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Why Your Dream Hasn’t Come True…Yet

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 

Joseph. One of my
favorite people in the Bible. I taught on him last week in class. I can never
make it through without crying.

 
God gave Joseph a
dream. A big dream. Most times, when God gives us a dream it’ll be bigger than
us so we don’t get the glory.
 
But Joseph was only
17. He was immature, bratty, spoiled, and a tattle tale. He wasn’t ready for his
dream.
 
And that’s why God
allowed tough circumstances to enter his life. He was sold by his brothers and
taken to Egypt as a slave. He was purchased by the captain of the guard. Yet,
Joseph was successful in everything because the Lord was with him. Even in tough
times, Joseph clung to his faith. He abided in God. When the master’s wife came
at him day after day, he refused until he had to literally run lest he sinned against God.
 
Doing the right thing landed him
in prison.
 
Joseph let himself get comfortable. Hey, the Captain’s house wasn’t home, but it wasn’t the pit his
brothers had tossed him in and it could be worse. He had freedom to come and go.
He had his master’s household under his authority. No more iron neck collars or
fetters.
 
But God didn’t allow
him to go into captivity to be comfortable as a slave. He still had a dream to
fulfill. So He took him out of his comfort zone and placed Joseph in another
set of grim circumstances.
 
In prison, Joseph
was a success. God was with him. And he was given all authority over everyone
there. He’d been faithful with little. Now, he was faithful over a little more.
 
He matured. Life
wasn’t about him alone anymore. He’d taken an interest in others. That’s how he
could tell something was wrong with the baker and the butler. He was becoming
more of the man God knew he was to be. He was getting closer to his dream.
 
And then the Pharaoh
had a dream. Joseph interpreted it. And he became ruler over much. Over the
nation of Egypt in fact. He was 30.
 
When his brothers
came and bowed down to him, fulfilling the dream he had. He was at least 37.
 
Dreams take time. Your dreams aren’t even all about you. God was working behind the scenes, not only for Joseph–to bless him, but for His people He’d made covenant with. A famine was coming and God was making plans to take care of them. He was working on uniting a dysfunctional family. His brothers hated him. His father favored him over the rest. And He was working on showing a nation, who considered Pharaoh a god amongst the other 1000 gods they worship, His glory. Giving them a chance to see a true living God. 

Yes, dreams take time.

 
 God needs time to mold us into what we need to be in
order to handle them when they come true.
 
 Joseph understood this when he said, “For
God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis
41:52
 
It’s in the
disastrous times, tough times, frightening times, uncertain times, painful
times, lonely times that God can cut off the things in our lives that don’t
belong and produce a fruit (a beneficial, wonderful product) that will last.
It’s in those times if we abide in Christ, we will become more Christ-like.
 
I’m sure Joseph
questioned his circumstances. But at the end of the day, I think he may have
said exactly what this song says he did. I love this video clip from Joseph,
King of Dreams. It’s a favorite movie of mine. Take a minute and let the words
seep into your heart.
 
And remember when you wonder and ask, “Why?”
 
You God, know better
than I. 


Have you found that God is near in the tough times?  Why or why not?

 
*The Name that Sailboat contest is still going on! Enter for a chance to win a $10 Starbucks or Amazon card (winner choice). Just head over to my facebook page! 

Come by our facebook page
and chat about abiding in
the tough times!

 

Name that Boat!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Last Tuesday, I opened up another contest on my Facebook page! Name That Boat!

I’m working on a new story and my hero, who lives in Tampa, loves to sail. And he loves his sail boat. 

So I’m asking for some help in naming that boat! You don’t have to know anything about the character, that’s what makes it even more fun reading the answers and choosing. 

But I will say…he’s a funny guy and he uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism. But generally, it’s good humored. Generally. So that’s all I’m saying.

Now, here’s how to enter: 

  • You can comment as many names as you like on MY FACEBOOK PAGE! after you “LIKE” my facebook page! 😉 Hey, thanks for liking me! I like you too!

  • If I choose a name that’s been entered multiple times, I’m awarding the prize to the person who entered it first.

  • Your name gets a second entry if you share this contest on your facebook page and another entry if you tweet about it!
  • Contest ends: Friday, October 19th. I’ll announce the winner on my blog, Monday, October 21st! *only  in US/Canada
The winner receives a $10 Starbucks 
or Amazon Card (winner’s choice)! 

 Have you ever been sailing? Do you love it? 
Hate it? Get sea legs? 


**photocredit: freedigitalphotos

It’s True, I Broke Into a House

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Me and Lindsay at the ACFW.
Pretty much all our photos look like this.

Today, I’m over at the wildly fun Lindsay Harrel’s blog. Have you seen her upgraded site? It’s awesome. And since it’s October, I’m sharing a ghoulish story that is all true about something I did as a child. 

Tomorrow, I’m going out to dinner for my birthday with my husband, and he keeps me out of trouble, so it’ll be a relaxed evening with lots of laughs…and gifts, and maybe a movie. Guess I should see what’s on.

Okay, enough gabbing! Head over to Lindsay’s blog and get a good laugh on me. CLICK HERE.

#1 Key to Succeeding at Great Things

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 

 

Everyone wants to
succeed and do great things. We’re wired to for it. Remember those commercials
about drugs. “No one said they wanted to grow up to be a junkie.” I
would agree with that.

 
Last week, I taught
on Daniel. A wonderful model for us to live lives of worship, praise, and
prayer. A boy taken captive from his homeland. Full of uncertainty. Possible
doubt about where God was in the circumstances that he found himself in, and
surely some fear and anxiety. That’s a lot of miles to walk to Babylon with
nothing but your mind to keep you company. I know what my mind does when I’m in
uncertain times or feel imprisoned.
 
But Daniel held fast
to his faith, even when others directly targeted it. He didn’t compromise, not
when offered the king’s food that was offered to false gods and not when an
unchangeable decree went out that he couldn’t pray or petition any god or man,
but the king, for thirty days. That’s what sealed him in the lion’s den.
 
Instead he prayed.
He lived a lifestyle of worship. Everything he did was offered to God. And when
we live of worship, we’ll excel. But even that’s not the #1 thing you need to
know.
 
Daniel was faithful
with little things. He was made ruler over much. (Matthew 25:21) God gave him
abilities and gifts, and he used them for God’s glory. But even that isn’t the
#1 thing you need to know. And don’t think Daniel was perfect.
 
Daniel wasn’t a
perfect man. “While I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sins…” Daniel 9:20 But he honored God with
whatever was put before him. His job. His responsibilities. Even his friends
and his people. “…confessing my sins and the sins of my people, and
presenting my supplications before the LORD my God…”
 
So what is the #1
thing we need to know to be successful and to actually accomplish all of those
wildly big dreams God plants in our heart?
 
How did Daniel start
out? A scholar? Rich beyond our imagination? Was he famous with a huge
platform, an outstanding twitter tribe, and facebook following? Did he have a
few books under his belt that he self-published first? Did he put an amazing
YouTube out that went viral?
 
He started out in
captivity. He started out far away from what he’d ever known. He started out
half-naked (vulnerable). He started out walking…one step after another…in the
heat.
 
Daniel worshipped,
praised God (even in the uncertain times when he could have grown bitter and
cold), he prayed every day–3 times a day looking out toward home,  with the window open, he studied the word (in
scroll form but had he not, he wouldn’t have realized a prophecy was about to
be fulfilled), he interceded for others, he asked God for some things (probably
to get them out of captivity). And he never took for granted the favor God gave
him with those who could have made life difficult–the gatekeepers, if you
will, to his life or death.
 
Daniel, over the
course of his years, learned something that we all need to learn. When the
enemy lies to us, plants seeds of doubt in our mind, taunts us with roars of
fear, brings us face to face with uncertainty, tries to cut our knees out from
under us…all things he did to Daniel…he discovered this:
 
“The
people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
Daniel 11:32
 
That’s it. That’s
all.
 
Should we study and
learn? Should we be knowledgeable about the things we want to accomplish? Yes.
Am I telling you not to go to college or get your Master’s Degree, or read
craft books, or to practice at what it is you want to do? No.
 
“Study and be
eager…correctly analyzing and accurately dividing rightly  handling and skillfully teaching) the Word of
Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 God expects us to learn, grow, mature and be
knowledgeable about many things. We have a partnership. “Carry out”
that lets us know, He’s not going to do it all. “know their God” that
takes effort. We have to actually spend time with Him to know Him!
 
What I am saying is it really is about Who you know. The #1 thing you need to know is Daniel 11:32.
 
How does this verse change 
the way you may feel about
success and doing great things?

How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte (and not feel guilty over calories)

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Well, it’s that time of year when I clean out my fridge to make room for…flavored coffee creamers–holiday style. I read on a website about a sugar free pumpkin latte creamer that was out. So I threw on my raincoat and rain boots, since it was raining buckets that day. I trudged into the store only to be disappointed. 

NADA. 

How dare someone set me up like that? 

So I decided over the weekend to see if I could make my own. Without all the calories, and maybe without all the flavor. 

Well I did it. It was delish!

And hey, if you’ve already figured this trick out, keep your comments to yourself as I’m feeling very Betty Crockerish at the moment and I don’t need any funsuckers taking it away.

1 cup of coffee (at a time)
A splash or two of heavy whipping cream (I realize this is probably a little heavier on calories than non-fat milk, but you’re bypassing tons of whip cream so it won’t kill you.)
Splenda to taste (I like it sweet)
A dash or 2 of pumpkin pie spice

If you’re feeling good about your eating habits and calories, you could squirt some canned whip cream on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

So there  yah have it folks. DIY! 

*photo credit: Tina Phillips/freedigitalphotos

What’s your favorite holiday-ish drink? Have you ever created a drink? Care to share it (if it didn’t suck)?

Crud My Kid Says

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I thought for Friday fun, I’d post some of my favorite conversations with Myles over the week.

Usually they occur on the way to or home from school.

“Mom, XXX called me a nerd today.” 
I always fear my kids’ having their feelings hurt. “Why did he call you that?”
Myles shrugged his shoulders. “I guess because I’m smart. As if I can help that.”
I giggled. “No, I guess you can’t. Did it hurt your feelings?”
“Nah. Not really.”
“You know next time he says it, just tell him it’s okay, but when he’s working for you some day, you might not appreciate it.”
“Serious?”
Yes. “No. Don’t say that.” 

On the way to school my daughter said, “I need a tissue my nose is running.”
Myles’ tone suggested come-back talk. “Yeah, your face needs a tissue.”
Bailey turned her nose up. “Yeah…that’s why I said I need one. My nose is on my face…stupid.”
“Whatever, Bailey. Why don’t you pretend there’s a fire and stop, drop, and roll out of this van.” (It was moving at 30 miles an hour)
Did I intervene? No. No I did not. Why? Because I’ve always said, “Use your words.” I did not specify how. 

And my favorite:

On the way to school Myles said, “Hey Bailey, not that I’m going–Mom said I didn’t have to–but if we go to college, do we drive ourselves or will Mom take us?” 

He really will get called a nerd then. 

Happy Friday! 

What are some fun things your kids say or that you’ve heard kids say?

Glory Due Your Name

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Glorious God, you
are holy, mighty, beautiful. There is no name besides Yours that can save us.
You do wonderful works, so many we cannot count them; we do not even know them
all.

We sing praises to
your name. We lift your name up and stand in awe of who You are. You, our rock,
shelter, strong tower. Our safe place–under the shadow of Your Wings we find
rest. In Your presence, we become changed.
The thoughts you
think about us are so many they can’t be numbered and all are good. There is
not one that is less than stellar. It’s beyond our imagination but we humbly
accept Your gifts of grace and mercy.
When we are
unfaithful, Lord, You are still faithful. Your call is irrevocable. Your
covenant everlasting. Our hope–secured.
“Give unto the
LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
Psalm 29:2
What
is one thing you can give God glory for today? 

Come by our facebook
community and chat
about giving God glory!

The Rhythm Really Will Get Yah

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

You all know I’m twenty kinds of crazy over my great niece, Crimson! I don’t see her enough sniff sniff, but wish I did. My niece constantly sends me little photos or videos over text. 

This one came late Friday night, I believe. I laughed until I cried. It’s less than 20 seconds. 

I caption it: She’s so tired, but she. just. can’t. help. herself. 

So yes, the song lyrics are true: The rhythm really will get you. 

 What songs do you just 
HAVE to dance to?

I Can’t Get Enough Big Daddy!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Big Daddy Weave is one of my favorite bands. Besides the fact his voice is beautiful, their message through song is powerful and moving. I love feel good tunes for sure and some ballads move me. But Big Daddy always raises chill bumps on my skin. I feel their faith through the music and the lyrics. 

Seems I always find one or two songs in every manuscript I write that Big Daddy helps me bring to life. One day, I shall put them in the acknowledgment section of a novel, or all. ha!

I shared their song Redeemed on July 4th but I’ve been listening to this song on repeat for a while. I love the message even if it’s one of their older songs. Their new album is amazing! Check it out on Spotify and iTunes!


What have you been listening to? 

The Best Writing Comes from a Prison Cell

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

It’s a quiet
morning, I’m sipping my coffee from the mug given to me by my friend, DonnaPyle. And while I’m having my morning brew, I’m working through her  newest study,
The God of All Comfort.

This day’s lesson
was about how losers are better givers.
It’s such a great study as it uses real life stories from various people Donna
interviewed for each section of study.
This verse jumped
out to me: 
“Those things were important to me, but now I
think they are worth nothing because of Christ. Not only those things, but
I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and
now I know they are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ and to
belong to him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but
because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with
him.” Philippians 3:7-9 (NCV)
Now, I’ve read it
before. But this morning it stopped me in my tracks.
I’m not what you would consider a materialistic
person. I’m not a fan of shopping. I don’t care if I have designer
clothes. I only know some of the names because characters in my manuscripts
wear them. I don’t try to keep up with Jones’. I laugh behind the backs of
those who do. (That’ s probably wrong.)
I do like nice
things. I like my house to feel warm and inviting. But what I do whine about
most, is writing space. “Lord, I can’t wait for us to move because I know
you’ll provide me with a room of my own. A place where I can study, pray, and
write without interruptions from people or the TV.”
Right now, I have a
nice desk and sweet office chair in the corner of my bedroom. I have my dry
erase board and bulletin board tacked up. But I share my bedroom with my
husband and that’s where he likes to watch TV. It’s where he gets ready for
work. I’ve become accustomed to ear buds, but sometimes, it irritates me that
he’s there. Isn’t that selfish? It is. You can agree.
As I read this verse
this morning, it struck me that Paul penned his
best work and spent some of his most intimate time with the Lord in shared
prison cells with little to no lighting. And it’s possible he had crummy
eye sight. He wrote in chains. Seated on hard, cold, rock. No cushiony chair.
No heating pad for a bad back–and most of the time he was bruised, beaten and
bloody. Always interrupted by other prisoners and guards. Nothing to tune them
out. And he wouldn’t have wanted to, as it would have been a missed opportunity
to share Christ Jesus with them.
No
physical comfort.
But he was content. He was doing what he loved. And it didn’t
matter where he did it. As long as he had two hands and something to write with
and on, he had peace.
Paul didn’t have a
laptop, iPad, or iPhone that helped him with his social media efforts. He
didn’t have scrolls at his finger tips to reference what he was talking about.
He knew it from memory.
Having those things
are a blessing. Blessings that should humble our
hearts and be used to glorify Him. Blessings that can go at any minute
through theft, fire, or small children with wandering hands. Or adults with
butter fingers (not the candy).
Jesus stays. He
can’t be stolen away, burned off, cracked, broken, or lost. And truly, He’s the
greatest reward. He offers gifts that last.
I had a wonderful
wake-up call this morning. A refocus. And if God decides to bless me with a
home office all to myself, I won’t say no. But I’ll see it for what it is. A
blessing. Not a necessity.
Come by our women’s
facebook community and chat!
I’m hosting!

What about you? Do you need a nudge every once in
awhile to bring you back into focus on what is a need and what is an added
blessing?

Donna Pyle’s
newest study

**photo credit freedigitalphotos