then you ask?
“This
is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years.
But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I
will bring you home again.” Jeremiah 29:10
And what famous verse comes after?
 “I say this
because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt
you. I will give you hope and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11
And we know in Daniel Chapter one, it begins. Nebuchadnezzar comes
in and takes them captive, a young Daniel is swept up among them.
At this point in Chapter 9, Daniel is an old man, still serving
the Lord, still reading scripture. He’s been in captivity about 67 years. And
he discovers that the 70 years is almost up. The same words we take comfort in today, Jeremiah 29:11, he took
comfort in on that day.
God was about to do something awesome! Daniel had trusted God on
many occasions. When he refused to eat idol-sacrificed food at the king’s
table, when he interpreted dreams for the Neb and then later his
great-grandson, and of course when he was thrown into the lion’s den for not
compromising his faith.
Daniel knew when God spoke a
word, He was good for it. Do you know that? Do you believe it?
As a result of reading this, of having his eyes enlightened—he knew
good things were coming. Freedom could be tasted! What did Daniel do?
 “I turned to the Lord
God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.” Daniel 9:3
Turned;
prayer; fasted
Daniel’s
prayer is amazing and it’s recorded in verses 4-19. But I want to pull out
these verses:
“But
the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled
against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed
the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. All
Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to
your voice.” Daniel 9:9-11
God wasn’t being harsh, He was being fair. They rebelled. They had
not followed the instructions.
What does Psalm 19 say? The instruction of the Lord (His precepts)
rejoice the heart. When we do not follow them, when we rebel, we go into
captivity. Maybe not like the Israelites…but I assure you, you’ll find yourself in
bondage. Enslaved.
And miserable.
Like Daniel, we pray. And God,
Who is faithful to forgive us our sins when we confess them, acts. On our
behalf. With mercy. And grace.
 “O my
God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how
your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not
because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O
Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my
God, for your people and your city bear your name.” Daniel 9:18-19
Daniel’s faith and faithfulness to God opened up a special
blessing. God gives Daniel some amazing visions, and he gets to see Christ in all
His glory in a few of them! What could bring more joy?
All because he loved the Word of God.
Practical application: Spend time in God’s Word. When we spend
time with God in His Word, it will always keep us pointed on Jesus Christ.
When was the last time you
had a light bulb moment from scripture? If it’s been awhile, why do you think
that is? And care to share that amazing moment in the comments? 

I’m hosting at LBG today!
Come by and share your
favorite verse about light!


**Photocredit: lightbulb tree: freedigitalphotos/zirconicusso
**Photo credit: bulb with a book: freedigitalphotos/digitalart
**Photo credit: clear glass of water: freedigitalphotos/by gt_pann 
**Photo credit: rubble: freedigitalphotos/cbenjasuwan 
**Photo credit: infant hand: freedigitalphotosNutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot
**Photo credit: faith and believe: freedigitalphotos/thepathtraveler
/**Photo credit: steel cage: freedigitalphotos/bejim

Reaching the Top

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

It’s another Meditation Monday! I love the following verse. Truly, I do. And since we’ll be talking about Daniel on Wednesday, I thought it would be fitting to meditate on some of his most powerful God-breathed words. 

“…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great
exploits.” Daniel 11:32

Meditation Prompts: Think about your accomplishments, education, abilities in comparison to simply knowing God! God is looking for those who will get to know Him to do great things. He’s not looking for the smartest, prettiest, best dressed, best mom, dad, sister, brother, teacher, or the richest. He wants someone who is willing to give them their time–to know Him! What dream is inside you that will take strength? How can you know Him better today? 
What does knowing God 
look like in your life? And why do you think people who know God can be strong and carry out great exploits?

*Just a reminder, I’m now offering critiquing services! Are you entering the Genesis contest? About to query sample pages? Need a fresh eye on your manuscript? I’d love to partner with you to make it shine. Please see my Critiquing/Editing page, with endorsements, HERE! (at the top right of the sidebar)
*photocredit for repelling: freedigitalphotos/SuraNualpradid
**photocredit for climbing a mountain(first photo) freedigitalphotos/SuraNualpradid

A New Path

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I love the beginning
of a new year. I spend extra time with the Lord, meditating on His word and
allowing Him to fill me in on His plans for me for the new year.
I mentioned in my
one word post that I thought maybe God was giving me the word “love”
because I’d been stumbling upon those scriptures often. But He didn’t. He gave
me “joy.”
During these last
few days, I’ve been praying about this year and what it hold for me
spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially. I hope you’re praying about
these things as well.
As I was chatting
with a dear friend and critique partner of mine, Michelle Massaro, she
encouraged me to step out and do something new.
Something that really hadn’t crossed my mind. But after she said it, it stuck
with me. And I began praying about this new path.
On Friday, I kept
going back to the Proverbs 31 woman. She used what she knew, sewing, to help
provide income for her family. She didn’t have idle hands.
On Sunday, God
reminded me of something He’d shared awhile back about my purpose–about what
fulfills me most.
Equipping
the  Saints.
That’s why I
restructured my blog. I want to be able to do what I love most. In everything I
do.
And then I read a
sermon by John Piper about God’s will. He talked about meditating on the word
and knowing it, so when it comes time to discern God’s will we can line up what
we think we might need to do based on scripture.
Proverbs 31.
I prayed and
finished my study time, but before I closed my Bible, I read this verse.
“Let
no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” 1 Corinthians
10:24
If you’ll look to
the sidebar, under PAGES, you’ll see a new one! As of today, I’m offering a
service to others.
Paid critiques and
edits. I think this comes at a great time,
especially for Christian writers who plan to enter the Genesis contest soon.
I’d love to help you make those pages shine!
So give the page a
look and please feel free to share the Critiquing/Editing page on Facebook and
Twitter! I’d love to get the word out. 

Here are a couple endorsements, but there are more on the actual page!

“I was just a newbie writer when Jessica took me under her wing. She critiqued the first 50 pages of my first manuscript, and wow–she provided me with some very eye-opening comments. The best thing about her critique is that I never, ever felt dumb. She offered both encouragement and constructive criticism, but the criticism never came across as negative. Also, she clearly stated her thoughts and gave actual suggestions for improvement. My manuscript and my writing are better because of Jessica and her heart for other writers.” ~Linsdsay Harrel
“Even editors needs editors, and that’s what Jessica Patch is for me. She is the most prolific writer I know, but she’s also got a keen eye for a wide range of edits. I rely heavily on her to help me craft balanced characters with smooth arcs. She has the uncanny ability to spot and draw out subtle spiritual threads, which is invaluable to the writer of Christian fiction needing help beefing up a puny manuscript. She has a gift, and I won’t submit another manuscripts anywhere unless it’s passed under her red pen first.”
–April W Gardner, award-winning author and editor for Astraea Press, represented by Karen Ball of the Steve Laube Agency
If you are
interested, please send me an email at: jessicaropatch(at)gmail(dot)com
Have a great weekend
and please pray for me!
Based on 1 Corinthians 10:24 above, what is one thing
you can do today to make this verse real in your life?
*photocredit for snowy trees with light: freedigitalphotos/papaija2008
*photocredit for way in the lake: freedigitialphotos/EvgeniDinev
*photocredit for road in the park: freedigitalphotos/coward_lion

The Joy of Light

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Today I’m breaking
it down. Verse seven of Psalm 19 that is. But go ahead and beat-box if you
choose. It’s not like I’ll feel the spray of spittle from here. Just sayin’.
On Monday, we looked
at the whole Psalm 19 in the Message translation. 
Today, I want to
look at it more in detail (just a portion) in the NKJV. I’m a fan of the NKJV and that’s what I use to study
with each morning, but again, it’s important and beneficial to study your Bible
by looking at many translations. An easy way to do this is by pulling up Biblegateway each morning, or evening when you
have study time, and yes…you should be having daily study time!
We’re focusing on
verse 7 today.
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul;
The
testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;” Psalm 19:7 NKJV
Here it
is in the Message translation:
“The
revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The
signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.”
The
meanings are the same but it’s said in a way that gives you a little different
word picture.
God’s
word is perfect. Whole.
The NIV
translation says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the
soul.”
I don’t
know about you, but I could stand to be refreshed. The way for that to happen
is by studying the law of the LORD. His Word. Um…yep, the Bible. Not just
skimming it out of obligation. Reading it to meet a yearly goal. But to digest
it, letting it run like oxygen through the blood stream, bringing life to every
organ and limb of your body and then applying what you’ve studied to your every
day life. If you never do that, it’s pointless. It’s just some  head knowledge. Big deal.
*A helpful hint: Use your cross-reference if you have
one in your Bible, to study. If not, use the online cross-reference at BibleGateway or
Biblos!
This
verse leads us to Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.” NKJV
I don’t
know about you, but I qualify here. I’m the simple. And I could use some
understanding. Am I the only one? Really? That’s what I thought! Then hang
tight with me a few more paragraphs and let’s bring this joker home!
The key
word here is light. The entrance of  light i.e. reading God’s Word, taking it in
and digesting gives light. It gives understanding. I get that. I know what
understanding and entrance mean, but what exactly does the word light mean. Am
I going to implode like a firework? Will I glow like those Fisherprice worms?
Where
better to get a grip on light but the first time it appears in scripture. At
the beginning. Like we are at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of
the Bible. Genesis. Chapter 1. The beginning.
“Then God said, “Let there be light”; and
there was light.” Gen. 1:3 NKJV
God always wanted light. From the beginning. It was the first thing He brought
about. And it’s been a steady topic all throughout the Bible.
photocredit: freedigitalphotos/thawats
He
brought light out to the darkness and separated the two, because light and dark can’t co-exist. They just can’t.
If you bring even the tiniest light to a dark place, it can be seen and it’s
not blinding dark anymore.
But
before He did that, in verse two, something was happening.
“And
the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Why?
“The
earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the
deep.”
photo credit: freedigitalphotos/VictorHabbick
But
light was about to come. For the first time.
We have
to ask some questions (that’s what good students do!). What exactly does w/o
form, void and dark really mean?
Without form in the Hebrew is “tohuw”
and it means, “confusion, unreality, emptiness, wasteland, a place of
chaos.”
Void in the Hebrew is “bohuw”
(similar) and it means emptiness, waste
And the
word darkness in Hebrew is
“choshek” and it means, obscurity–which means a state of being
unknown or unimportant.
But with
one word from The Word (John 1:1-3) it all changed. The Spirit was hovering
over the chaos, that which seemed unimportant, a wasteland, that which seemed
empty. But He saw order. He saw something beautiful and He brought light. (and
He kept on going)
Do you feel unimportant? Empty? Like your life is a chaotic
wasteland?
The
Spirit is hovering, waiting on the Word to go forth to bring order. Peace. A
purpose to your life. Just say the word and THE WORD will give the command.
Let the
entrance of His words give you understanding. And light. Light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shines from us inside out. And
it takes the work of the Spirit (sanctification) to do it. It also takes
discipline to crack the book open.
2
Corinthians 4:6 says, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out
of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
NKJV
The
Message says it like this:
 “Remember, our Message is not about
ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is
messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light
up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood
God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.”
Want to
light up the darkness around us?  We can.
The entrance of God’s Words bring order to chaos. Peace to anxiety and fear.
Confidence to doubt. Purpose to a wasteland. Fulfillment to emptiness.
And you
know what a person has when they have peace, confidence, purpose and
fulfillment?
JOY
 The joy of the Lord is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10
Therefore
with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3
“…But
the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 This was Jesus talking to
the woman at the well. A woman who had been married five times and was now
living with a man. I see chaos. Lack of purpose. Emptiness. But the Word was at
the well that day.
photo credit: freedigitalphotos/Adamr
Ephesians 5:8 (MSG) says,”You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer.
You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So
no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these
are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please
Christ, and then do it.”
“Awake
you who sleep! Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.’ Ephesians
5:14
We’re
cleansed and transformed by the washing of the water of the Word. (Eph. 5:26)
It brings light from darkness (new life from death) and it keeps giving us
light to keep shining in a dark/dead world.
Which
brings us back to Psalm 119:130 and ultimately our verse we began with today.
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The
testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
Feel
wiser? I do!
Practical application: Study your Bible just
like we did now. Choose one verse. Reflect on it. Then act on it and journal it
at the end of the day.
What one thing comes to mind right now that you can do
to shine light today? Share it in the comments and use it as accountability to
do 
that one thing!
Join me
at Living By Grace. I encourage you to leave a verse about light in the
comments on the FACEBOOK PAGE! Let’s see if we can light it up! 
*Genesis Bible photocredit: freedigitalphotos/JanakaDharmasen

God is Better Than…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

My one word this
year is Joy. You can read about it HERE.
The verses for me
this year are Psalm 19:7-15. I decided to look it up in other translations. I
encourage you do the same–with any verse or passages in the Bible. It helps
you really get the entire meaning and looking at the same thing with new words
can open your eyes to new personal revelation and application for you life!
My verses in the
Message version jumped out.  And as I
read and took them in, I thought why not take them in with you! Mondays you
and I can meditate together. I’ll call them Meditation Mondays. No, I’m not going
all “ohm” on you. Meditation simply means to reflect, contemplate or
to think on.
 Wednesday, I’ll be tackling  the latter half of verse 7. (It will be more
of a devotion/teaching day.) I hope you’ll come and discover the joy in
something as simple yet deep as light.
The
revelation of God is whole
    and
pulls our lives together.
The
signposts of God are clear
    and
point out the right road.
The
life-maps of God are right,
    showing
the way to joy.
The
directions of God are plain
    and
easy on the eyes.
God’s
reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with
a lifetime guarantee.
The
decisions of God are accurate
    down
to the nth degree.
God’s
Word is better than a diamond,
    better
than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll
like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better
than red, ripe strawberries.
 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of
danger
    and
directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise
how will we find our way?
    Or
know when we play the fool?
Clean
the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep
me from stupid sins,
    from
thinking I can take over your work;
Then I
can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed
clean of the grime of sin.
These
are the words in my mouth;
    these
are what I chew on and pray.
Accept
them when I place them
    on
the morning altar,
O God,
my Altar-Rock,
    God,
Priest-of-My-Altar.
This is a big chunk,
so let’s pick out verse 7 to meditate on today, since it’s the verse we’ll look
at more closely on Wednesday. (*Note: I’m not rigid, if a another verse struck
you, by all means hide it in your heart and keep it close to you today!)
Today’s
meditation:
The
revelation of God is whole and
pulls our lives together.
The
signposts of God are clear and
point out the right road.
Hints to help: How is this verse true in your life? What are some signposts God gave you to point you to the right road? Reflect on how this verse has been true in your life. Ask God to give you the desire to spend more time in his word, to make you whole and to pull areas of your life that need wholeness together.
Today’s question: Verse 10 says, God’s word is better than
strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. What is God’s Word (and God in general) better
than to you?
Here’s mine: God and His Word is
better than a dark chocolate Hershey bar with almonds complimented with a
Cinnamon Dolce latte from Starbucks! (And that’s pretty stinkin good!)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,O Lord, my strength and my
Redeemer.
*roadsign photocredit: freedigitalphotosbyFrameAngel
*strawberries photocredit: freedigitalphotosbyCarlosPorto

If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure: Book Review

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Purchase your copy! HERE

I’ve read many a
book over the decades on healthy eating and eating in general. Many of them
have been faith-based books. When I had the opportunity to review Sheri Rose
Shepherd’s new book on experiencing food, faith & fulfillment a whole new
way, I jumped.
Shepherd’s view is
anything can be eaten and enjoyed without the guilt and depression one normally
has when eating something they think they shouldn’t.
She shares personal
experiences, New Life tips (scriptures that correlate with the chapters) and
Soul Food (more scriptures) as well as over 100+ recipes. I’ll be honest, I’m a
super picky eater. I haven’t found a single salad dressing I really like–not
even Ranch. And salad, well, it’s for the birds. Literally. So, having said
that, I’ll tell you that I didn’t find many of the recipes suitable to my
palette. But, for those of you who like onions, peppers, vinaigrettes, and feta
cheese you’ll be pleased. Not that every recipe has those ingredients. I’m just
letting you know how truly picky of an eater I am.
Each chapter has a
QR code that links you to her website for additional weight loss and coaching
tips, which I found uber-cool and helpful.
Is it my favorite
faith-based book on eating? No. But I was impressed with the  scriptures and enjoyed reading her own
personal experiences.  The chapter set up
is truly unique and it’s worth a read!
Visit Sheri at
Bible Life Coaching
Best-selling
Author, Speaker, Teacher, Humorist 

Sheri
Rose has a very refreshing way of bringing the Word of God to life. She knows
how to renew the Eternal Hope in our hearts. Her speaking style is humorous,
heartwarming and inspires every one to make their life count for eternity.

Sheri
Rose is a woman who can relate to almost any woman’s battle. This former Mrs.
United States grew up in a dysfunctional home and was severely overweight as a
teen. As a young woman, she battled depression and an eating disorder. She
understands the pain that comes from a broken home and she knows what it means
to fight for freedom from your past. In spite of an English teacher telling her
she was “born to lose” and a learning disorder–Dyslexia–Sheri Rose
has (in God’s strength) written best-selling books, founded His Princess
Ministries and speaks to tens of thousands each year at churches and women’s
conferences like the Extraordinary Women Tour.

Her Joy
for the Lord, humorous heart-warming stories mixed with truth and transparency
renews our Faith by reminding us how much we are truly loved and adored by our
Father in heaven. Once you heard Sheri Rose speak you will never again doubt
that you are…”God’s Chosen Princess”… here for a divine purpose!

She
lives in Southern California with her husband of 22 years and their daughter.

How many books (ballpark figure) would you say you’ve read on healthy eating? How many of those were faith-based books? 



*I appreciate Tyndale House for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One Word in 2013

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
*photocredit: freedidgitalphotosjscreationzshttp:

December rolls around and I spend my mornings sipping coffee, talking with Jesus about the past year. I shared my accomplishments and failures, renewed goals on Monday. And I gear up for a new year. 

The mornings go a lot like this:
“Lord–ah, can I not slosh coffee on my pajamas just one morning!–anyway, Lord, January is coming. Where are we going this year? What one word would you have me focus on and what verse will you give me for this year? Also, the 21 days of fasting are coming up…What–gulp–will you have me do?” *I won’t be sharing that with you as I don’t want to lose my reward. Things are supposed to be done in secret, ya know. I may have lost it already just by telling you that 21 days of fasting are coming up. SIGH. 😉 
Lately, I’ve been smacking into “loving others” verses, posts, stories etc…so is it love? I mean I can always work on that. Is it love? Lord, is it? I need a sign! 
One morning, early in December, I woke up and a word popped into my head. 
Joy
Joy? Seriously, God? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a pretty jolly, joyful girl. Um…people tell me this all the time. Just last week, the cashier said I had the best smile. You did hear that, right? 
My word can’t be joy. I got the joy. Where? Down. Down deep in my heart. Deep in my heart to stay. And if the devil doesn’t like it…he can sit on a tack. Sit on a tack to stay.
If my word is Joy, then I need a sign. A big fat sign because quite frankly, I want a better word. And though this doesn’t sound joyous at the moment, I do have joy, Lord.
But wait!! Maybe joy isn’t such a bad thing. This year You must be saying my contract is coming and therefore, Lord, I will have even more joy! And You’re going to supernaturally heal my physical pains. Because this year has been the Valley of Weeping. Joy comes in the morning. 
A silent moment. I call that the God-sigh. 
Or what if this year isn’t going to be a year of harvesting the fruit I’ve labored over and it’s not the year for healing. Are you saying I’m going to have to have joy anyway? Or are worse things going to happen and I’ll need that extra dab that’ll do ya? 
Oh for the love of…well…You, pick another word! 
These are what my first several mornings looked like. Scary, huh? I know.
Okay God, whatever. If it’s joy so be it. But I really, really need a sign. An obvious-no-doubt sign–just hanging out there. 
That morning my husband and I went to see my son’s talent show at school. We entered the office and stood waiting along with a bunch of other parents– whose children couldn’t hold a candle to my child’s talent. I looked over by the door and there in the corner stood a toy soldier about my height. Yes, I put toy and my height together. 
A tag hung–the string nearly invisible–off of his soldier’s hat. In bold red letters it said:
JOY
Shut up! 
Inside my head, I said, “Well, that’s a sign hanging out of nowhere for sure. Joy it is.
On Sunday, during the morning service, guess what my pastor preached on? Yeah. Joy. Double dose of confirmation. 
But what verses? And why Joy? Each morning I’d open the Bible and look down to see if God had directed me to the verse. He didn’t. I entered “joy” into Bible Gateway and scrolled through them to see if one would jump out. 
It didn’t.
And then on December 21st, I woke up and took my iPad into the living room where I do my morning devotions. Each morning I read a John Piper sermon or article. I always feel like I’ve been fed to the brim afterwards. This day he shared this verse to this sermon (and here is the link if you want to read it for yourself–The Bible: Kindling for Christian Hedonism.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord
are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the
ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired
are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings
of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned; in keeping them there
is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11
The word joy isn’t found in these verses, but I knew the instant I read them it was the right verse. My insides started bubbling and tears sprang in my eyes. Then God began to give me a tiny break down of the verses.
Each statement has to do with the Word of God and what it does in a believer’s life. And ultimately…it brings joy. 
Another paragraph down, I read this. A third confirmation of my word.
“The Bible Kindles Joy
The reason David praised God with the words, “He
leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul,” is
because he had bad days. There were days when his soul needed to be restored.
It’s the same phrase used in Psalm
19:7—”the law of the Lord is
perfect, reviving the
soul.” Normal Christian life is a
repeated process of restoration and renewal. Our joy is not static. It
fluctuates with real life. It is as vulnerable to Satan’s attacks as a Lebanese
marine compound to a suicide bomber. When Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:24,
“Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your
joy,” we should emphasize it this way: “We are workers with
you for your joy.” The preservation of our joy in God takes work. It is a
fight. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, and he has an
insatiable appetite to destroy one thing: the joy of faith.”

Looks like this year, I’ll be in the Word more than ever before. Join me as I study the precepts, commands, fear, the ways of God and ultimately joy. What are the differences between joy, happiness, and cheer? We’ll look at those in depth through passages and lives of other believers in the Bible. 
Joy isn’t about what we get i.e contracts, agents, material possessions etc… Joy is so much more. So much better. And I can’t wait to discover it all. Looking forward to 2013. Hope you’ll hang around with me and discover it as well! 
*Thank you to Melanie Moore for once again creating–for free–my one word. If you’d like her to create a one word button for you, check out her website and don’t forget to give her a big thanks! HERE

Do you have a one word focus? If so, share in the comments. If not, what are some of your goals for this new year?

The End of the World–I Mean 2012!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 Hi everyone, I’m back! I missed you, but I
kept up the best I could through Facebook and some twitter. I hope you had a
wonderful Christmas. I enjoyed spending time with my family–watching Christmas
movies, baking, playing games (even dumb made-up ones by my 8 year
old),Christmas shopping–though I did most of it online. Turned out to be a big
fat waste of time. But other than that fiasco, it’s been relaxing.

I finished my last
WIP the first week of December and printed it. It’s been cooling, but this week
I plan to pull out the red pen and go to town. The most writing-related thing I
did was update my bio for my agent and plotted/toyed with a new story idea.
I read the following
books:

  • Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia &
    Margaret Stohl (the movie comes out in Feb. and I needed to know what it was
    all about it)
  • Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz
  • To Write a Wrong by Robin Carroll
  • Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
  • To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer
  • Waking Up Married by Kelly Mira Lyn (not CBA)
  • Married By Mistake by Abby Gaines (not CBA)
  • The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
Southern Fried Sushi Trilogy by Jennifer Rogers Spinola

  • Southern Fried Sushi
  • Like Sweet Potato Pie
  • Till Grits Do Us Part
  • The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds by
    Katherine Ramsland (research-nonfiction)
  • Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (a re-read,
    but it never gets old)
  • The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh
  • Madily In Love by Lynda Schab
  • If You Have A Craving, I Have A Cure by Sheri Rose Shepherd
  • Crime Classification Manual A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes by John E. Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Allen G. Burgess, and Robert K. Ressler (big manual so I’m still reading)
Okay, enough re-cap.
We say it every
year: “Wow, this year flew by.” I’m saying it again. This year flew
by. I chose one word in 2012, well, I believe the Lord gave me that one word.
Strength. I wrote
many posts about strength or things I learned or was strengthened through. You
can click the tag “strength” on the sidebar and find them. I hope if
you do, that you’ll be strengthened as well.
My big post about my
strength goal can be found HERE. I chose Psalm 84:5-7  to be my year’s life verse. I printed
it.  Laminated it. And posted it on my
bathroom mirror, above my desk, on the fridge, and on my treadmill.
I met some of those
goals. And some I did not. I’ll be honest, I focused more on the ones I did not
meet than the ones I did. I had a few–okay more than a few–boohoo moments
with God. I wanted to have accomplished everything. I wanted to say I was 100%
successful in fulfilling every single thing He planned for me.
But I’m not perfect.
And I think it was those few days of reflecting, that I realized how much I
wanted to be. I’m not really a perfectionist. I mean, I want things done right
and usually that way is my way…you know…maybe I am a perfectionist at some things.
I say that because you’ve never seen my pots and pans cabinet or plastic wares
cabinet…or my closet…. 🙂
After my mini major,
come-apart. God asked me to not concentrate (for now) on what I didn’t
accomplish but what I did. I’m pretty sure my reply was, “But I didn’t
really do anything!”
I’m also pretty sure
I got the God-stank-eye. Ok, maybe not. No…no I did.
GOALS
ACCOMPLISHED:
  1. I wrote blog posts
    all year long with just a couple breaks.
  2. I studied in depth
    the armor of God and wrote posts.
  3. I revised a
    manuscript, wrote a proposal, sent it to my agent and it’s on submission.
  4. I wrote a new
    manuscript, revised, sent to my agent.
  5. I wrote another
    manuscript and it’s about to be edited/revised.
  6. I read over 40
    books, not all fiction.
  7. God worked on my
    heart and I let some bitterness and resentment go, allowing God to soothe my
    sore heart.
  8. By doing that, God
    opened up the opportunity for me to find my fit at our church and I wrote a 7
    week bible study/curriculum for new & growing believers called
    F.O.R.W.A.R.D. which launched in June. I’ve been teaching it ever since and
    it’s been amazing. I still feel blown away and honored.
  9. In all that writing,
    I’ve struggled with intense back pain, neck pain and horrendous carpal tunnel.
    I’ve laid on the floor and cried. Kicked. Screamed. And begged God to take it
    all away. I found a woman who’s a Christian therapist and unorthodox to say the
    least who helped me manage it. God’s grace has been sufficient.
  10. I’ve developed and
    strengthened friendships, which I needed.


GOALS I’LL BE BRINGING INTO THIS YEAR:
  1. I’ve been a slacker
    when it comes to better eating and exercise, so I’m dragging that
    failure renewed goal into this year.
  2. I’m going to
    continue to strengthen my relationship with my family.
  3. I’m going to bring
    building my online presence into this new year as well. I’m looking forward to
    meeting new people and developing relationships. And people simply
    fascinate me.

I’ll also be setting
new goals, but that’s for another post when I reveal my new word for 2013. And
I admit to telling God to pick a new word. A better word. Yeah, I do stuff like
that.
Btw, He said,
“Not happening.”
Figures.  Join me Wednesday for my ONE WORD.
What
about you? I want to hear a goal, or a few, that you accomplished in 2012. What
was your word if you had one and did it impact your year? Let’s catch up! Don’t
feel bad if you write a “book” in the comments. I want to know what’s
been happening with you!
*photocredit: freedigitalphotos/StuartMiles 

Have a Happy New Year’s Eve! 

Christmas Traditions & A Break

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
My Christmas tree! I still need
to hang the stockings! 

I love this time of year. I love sitting on my couch sipping coffee or tea and staring at my white Christmas tree lights. Quiet mornings. I love shopping for my family (in the mornings and not during the crowded evenings). 

This season is busy, but in a fun, joyful kind of way. Shopping, recitals, talent shows, baking, get-togethers, church events. 

I’m also finishing my WIP (work in progress) I only have about 30K words left. I’m on the downside of the mountain, but I’d like to have it finished before the Christmas week begins. 

In the midst of all that, we still have Christmas traditions. A close friend comes over and helps me ice Christmas cookies–a secret recipe that she begs me for each holiday. She’s tried to mix other recipes to match it, but can’t! I love teasing her about it.

On Christmas Eve, we take the kids out for lunch and maybe a movie then that evening after looking at Christmas lights in the park, we go home and the kids unwrap a present (PJs), then we make hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies for Santa, snuggle up on the couch and watch  White Christmas then the animated Little Drummer boy (which makes me cry each year). The kids head to bed in their new jammies. The next morning, we open gifts and munch on sausage balls and monkey bread. It’s a wonderful tradition and I hope my kids will take some of it into their homes when they grow up!

And with all that’s happening, I’m going to take a nice long blogging break for the month of December. Oh, I have a guest spot or two lined up and I’ll post those and if I get a wild hair I might throw up a post. But I won’t be around the blogosphere until the first of the year. 

Will you miss me? 🙂 I’m going to miss you, but I will be on facebook and twitter! We’ll keep in touch. 

Have a wonderful Christmas season! Tell me, what do you put on the top of your Christmas tree? An angel, star, other?