Tag: #devotions

The Sweetest Downfall

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Who knows this song? “You are my sweetest downfall…I loved you first, I loved you first…and the history books forgot about us and the Bible didn’t even mention us… not even once…”


Any takers? It’s a song called Samson by Regina Spektor. I hear it all the time on my pandora station. It’s probably the corniest song about Samson and Delilah I’ve ever listened to. They didn’t even make wonder bread back then and the Bible does mention them. I don’t get it. Whatever. I still hum along to it. I know, right?
There are lots of songs about Delilah, yet she’s known for one thing. Betrayal. And really, can you trust a hooker from the Valley? Okay, maybe she wasn’t a hooker and the Valley was in Sorek (Phillistine land) but still. Which makes me think, “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” But that’s  The Princess Bride, and I digress.
Who I want to talk about is Samson. There’s so much to learn from that man. Mostly, what not to do. So let’s do a information dump real quick.
Samson was to be a Nazarite.  Judges 13:5 A Nazarite vow was special and set someone apart specifically for the Lord. (Numbers 6) 
Here’s the rules:
1. He shall abstain from all wine and similar drink; nothing can be drunk or eaten that is produced from the grape vine
2. No razor can touch his head. ie..no hair cuts. Period. (Until his time of vow is up)
3. He can NOT go near a dead body; he can’t be unclean even for his father and mother or brother and sister when they die (so hopefully neither of them would die b/c touching them or going near them would be a no no) 

Now that we know the rules, let’s skip back to Judges. 

The Angel of the Lord (Pre-Incarnate Jesus) comes to Samson’s mother and tells her she’s about to conceive and that the baby is to be a Nazarite for his entire life. (It’s hard for me to picture Samson with Crystal Gayle hair, so I won’t.)
Samson grows up. He’s arrogant, a prankster–he was the original riddler, yah know. (Judges 14:13) and he has a hankerin for women. In the early nineties, we would have called Samson a “mac daddy” or a “playa”

God used Samson in spite of himself. He chose him!

Sometimes, God uses me in spite of myself and I’m thankful for His grace. Now let’s get to the roar in our story, pardon the pun. You’ll get it later.

Judges 14. Samson took a trip to Timnah and sure enough he spotted a sweet little thing and decided he wanted to marry her. So he goes home and says , “I have seen a woman in Timnah, of the Phillistines, now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” First of all, the Israelites weren’t supposed to be hookin up with anyone who wasn’t an Israelite. Sheesh! Second of all, who says, “therefore, go get her” ? 

They question him and he says, basically, “I don’t care. She’s right in my eyes. I’m marrying her.” Which is the whole theme of Judges, everyone doing whatever they think is right in their eyes. And pretty much nothing was.

Now here’s an interesting verse. “But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD–that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.”

That’s right. The Philistines were always enemies of the Israelites and on occasion God would use them to teach His people a lesson in humility. Now it was time to turn it around. 

Let me make a note here about this verse. You might be thinking, “If God said don’t marry anyone other than an Israelite, then how can marrying a Philistine girl be okay with Him? Isn’t that contradicting?”

Yes, yes it is. Except that’s not what that verse means in context. God knew Samson was stubborn. He was having this girl no matter what. You can hear it in Samson’s words in the above verses, so God uses Samson in spite of himself. 

God works good out of everything. He accomplishes His purposes through other’s mistakes all the time. In spite of us.

On with the story. Samson heads down to Timnah and along the way, a lion jumps out at him and Samson tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Yes, Samson, you’re strong. Actually, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and gave him the strength to defeat the lion. He went on about his business, stayed a few days with the Timnah wife-to-be and on his way back…

“He turned aside to see the carcass of the lion.”

“And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.”

First, let’s just all say it together: “Eeew.” 

Secondly, let’s remember Samson wasn’t to go near a dead body, even a lion’s. He not only made himself unclean, but by deceiving his parents, he made them unclean too.

Number one lesson learned: 

Sometimes in our life, we slay an enemy; we leave it dead on the road, but we come back to it. We can’t seem to help ourselves. 


“But you belong to God, my dear children…the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4 NLT
(the same Spirit who gave you the strength to defeat the “lion” in the first place)

It appears as sweet as honey. We can’t see the rotting corpse of that sin; we only want a taste. 


“Your promises are sweet to me, sweeter than honey in my mouth.” Psalm 119:103 NCV

Sometimes, we drag others into that sin.


“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.” Mark 9:42 NLT

You cannot “turn aside to look.” Don’t veer off the path. Keep walking. Leave the lion on the side of the road. 


“Therefore, you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left.” Deuteronomy 5:32 NKJV

It’s a honey-trap and as you’ll see, it won’t take long before Samson finds himself in a new kind of honey-trap…with Delilah.

Have you ever found yourself going back to something you defeated earlier? 

7 Steps to Fulfill Your Dream

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Proverbs 18:16 “A man’s gifts makes room for him, And brings him before great men.”
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Especially for us writers. It’s our prayer that our gifts be used for something great, that the publishing industry will make room for us, bring us to awesome things and there is nothing wrong with those dreams.
The Bible is telling us that it can happen and that it’s okay to dream, to want amazing things. Joseph had a great dream, a God-given dream; it included being powerful, and his brothers bowing at his feet. His gifts made room for him and brought him before great men.
BUT the key to verse 16 lies in the verses before it. It isn’t placed randomly, although sometimes it feels like a chapter in Proverbs is just a string of random sayings tossed together to make it up, but it’s not. Every word, every sentence is strategically placed.
So let’s look at some of verses before it. I want to hit on 7 things.
There are 7 things that we have to be molded into, before we hit verse 16. 
Remember, we’re talking about righteous people, not Hollywood! We want peace when we make it to the place Joseph made it to. And we’re not talking perfection, we’re talking about consistent living. Chances are, we’re gonna slip up from time to time. We are but dust.
The Lord is all about preparing His people to house His fame.

Verse 8: “The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.”
The KJV says, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” The Hebrew word for “wounds” isn’t hurt. I thought it would be because we all know gossip hurts, but it isn’t. 
The word is “laham” and it means “to gulp, swallow greedily” Oh my!
We gulp gossip down, swallow it greedily, and yet the word is wounds. Ironic, who would ever want to gulp down pain? Yet we do.

1. We cannot be talebearers, and we cannot gulp it down when gossip is presented on shiny plates and served fresh.
Some people have no problems with gossiping or shutting it down, but for others, it’s tough. I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been on both ends at one time or another in our adult life.

Verse 9. “He who is slothful in his work, is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.”

The word in Hebrew for “slothful” “raphah” and it means “to relax, be disheartened, let drop, withdraw, abandon, forsake.”
The KJV says, “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
The word for “great” is noun of relationship used to characterize “master of dreams”

2.You cannot let your dreams and your work decay.  Don’t be disheartened or withdraw. Write, write, work! Don’t stop. Don’t give it up, don’t abandon it!

Verse 10-11: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own esteem.

You must know where your safety lies. 
You cannot run to wealth or any high wall you build as a show-piece, even if it’s just your built up imagination that you can handle things on your own. 

3.When it’s time to run, know Who you are running to.


Verse: 12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.
It’s easy to slip into a prideful state. Sometimes, we’re unaware. It takes constant prayer and allowing God to search your heart daily to walk with humility, and expect obstacles to come that will knock you down a peg or two.
Even Paul had a thorn in his side he wished removed, but it kept him humble. Some people are sick with talent. Some of them are prideful and generally fall miserably. A tragedy. And some remember to have their hearts searched!

4. Walk in humility, pride will get you nowhere fast.

Verse: 13: “He who answers a matter before he hears it; It is folly and shame to him.”
The Hebrew word for “hears” is “shama” and it means, “to listen, to obey, to perceive, to understand”

The word “matter” is “dabar” in Hebrew and it does mean, “speech, word, speaking” but it also can mean, “business or occupation”

5.Listen and obey God before jumping in with an answer concerning your words, answers, and business affairs.

God gives you the words to say and they may not always be “yes” even if it sounds good. This can also save you time and energy on some unnecessary steps, had you took time to really understand and then obey.


Verse 14: “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit”
Even today, doctors who claim no faith, believe that a positive attitude can go a long way with sick patients, but those who give up, generally die sooner. But I don’t want to talk about physical sickness.
I want to talk about this verse: “Hope deferred makes a heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12.  
How many of you are still waiting on your dream to come to pass? It can feel sickening, that hope put on hold, can’t it? But don’t let your spirit be troubled!
The Hebrew word for “spirit” is also “mind” 

6. Don’t let the thoughts of never making it overcrowd what you know in your heart to be true, even when your heart feels sick over deferred hope! 

Romans 5:5 says, “Hope does not disappoint…” God does not deceive or disappoint. (Habakkuk 2:3) He is right on time, and His words do not return void! (Isaiah 55:11)

Verse 15: “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

7. Be smart. Always study. Always learn.
That brings us to our main verse. Righteous one, if you want to have room made for you and be brought before great men, there is much preparation to be done.
Joseph spent years learning these things. He started out as a arrogant, foolish, brat. Spouting off when he shouldn’t, thinking of himself above his brothers. Remember his story. He learned how to be all of the above things through trials. And guess what?
He ruled Egypt. And his dreams, oh they did come true.
Care to share? Which step are you working through at the moment? 
I’m hosting at Living by Grace today! Come on by and let’s talk. I’d post my LBG picture but it must be on my other computer. Boo!

Thailand: A Birthday I’ll Never Forget

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Tim and me at a McDonald’s in Bangkok

So yesterday was my birthday! I love birthdays, even if I’m getting older.
I’ve had a great birthday week. We took the kiddos to Red Robin one night, I got a new laptop, woohoo! And my daughter cheered, because I cleaned hers off and gave it back. 
My son “took” me to Office Depot to buy me a new office chair and my daughter gave me a Dunkin Donuts and an iTunes gift card!
Tomorrow, Tim’s taking me out to one of my favorite places in Downtown Memphis for dinner. So I’m excited!

I’ve had many memorable birthdays, but  I’d have to say my best birthday was in 2008, when my husband and I went on a missions trip to Chiang Rai. 

We flew into Bangkok, a place that has smells I cannot describe, even as a writer. The heat was like a wet blanket, roasted over a fire then draped over you and we were there in their winter season! If you have bouts of frizzy hair, forgeddaboutit. 

A Buddhist temple, one of many we saw
and visited. 

We spent a day seeing the sights of Bangkok. Amazing, frightening, sobering. Overwhelming. 
We spent most of our time at a Children’s home, helping with some building projects and spending time with the children there. You can’t adopt the children,but we wished we could have.

After a day in Bangkok, we flew six hours into hill country, to Chiang Rai. A vast difference from the loud, crowded streets of Bangkok. 

It was full of rice fields, flowers I’d never imagined, roaming anorexic cattle and the Chiang Rai children’s home. A place where children are kept safe when their parents have to go to prison, or an alternative for children who might otherwise be sold into sexual slavery.

One of the hill tribes. There are so many
and one night they dressed in their costumes, that
represent their tribe and sang to us. It was
amazing.

We fell in love with these children the moment we stepped off the rickety bus. I especially loved the babies and preschool age children. They couldn’t speak a lick of English (some of the older ones could) but a smile goes a long way in any language.

I’ve never seen children as grateful as these. They slept on beds that had ply wood for mattresses, their toys were strings, and their home, compared to what we see over here, made ghettos look good, but they’re safe. And loved. And fed. And taught about Jesus Christ.

Me holding Chom Po!

Our church has been partnering with them and have built some new accommodations. Tim and I fell in love with a little girl who was fairly new at the time; her name was Chom Po. If we could have packed her up and brought her home, we would have. She liked Tim better. Figures. At church he’s called the Baby Whisperer. 

We spent heated days working, painting concrete fences, dining halls, laying groundwork for a tiling project and loving on the children, showing the they are not only loved by Jesus and the children’s home, but clear across the world. 

Tim actually gets a smile out of her.
Baby Whisperer. I don’t know
what this powder is, but they all get it
smeared all over for bed time. She’s
in her P.J’s. 
Tim and I about to go for a ride. No seat belts.
Just a rickety old board with a paper thin cushion
and a rope. See how I’m grabbing at Tim’s
leg? I’m smiling, but I’m scared!

One day, we took a trip into Burma (Myanmar) and did some shopping. It was sad how many young children under the age of 8 tried to sell us pornography and Viagra.  Broke my  heart. Later that afternoon we rode elephants in a small Burmese village. I’m scared of animals, so to get to the platform I had Tim feed them bananas and then I ran. They kept wanting to “trunk” us. Eew, huh?

I mean these are wild elephants! I was glad Tim and I made a will out before our trip. No really. We did.

The elephant we rode. I guess it worked up
a thirst after lugging us around 30 minutes. 

Later, when we got back to the orphanage, Tim bought me a hand made quilt by the girls for my birthday. It’s on my bed! A reminder to pray for them every morning and every night.

My birthday gift on a bed in Thailand
Tim and me with the Governor, yeah
I’m saying that all British. We’re wearing
matching shirts because our pastor made us. It
was not by choice. lol

On my actual birthday, we were invited (which NEVER happens) to meet with the Governor of Chiang Rai and then to her personal home for dinner. It was A-mazing. Tons of food that terrified me, a home that blew me away and a woman who didn’t know Jesus, but her son is studying in America and lives with a pastor! Yes, that’s right. The governor is a woman. 

After lunch, we flew back to  Bangkok and we walked a billion miles through funky smells and crowded streets to eat at The Hard Rock Cafe. Real burgers! I hope.
The servers sang me happy birthday in Thai, gave me a rockin Hard rock shirt, took my picture and framed it and gave me a Bangkok, Hard Rock glass. It was awesome.  Later that night, I got a stomach bug and spent the whole night feeling like I might die. The next day I stayed in bed while they did more touring.  But it was still the most amazing wonderful experience I’ve ever had so far and the best birthday, yet! 

My rockin Tshirt, my picture on my
bed, with the quilt. My glass…I don’t
know where it was! I have it somewhere.

Tim leaves in a couple of weeks to go back to Thailand. I won’t be going this time, but I’ll be praying for him. This chance for him to go back is worth me not getting to go to the ACFW conference. 

This is my new laptop and my
new office chair! It’s brown, but
looks black! I love it!

What’s your best birthday memory?

What I Learned from the Movie Courageous

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Yesterday, my hubby took me to see Courageous as part of my birthday week. I loved Facing the Giants, and Fireproof, and this one may be the best yet. I encourage you to support Christian films and go see it. You won’t regret it. 


Being a dad is important and I recommend all daddies go see this flick, but it was also a lesson about integrity.

DH and I teach our children, integrity means acting the same way you would in public in private.  In this story line, when a small group of men decided to be the best fathers they could be and step up as head of the home, opposition came their way.

Isn’t that always the way it goes? “Lord, give me patience.” And your next door neighbors grow corn at their front door. Or your son squirts a Capri Sun all over your laptop and then your daughter steals your nail polish, the metallic silver, and spills it all over her sink.

“Lord, help me to be kind.” And a family member decides to go all redneck on you. A church member decides to take the starring role in Mean Girls and you get to be the target.

“Lord, I am going to trust you with my finances.” And the car breaks down, the roof leaks, your boss cuts your hours, and the school wants $400 bucks for a drum.

 

  Yes, the minute you decide to take a step toward God, expect opposition.

And that’s what happened to these men. They were put into situations that would question their integrity.

This process called the Christian walk, it’s exactly that: A process. It isn’t easy. It isn’t problem free, but it Christ-Character building. It’s tests of faith to help us grow so that God can continue to move us into areas of more responsibility. 

 

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10 NLT

There is nothing you can do in secret. You might be able to lie to your family, friends, and church pals, but you cannot hide from God. Oh, yeah, He’ll ask you what you’re doing and where you are. Not because He doesn’t know, but to give you a chance (mercy) to fess up. 

 

“Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?””Genesis 3:9
 
“Afterward, the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” Genesis 4:9
 
Adam and his son, Cain, didn’t fess up. I think if they had, their discipline might have been less. I know when it’s my children, “If you tell me the truth, it will go easier for you.” Trouble? Yes. Less trouble? Always.
 
My prayer for you today is that you will walk with integrity, expect opposition and trust God to get you through it. If you haven’t been walking with integrity, fess up…to God. Give Him a shot at showing you mercy. It’s Who we serve.
 
So tell me, have you seen Courageous? What’d you think?
 
Also: I’m hosting at Living by Grace today. Come by and let’s talk about integrity.

 

When I’m Not Good, He Still Is

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Who is that? Why is she looking at me that way? Her smile says she’s got it all together, but I’m looking in her eyes. She’s a complete flake. A total failure. I’ll bet she’s hanging on by the skin of her teeth.

No, I know she is. 

How could she possibly be as blessed as she is? It makes no sense. I know that little secret about her. I was with her that year she did the, well, you remember, weren’t you there too?

I just don’t get it.


Yep, that’s been me asking those questions and making those comments.

About myself.

There are many days I let my mind wander to my shortcomings, failures, and indiscretions aka big fat daddy sins. And wonder and even ask aloud, “God, why would you be so good to me? Why would you do such wonderful things? I don’t deserve a single one.”

And He reminds me:

“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

and:

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from sin?” Romans 2:4 NLT

Those are the words that keep me humble, help me understand the goodness, grace, mercy, and love God lavishes upon me. Those are the words that draw me closer to Him and make me want to be so much more.

They encourage me, inspire me, and overwhelm me.

Question?? What verses help you understand the blessings in your life when you feel undeserving? (and we all are, thus grace!)

 Come by Living by Grace, our facebook community page! 

One Thing You Can’t Do Without

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

I had a post prepared, but a whisper woke me up this morning, much earlier than I normally climb out of bed, with something else. 


I don’t know what you face today, what you ended your day with yesterday…what your week has held for you this far, or what you’ll have to endure tomorrow.


But I do know this:


“In the multitude of my anxieties Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 94:19


I’m over at Living By Grace, our  fb community page. Come by and join in the discussion!

A Moment with Myles: Fruit Trees and Ghosts

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Myles reading a
new book and much
happier! 

Good morning! For those of you going to ACFW this week, have a wonderful time. Be encouraged and better yet, encourage someone else! 


Come over to Living by Grace today. We’ll be chatting about the post.


And we’re off!


Last week, my seven-year old son hopped in the van with news all moms like to hear. 


“I checked a book out at the lieberry today! It’s so awesome. I’m already on chapter 6.”

He read a few pages aloud and then read “in his head” as he likes to call it. When we got home, he read a few more pages to me as homework. It all sounded fine.

I tucked him into bed, kissed him goodnight, and went to my room. About ten minutes later, I heard him holler for my daughter. It didn’t take a second before she was in my room.

“Mom, Myles is scared.”

“Why?”

“That book!“


I went into his room. “Myles, what’s that book about?”

“It’s really good; it’s just I don’t like the front–the picture. I keep trying to think of good things but it’s popping in my head anyway.”

“What’s the book about?” I asked again.

“It’s about a girl who pretends to drown because everyone at camp hates her, but it goes terribly wrong.”

I left the room and pulled the book out of his backpack.

Are you kidding me? No wonder the child is scared half to death, and to be fair, as I researched this, R.L. Stine’s tag is “Reader beware to be scared.” So, okay. Whatever. (another post for another time)

We prayed again and then I said, “Myles, tomorrow trade this book.”

“But, Mom! It’s a great story and I want to read it. It’s the front that scares me. Maybe you could put construction paper over it so I won’t have to see it.”

“No.”

Long story short, too late, he begged even the next morning to read that book. Even if I hid the cover, the story was about a girl who wanted to pretend to kill herself because she was hated and what happened was, a ghost stalked her and wanted to be her friend forever! Ick! 

I couldn’t believe how hard he fought to have something he knew wasn’t good for him, and here’s my main point:

We fight God for things we know aren’t good for us, but we like. 


To me, that book was silly. Why argue about it? But it wasn’t even a few years ago, I didn’t want to give up a particular TV show He was nudging me to. I whined. I begged. I stopped watching the show, but each Sunday night, I’d read the guide on the TV to keep up! Just like putting construction paper over the book. 

God knows what’s best for us. He’s our Father. He’ll nudge us, explain to us, and if we’re still pretty stubborn, He’ll flat out get stern if necessary, but He does it out of love.

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every  branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2



With this in mind, stop arguing with God. Simply let Him help guide you to bear more fruit!

Have you ever struggled with giving something up you know is not good for you? You don’t have to tell in detail what it was, but share how you handled it!

A Ride to Endless Possibilities

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

Hello, everyone! So glad you’re here! Let’s jump in and I hope and pray you’ll be encouraged today! And don’t forget we’re talking about endless possiblities over at Living by Grace, on facebook! You can be a part by clicking the Living by Grace “like” button on the sidebar!

I’m still studying Joshua. A fascinating book, really. Like all the books of the Bible. Full of treasure. Everything that makes a wonderful book–only all true!  Today’s text is found in Joshua 22:5.  “…hold fast to Him…” This small phrase is going to lead us somewhere else!

What does it mean to “hold fast,” and how do you do it?

 

In the KJV, instead of the words “hold fast,” it uses the word “cleave.” “Cleave” in Hebrew is “dabaq” and it means, “to cling, to join, stay close to, to stick with.”
 
In Genesis 2:23-25, God joins Adam and Eve. “to be joined to his wife” is the same word used here in Joshua. Marriage is a union of two people– making a covenant to join together, to stick closely, cling to each other—for better or worse, in good times and bad, in sickness and health, richer or poorer. No matter what.
 
This is how God feels about us. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we enter into a covenant with Him. We join ourselves. We hold fast—cleave—stay close. Hosea 2:16 is an example of God seeing us as His bride. An unfaithful bride that has ran after other lovers. Anything or anyone you put before God is another lover. Because you’re joined to God. But He’s a loving husband. Always wooing us back to Him.
 
In Matthew 9:15, Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom. His love for us…sacrificial.
 
Song of Solomon 8:5 says, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?…”

Song of Solomon is a beautiful picture of how the Lord loves us. The imagery is captivating, the story breathless from beginning to end. It’s my favorite book. A book that tells of a bride who must learn complete surrender to her lover husband. A husband who desires a bride who will go with him wherever he asks her to go, even if she’s frightened or insecure. To him, she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever laid eyes on. He wants to show her a whole new world. It just so happens to take place in a wilderness.

 
Imagine a wilderness. A wild, uninhabited, and uncultivated land.
 
I see it as dry; every breath zaps the moisture from your tongue and the grit from the sand scratches at your throat. Parched. Barren of anything lush or green. The heat leaves your clothing clinging to you until the sun scorches even the moisture of sweat away, and then it’s just a stiff feeling, like hanging clothes out and not using any fabric softeners.
 
There are no sheltering trees for shade, no fruit trees to quench thirst or hunger. Scorpions, lizards, and snakes slither and prowl around. Hungry coyotes watch from the rocky mountains…waiting… Vultures swarm overhead
 
A dangerous place.

But not for the bride when she’s with the Bridegroom—her Beloved. He makes streams in the desert, waters that gush in the wilderness. She won’t become thirsty and there’s enough to share with others.

 
Will you go with Him? Will you step out of your comfort zone and let Him show you things you cannot even imagine? Glorious things. A diamond sky. Don’t you dare close your eyes!
 
You can trust Him.
 
Surrender. You can say yes. You can go deeper.
Not only does she come out of the wilderness, but she comes out safely—closer to her Beloved than ever before. Leaning on Him for strength. He’s protected her from the elements, the dangers, and from her own doubt.
 
Love is stronger than it ever was before she went into the wilderness. After the time there, she says in verses 6-7, “Set me as a seal upon your heart, upon your arm…for love is as strong as death…”
His love is stronger than death…stronger than hell…stronger than the grave. He hurdled mountains and skipped hills for you–the huge problems and yes, even the small things because He cares about them all. He wants to show you intimacy like you’ve never experienced before. A whole new world.

 Now watch the video, but this time…put yourself in Jasmine’s place and see Aladdin as Jesus. Stretch your imagination and see what God shows you!

Also take note of what he sings to her and what she sings back. And an interesting part, notice where she is when she says, “I can’t go back to where I used to be.” (She’s in Egypt–which symbolizes bondage!)

 
 

Who Doesn’t Get Thirsty?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

I hope everyone had a great holiday! Cookouts, staying in jammies longer, poolside. Fall is on the way. No more white shoes or pants. Black’s more slimming anyway.

So let me ask  you a question.
What does living by grace mean to you? 
For me, it means walking each day knowing I am weak, but He is strong. I get tired, He never does. I stumble, He holds me up. I make mistakes, He’s perfect.
 So many things pour into me every day. Responsibilities of being a wife, mother, employee, a writer, a woman (if you’re a woman you know what I’m saying). I wear many hats. I love each one. I love each responsibility, but they can all wear me out.
I need my thirsty soul, quenched. I need saturated with His love, with the washing of the water of His Word. I can’t be good at any of the things above, if I don’t first fill myself up with Him.
Can anyone relate?
And because I’m a woman, I like to share. Women love to share, don’t they? My husband is amazed at some of the things I’m willing to divulge to my girlfriends. I love it when a bunch of us get together and talk about life and most importantly the foundation of life. Jesus Christ.
It renews me, encourages me, revs me up, and gives me hope. We bond through friendship and faith. We care for each other, pray for each other, laugh together. It’s a wonderful experience, especially when coffee and chocolate are involved!
“…A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Doesn’t this sense of belonging, renewal, and friendship sound wonderful? Wish you could have it on a daily basis?
You can.
I’m honored to be partnering with some incredible women of faith who want to live by grace, together. We want a sense of community and camaraderie with other women. On September 12th, we’ll be launching a devotional facebook community. Living By Grace. We want to invite you to come by and let your souls be quenched, your minds and hearts challenged. Each day an amazing woman will bring the word through a devotional and feel free to mingle, chat, ask questions, and just have a good time.
We’re building bonds of sisterhood through faith and facebook! Come and join us.
“Like” our page by clicking the button on my sidebar and grab our button for your blog if you’d like!

I’m honored to be working with such talented writers. They all have wonderful personal blogs. You can find them by clicking on their names below.
Lynda Schultz
Joanne Sher
Jennifer Slattery
Maria Morgan
Patty Wysong

3 Ways to Respond to Detours in Life

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Okay, so some of you may have clicked on Dawn Alexander’s link yesterday and found someone else’s journey story. Yeah, I got my days wrong. I’m not telling my story until September. But she has a great blog, huh? I hope if you went, you followed. How’d you like that little detour?

And one other thing, how does Weight Watchers make their blueberry muffins so delish and moist at only 5 points? 

Okay, on with the show, this is it.

MONDAY morning, we headed for school.

We hopped in our mini-van and cruised the same route we take every morning. I turned right by City Hall, made the 4-way stop, and BAM!
DETOUR!
 I slowed down. Myles asked, “What’s going on?”
“Detour.”
“Are you going to get lost on this one?”
I ignored his above average sarcasm for a 7 year old. “No.” Please don’t let me get lost…again.
I turned right, and crept ahead. I came off auto-pilot and paid attention. Nervous and unsure, as I wound around streets and curves, hoping I’d get them to school on time and not end up somewhere unsafe. I saw the end of the Detour ahead, not far, I waited patiently to get out on the main road leading to school. Phew! We made it.
TUESDAY morning, we left later than usual, rushed and irritated. Maybe I broke up a fight or two over their shared sink. Mental note: When we move, kids must have separate bathrooms. Not because they’re spoiled, but I need morning sanity to last longer than the hour I spend with Jesus before they get up.
We took off on our normal route.
BAM! I forgot. Detour. 
I was not apprehensive or worried about where I was. I was in a rotten mood, a million things going on in my head. My internet was down. Imagine the anxiety. I growled, literally, when I saw the sign.
I whipped the wheel to the right and muttered under my breath, griping at drivers. I sat impatiently while traffic didn’t help me by making a space for me to pull onto the main road. I may have honked and shook a fist at a teenager or two. Possibly a senior adult driving Miss Daisy.
We arrived on time. But I was angry.

The Lord blew the clouds of aggravation away with His voice and reminded me of the day before and the moment we were in at the same time. Then He spoke to me about the way I handle detours and the way I should handle them.

1.                                           

Don’t be afraid of detours
  D
“I put what you like to call detours in your life to make you slow down, wake-up, and pay attention. I know you get scared. I know it makes you nervous.” I felt the nudge to look up. The sky was incredible, the colors of a baby shower. “You think I can’t control where you’re going, when I can make this? Don’t be afraid.”
2.    
Don’t be angry at detours
“You think being angry and impatient with others will get you there any sooner? It won’t. It’ll only delay you. Do you think those drivers saw you as loving, gentle person, while trying to plow them over and shaking angry fists? Did your children see an example of how to respond to an unannounced twist? Why are you in such a hurry anyway?” His tenderness didn’t sear me with conviction, but wooed me to repentance.
3.    
Expect detours, plan for them

“You haven’t failed. It’s not too late to be a better example to others, to your children. It may be there tomorrow. It may not. But it won’t be the last one. You’ll get your chance to do it right. Plan for it. Expect it. You won’t be alone.”

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
How do you handle detours in your life?