Blog

What an Imperfect Mom Has to Say to Her Daughter

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I’d been happy. I’d been blessed. But I’d never felt the
kind of joy I felt when I found out I was having you.

A rough little babe, sick and crying often, it hurt my heart
not to be able to make the pain go away. But you grew into the sweetest little
cherub, with rosy cheeks and golden hair that bounced with curls.
You loved Barney, My Dog Skip, Mary Poppins and the
horrible, awful, Teletubbies but we bought you every single one.
I knew there was something extraordinary about you. Something
special that God had breathed into your soul. I remember walking into your
bedroom late at night, you were only about three.
“Mama, there’s a little girl in the jungle. She’s so sad
because she lost her mommy and daddy and she lives with her grandma. And now
her grandma is sick. God said I should pray for this little girl. Will you pray
with me?”
With tears, I knelt beside your bed as you prayed for this
little girl not to be scared and for God to take good care of her. I believe He
did.
When you were four, we ate at Lambert’s and the paramedics
came in. A man was having a heart attack, but you didn’t know that. You only
said, “Mama, we should pray for him.” And you got up from the table. Your
boldness and courage inspired and convicted me.

You speak your mind. You are wise beyond your years. It
never ceases to amaze me. While, I’m not unaware of your flaws and
imperfections—as we are not perfect people—I marvel at the good choices you
make. I thank God every day that you are not like your mama at that age. And I
know it must only be the grace of God as I am an imperfect mama.
I’m not the mom who throws elaborate parties or creates
homemade goods. I never monogrammed a single dress you wore, or designed your
room like a magazine. I wasn’t your room-mom or even crafty. I am still
not. I never read a book on parenting. I make mistakes and you always show me grace and forgiveness.
And I love you. Hopelessly, wildly, desperately. Love you.
I love our open and honest relationship. I love that you
want to hang out in my room, on my bed, watching old movies and talking about
boys and the drama at school. I love that you feel able to ask me questions
about anything, and I am always honest and I never judge. And you never judge me. I love that you want “girl” nights/times/days. Not for what I can buy you but because you love spending time with me. I love that we laugh until you puke and I pee my pants. And then we laugh over that. We laugh and make jokes and even go to self defense classes together! I love our whispers late at night. I love sittin in the back of the van with the hatch open, looking at the stars and getting eaten by mosquitos while we talk about boys, God, our dreams and hopes. Our fears. And how ridiculous boy bands are. I have loved taking you to see the Cheetah Girls, and Justin Beiber back when he was actually cool. I love that I can make fun of you for it now. And you make fun of my Vampire Diaries obsession. 

I love going to the Mexican restaurant with you and spilling salsa. I love letting you know which guys are scoping you out (pretty much all of them). I love it when you tell me what dirty old men are scoping me out. Eeeew! I love laughing in the grocery store until we’re almost kicked out. 
I love keeping you up at night with my horribly bad jokes that amuse me. I love that you don’t repeat them! I love that you secretly record me because you think I’m funny. Or stupid. Either way…
I love being your mom. I love being your friend. I love being
your best friend. I love everything about you, and I would never change a
single thing.
I love the way you fight for others, when you feel they have
no voice, you are their voice. While I don’t always agree with your methods, I
love that you feel compelled to fight and defend. You express your mind and you
can articulate it in a clear and concise manner. You’re responsible. You’re a
leader. You’re a world changer. You’re called and designed for a purpose that
only you can fulfill.
You are the head and not the tail.
You are loved unconditionally.
You are free.
You are lovely.
You are more than a conqueror.
You are able to do anything and everything through Christ,
who is your beloved.
You are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
You are a joint heir to Christ.
You are holy unto God.
You are His treasure.
You are His dove.
You are strong.
You are courageous.
You are able.
You are a soldier. A fighter.
You are hands.
You are feet.
You are a mouthpiece.
You are a runner.

And you, my precious one—whose name means in charge and able—are
mine, too.
My heart is full. Because of you.
I am blessed to be called your mother. And your friend.

Happy 16th Birthday, daughter!

Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
 Well, we’re getting close to the end, aren’t we? Thank you
so much for sticking with the series. I could go on forever with this! But I
won’t.
 
If you want to catch up, you can do it:
 
 
Is This a Kissing Book?
Never a Need to Doubt
The Fire Swamp
Never Go Against a Sicilian!
 
Now, let’s watch the clip first. DISCLAIMER:
There is a unsavory word involved here. 
 

A little back story, Inigo Montoya lost his
father to the six-fingered man. Murdered. Brutally. The rest of his life he’s
sworn revenge on this man who he believes destroyed his life. He’s a master fencer. And of course, because
he wants revenge, Vizinni has promised him what he wants most…IF he’ll do something
for him: help kidnap and kill the princess.
 
Things don’t go as planned, though. That’s life,
huh? And after Vizinni dies, Inigo is found at “the beginning” sitting in front
of his house, drunk, and carrying on because things just haven’t turned out his
way. The six-fingered man is lost to him. He has no reason to live.
 
But he remembers someone who was stronger, smarter, and more skilled than him. A man of honor. Westley. He knows he can’t go on without his help. Oh, sure, he thinks he’s going to help him with revenge. But Westley, who destroyed the man manipulating
Inigo, has something else in mind for him. He sees potential in Inigo.  (He’s going to make him ruler over a ship–okay it’s piracy but just go with the analogy here.)
 
Now, in this clip we see him getting his revenge
and he does indeed succeed (that rhymed, anybody wanna a peanut!) But it came
with a terrible fight. And he could have been killed, he was certainly injured.
 
“Do not
avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”  Romans 12:19 NET
 
I understand hurt. I understand pain. I
understand unfairness. I’m in no way saying those who have been victimized
shouldn’t feel angry or want justice. But I am saying that we have to give that
anger and that hope for justice in our case to God. Or we’ll grow bitter, like
Inigo.
 
Nothing escapes God’s eye. Even when it looks like
someone is going to get away with their crime on earth, they won’t get away
with it after this temporary life. That is guaranteed.
I’m saying that we waste our time on revenge.
Inigo had no wife, children or really many friends. The giant. And of course in
the end, Westley. But not Vizzini. He was using him for his own purposes.
 
The same way our enemy tries to use us. He takes
our pain and twists us into confusion, distracts us from truth, and fuels our
bitterness with his own false truth. LIES. He’s a liar.
But God sees in us something we may not. He sees
in us things others may not. We are not used up. We are not worthless. We
matter to God. We are valuable.
 
Oh we may be broken. But God is a FIXER. A
MENDER. And He wants to heal us. So we can become the person He already knows
us to be.
 
He is our Defender. Even when it feels like He’s
dropped the ball. He hasn’t. Westley himself says to Buttercup, “Life is pain,
Highness. Anyone who says differently, is selling something.”
 
Jesus said, “I have told you these things so
that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but
take courage—I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 NET
We have trouble. People have freewill and with
that comes their choices to hurt. To abuse. 
To murder. To steal.
 
But we also have the freedom to choose
differently. To choose hope. Life abundant. To get better. To be healed. To move
past the pain. To move into a purpose and destiny that will glorify God and
help others who may have been hurt in the same way.
 
 “There’s more to come: We
continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because
we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that
patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever
God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling
shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold
everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” Romans
5:3 MSG
 
Oh what we miss out on, when we focus on the
pain and revenge. When we carry grudges and unforgiveness.
 
I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best. I
don’t want to miss out on all the good. I already know there’s a lot of bad.

Join me next Monday for I Wonder If He is Using the Same Wind

What are you focusing on?

 

photocredit/wikipedia

***Have you signed up for the Patched In Newsletter? I’d love for you to, and to say thank you you’ll receive my FREE and exclusive Christmas novella, Hope Under Mistletoe! Just sign up at the top right corner of the site! And visit the Mistletoe Pinterest page to take a peek at the fictional world! CLICK HERE

*** You still have time to enter the giveaway for Sandra Orchard’s Identity Withheld, a Love Inspired Suspense! CLICK HERE to enter! 

Would You Rather w/ Sandra Orchard & the Cast of Identity Withheld!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 Today, Sandra Orchard is
in the house and playing a few fun rounds of WYR with her characters. And she’s
giving away a copy of her newest release, Identity
Withheld.
Would You Rather…
…feel pain or feel nothing at all?
Sandra: Are we talking emotionally or physically? Emotionally, I’d
say feel pain, because I wouldn’t want to miss out on feeling all the other
great emotions, too. Physically…not so sure.
Jake: I’m probably the opposite to Sandra. Losing my wife was the
worst pain I’ve ever known.
Kara: Neither!
…be the hero or the sidekick?
Sandra: Hero. It’s a great feeling to “save the day” … I imagine.
😉
Jake: Definitely the hero. My wife always told me I had a hero
complex. Probably a lot of firefighters do.
Kara: Sidekick. Playing the hero for that poor baby I saw sold
has landed me in a heap of trouble, not that I’d choose differently if I had to
do it again.
…be invisible or read minds?
Sandra: Be invisible. I think being able to read minds could be
harder on the emotions than reading 2 star book reviews! At least being
invisible, I can leave the room if I don’t like what someone’s saying about me,
or…I could spook him so badly that he’d think twice before he ever said a nasty
word about anyone ever again. 😀
Jake: Read minds. I know Kara is hiding something and if she
would trust me with her secrets, I’m sure I could help her.
Kara: Be invisible. With a crooked adoption ring, likely
connected to organized crime, out to silence me, being invisible would come in
very handy. Although…reading minds would help me know who I can trust and who I
can’t. Then again, neither would have helped me escape my house being torched.
Love these answers, ladies
and gentleman! Sandra, tell us what’s on the horizon for your books? What are
you working on? When can we expect your next book?
I have two books coming
out next year that I’m currently awaiting copy edits and line edits on,
respectively. Desperate Measures is the final book in my Port Aster Secrets
mystery series with Revell, releasing June 2015. Emergency Reunion is my next
Love Inspired Suspense. The heroine of that one, a paramedic, is the cousin of
the hero in my current release. The release date hasn’t been set yet.
In the meantime, I’m
writing the first novel in my next Revell series. The heroine is an FBI agent in
St. Louis. I had great fun last month touring her hometown and place of work. J
Sherri! Whoop! Can’t
wait to read your new stuff. Thanks so much for being here. Sandra is
graciously giving away a copy of Identity Withheld. Enter below!
Buy the Book! 
WITNESS IN HIDING 
After exposing an illegal adoption ring, newly named “Kara Grant” is promised safety in Witness Protection. But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele seems to think she’s guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she’s been through without bringing danger to the widowed single father’s door? Yet with the criminals quickly closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she’ll pay for her silence could be her life.

Now, you answer on or more the questions in the comments (it’s
an entry, too.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would You Rather with Patricia Bradley & the Cast of A Promise to Protect

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone! It’s always a privilege to have Patricia
Bradley on the blog. Today we’re celebrating her newest release, the 2nd
book in her Logan Point series, A Promise
to Protect. I loved this book! Let’s play a few rounds of Would You Rather?
with Pat and her characters.
Would You Rather…
…feel pain or feel nothing at all?
Pat: I can remember after my husband died that I was
absolutely numb for months. Couldn’t feel any type of emotion. So, I think even
feeling pain would be better than feeling nothing
Ben: Oh, no. 
Since Tommy Ray drowned, I’ve had enough pain to last me a lifetime.
Feeling nothing would be better than the panic attacks I have.
Leigh: I’m not going to let anyone close enough to
cause me pain…well, except for TJ. My friend Sarah told me once that when your babies
are little they step on your feet, but when they get older, they step on your
heartstrings.
…be the hero or the sidekick?
Pat: Everyone wants to be the hero. J
Ben: Definitely would like a second chance at being
the hero.
Leigh: Ben, you are a hero whether you believe it or
not. I’m content being the sidekick.
…eat the cream or cookie part of the oreo?
Pat: Cream…if I ate Oreo’s.
Ben: The whole thing.
Leigh: That figures. I like the cream.
Thanks for sharing you guys. Pat, tell us what’s on
the horizon for your books? What are you working on? When can we expect your
next book?
Pat: The next book in the Logan Point Series is Livy
Reynolds’ story. Readers will get to find out what happened to her cousin
Robyn.
Me: Well, woohoo! I’ve been wanting to know what
happens to me! (Just kidding. Pat had it in her head my name was Robyn and so I
answer to it. Ha!)
Pat: Right now, I’m working on a follow-up to the gun
running operation in A Promise to Protect.
It’s Danny Maxwell’s story—the son of the owner of Maxwell Industries. In A
Promise to Protect, his fiancé, Bailey Adams, broke their engagement and fled
to Mexico, and somehow he ends up south of the border (not telling why) where
he finds Bailey in a lot of trouble.
Ooooh! Readers, do you see this? This is why you need
to be reading Pat’s books! Thanks so much for hanging out today.
A peek at A
Promise to Protect: 

Buy the Book! 
Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn’t heard from Leigh
Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn’t mean he can get her–or their
whirlwind romance of ten years ago–out of his head. When she calls out of the
blue, it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. When Tony dies
just days later, Ben is charged with a different task–protecting Leigh and her
nine-year-old son, TJ, from the killers. But how can Ben keep an eye on Leigh
if she’s doing everything in her power to avoid him? And could the secret that
Leigh is keeping change Ben’s life forever?

Suspense, intrigue, and a touch of romance make A
Promise to Protect perfect for readers who like their stories with a
hearty dose of mystery.

Your turn: Answer one or more of the WYR questions in the
comments!

Never Go Against A Sicilian!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone, thanks for coming back for part 4 of The
Princess Bride series. If you’ve missed the first three, you can catch up:
Is This A Kissing Book?
Never Need to Doubt
Through the Fire Swamp
Let’s watch the clip first!

Quite an interesting scene here isn’t it? Vizzini is adamant
he’s not a fool. He prides himself on his brains, his wits.

“First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the
harder the fall.” Proverbs 16:18 MSG
I love Westley’s reaction, “Truly, you have a dizzying
intellect.” Sarcastic amusement. Vizzini goes on and on. Thinking about who he
believes Westley is. Deduction. Man’s logic, and in the end…trickery.
The battle of wits to decide who is right and who is dead.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all.” Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG
I think many times we can pull a Vizzini. We base our view
of who God is on our limited knowledge, human reasoning and deduction and not
on the actual Word of God, thereby failing miserably.

We try
to figure out tough situations out on our own.  We take matters into our hands, leaning on our
own understanding.
Vizzini was at a crossroads of sorts. He had to figure out a
tough decision. Now for the sake of this clip, we know he’s the villain. We
know that Westley is the hero and needs to take him out. I’m not comparing
Westley to God in the sense that God gives us no way out situations. He doesn’t.

But we
all have hard decisions to make. And going on our own understanding always
leads to dire consequences.
We may not understand everything about God. We don’t. We
never will. But we don’t have to understand Him to trust in His wisdom and His
goodness. To trust in His promises that 
He will never leave us, never forsake
us, that He’ll always guide us, give us wisdom and help us navigate through
tough times and even tougher choices.
Because God…yeah, He always surprises us! Vizzini NEVER
expected poison in both cups. WE never expected it! And God answers our prayers
and guides us in ways we’d never expect either.
By putting the poison in both cups, Westley removed
Buttercup’s immediate threat and freed her from an enemy.
You never know how He’s going to do what needs to be done
for you either. But the surprise is always worth it!
“With God are wisdom and
power; counsel and understanding are his.” Job 12:13 NET

Which
character from The Princess Bride can you relate to most? Why?

Do you
ever struggle with trusting God? How do you get through it?


Join me next Monday for Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya.

Through the FIRE Swamp!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone! We’re halfway through our Princess Bride series! I hope you’re enjoying yourself. If you
haven’t read the first two, you can catch them by clicking on the titles below:
Is This aKissing Book?
Never aNeed to Doubt
Now, we’re ready. Let’s watch the clip first! 

Ah the Fire Swamp! A frightening place to be, but a place
they must go through. Ever feel like you’ve been navigating through a Fire
Swamp? I know I have. One thing after another. Unexpected calamity. A huge
medical bill. A devastation in the family. You can insert your Fire Swamp Fears
______ here.
Buttercup feels overwhelmed. Things look dim. And then after
all that, she falls into lightning sand. Ever felt like you’re drowning in
quicksand?
Thankfully, we never have to drown. Like Buttercup, we have
a rescuer.
I love that old hymn, “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.”
Than what? Jesus’ blood and righteousness. When darkness
veils His lovely face, I rest in His unchanging grace…

On
Christ the solid rock I stand…all other ground is…
Sinking sand.
Just when she thought she was in sinking sand, she was
rescued. And just when she caught her breath, another kind of evil came at her.
R.O.U. S. Ever feel like you have unusual-sized problems?
Giants? Yeah. Me too. But Westley gives her hope and comfort.
Buttercup says, “We’ll never succeed. We may as well die
here.”  Ever felt like throwing in the
towel and giving up?
Don’t!

“So we
must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we
don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 HCSB
Westley comforts her and gives her some confidence to face
the next battle. “No. No. We have already succeeded…” They know what to look for. And he leads her on.

“No,
despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who
loved us.” Romans 8:37 NLT
Then he takes what the enemy meant for evil, the flame spurt
i.e. fiery darts, and uses it against him. He works everything out for good for
Buttercup.
And God will do the same for you!

“And we
know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love
God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT

If you
had to go up against one of the three, which would you choose and why? Flame
spurts, lightning sand, or R.O.U.S.? 


Next Monday, join me for Never Go Against a Sicilian. 

photocredit/wikipedia

20 Random Things

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

My  sweet, wonderful
friend Casey
Herringshaw tagged me in a 20 Random Questions post. So, here goes
everyone!

 
How tall are you? 5’0 even. Yep. I’m a shrub. Deal with it. I have to.


Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what is it?
It’s hidden. I don’t know. I’m well versed in quick-wit and sarcasm. That’s a talent, right?


3. What’s your biggest blog-related pet peeve?
I’m probably supposed to have one,
but I don’t. Oh wait, yes I do. It annoys me when I “friend” or “follow”
someone and they immediately ask me to read their blog. I don’t care much for
that.


4. What’s your biggest non blog-related pet
peeve?
I don’t like to be interrupted. It’s
true. When I’m in the middle of something and someone, anyone, starts talking to
me I cringe. And if they’re asking something of me, you can bank I’ll either say
no or I’ll make sure they know I’m not happy about it. I didn’t say it was
right. Is there a support group for this?


5. What’s your favorite song?
I love music. So I can’t really pick a favorite song. But I’ve
had David Archuleta’s “To Be With You” on repeat lately b/c it fits a story I’m
plotting. 

6. What’s your favorite Etsy shop that isn’t
yours?
What is Etsy?


7. What’s your favorite way to spend your free
time when you’re alone?
Reading of course. Catching up on
shows I’ve DVR’d. Writing.


8. What’s your favorite junk food?
There are other kinds of food?
Huh. I’m a fan of French fries. I could eat them every day. Especially from
Back Yard Burger. O. M.W.


9.  Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what
kind and what are their names?
This is not my favorite subject. I
so want to love animals but I can’t seem to make myself. But I do have a
Snorkie (part schnauzer/Yorkshire terrier) and her name is Sarah. That’s all I’m
saying about that. 
 
10.  What are your #1 favorite fiction and
nonfiction books?
I’m not sure I can give you a #1
fave in fiction, I love too many. As far as non-fiction, it really depends on
what I’m going through at the time and why I pick one up. Probably the Circle
Maker by Mark Batterson has really stuck with me and Beyond the Soiled Curtain
by David & Beth Grant. 

 
 



11.   What’s your favorite beauty
product?

I don’t really use beauty
products. My name is Jessica not Esther. But I like Vaseline’s Shea Butter
lotion and oil. 

 
 
12.   When were you last
embarrassed? What happened?
Honestly, I rarely get embarrassed.
I probably should. Is there a support group for that too? But once I remember
total embarrassment and that’s when I cheated on my husband in front of the entire
church. You read that right. I blogged about it HERE.


13. If you could drink one beverage (besides
water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I drink Perrier. It is water but
it’s mineral water so it doesn’t count as water. Right? I do love a diet Dr.
Pepper with a shot of cherry from Sonic. I also like their Ocean Water.

 

 



14.  What’s your favorite movie?
Ah! Toughie. The Princess Bride,
Clue, Jaws, I love all the Harry Potter movies. An Affair to Remember,
Philadelphia Story, It Happened One Night…I have way too many.


15.  What were you in high school: prom
queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?
I didn’t fit into any of those
categories. I was just me. Some people liked me. Some didn’t. I was in Journalism
and really liked that, but it didn’t define me. Wow, that’s tough.


16.  If you could live anywhere in the
world, where would you live?
 I’d like to live in Vermont in the fall. But not
winter. I’d like to live on a yacht and go wherever whenever. Yeah. That’s what
I’d like.  

photocredit: freedigitalphotos/EA


17.   PC or Mac?
PC because that’s what I have. I’m
scared of the Mac!


18.  Last romantic gesture from a crush,
date, boy/girlfriend, spouse?
My husband surprised me with tickets to see The Phantom of
the Opera for an early birthday present. It was quite the romantic evening!


19.  Favorite celebrity?
I don’t really have a favorite celebrity.
But I think Matthew McConaughay is a wonderful actor and I’ve seen almost
everything that he’s been in, minus Magic Mike and the True Detective show. 


20. What blogger do you secretly want to be best
friends with?
Hmmm…I can’t think of one. Not
one. Is that bad? Not that I don’t want to be friends but I am friends with all the blog authors I read from!

***The winner of Sarah Varland’s Tundra Threat is Sandra Orchard! 

***Have you signed up for the Patched In? Just jump up to the top right corner and subscribe! And to say thank you, you’ll receive an exclusive Christmas novella by yours truly! Hope Under Mistletoe!


 
Now, you tell me something about yourself!

 

selfphotocredit/freedigitalphotos/stuartmiles

Never a Need to Doubt!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome everyone to our second part in The Princess Bride
series. If you missed week 1, you can check it out HERE.


Here is the moment of truth. Buttercup has believed Westley
wasn’t who he said he was. But as he fell, she heard those familiar words
spoken to her.
As you wish…
And down the hill she follows her true love who she thought
was dead.
First off, let’s watch the clip! 

 I love this small clip of conversation. He’s alive and she
can do more than move! She can fly.

“He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote;
he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him!” Acts
17:28 MSG
Westley had been there the whole time rescuing Buttercup,
but she refused to see him. I bet if she’d really looked, she’d have recognized
his eyes. Now, I admit, Westley was playing a bit of hide and seek but all for
the purpose of testing his beloved. “Did you miss me? Did you think about me?
Have you fallen out of love with me?”
God often tests our hearts as well.

“the refining pot is for silver and the
furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.” Proverbs 17:3 NKJV
“I told you I would always come for you…Death cannot stop
true love, all it can do it is delay it awhile.”
Ever felt like God was far off? Uncaring? Unloving? You’ve
wondered where he’s gone? Especially when you’re living in the pits, with
heartache. Or in an out of control situation? Buttercup was grieved because she
thought her love had died. She was now being forced into a marriage and there
was no way out. Buttercup had lost all hope. In fact, she was contemplating
suicide and even attempted it (until once again Westley saved her)
He was there when she needed it. It was never too late.
Might have felt like it to her, but it wasn’t!
God has not abandoned you. He is not dead! He’s near.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8 NKJV
Buttercup realizes just how near and real Westley is, and
she says, “I will never doubt again.”
To which he responds, “There will never be a need.”
Friends, you have no need to doubt your First Love. He’s
mighty to save. Mighty to rescue. He’s close. So very close. Feel His presence,
His embrace to your heart.
And know. You need never doubt again.

***Have you entered to  win Sarah Varland’s newest novel, Tundra Threat? You still have time! The giveaway ends on Thursday, October 16th. CLICK HERE to enter! 

***Join me next Monday as we venture into the FIRE SWAMP!

***Have you signed up for the Patched In newsletter? I’d love for you to and to say thanks, if you do, you’ll receive an exclusive Christmas novella, Hope Under Mistletoe, by ME when your confirmation of subscription comes by email! 

Why do you think it’s so easy to doubt? 

photocredit:Wikipedia

Sarah Varland and the Cast of Tundra Threat

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone! Welcome author Sarah Varland to the blog today. Sarah’s newest book, Tundra Threat has just released and we’re going to play a few rounds of WYR with her and the cast as well as discover what inspired the book, and as an extra bonus Sarah is giving away one copy! 
Let’s get started.

Would You Rather…
…do the laundry or do the dishes?
Sarah: Laundry. It’s pretty
much my favorite chore ever. If you’re washing/drying clothes you can listen to
the machines working while you read, which is awesome. And if you’re folding
clothes, you can watch your favorite TV show (mine happens to be Gilmore Girls)
and still be productive and not feel guilty!
Will: Washing and drying
clothes is easy. And I have no problem pulling clean clothes straight out of
the laundry basket to wear, so that’s no problem.
McKenna: Dishes. If I have to
pick. Housework in general isn’t my thing.
…change something about your past or see what your future
holds?
Sarah: I’m with McKenna on
this one. It’d be nice to see the future, unless I didn’t like parts of it and
then I think that would be hard. But I don’t have much about my past I’d care
to change.
Will: There are things I wish
I could go back and change. Things I wish I had said and done differently. But
I’m learning that God really is in control and the past isn’t worth changing—He
still works out our future.
McKenna: I’d love seeing the
future. Although that’s because I like to try to prepare for things and control
things, which you can’t always do…but I’m happy with my past for the most part,
so I’m going with see the future.
…fly or read minds?
Sarah: I’m not really big into
heights, so probably read minds. But I’d want it to be selective, since
sometimes you really don’t want to
know what other people are thinking. If there was an option to be able to swim
and breathe underwater without any kind of scuba equipment, I’d take that one
for sure. Swimming is a lot like flying…right?
Will: Since I’m a pilot, I’m
guessing my answer is obvious here. I’ve wanted to fly as long as I can
remember.
McKenna: Read minds! Imagine how
much easier all of life would be if we could do this. And my job? It would save
me so much time questioning suspects…
…feel emotional pain or nothing at all?
Sarah: Wow, this is a hard
one! I think emotional pain. I think sometimes I pretend like I’d rather pick
the other answer, but God made us people with passionate emotions and I think
I’d rather feel something than
nothing. That’s living, right?
Will: I’ve been through times
where I felt intense sadness and times when I couldn’t feel anything even
though I felt like I should. Pain if I had to pick, but if I get a vote here,
I’d really like a few years of happiness.
McKenna: I have to be feeling something. I can’t even imagine feeling
nothing at all. (I can just hear Will
laughing in the background now. He knows how well I demonstrate my emotions.
Poor man.)
Sarah, Will, McKenna,
I love your answers. And I think you’re right, Sarah. Pain is a part of living
for sure. Now, tell us what inspired this incredible story!
What inspired this story:
It’s funny because all
of my stories seem to start differently. For Tundra Threat, I wanted to write about an Alaska Wildlife Trooper
and I could just picture the character who would become McKenna, doing her job
and kicking at the snow when she got upset (she’s always had a temper!). The
scene I originally “saw” her in got deleted, but that’s where her character
started. From there I wanted to find someone it didn’t seem logical for her to
fall in love with, so I called my dad and he said “how about a hunting guide?”
and it was the perfect (well, imperfect) match. From there everything else
developed out of the characters.
Wow! My stories usually
start with a scene too and it’s never an opening one. Ha! Thanks so much for
being here, Sarah! It’s been the coolest. And because YOU guys have stopped by,
you have the chance to enter below and receive Sarah’s book! There are all
sorts of ways to win.
Here’s a peek at Sarah’s
book: 

Buy the book! 

DEADLY TERRAIN 
Two murdered men are the
last thing wildlife trooper McKenna Clark expected to find in the stark Alaskan
wilderness. As the only law enforcement in the area, the responsibility for the
case rests on her shoulders—along with the danger. Hunting guide and pilot Will
Harrison wants to ease the load, but McKenna balks at the thought of letting
him close enough to break her heart again. When McKenna’s investigations put
her in harm’s way, Will must race against the clock to save his second chance
at love from becoming the killer’s final victim.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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