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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?

Christmas Classics

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Oh yeah, I’m all about watching Christmas movies all month long. Not the Hallmark or Lifetime movies, although that one with Steve Guttenberg is really good. He’s Santa and needs a wife. I just like Steve Guttenberg. Ever since Three Men and a Baby days. 

Here’s my list of top five Christmas comedies that I must watch at some point and here they are starting with 5 and working to number 1:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And my #1….
 
 
Share your top 5 favorite Christmas comedies in the comments!
 
*photo credit: digitalartatfreedigitalphotos
 

Casey Herringshaw: Are You Willing to Wait?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

If ever there was a young woman who inspires me, who I would model my daughter to grow up like, it would be the sweetest-ever, Casey Herringshaw. I’m honored to have her here today sharing about being a single woman in today’s life and living for God–which shines boldly and beautifully through her life. Casey, you amaze me.
Everyone, welcome Casey!
It ain’t easy being me.
(and no, not
because I’m simply gor-geous
*snicker*)
Twenty-one. Single. Not dating. Yeah.
It seems when you hit a certain age it’s expected that
you’ll date. Or at least by the time you’ve hit your twenties, you’ve had at
least one boyfriend.  The boyfriend world
has never been for me and I’ve never been on a date and really put myself “out
there” as available. It can prompt some interesting conversations from those
who are curious about why I’m still unattached.
I won’t sit and pretend it’s been an easy road to stumble
down. Stumble being the operative
word. I’m certainly not at a hopeless age for never marrying, it can seem like
my fusses are nothing but a futile compliant tossed to the winds. But sometimes
nothing is harder than to see those who have surrounded you during your growing
up years, your classmates and friends, all tying the knot.
Since I hit my twenties I have probably seen half the young
women I grew up with get married and start the next chapter of their lives. And
every time I see the announcements on Facebook or hear about it from a friend,
the tiny part of my heart that longs to fall in love hitches. It’s not to say
I’m not thrilled for them. But it often doesn’t make it any easier to realize
they are leaving me behind.
It’s in these moments, I have to acknowledge the state of my
heart. I have to admit that I’m struggling. But then I have to admit it’s time
to move on. The only thing that comes of being obsessive or impatient is
heartache.
I have to be honest with myself in these cases and have a
sit-down with God. I can’t see my future. I don’t know where He’s taking me. I
don’t know what He still wants to teach me. All I do know, is He’s saying no right now. He’s asking me to walk by faith
and in trust. I don’t want the one thing I’d love more than anything to be the
one thing that shouldn’t happen right now because I’m not ready.
Satan uses everything around us against us if we grant him permission. Oftentimes,
it’s my siblings ragging me about “finding a man” or the pictures of those from
my graduating class in their wedding finery. The downer “it will never happen
to me” that defeats my solidarity of where God has me. In those moments, Satan
has won the hand and I’m questioning God’s sovereignty, exactly the power he wants.
It’s not always easy to be single. Especially when it feels
as though there is no light at the end of the hopeless tunnel.
But I’d rather be single, growing and loving in Christ, then
married to the man He doesn’t want for me. It can seem easy to settle when
we’re hopeless in our present. But the present doesn’t last. Our future does.
And what we do in our present affects everything about our future. It’s praying
for wisdom. Smiling at the people that are always asking about your “love life”
and telling them: God’s got this.


Casey
Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school.
She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more populated with cows than
people. Taking the words and stories God has placed on her heart and
putting them on paper is one of her highest passions in life. Casey is a member
of ACFW and an assistant to the
ACFW Carol Awards. You can connect with her through her personal
blog, Writing
for Christ and her writing related group blog, The Writer’s Alley

*photocredit: freedigitalphotos

Happy Thanksgiving and a Blog Break!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Thursday is Thanksgiving!  

 

 

 I’m excited and I’m looking forward to, you know, amazing people with my super culinary skills. Okay, not true, but I am excited to eat. That is true. 

I love turkey smothered in mashed potatoes and savory gravy. I love yeast rolls and cornbread dressing. I love pumpkin pie! 

But that’s not what Thanksgiving is all about. I mean I guess it kinda is since they did have a big feast. 

 

So here’s my top 5 things I’m thankful for at Thanksgiving.
 

5. I’m thankful I didn’t have to grow corn or kill my own turkey or wear white paper or feather hats. Because with feather hats comes war paint and I’m out this year. And with the white hats come no make-up and um…well that ain’t  happenin! (make-up and war paint are totally different)

4. I’m thankful the dude at Kroger’s let me know if I didn’t have a Kroger card my turkey would have been $30 bucks, so I saved over $12 since he saved me. So I’m totally thankful for young punks who yawn at 7:30 in the morning but are on top of saving money for old broads like me.

3.I’m thankful I got to brag about my savings to my husband as most times, I’m trying to talk him into believing all the money I spend is for good reasons…you know like pretty stuff for my house or books. Or 10 assorted creamers and yes, I will drink all of them. Yes, I do need them all. I like making choices–or at least having choices, I don’t necessarily like making them.

 

 

2. I’m thankful no one expects me to dress up on Thanksgiving and I can wear my “eating” pants and no shoes.

And the #1 thing I’m thankful for on Thanksgiving is….

 

 

Naps! Because 1, I love naps especially on Turkey day and everyone knows it’s inevitable because of Tryptophan and 2,  it gets me out of conversations I care nothing about. Like who’s scoring a touchdown or who’s not backing the line…thus line backers, right? Right?

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Gobble Gobble! 

 
I’ll be taking a blogging break  until next Wednesday.  I know that’s a long time to do without me, but I’ll still be all over facebook and twitter, so don’t lose touch with me. Seriously, don’t. 🙂 
*photocredit: freedititalphotos
*this is revised version of last year’s Thanksgiving post

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? And if it’s really yummy and you have a minute, share the recipe!