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March 24 Back to IllinoisI am heading back to Illinois this morning, courtesy of the USAF Family Readiness Center at Scott AFB. My daughter was hospitalized yesterday with what turned out to be 2 nasty kidney stones. She is only 25 years old, but I guess age is not indicative of this condition. With my son-in-law still under deployment in the Middle East, it was necessary for me to return to help care for her and my three small grandchildren. I have been home only 11 days from my last trip out there, but I am so very thankful I am a stay-at-home grandma who can do this. Arron get's another "vacation" from homeschooling while I'm gone. Praise the Lord we are not bound by the same constraints as Public Schools! I will have my work cut out for me when I return and it looks like there will be very little "Summer Vacation" for us this year. School work is going to have to take a precedent over "fun in the sun".
Anway, I will write more when I return, as there is not internet at my daughter's house...whatever will I do??
 Just kidding...I will be far too busy chasing after 2 toddlers and a 5 year old and caring for my "baby". I love the way the Lord works things out...I was thinking after my last trip, how very much I missed them already and how very much I wanted to help my daughter get plugged in to a good church. I have some friends (mutual acquaintances actually) that are stationed right there at Scott AFB and I didn't get a chance to see them last time I was out. With Katie in the hospital all day on Easter Sunday, they stepped right up and offered to bring Katie and the kids to their home so Melissa could help out. I just love how the family of God pulls together in a crisis...even when they don't know you!
Please keep me in prayer as I fly out...I still don't like airplanes much!
 Love in Jesus
 ~patti~
March 20 Maple Sausage and Christ...I am laying on my bed, down with a tummy bug and the aroma of "breakfast for dinner" is wafting back from the kitchen. I hear my husband talking with my grandson as they team up to get dinner on the table. If I weren't sick, the aroma of maple sausage, eggs and biscuits would bring a smile to my face and a rumble in my stomach. But tonight, the smell is making me want to run for the bathroom instead! And as I try to lay still to keep my stomach from gurgling too much, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to my soul. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul when he was addressing the church in Corinth. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 he says:
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient in these things?" NKJV.
Before I was saved, I remember friends who tried to talk to me about Jesus. I remember how I couldn't WAIT to get away from them... I didn't want to hear about Jesus, the Bible and how I needed a Savior. I did everything in my power to avoid them because they were offensive to me. All they ever wanted to do is talk about Jesus and I just couldn't stomach it!
Today, I am one of those people and there is nothing I like better than to talk about Jesus and what He has done for me. His praises are forever on my lips and I am quite sure I exude Him from every pore in my body...
So tonight, as I am trying to "stomach" the smell of maple sausage...I know that tomorrow (or quite soon there after) I will find that very aroma pleasing and inviting...just as I now find Jesus to be like the fragrance of life!
In His Love,
~patti~
March 18 A Pillar of Clouds...I have had a whirl-wind month thus far. My husband and I just celebrated our 4th anniversary
...sort of. You see, we were wed on leap day, February 29th! So really we've been married 16 years.
We always make sure we do something a little special for our "real" anniversaries. This year we
went to Ocean Shores and had a very nice, relaxing time. I love the beach any time of year.
It was actually pretty nice for most of the weekend and we spent a lot of time looking for rocks,
shells and sand dollars. Beach combing is one of my favorite things to do. I posted an album here
so you could enjoy the seagulls, deer and magnificent sunsets. The Lord is so awesome in His
handiwork. The clouds are the dust of His footsteps and with a wave of His mighty hand, the evening
sky becomes His canvas. I was awestruck as I snapped frame after frame...each one more beautiful than
the previous. And as I marveled, I was reminded how He was a Pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire
by night as He led the Israelites out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. How beautiful that must have
been to behold... They were in the very presence of the Almighty yet, they whined and complained constantly.
Begging Him to let them return to Egypt and to the bondage of their father's. How crazy is that? Yet, I must
admit, I often look back toward my "Egypt" and find myself longing for the things and the people I left behind
when I was saved by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Why is that? I am in the very presence of the Almighty
through Jesus Christ, yet I take it for granted...just like the Israelites. The Bible says if we put our hand on the
plow and look back, we are notfit for the kingdom of God. OUCH! I am so very thankful I have been covered by
the shed blood of Christ! That doesn't give me license to sin, but it does give me a burning desire to live sold out for Jesus.
when I am tempted to look back, I am quickly reminded of how hopeless my life was before He saved me...
I will write more tomorrow. I said it's been a whirlwind month... I still have to write about my trip
to Illinois to visit my daughter and my three youngest grandchildren. I have lot's of pictures
to upload from that trip. Not to mention my church's women's retreat this past weekend.
But I will save that for later
In His Love and Service,
Patti-jean
January 05 thank you, LORD...I found myself looking around Live Spaces to find a common thread in Christ with others. I happened onto, or more appropriately, was divinely led to a space written by a sister in Christ named Joanie. As I read, I was aching inside and rejoicing at the same time...our stories are so much alike. I could not believe there was another human being...mother, grandmother, wife who had dealt so intimately with addiction and recovery issues. My family has been torn apart by the consequences of addiction which, in and of itself is a consequence of sin. We have both dealt first hand with addiction; we have seen it played out in our own lives as well as that of our children and others. We are dedicated to prayer and supplication for our children and grandchildren and all those who are slaves to a substance or anything other than Christ Jesus and the furtherance of the Gospel. Two of my three children are addicts...one active...one in recovery in prison...his name is Matthew...the same as Joanie's son. I will continue to go back to her site and to another she has on blogspot. Whether or not we ever have any contact other than through blogs, it is in God's hands...His very capable and loving hands...
In His Love and Service
~patti~ January 04 just exploring this space...I was just checking my email and found this intriguing invitation to create my own space. I followed the link and here I am
 I love to write about the things Jesus is doing in my life and that of my family. I will use this space to share my inspirations.
Hope to see you back here soon.
In Christ,
~pattijean~ |
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