News

This portion of the Hydrated With Love™ (HWL) site features HWL Updates, and a word for the Month (pertaining to the season, the times, or a sample from an upcoming collection).  By using the links below, you can also connect with the following essentials in order to know the full Life Garden experience desired by God for all He created: The First Stepping Stone, Preparing for the Master Gardener, The Ultimate Invitation and Awakening Writers.

 

GOING FORWARD!

2008 was the most challenging year of my life as a born again Christian - test after test happened as if I was being stoned, at times, and all the while I could not help but wonder if I was being punished for all the hours I  wasted reading a myriad of books and articles on everything from nutrition to politics, and financial  news to Christian fiction.  Or was it also for giving into home improvement projects, the needs of my new church, family and many people who needed my help, over my usual extensive time with God. 

The year began with the loss of my mother in law, then  months of health challenges and scares, all requiring "further investigation" with everything from x-rays, CT-scans, biopsies, new medications, and specialists.  Yet in each case, the final diagnoses were negative and I'd move into a new crises, while each time praising God for His faithfulness

In mid-October the biggest test occurred - we were robbed in broad daylight through the locked front window of our very visible living room and many treasures were taken and never replaced.  Yet, we were not vandalized, we were not harmed since not home then, and the item most dear to me - my wrapped Christmas gift in a safe they took, was recovered by the police.  It was a pearl pendant with the chain removed, but it was the pendant portion most important to me.  And the Lord spoke to  me, "I am the pearl of greatest value."  I believe with ALL my heart that God saved that item for me, to show me He led my husband to buy it, and it was covered with His blood and not to be stolen....

God showed me so many positive things as a result of that invasion of our home that clearly violated us.  He led me to pray for the two intruders which I continue to do, provided money for an excellent alarm system and wooden blinds for future privacy.  And so much more.

Then, in November we began three months of what seemed to be an attack on our entire water system, requiring a new well pump and connections, new water tank, purification system, some pipes and a new hot water heater.  As you know, my entire testimony is filled with Living Water and water works, therefore this entire seemingly never-ending series of breakdowns in the area of water, really took me back.  And yet, after the fact, I now believe God simply wanted to give us an entirely new, updated system that would be better for our health.  For He is a GOOD God!

But there has been one other huge area of my life that changed in 2008 - my well of words seemed to also go dry.  I rarely journaled, I rarely was inspired (thus rare new entries on this site), and with this year of dehydration in the area I was called to, I became discouraged - my mood and self-control on edge.

I could spend pages making excuses and trying to find causes, but I will not go back to that old way of thinking - analyzing again and again and asking "why me?" while still sinking into the same bad habits of procrastination and self-blame.  It is time to go forward, in Him, and to stop the pity party, and move on - to ARISE and shine and be used for God's glory, not my own. 

This new attitude and motivation is not self-propelled!  It is Spirit-fired!  In the past week I can feel and see and just KNOW God is working to give me new purpose, new direction, new opportunities and new LIFE.  Oh, the enemy is also at work as my arthritis has flared up, the nausea has returned, I am tired more than not, and so easily distracted.  But, I have also been led to exercise, lose about 10 pounds, use my time more wisely, de-clutter our home, and above all - to spend more time with Jesus, my best friend, who never did forsake me during the trials of 2008, nor will He ever.  Why?  Because He promised me (and you), in His Word (Heb. 13:5).

Happy belated new year to each of you.  May the Lord bless you and keep you and faithfully watch over you and your loved ones as you triumphantly walk through this life garden with Him, hand in hand, eyes on the One Who will carry you and your burdens if you just let go and let Him.  cwp

First Stepping Stone Preparing for the Master Gardener
Ultimate Invitation Awakening Writers

The First Stepping Stone

Though my heart, clearly evident through all I write, is to help bring people into an intimate garden walk with their Savior, and become free of "life" infirmity, the First Step on the life garden path rests on THE ROCK foundation. Jesus is that ROCK (1 Cor. 10:4). He is also the Fountain of the Water of Life (Jer. 2:13)  that carries Living Water to your heart, which is the dwelling place of your spirit garden. The relationship with Him begins, grows and endures, through FAITH (Hebrews 11:1, 12:2; Romans 10:17). The ultimate life-choice made by you is initiated by God as He continually draws you toward Him throughout life through nature, experiences, silent words to your heart (the still small voice), and revelation (Rom. 1:15-23). Our first step is therefore both our beginning and our ending, for it involves our final travel destination and eternal home.

Preparing to Welcome the Master Gardener

God's heart plan and how to achieve it is clear and simple. The preparation and final "work" was done by His Son on The Cross, and cannot be "re-worked" by us on earth. For it was done by the final sacrificial Lamb required, since Jesus was the only One pure enough to meet Father's requirement of "sinless." Our forgiveness has therefore been purchased by God Himself, through His Son - our spiritual debt paid. This essential step in our garden preparation shall never again be required. We need only believe this truth, then trust Him, however, we need faith only He can give, to move on. He does not expect us to be perfect or all cleaned up, before we come to Him. All He desires is our heart-sincerity. God calls all creation unto Him, but does not call the equipped. He equips the called. Therefore, once we do our part, by saying "YES," to Jesus, The Master Gardener, (who is patiently waiting at our heart door or our personal Garden Gate), the Holy Spirit will swiftly enter us then lovingly help bring forth our awesome potential. Yes, He will refine us to have the essence of a rose, but oh the fragrance we can then give to others. We are like living wells, reservoirs for our full purpose on earth. It is spirit power from the Holy Spirit that we need to realize it.

I pray now that all who visit this site, and are unsure of their heart condition regarding salvation, will have the "desire" for greater faith planted in them. Then, in God's perfect timing, I pray each will receive the gift of faith that is essential to move on, in Jesus. Our heavenly Father, so loves each of His children, and yearns to be one with them. In fact, He cannot look upon sin, therefore we have to repent or admit that we have done so, for the spiritual "turnaround" to occur in us. Then we need to receive the ultimate of gifts from God, that of His Son (John 3-16-18). Only then can Father accept us, for we have confessed our past sin and stated our belief in His Son. The final result is:  we become one with God as He adopts us into His eternal heavenly family (read Romans 8; Acts 17:24-31).

The Ultimate Invitation

All you need to do is speak forth aloud or silently, these words: "Dear Lord, I confess that I have sinned, and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for me on the cross, shedding His precious blood, that my sins would be forgiven. I also believe He was then placed in a tomb, but rose from the dead to live with His Father in heaven until He returns to judge us. I now ask Jesus to come into my heart, and be my Savior and Lord over all my life, that I may live eternally forgiven."

With this sincere profession of your faith, you are saved from spiritual death, and will never experience hell. The enemy may harass you on earth, through people and situations, and even through negative and defeating thoughts and fears, for he has free reign here to do so, but the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ, clearly tells to resist him and he will flee (James 4:7). We are also told how to protect ourselves daily (Ephesians 6:10-20; Psalm 91). May the Living Word, the Holy Bible, become your inseparable companion, and may you seek out a church to regularly attend, one where you are truly fed and where you can grow in your faith. There, you will find others to pray, study, reach out and fellowship with, in safe unity.

A Call to Awaken Writers

I believe God wants me to call forth all people at this point who have always had a desire to record or write, for it may be that He has planted the writing gift in you. He has a way of revealing outright, or simply gives us glimpses of our many abilities, throughout life, (1Cor. 12;  Rom. 12:4-8).  I want to personally encourage all people to not hold back in the area of the spoken and written word. God clearly tells us in Malachi 3:15 of a Book of Remembrance being written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. Those who will spend eternity with Him are in the Book of Life. He compares His Word to a two-edged sword in Hebrews 4:12, and clearly states in Ephesians that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. There is mighty power when we wield His Word about, in the written or spoken form. Thus, I am including it on this site frequently, for I intend to firmly support what He inspires through me, with His pure scriptural word.

© Carolyn W. Patrinicola 2005; All Rights Reserved.
Copyright Registration number with Library of Congress TX6-265-103,  7/11/05.