Patricia's Principles for Living

Sometimes I've felt that I've only had very little to give so why give it at all. This morning the thought came to me "All you you have is all you need to give." This thought came as I was reading the following passage in II Kings 4: 42 A man came from Baal Salishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain. "Give it to the people to eat, "Elisha said. 43 " How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat," For this is what the Lord says:" They will eat and have some left over" 44Then he set it before them and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord. This man only had twenty loaves to give to the prophet. The principle at work is: All that we have is all that we need to give. When we obey, God gives the increase. There are many examples in the Bible of this principle in action: Like the widow at ...

During the “terrible twos” phase, my little boy resolutely refused to say thank you for a small cookie. “Say thank you, “I said over and over again. He clenched his jaws even tighter. The obdurate nature of this tiny tyke amazed me. For a full twenty minutes he tenaciously stood his ground. However I’d decided to deny him the victory of his little rebellion. Finally a cascade of thank yous poured from his quivering lips. As I began this Thanksgiving Holiday I asked myself,"Have I been just as willful in my actions towards God as my little two years old child.” God told us to enter His gates with thanksgiving. How many times have I entered with complaint after complaint? God told us to sing praise in our hearts. How many times has my heart been a place of muttering? This Thanksgiving I am renouncing my stubborn will of not saying thanks. I want my lips to voluntarily and joyfully say thank you for all of God's many blessings given to me.