Greetings!   

Last Call for Saturday's Breakfast! Good speakers, good food and good fellowship!  See details and directions for parking at the end of the Newsletter.

O Happy Virtue, Patience! 

Are you known by others as a model of patience?

Would your children or husband or friends or bosses or employees say that you are patient with them?    

Here is what the dictionary says about  patience:

Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, strain, or annoyance with calmness...without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, being "fed up" or the like.    Think about this. Is this you?

Tolerant; understanding; Is this you with your sister or mother or child or friend or husband?

An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: Is this you?

Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or result; not hasty or impulsive.   Is this you?

What You Can Do

A Reason for looking at the Virtue of Patience 

Start looking for "impatience" in your life this week.But  don't be impatient with your impatience!  

When you "see" the impatience, don't be afraid of it! Take a deep hard look at the impatience.

 Prayerfully think through the reasons behind your impatience. Did I get impatient at Jonny for not doing his chores because I hadn't done mine? Maybe I had been reading a book and let the dishes pile up and now the house is a mess and I blame him. Did I get impatient at Jonny for not doing his chores because I never took the time to teach him how to do it well or because I have let him get away with it three times and on the 4^th decided to yell? Does he need training like Molly, the dog?

Does the problem begin with me or with them? What am I going to do about it? Maybe we are impatient with someone when they said a cutting remark."I can't stand when people don't respect me. I feel ashamed, just as I did when I was little and my teacher would yell at me". Take another look at it. Does God see you as shameful? What are the lies that keep hammering at you? Hear the truth about yourself from the one who is the perfect Truth. Patience comes out of a peaceful heart. 

One thing I noticed with Molly, is that the training of the dog was purposeful. Coming, healing, sitting, was never going to just happen by hoping that Molly would come or sit. The problem was pinpointed, the expertise enlisted, and the program started.  Becoming a patient person takes dedication too, it usually doesn't just "happen". 

So, the next time you notice that you were not the virtuous model of patience...REJOICE...be PATIENT with yourself. Take the needed second look, get to the heart of the problem and start walking towards LOVE, one patient moment at a time. God is calling you to Himself. God is Love. Love is Patient and Kind. It might seem impossible for us, but with God, all things are possible. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Be serious about it. Life is short and a little training goes a long way for the days in your home to be sweet!

Oh Happy Fault...Oh Happy Virtue, Patience.