Anger For Patience

A couple weeks ago our church held a Ladies Retreat, located on site so that as many women as possible would be able to attend. They did this last year as well, and both years were very successful. It was a wonderfully fulfilling weekend, and the Lord used it to speak many truths into my life and used many ladies to do so. One of the people he used was the amazing Jan Elkins. In our last session together she was sharing about communion and explained to us that communion was so much more than just taking a representation of the body and the blood of Jesus. She said that God wants to use communion to make an exchange with us. We give Him something and we get something in return. Jan had us call out things that we have given to Jesus and what He has mercifully replaced that with, such as: Pain for Healing, Darkness for Light, Fear for Peace, Despair for Hope, and the list goes on. During that time the Lord said to me "Anger for Patience". That was the exchange He wanted to work out in my life.

Now, I am not an angry person, but there are things that can really set me off and I can react in an angry way. But I don't want to behave that way. It isn't okay, nor is it something that God wants for my life. So, I have decided exchanged anger for patience and have asked the Lord to show me why I get angry, where that actually stems from, and to take it from me, receiving patience from Him in return. And just this week I have experienced some situations that would normally cause me to react in an angry way, and I have instead reacted in a patient way. Seriously SO amazing!!!

So I would like to encourage you to seek out one thing that you no longer want to define you and exchange that for something better. And the next time you take communion, make that exchange with the Lord and invite great results to be manifested in your life!

Fun Times This Fall

The Connolly Clan has had some fun during this recent Fall season. I love the change in weather all around and that it brings along with it beautiful color in this valley. I love that we get to go on exciting adventures that only come around once a year. And I love spending time with Sean and the kids, as we experience all that this time of year has to offer.

Here are the activities we have enjoyed:


Apple Picking with our friends (and consuming pumpkin muffins & cookies)

Scarecrow Festival @ Hanley Farm (pumpkin painting and a hay ride)

Harvest Festival @ Pheasant Fields (another hay ride and picking out pumpkins)

Making Hot Chocolate (and drinking it while we watched the rain fall outside)

7 Oaks Pumpkin Patch (more pumpkins and a pony ride)

Playing at a nearby playground on a gorgeous fall day

Dressing up for Halloween

Visiting Family in CA for my brother's wedding

Making A yummy treat called Scarecrow Crunch

Taking pictures as we played in the fall leaves

Making warm caramel apple cider

Early Thanksgiving with our friends

Making pancakes into the shape of turkey's complete with eyes, beak, and the little gobbler

Regular Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's



What a jam-packed, fun-filled season it has been!