GCR Women

At the beginning of 2021, I wrote about how we are new in Christ in so many ways. Events of the past few days have led me to want to end 2021 by moving from new to now.  Now. Work now. Play now. Celebrate now. Serve now. Give now. Praise now. Believe now. Love now.  And again - love now.  There is no tomorrow. There is only now.  Patrice  ‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:2‬ b  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

We were in quarantine last Sunday, so we couldn’t go to church in person. As it turned out, we were able to worship online with our family at Main Street Baptist Church in Georgetown. Our granddaughter sang in the youth choir. Being Christmas time, the entire service was so joyful, so beautiful.  The preacher presented a wonderful sermon depicting the birth and early life of Christ from Joseph’s point of view. Joseph was a good man who loved God but still his faith was tested by the news that Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit.  It was a very moving story. Joseph had faith but he also had doubts. In the end, his faith won out. The way the preacher put it was that Joseph’s struggle had him doubting his beliefs and believing his doubts at first. But because he believed God - because he trusted God - he end up believing his beliefs and doubting his doubts.  When he said that, a light came on. That’s the key to peace: believing our beliefs and doubting our doubts. If we t...

Peace!  What a beautiful thought!  Peace!  An ideal so longed for!  Why is it so elusive? In my little world, many things try to steal my peace and replace it with anxiety, stress, fear, panic. And it happens throughout the day, not just once in a while.  How do I keep myself in the peace God promises? I decide I’m not playing satan’s game. Instead, I take a deep breath and focus on God’s peace. That works sometimes for a while but satan doesn’t give up.  Only repeated reliance on God in prayer provides the connection to His peace. Again, it’s not once and done. It’s a continual prayer and practice.  Sometimes peace eludes me but it’s not because God has taken it away. Sometimes satan’s waves of despair wash over me.  I’m so thankful God is always there with His mighty hand outstretched toward me, rescuing me, pulling me back to His peace.  Oh! Peace, welcome peace! Patrice John‬ ‭14:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give t...

When the doubts, sadness, fear, discouragement and evil in this world press in on us, we feel swallowed up in darkness and hope evades us. Sometimes the dark clouds try to cover the Light but no amount of darkness can overcome it. How can we push through the darkness into the Light? One way is to count our blessings.   Big ones, little ones. Our blessings are everywhere and they can be our pathway to the Light.  Beautiful sunrises, amazing sunsets, breathtaking moon and night sky, a precious tiny baby and her sweet smile, the constant love and devotion of my husband, … Still counting. Patrice James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NIV Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  

Our car broke down on Interstate 30 near downtown Dallas around 4:00 pm Wednesday. The rest of that evening, we tried to come up with a workable plan for getting the car repaired, us to our destination and back home. Through the night, we wrestled with what to do. When we work up Thursday morning, we were still trying to make sense of it. Then, I remembered that I have a Facebook friend who’s a car salesman in Dallas. And all the pieces fell into place.  God knew we’d need a car and when. And because He knew we’d be out of town, He provided the perfect solution: a Christian car salesman we could trust even though we’d never met him in person. A friend of a friend who’d revealed his Christian character in his Facebook posts.  That’s how it is with God.  He takes of us before we even  know we need it. We may ever realize how much He does for us in our everyday lives.  His love is amazing! Loved, Patrice Philippians‬ ‭4:19 NIV And my God will meet all your needs ac...

It’s bread week on The Great British Baking Show. Breadsticks with a snap. English muffins with lots of air holes inside. Bread formed into unusual shapes, with unique flavor combinations.  The keys to successful bread? A good prove and a good bake.  If the prove is too short, the bread won’t reach the correct height. If the prove is too long, it loses its structure and collapses.  If it’s baked at too low a temperature or too short a time, the color will be too pale and the bread will be raw.  Too high a temperature or for too long, the crust will burn. God designs us. He shapes us. He proves us. He tests us. He know just what we need to achieve the results He designed for us. As master of all things, God knows just how much heat we can stand and He provides a way out of our trials. Bakers often brush their loaves with an egg wash to make them shine.  God washes me, too, so I can shine for His glory.  We may not be perfect but we’re exactly what God knew w...

We get used to patterns in life. That’s why you can drive from your house to the grocery store and not remember a single turn or stop sign. It’s just rote behavior and muscle memory kicking in.  I do that with my Christian walk sometimes as well. Bible class, worship service, small group. Wait a week and repeat. Do I ever really stop and see those around me?  Do I really hear the message?  Do I mean the words of the song or am I just singing a familiar tune? To get the most out of life, I need to get a new perspective. Take a different route to the store. Sit in a different seat in Bible class and church. Sing each song, pray each prayer like I’m standing at the foot of the throne all by myself. Listen and takes notes like the Holy Spirit is speaking directly to me.  Time to get out of my routine and get a new perspective.  Seeing with fresh eyes, Patrice Matthew‬ ‭13:16‬ ‭TPT‬‬ But blissful are your eyes, for they see. Delighted are your ears, for they are open...