I am not saying we are without conflict or trials: my wife’s health, Micah’s continued concerns, four children, a wonderful growing church, and a myriad of responsibilities to keep.  My peace and contentment comes in walking in the Spirit.  Maybe a better way to say it would be working in the Spirit, I can see how much God does the heavy lifting.  I feel like an apprentice of my own life and God is teaching me what I need for the job to get done the right way.

Now granted, things don’t always work this way, but I rejoice in every moment as it comes.  I pray God shows up in your schedule this week and brings you the peace and contentment you need.  No matter how much, or how hard, God knows how much help we need.

Working together in Christ,
Kelly

We pray this letter finds you and yours well.  We have had a full year in the Patchin family.  In May, Kelly and I had the privilege of going to Kauai for 5 days to celebrate our 19^th wedding anniversary.  It was absolutely beautiful and a much appreciated break.  Then in June we jumped into life at full speed.  Kelly headed off to Africa where he spent an entire month in Malawi, Uganda and Southern Sudan.  He was there to help train pastors and church planters.  This was his second trip.  Our church is involved in an ongoing effort to support church planting in Northern Uganda and its surrounding countries.  It is an amazing and humbling privilege.  New Harbor Church has been such a generous and supportive family.  After Kelly’s joyous return home we were able to spend some time as a family vacationing.  But within the month of his return home I rushed him to the ER when he had sudden and severe abdominal pain.  He was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and spent 4 days in the hospital.  Within 2 days of returning home his beloved father went home to be with Jesus after much illness.  We spent the next week in Santa Maria with our family, Kelly was still recovering but by God’s grace was able to perform his dad’s service.  Unfortunately this was not the end of his pancreatitis.  We were headed back to the ER within 5 weeks of the first attack where he spent another 3 days in the hospital.  This time, thinking they knew what was causing the attacks, the doctor sent him to a specialist to do a surgical procedure.  However while there we discovered that was not the cause, but he does still have an inflamed pancreas.  So Kelly is now on a pretty limited diet for the next several months while hopefully his pancreas is healing, and we pray that he will not have any more attacks.  We are making necessary dietary changes and praying that God will bring complete healing.  God has taught us a lot through the trials we face, just as he promises, and we are so thankful for his provisions.  Kelly has been the pastor at New Harbor Church for 14 years now.  We are so thankful for our church family, for the additional staff that he has blessed us with, for the ways that he is working in the lives and hearts of his people.  He is also involved in an evangelistic movement in the Bay Area, part of a world wide church planting team, as well as part of a local team to encourage and equip church planters.

I am homeschooling again this year.  I really love the concentrated time with our children and the opportunity to focus on heart issues.  It has been a good fit for our family and has helped us prioritize our time.  It is a lot of work and very time consuming and I am always praying for the right balance with time and priorities.  I have had my share of health issues since I turned the big 40 last year.  So I too am in the midst of making some life changes with eating and exercise, things that I should have been doing long before.  Being a wife and a mom of our four beautiful children is fulfilling and such a blessing. I try to be available to the Lord as he sees fit to use me each day.  My heart is to encourage women in their relationship with the Lord, with their husbands and with their children.

Victoria graduated high school this year. She has been homeschooling the last 2 years and taking classes at the local Community College. So this year she is hoping to finish up her general education requirements and transfer next year to George Fox University in Oregon to get a Bachelors of Science in Nursing.  Her desire as of now is to pursue nursing on the mission field. This school has a strong mission emphasis and a great nursing program. She had the privilege of going to Cancun this summer with her grandparents and cousin Chalce as their graduation gift to the two girls.  The day she got home I put her back on a plane to Africa.  She was able to join her dad and a team in Uganda, where they traveled each day to different villages teaching, playing with the kids and ministering with the churches.  She was also involved in a medical clinic for two days.  She loved these opportunities and it really helped to confirm her calling to the mission field.  She is a busy young lady with classes every day, work and ministry.  She is a wonderful young woman who loves the Lord, loves people, and is full of life and a fun spirit.

Blake is a big almost 12 year old young man.  His big sister calls him “The Man Child”.  He has almost passed her in height.  He is enjoying being a middle schooler and loves being in the youth group.  He just finished the soccer season and really enjoys the game.  He had the privilege of going to Florida this summer with his Uncle Chris.  Uncle Chris took him to a 5 day Space Camp Program that is part of the Kennedy Space Center.  It was an amazing experience and he had a marvelous time.  They also spent a couple days at Disney World, went on a Swamp boat with alligators, go-cart racing, laser tag and the beach.  He is very spoiled and won’t easily forget this special time away from home with his uncle.

Isabel is nine years old and is full of life and energy.  She is an amazing pianist and is mastering her pieces every week.  She loves playing the piano, reading and music. She is a great student and loves to help her mommy.  While everyone else was gone this summer she and I got some special time at home with friends and doing girl stuff.

Micah is now seven years old.  It is hard for us to believe.  Our little miracle boy that we were told would not live to be 1 year old has now celebrated 7 birthdays.  He is still very much disabled in every way but we have also seen some progress and change over the year.  He smiles and laughs and really tries to communicate with vocalization.  His vision seems to be improved even though he is considered legally blind.  He goes to a small special education class that he really enjoys.  Micah has stayed healthy and we have not dealt with any of the things that threaten to take his life.  The most significant change for Micah this year is that the scoliosis in his spine is increasing rapidly.  So far this is only impacting him as it relates to posture.  However the concern is that at this rate we may need to consider spine surgery in the next couple years as it can start to impact his lungs, respiration and organs.  We also have recently learned that his left hip is dislocated and is not able to be fixed surgically at this point.  It does cause him discomfort at times and overall we see more pain related to his tight muscles, back and hip.  We always pray for wisdom and discernment when it comes to his care.  We have become the experts on Micah by the doctors own admission yet only God knows what is best for him.  We pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal God’s wisdom to us. We are making some other big changes, regarding lifting and transportation, as we allow ourselves to think about Micah’s long term care and how we can be the best care providers and balance ministry, family and our health. Micah is a complete joy and we continue to learn much from him as he impacts everyone around him.

I know this is a very long letter.  Thank you for sticking with it if you made it this far.  We are so thankful for all the Lord Jesus has done for us and continues to do in our lives to make us more in his image.

Humbly rejoicing,
The Patchin Family

Merry Christmas! I believe it is ok to say it now that Thanksgiving is over. Welcome to my Monday CyberBlog Sale! I just thought that sounded good. Today’s blog teaches us about Love and Peace, a great way to begin your Christmas Season. Each of these virtues will be needed during the holidays so don’t wait, prepare now, so you don’t get caught up in the holiday madness.

Love and peace are two of life’s greatest pursuits, but neither is accomplished without practice and discipline. A husband must work at being faithful with his wife; this shows that he loves her. A family must work at having right behavior; this will also bring peace to the home. Your virtues and your actions need to come together; there is a natural relationship between the two. The psalmist writes it this way, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10. What I love about this verse is the poetry and affection it shows. This is the way we should celebrate the season of Christmas. Center your thoughts and actions on living the right way and you will see the peace of God. This verse inspires us to show the affection we have in our lives for Godly things. We need to be faithful to love others and live rightly (righteously) in our communities. With this in mind, I hope your Christmas season is filled with Love and Peace.

The actual procedure is fascinating.  I tell people that it is one of those procedures you would like to watch happen on a monitor, if it wasn’t you it was happening too.  They stick an instrument down your throat and they work down to where the pancreas connects to your stomach.  Depending on what they see, they will be looking to put a stint in the valve.  They cannot be sure this will fix the problem, but pray it does.  I love the incredible support you have all shown through prayers, food, and offering to help.  I am encouraged by all the love you have expressed.  The way I see it, my worse-case scenario is that I die and go to heaven – not really a down side.

Until Tuesday, God Bless.

“My soul finds rest in God alone;  my salvation comes from Him.”  Psalms 62:1

Yesterday my wife and I returned from the Spinal Physician.  Because Micah can’t move his body a lot, his muscle tone has not developed; this causes multiple issues within his body.  His hip is dislocated, and because he doesn’t walk he will never use it, and the surgery would cause him more pain, the recommendation is to make him comfortable if it is not causing too much pain.  He also has scoliosis of the spine (his spine is curved); we were relieved to hear it doesn’t hurt too much.  We discussed what it would entail to put a steal rod in his spine – there was a model of it in the office we could look at – but the doctor will not consider the surgery until he is ten, and then only if necessary.  All of this is part of loving our son; we are his advocates.

My wife has also felt very tired, ill, and then tired again.  It gives us concerns.  She is currently waiting for some final reports on a blood workup she had done.  She is pursuing a wellness doctor and looking to change her eating habits.  We continue to give it to God; He is a great physician.

I am personally having my procedure for acute pancreatitis next Tuesday.  Work is still in catch-up mode.  Today is also my father’s birthday, he passed away this summer.  I have had a great peace about the surgery, and a great loss with my father.

My children are bright, healthy, and busy.  A little taste of sunshine.  Here’s the short list of activities: devotionals, home school, soccer, piano, guitar, college classes forVictoria, and a plethora of other things.  All a test of our time management skills.

When life is hitting you from all sides – physical, mental, spiritual, financial, relational, and emotional – you are dealing with your soul.  Our soul represents our being, the whole person.  It asks the question “How are you doing?”  Jesus told us to love Him with all of our soul.  David also battled with this a lot in the Psalms.  When the soul is overwhelmed you should go to God in prayer.  Your soul can only find a true rest in God alone.  This morning I woke up at four (Micah was restless) and I could not get back to sleep.  I found myself sitting and praying in the living room with the lights off.  My soul was giving all of this and more to God; only He can truly deal with all of it.  He knows the plans He has made for us.  I found my rest and salvation this morning from everything pressing in on me.  I have strength for today: I know He will lead me through.  In my weakness and sin, He is my salvation and grace.  When you are overwhelmed, I encourage you and give you this moment in my life to show you the way to rest in God alone for salvation.

Grace and Peace

Genetics is a fascinating field.  Your body relies on a genetic code to maintain it’s ability to stay healthy.  The cells in our body are completely replaced, or changed, on the average of every 7 years.  We are literally a different person (physically).  The only thing that allows us to carry our identity is our DNA.  In some ways it reminds me of being born again.  When we come to know Jesus Christ, He gives us His DNA, found in the Holy Spirit.  And eventually that Spirit will make all things new in our life.  You can’t escape it, it’s J-netics (J for Jesus).  Behold all things become new.  Much like my pancreas, we are all born with something wrong, sin; for some of us we find the problem earlier in life and for others it makes itself obvious when we are adults.  The real question is, “what are you going to do about it”?    Just a thought I was having.  Keep praying and God Bless.

My pancreas flared up and I was back in the emergency room at 1am last Wednesday.  I remember the pain coming on and saying, “not again”.  Pain is something my family has become quite familiar with.  I won’t bore you with the details, actually they were not boring at all.  But the truth is the pain did not last as long as the last time.  It has taken a third of the time to recover.  They did find a genetic disorder in a duct that comes from the pancreas and have referred me out for endoscopic surgery in San Francisco.  Hallelujah!  They believe this may be the cause but cannot say one hundred percent.  I was put on Dilaudid, a narcotic drug that binds receptors in your brain (that can’t be good for you).  During my hospitalization I could not think straight, the drug made everything uncertain, a cloud in the head.  I could only do things for short lengths of time, watch tv 15 minutes, read 15 minutes, devotional 15 minutes, you get the idea.  Prayer worked, but my soul struggled with uncertainty.  The drugs messed with more than just my head.  I remember being uncertain, apathetic, bored (hospitals are not like theme parks).  My great salvation and grace during this time was Jesus.  The drugs stripped away a lot of things, but the simplest denominator, the foundational promise – Jesus would never forsake me – lived in my mind and soul, it echoed through my heart.  His presence is undeniable.  In general I advise people to look at life with a clear head, but there are times of uncertainty when you should look at life with the faith and grace of Jesus Christ.  He is our hope and promise in pain and pleasure.  For me He came in the cloud of uncertainty brought on by Dilaudid.  God’s grace carried my through the uncertainties.  I hope this was clear to you, if not, it may be the drugs.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

If this is you, I would like to give you some encouragement. I was also in that boat, and there is a way forward to a great legacy in Jesus. Realize that most fathers do not know what to do. Begin by finding a group of fathers that would like to make it a goal in their life to become spiritual instructors in their children’s lives. Ask each other what you can do, learn, and apply to make it happen. Godly fathers are intentional with their children, and by making it a goal in your life you have taken the first step. Oh! By the way, this is not subjective, just ask your children when they are twenty-five if they would say, “My father was a spiritual instructor in my life, showing me the way of Jesus Christ” It is a high calling, and it is a lot of work, but it is achievable. God has provided the way for each of us to be Godly fathers to our children.

If this was useful and you would like more help in this area, let me know and I will write some more on the topic.

The intense pain in my life brought me to my knees and challenged my faith.  If I live a follower of Jesus then would I die one?  My faith would either follow me into the pain or not.  I found the Spirit of God does not leave you in pain, it walks with you, or in my case curls up and cries out with you.  My faith became as acute as my pain.  It is true “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

The only thing to comfort me in my pain before the 18ml of morphine hit was an incredible God who reminds us of His promises.

I realized why Jesus spoke so briefly on the cross: he was in pain.  In his acute pain his statements were brief; he suffered as an example to us.

Jesus really does know how to “comfort us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4

I wrote this to make a simple point, our faith should be acute, intense, most the time without the pain.  We should grow in our faith on a regular basis with or without pain.  But if it comes with pain, He will be there for you.

In Christ
Kelly

The Acute Pancreatitis was a pain beyond belief, and the passing of my father has been a time of grief and remembrance.  At times I had difficulty separating the two.  Because I am a thinker my mind wrapped around the situation before my heart.  In fact I would say the mind and heart often take two different roads to reach the same place.  People ask how I am doing now and I say, “Okay”.  I still grieve, and my insides are still healing.  God is still comforting me and your prayers are still strengthening me.  ”Okay” is a good place to be right now.  I am blessed by my family, friends, church, and with life itself.  The process of healing is different for everyone, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I am so much better physically than a couple weeks ago, spiritually I am still resting in His hands, and emotionally I am riding the waves that come.

I also realize there is a spiritual attack, last year after returning from missions my wife became deathly ill with a pelvic infection, this year after coming home I came down with acute pancreatitis.  Both of these were unknown in origin.  I believe God is doing some great things through His church but it is not without a battle. The 3-4 days in the hospital I was well sedated on morphine and dilaudid  .  The pain meds were so strong I could not watch tv, or read anything over 5 minutes without losing interest.  It made me sleep most of the time, and the rest of the time I prayed and meditated.

My Father’s funeral went well, I gave the message, lost it twice but made it through, Pastor McLain did the closing and was there to take over in case I lost it totally.  My brothers and I were able to put my mother’s household in order and help her feel secure about some practical matters.  In all of this my father would be pleased.

My wife Jennifer has been a saint through all of this, carrying a big load. Pray for her also and please keep my family in your prayers over the next few weeks.

I am thankful to continue the work God has for me, but it was two very hard weeks, but His Grace is greater and by it I am stronger.  Praise God.