Pat's View: Inspirational Stories

  Click here to download the free cheat sheet from today's episode. A trademark tells us some important things: It distinguishes their product from other manufacturers. Identifies it's maker. Identifies its value. The Number 1 Trademark is Love. God's Trademark is Love God is love.   God is the source of love.   God made you in His very image...that makes you very valuable. Genesis 5:1 ESV This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Regardless of what you may have been told or even believed, you are not an accident or a mistake. Psalm 139:15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. God wanted you to be born. He made you to connect with His love. God loves you. Ephesians 3:16-19   16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,   17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that

  Fruitfulness is the natural outcome of healthy fruit trees and believers. It's how we glorify God and demonstrate that we are disciples of Christ. So of course we want to be fruitful. Recently, I talked with you about  "What it mean to follow Jesus." Jesus describes the qualifications in Matthew 16:24 NLT Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.   (If you missed myblog/ podcast, What does it mean to follow Jesus? Here’s the link. I'll put it at the bottom of this post as well.)  I've also put the link for the cheat sheet and the outline for this week's podcast. I’ve got to tell you that in John 15, Jesus takes the relationship of a believer or follower of Christ to a whole ‘nother level! His challenge and command deepens both the relationship and the responsibility from following to abiding. More than following...abiding! Let’s look at John 15. Jesus is painting a word picture that they will understand readil

I want to give you a cheat sheet that will help you get the most of this podcast. Click here to download now. What do you do when things don’t happen the way you wanted them? We can make some great plans, but sometimes they just don’t work out… Have you planned something recently that didn’t work out like you planned? Our trip got longer when the traffic came to a total stop, so we took a detour. At first, it stressed us, frustrated us, but then I realized the detour was just what we needed. Wayne enjoyed the rustic countryside and I saw something I had wanted to see for years! They were beautiful. So beautiful. They were a gift. Sunflowers--magnificent sunflowers a golden gift on tall green stems from God just cause…no reason, except He wanted to remind me that He loves me and that He knew how long I had dreamed of seeing a field of sunflowers.   I am so thankful for His little surprises. Have you heard the jingle “Everything is better with bluebonnet on it”? Well, I can tell you first hand everything is

I want to show you what I'm talking about in this podcast. Here's the link.  Is Perfectionism keeping you from creating a masterpiece? Is perfectionism stopping you? It's not your friend!  I want to show you something. It's only a tiny square of one of Vincent Van Gogh's earliest works. If you're expecting to see the polished, flawless perfection of Gerret Willemsz Heda ( who painstakingly smooths all the tracks of his works; then you'll be dissappointed.   Look the heavy brush strokes. For most people the sand in the paint would be reason enough to throw it away? Not to mention the uneven strokes!  The Big Picture It was the messiness of the strokes, the dull beige and the sad grey colors, even the sand embedded in the paint that makes this painting powerful.  Zoomed in As long as I was zoomed in on a single corner all I could see was messy...I don't like messy. Do you?  Perfectionism says, "Messy is bad. It has to be perfect." Zoomed Out But when I zoomed out to see the big picture, I didn't see messy anymo

What does it mean to follow Jesus? Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss a single episode. Sometimes we trust people better than we do Jesus. Jesus says “Follow Me.” This command isn’t just for people in the Bible. It’s for us too. 1 Peter 2:21 NLT For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. How can I follow Jesus if I can’t see Him? Matt 16:24 NLT Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. There are numerous things we see in Jesus example… Suffering is the one He listed here . But His example also includes His Love Knowledge of Scripture Prayer Life Miracles John 14:12 NLT “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. I want to give you a reminder to put in a 5X7 frame in your house. Se

What is in God's heart for your year? Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Proverbs 3:5,6 NIV influenced your goals too. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. God is trustworthy! Envision Your Dream! Has reality ever slapped you in the face? What belief's and thoughts do you have that will stop you from reaching your goal? Joshua's challenge For Joshua it wasn't a new year that challenged him; it was a new responsibility. Joshua1: 2 NLT “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. Do Something! God is with you! Jesus has given you that same promise tucked into the great commission in Matthew 28:19,20. Don't compartmentalize your life. 3 John 1:2 NKJ shows us that rea

Did you start your new year off with a "theme word or phrase"? Everywhere I turn people have selected words related to vision for 2020 since 20/20 eyesight means you have perfect vision. But no-one seems more excited about the idea of 20/20 Vision than Rhonda, a dear friend of mine. She was excited because she heard the clear whisper of God that he wanted to give her clear vision spiritually in 2020. And she is really, really believing God. Here words have inspired me again. There's just nothing like hearing God speak to your heart especially when it is concerning something that has been growing in your spirit for a while. Rhonda's Dream Let me tell you how God used Rhonda's dream to influence me. She was so tired living in "sauna Florida" (No, sauna is not a place it the hot weather.) and she dreamed of living in the mountains where it was cooler. When she found her perfect patio lounger, she put it on her Facebook page. It was like a super, high-end hammock, made of a beautiful tan fabric instead of the ro

I have included a beautiful, free download of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi for you. (You may want to hear the podcast first.  Here's the link. Have you ever experienced the darkness?   I mean REALLY dark darkness! I'm talking darkness beyond... the eerie darkness of a campsite deep in the woods on a moonless night. or the frighting darkness that comes during  a hurricane; when the power goes out and all the windows are board up. or the paralyzing darkness of fear. or the crippling grip of the darkness of grief. I'm referring to the the Darkness of Sin. Sin births darkness.   In the garden... even in the midst of the first, perfect garden, Adam and Eve felt its effects immediately. And they responded by hiding from the light. Sin's darkness blinds Ordinary people. Good people. Smart people. Powerful people.   Sin twists truth, perverts love breeds fear feeds narcissism. In the absence of light, the light of TRUTH,  blinded people hatch up a reality that fits their darkness. Their twisted darkness beco

Luke 1 shares 3 core beliefs that are essential to help you keep believing when your prayers doesn’t happen as soon as you want them to happen.   You can download a high resolution .jpg of these 3 core beliefs here. Here's the link.   Elizabeth summed up the meaning of our partnership role of "Blessed" with almost surprising consciseness. I shouldn't be surprised, this story is told with the precision of a doctor, yes, our dear Dr. Luke.   Yet, I don't believe their reunion would fit in a nice little concise box. Any gathering of close female relatives is never quiet or unemotional. Their reunion was filled with warmth, love and lots of emotions. Mary and Elizabeth were cousins. Mary was in her youth  and Elizabeth was very old.   They didn't live close enough to chat regularly, but Elizabeth is where Mary turned in the early days of her pregnancy. Maybe it was because the angel had shared Elizabeth's baby news that prompted her visit--two pregnant women always have lots to talk about, especially when the pre

Will you worship with me? Yes, right now. Mark Batterson says that the Bible isn't for reading it's for praying. I discovered that reality when I was just a young mom. It really bolstered my prayer. I felt more confident as I learned to pray the will of God for situations I was facing. Scripture is for praising. I have also learned to use the word of God for praising. Let me explain. Sometimes I want to say something to a friend or a loved one, but I don't know how to say it. Do you ever struggle with finding the right way to express your appreciate or love to someone? When that happens to me I go to the store and look for a Hallmark card. I read the front and the inside of each card until I find just the right card that expresses what is in my heart.  I know that worship is important. I understand it isn't worship unless it comes from deep inside my heart. I know that it must be sincere for it to be pleasing to God. But sometimes, I just need some help with the right words so I pick Scriptures that say what

Problem solving is no problem...   when the situation is clear cut and dry. But most problems come will a cloud of fog  that seems to envelope the whole situation. So how do you navigate through difficult situations when you can't see clearly?    When my coffee was ready I headed for the back porch with my cup. I was excited to drink in all the Fall color beauty, but I couldn't see anything. A bank of fog covered everything. I expected the fog to lift at any moment so I had my devotions on the porch; it didn't lift.   I went inside to start my work, peeking outside every half hour or so, but the fog didn't lift at all that day. In fact it got worse before it got better. That cloud of dewy wetness covered my porch leaving the cushions too moist to use.   As I strained my eyes to see I thought about times I've had to navigate through problems that I couldn't see what my next step should be. Some of those times I have been  more successful than other times.   As I stared at that fog I was reminded of 3 words tha

In this podcast I want to remind you of your intrinsic value to God and why that should matter to you. Genesis 1:27 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Created formed, shaped Fashioned from the very imagination of God into the likeness of God to be His representative. The fact that humans are made in the image of God is the very core of the sanity of life. Made like God...in His imagine... Grasp what the magnitude of that reality. You are made like God. God is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11) The Truth (John 14:6) Love (1 John 4:8) Just (2 Thess 1:6) All powerful (Matt 28:18) Holy (1 Peter 1:16) Everyone...regardless of their abilities or disabilities, beauty or blemishes, everyone of us is valuable beyond measure because they are God's masterpiece. Unique. Valuable, no priceless, Chosen Designed Loved Psalms 139:13-16 says it best 13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you because I am

He had a valid reason to be afraid. David's fears were not a fantasized monster hiding under his bed. King Saul, his beloved king and father-in-law and his boss was acting like a crazy man. Can you imagine how scary it must have been to hear the whoosh of metal cutting through the air and the loud thud of Saul's spear smashing into the wall behind David was not his first clue, but it was a clear message of Saul's intentions. David's wife Michal helped him escape in the middle of that very night. He lived with the prophet Samuel until King Saul discovered his whereabouts. How do you wrap your mind around that kind of betrayal? After all David's faithfulness and... bravery, loyalty,  sacrifice and outstanding leadership.... After all the battles David had won... The best that King Saul could do to  repay his servant...or better yet his son-in-law was acts of suspicion distrust jealousy hatred and repeated attempts to kill David. No idea. His best friend and brother-in-law Jonathon was clueless and refused to b

In this podcast I want to share with you how the love of God carried a woman through the horrors of Germany's worst death camp, Ravensbruck, during the holocaust. I want to share a truth with you that she shared around the world after her release. Her story was indeed a horror story of epic proportion...she lost so much...but God turned her story into a love story. I want to share this story with you because God has not changed and His love can change your story into a love story too. 1 John 4:18 KJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. I can't help but approach this verse as a food lover. It's like tasting something so wonderful that you have to ask the cook, what's in this...and with a broad grin the cook explains, well most folks put allspice in their's, but not me...I put cinnamon. John is telling us what is not in love. NO FEAR... PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR. fear has torment (you know that's true) so there's

Shut the door. I know first hand what happens when you leave the door open. I was running late, which I do more often than I should. I had to load the car, feed the dog, put my shoes on (Yes, I was barefooted which makes this story even worse.), and then I would be ready to go. I was in a hurry to get gone, so I left the front door open as I loaded the car. I didn’t know that someone’s pet was on the loose or I never would have left it open. As I lowered my heavy box into and all the way to the back of the trunk,  a little dog scampered over to check me out, barking and wagging his tail. The frisky visitor frightened a skink in the flowerbed. The skink both frightened and intrigued my visitor, so the chase was on with the skink running and the dog chasing. Any other day I would have enjoyed watching the pursuit, but I was in a hurry—no time to stop. Then suddenly this chase took an unexpected turn— inside my house they went. The skink was running for his life and the dog was chasing it because that’s wh

Maybe you can think of a dozen reasons that fear shouldn't hang out at your house, but I have one great, big, huge, hairy reason it can't stay at my house.   Before I share this 1 reason you can't let fear stay, let me tell you how I learned that lesson.   I was writing God's Laws for Kids, so I was studying Exodus and Numbers 13. I love the Old Testament stories especially anything about Moses. Moses is one of my heroes! My story begins at a crucial moment in Israel's history.   It was time to take possession of the promise.   God described His Promise   to Moses  when he bowed before Him at the burning bush. Exodus 3:8 NIV 8So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. Exodus 3:8 NIV   Fertile. Spacious. Flowing With nourishing milk and sweet honey.     They were out, and now it was t

How do you keep from striking out? While the answer may seem obvious, let’s talk about George Herman Ruth first. He was born in 1895. Some say he learned to play ball at St. Mary’s Reformatory/Orphanage and other stories say he ended up at St. Mary’s because of all the windows he broke playing stickball in the streets. When George was 16 years old he was signed on to play with the Baltimore Orioles (Minor League at that time.) His teammates nicknamed George the “Dunn’s new babe” and the nickname stuck. Babe Ruth was a “give it all you got-slugger” at bat. He said, “Baseball is the greatest game in the world and deserves the best you can give it.” And he did. But that "all-in" attitude earned him the unsolicited title “King of Strikeouts” five times. He struck out 1,330 times in his career! Strikeouts are serious failures for a ballplayer. But his fans and history forgave him for the strikeouts because those all-in powerful slugs also made him the coveted “Home run King” with a record of 714 career home runs.

Have you ever experienced an electric fence? When my oldest granddaughter, Karyn, was a baby, I was invited to speak at a church in a rural community. They booked a room for me in a gorgeous bed and breakfast in the middle of farmland. The land adjacent to the house was a pasture with cows and a donkey. Saturday morning Wayne brought Karyn and joined me for the remainder of the meetings. That evening we strolled along the electric fence to let Karyn see the animals. The friendly donkey saw us and started walking toward us so we stopped. The donkey didn’t  stop. He touched the fence with his nose and had what we Southerner’s call a “hissy fit!” Maybe he wanted to be fed or petted; or perhaps he had never encountered the fence before, but when he touched that fence his pain was plain. He stood there and brayed and brayed and brayed just glaring at us. He didn’t stop braying until we walked away. So, when I read Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman’s “electric fence” story in her book “Mommy Power,” I could relate. (It’s

Elisha trusted God and his life proved it. The king of Syria carefully developed a surprise attack strategy against Israel, but when it failed...again and again. It seemed obvious that there must be a traitor in his inner circle. He summoned his officers and demanded answers and explanations. Who is the traitor? One brave man finally spoke up, "There is no traitor among us. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, he is telling the king of Israel your most private secrets. And that is exactly what Elisha was doing. God would tell him the enemy's plan and Elisha would tell the King of Israel. That knowledge kept them safe. Oh how we need that kind of insight. God's insight that would protect and guide our decisions. Jeremiah 33:3 NIV Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Elisha had to be stopped. The Syrian king sent a large army equipped with chariots and horses. They arrived under the cover of night and completely surrounded the city. Very early the next mornin

Samaria the capital of Israel’s northern kingdom was under siege. Ben-hadad, the Syrian king and his powerful army’s presence had resulted in a disastrous famine. Israel’s king was walking along a wall when a woman cried out to him for help. His answer expressed his sense of utter helplessness. I quoted from the New Living translation, but the Aramean is translated in most places as Syrian.  2 Kings 6 & 7 NLT He answered, “If the LORD doesn’t help you, what can I do? I have neither food from the threshing floor nor wine from the press to give you.” 28But then the king asked, “What is the matter?” She told a story of cannibalization that drove the heartbreaking truth of desperation like an arrow into his heart. 30When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing burlap under his robe next to his skin. Burlap In the Bible, whenever someone sought God with ardent desperation through prayer and fasting, they would put on b