Holding Pattern

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to “swallow us up.” This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can’t move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us. God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.
When we’re deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A few of God’s holding patterns:
1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern
2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.
3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.
4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.
5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no Mountains that are high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we’re waiting and remember three things:

• The pattern has a purpose.
• The pattern has a plan.
• The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He’ll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, “I love you.”

Greetings from a chilly homemaker in Texas!

We had ice warnings out last night, all day today and should go on till the morning hours of tomorrow.

And guess what I seen today? We actually had small snow flurries! Off and on. Didn't stick or anything, but I noticed them and was jumping up and down with excitement...lol. You see, I love snow! I think it's wonderful! And I have even asked God to send me a blizzard here to North Texas but I don't think He will do that anytime soon. :-) So I took the snowy / rain mix today with thankfulness.

With weather like this, the whole Metroplex shuts down so hubby's classes at school were canceled today so he was one happy hubby for sure! :-)

And if the roads are iced over tomorrow morning, he won't have to go to work as his boss just called to let him know.

We spent the day out together. Went to Duncanville and Cedar Hill to the Wal-Mart's, Target's and JoAnn's. I was able to get some awesome wrinkle free fabric on sale for $1.50 / yd. and $2.50 yd. Got the thread and zippers to go along with it so my seamstress can sew me some dresses in the near future.

I looked around at JoAnn's fabric selection but to be honest, I thought the Wal-Mart's were much better. Maybe it was just that JoAnn's.

We got the movie 'Fireproof' and will be watching it later on this evening. After seeing the previews for months now I already know this is going to be a good movie. 'Fireproof' came with 'Flywheel' and I haven't seen that either.

Any of you like Korean food? Hubby and I LOVE Bulgogi over rice!!! Mmmmmm...

The last time we had it was in Oklahoma in 2005. We found a Korean place here in town so hubby went and got us some for dinner. I was just going to heat up the leftovers from the other day, but he insisted he *had* to have Bulgogi.

So he brought that home and it was good, but not as good as the place in Oklahoma. But it curbed is taste for Korean food so all is well now...lol.

I didn't get to go to church this past Sunday and I was really upset. I had showered and gone to bed early and everything and was so looking forward to the preaching and fellowship. Even hubster went to sleep with me early and that's rare. :)

At 3:30 a.m. we were woken up to our neighbor and her boyfriend pounding on her doors and windows to her boys to let them in the house.

This happens about every month or so, usually it's during the day when she does this though.

So for 30 minutes we heard her screaming her boys' names and using anything and everything to knock on the doors and windows, using the Lord's name in vain and calling her boys the 'a-hole' word.

At one point, the boyfriend had a screwdriver and was taking out the screws in the plywood (this is the same neighbor who's house was broken into last August...she still has plywood on the windows from that break-in), to get in. It was quite comical I assure you.

After 30 minutes the boys finally realized what was going on and let her and her boyfriend in.

What I would like to know is...where is her house key? Also...why would she leave her 2 boys home alone, at night, in this neighborhood?

She yells at those boys alot and never seems to be happy, kind of on the grouchy side. I have talked to both her boys a bit and they seem like good kiddos.

Maybe mom is just over stressed, don't know. I never see her around long enough to even say hello.

So now it's about 4 a.m. and hubby went out to Whataburger of all places and grabbed us some food. Neither of us ate dinner the night before, we just went to sleep really early, so now at the wee hours of the morning, we were starving. Hubby left before I had a moment to gather my thoughts. I would have cooked some eggs and sausage or something.

Oh well. We ate and played online till 5 a.m. and then went back to bed.

The alarm went off at 7:55 a.m. and I just couldn't move. My body was so tired I fell right back to sleep in seconds.

Hours later we awoke and I felt bad for missing church. I wanted to share with the ladies the good news of Robert's employment as they all have been praying for him to get a job.

Oh well, it will have to be this Sunday instead. Oooo I can't wait!!! I so love church!

Well, I have rambled long enough.

I hope ya'lls week is going good for you. I know mine has been awesome! Praise the Lord!

Blessings to you and yours,

Dawn