T. Taylor Williams
Journalist Muskegon, MI
What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?
"Revelations 12:11 says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
I want to share an experience I had with procrastination that was devastating.
Last fall, I shared a testimony at church about the powerful Christian writers conference I had attended. After that conference, I prayed for writing opportunities.
About a month later in October, I was hired by a man in Lansing to write a book about his grandparents, who live here in Muskegon.
I was thrilled, my first book deal!
The man was going to present it to his grandparents as a 65th anniversary present in November. It was going to serve as a family heirloom, he said.
Whoa. That’s when I started to feel some pressure. I’d never written a biography before, and it was particularly important that this be my best effort.
I interviewed the grandparents on two occasions, and they were a lovely couple. Both in their eighties, they'd grown up poor in rural West Michigan. They managed their finances well, and lived comfortably. I was impressed by their philanthropy and humility.
It was evident she loved her husband dearly, and he took good care of her. She was a bit frail, but feisty, nonetheless. When they described their high school years and courting, their memories were sharp.
The book was originally scheduled to be finished by November. I missed the deadline.
Then Christmas. Um, not yet. Perhaps after the holidays?
After New Year’s, there was still no book.
Then…I kept missing deadlines, making all sorts of excuses. On occasion I’d run into the grandfather. I wanted to duck him, and tried to avoid him, but we made small talk. I'd end the conversation with, “I’m still working on it. Don’t give up on me!”
I meant well, but it wasn’t getting done.
I didn’t know what my hangup was. I meet deadlines everyday for a living. But I was so afraid of not writing something good, or that the family would be disappointed, that I didn’t write at all.
Spring rolled around, and I was embarrassed that it had taken so long. I apologized, and asked to have until mid-April. The man who hired me, along with his wife, said ok. They were so patient.
I'd held them off yet again. I was “safe” for the time being, and thought I'd bought more time.
Then the unthinkable happened. The grandmother I was to write about passed away.
When I found out, I couldn’t believe it. I thought, 'No! Please! I need just a little more time.'
But there was no more time for her. I would not get another interview with her in her home. She would not get the opportunity to tell me if I had made an error in my writing their story. She would not see the finished book.
As if it couldn’t get any worse, the couple who hired me asked if I could just give them what I had so far so they could use the information for the funeral.
I couldn’t give what I didn’t have.
I want to leave you with the word of the Lord. Proverbs 3:28 says, “Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” when you now have it with you.”
Here are a couple of the lessons I had to learn the hard way:
* Fear can be paralyzing, and can stop you from moving forward.
* Our word is all we have. Do what you say you are going to do.
* You might get away with procrastinating or putting something off for awhile, but you never know when it will catch up with you.
Time is not promised. We all have the same 24 hours in a day.
It is what we do with it that counts.
If you have asked the Lord for something, or He has assigned you to do a task, please do not delay. I learned the hard way. I am still overcoming, still working on myself. I finished the book just in time for Father's Day, and was able to give the family audio copies of the interview. It was the least I could do.
I will try not to dwell on what could have been.
I am moving forward slowly, but at least, through the grace of God, I am moving."
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Good in Every Situation: Niecie
What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?
Denise Johnson
Hospice social worker, St. Louis, MO
"My life is truly a testimony of God’s love towards me. My most recent and freshest wound in my life has been the recent passing of my father, Carl Louis Jackson. When he began to have shoulder pain, we had several CAT scans, x-rays, and MRIs done. The diagnosis was severe arthritis.
Finally, after several hospitalizations he was diagnosed with lung cancer. This blew me out of the water.
The decision was made to do radiation to address the pain and shrink the tumor that was causing the discomfort.
During this time, God’s loving arms were around me. He sent friends to check on me and spend time with me for the challenges ahead. My co-workers during the whole six months were a constant support. I know only God touched their hearts to come and do yard work, provide monetary support and a listening ear. My church family was just that: a wonderful family of love and concern. Their words of encouragement truly helped me.
During the times of radiation, I saw my once strong and happy father become a frail and sad shell of a man. This truly broke my heart. It became difficult to care for him and my sister chipped in and allowed him to stay with her while I continued to work.
Two days after my birthday, we received the news: “There’s nothing else we can do. He has six months to a year, and hospice needs to be involved.”
They also suggested nursing home placement. I could not do that, and my sister stated she could not handle if he died at home with her. But the Lord touched her heart to take on this role of main caregiver. This was a big change for me since I had had this role for more than 24 years. Even in this, God spoke to my heart to let go and that she was his daughter, also. This was a big blow to me again. But God’s grace was there ever so grandly.
My dad was mad that the doctor shared this with him. He became very emotional. I never, ever seen my father cry except 24 years ago when my mother, Helwee Williams, died of lung cancer.
How can someone lose two parents by the same enemy? This blows my mind!
Since I work as a hospice social worker, my company was used for hospice. This provided extra support to my sister. She thanked me for selecting the team that I did because she felt comfortable with them. This was important for me, also. Picking the team was not hard because anyone I would have chosen would have been great. I am blessed to work with an awesome group of people.
I was able to spend time with my Dad and see the changes that come with one who is dying; decreased eating and drinking, sleeping more and decreased interaction. This was hard due to my dad being such a ray of sunshine and a conversationalist. I had to embrace where he was going and where I was at. I held his hand and kissed him several times, preparing for him to leave me.
In that, God was there holding me and keeping me from breaking down. I was able to be present when he died (I thought I might not be since he was living away from me). This was his last gift to me.
God continues to walk with me, and some days are hard, especially at night since we lived together all my life. I still look in his room and say “Good night, Daddy.”
The love of Jesus never ends. He surrounded me with family and friends during the funeral and I knew the Lord was there, holding me up."
“I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. He sends orders from heaven and saves me. God delivers generous love, He makes good on His word.” Psalm 57:2-3
Denise Johnson
Hospice social worker, St. Louis, MO
"My life is truly a testimony of God’s love towards me. My most recent and freshest wound in my life has been the recent passing of my father, Carl Louis Jackson. When he began to have shoulder pain, we had several CAT scans, x-rays, and MRIs done. The diagnosis was severe arthritis.
Finally, after several hospitalizations he was diagnosed with lung cancer. This blew me out of the water.
The decision was made to do radiation to address the pain and shrink the tumor that was causing the discomfort.
During this time, God’s loving arms were around me. He sent friends to check on me and spend time with me for the challenges ahead. My co-workers during the whole six months were a constant support. I know only God touched their hearts to come and do yard work, provide monetary support and a listening ear. My church family was just that: a wonderful family of love and concern. Their words of encouragement truly helped me.
During the times of radiation, I saw my once strong and happy father become a frail and sad shell of a man. This truly broke my heart. It became difficult to care for him and my sister chipped in and allowed him to stay with her while I continued to work.
Two days after my birthday, we received the news: “There’s nothing else we can do. He has six months to a year, and hospice needs to be involved.”
They also suggested nursing home placement. I could not do that, and my sister stated she could not handle if he died at home with her. But the Lord touched her heart to take on this role of main caregiver. This was a big change for me since I had had this role for more than 24 years. Even in this, God spoke to my heart to let go and that she was his daughter, also. This was a big blow to me again. But God’s grace was there ever so grandly.
My dad was mad that the doctor shared this with him. He became very emotional. I never, ever seen my father cry except 24 years ago when my mother, Helwee Williams, died of lung cancer.
How can someone lose two parents by the same enemy? This blows my mind!
Since I work as a hospice social worker, my company was used for hospice. This provided extra support to my sister. She thanked me for selecting the team that I did because she felt comfortable with them. This was important for me, also. Picking the team was not hard because anyone I would have chosen would have been great. I am blessed to work with an awesome group of people.
I was able to spend time with my Dad and see the changes that come with one who is dying; decreased eating and drinking, sleeping more and decreased interaction. This was hard due to my dad being such a ray of sunshine and a conversationalist. I had to embrace where he was going and where I was at. I held his hand and kissed him several times, preparing for him to leave me.
In that, God was there holding me and keeping me from breaking down. I was able to be present when he died (I thought I might not be since he was living away from me). This was his last gift to me.
God continues to walk with me, and some days are hard, especially at night since we lived together all my life. I still look in his room and say “Good night, Daddy.”
The love of Jesus never ends. He surrounded me with family and friends during the funeral and I knew the Lord was there, holding me up."
“I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. He sends orders from heaven and saves me. God delivers generous love, He makes good on His word.” Psalm 57:2-3
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Good in Every Situation: C.C. Baxter
What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?
Cougette Baxter, "House Queen"
Fruitport, MI
"Did you know that angels have slumber parties? I know this is true because I’ve been to one.
I had to take a trip recently that reminded me of how much fun that camping isn’t! It was a trek up north to be with my parents. My mother was gaining her strength back from heart surgery and my father was having 18” of cancerous colon removed.
My brother, who lives a few miles from them, graciously erected a tent in his front yard, next to his mobile home, for my children and I to sleep in. All the modern conveniences of the mobile home plus the outdoor freshness makes sleeping so pleasant. It was the ideal set up.
Four of my younger children — ages 10,8, 7, and 5 — were sleeping in the tent with me. I think the tent was designed for four adults. I can’t verify “allowable body mass.” It did give that fitted feeling like an unwashed pair of new blue jeans. The sleeping bag had the feeling of laying on a bag of squeaky gelatin.
I’m sure of one thing: October in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can get cool. Frosty cool, as in 32 degrees of nice, nippy cool in the mornings. Thankfully, our five bodies produced enough heat to feel cozy warm like a cub tucked next to a mother bear for the winter.
Speaking of bears, my brother said he’d seen bear tracks in his backyard. Okay, I know no one has ever been mauled by a bear track. But bear tracks mean bears.
Great! Not only did I have to worry about my parents’ health, but also a bear rummaging through my tent looking for juicy morsels of toes, fingers, and leg bones to eat. Mine!
I tried to shut those thoughts out of my head as the children and I were settling in for the night. We’d had a nice drive up during the day, and arrived in time for the delicious supper my brother prepared for us. We were able to visit with my mother, and my father had come through his surgery successfully.
I was feeling mellow and drifting off into that twilight stage of sleep when I had this little, tiny thought...the compost pile!
I sat up with a bolt and proceeded to hyperventilate. I recalled my brother dumping all the scraps from that delicious supper out to the compost pile which was in the woods at th edge of the yard. The tent happened to be 30 feet from the edge of the yard, in the path that a bear might want to take to get to the compost pile.
Do you have any idea how much bears love compost? I do! I really didn’t want a bear mad at me because I ate the good part of the meal and let him only the scraps.
Needless to say, I had gotten myself pretty worked up over the thought of a bear wanting to have me for supper while I was minding my own business trying to get some much needed sleep.
The children were dozing quietly and I didn’t want to disturb them so I tried to lay as quietly as possible while my mind was spinning in circles trying to think of ways to defend myself against hungry bears.
I didn’t think it was right to wake my brother to try rearranging places for us to sleep on his living room floor. I did consider dragging all the sleeping bags and blankets into the minivan for the night until I remembered a story I had heard about a bear that ripped the door open on a vehicle in Yellowstone, so I decided that would not be much help. Besides, I would never be able to drive home with a door missing.
Then I got this great idea! The neighbor’s dog, Sam, was always over in my brother’s yard. Especially during our cookouts. I could call her over and she could sleep in the tent with us for the night! I got my courage up and started calling for Sam in a loud whisper. No response. I decided that maybe a whistle would work a bit better. After a few attempts I heard the familiar rattle of a chain hitting the side of a doghouse and decided that Sam was stuck for the night in her own yard.
As I rolled over to find a more comfortable position on my overcrowded bag, I heard the slight jingle of car keys in my pocket.
Why didn’t I think of it before? I could get my pistol. I always took my .38 Taurus with me on long trips, which I carried in the center console of my van. But as I struggled with the tent’s zipper in the dark, I recalled that in my haste to leave town for my father’s surgery that I’d forgotten to pack my gun!
I decided I would hit the alarm button on my remote and make the horn honk to scare any bears away.
I wrestled my way back into the sleeping bag and tucked the blanket around me.
The warmth of the coverings was starting to slowly overpower my shivering. As my eyes were drawn upward to the shadows the moon was casting on the roof of the tent, my heart was drawn upwards to the Creator of the moon and bears. Since God made the bears, I knew He could keep them away from my tent. I immediately asked God to send some angels to stand guard around the tent to keep us safe from bears.
The calm in my spirit was more than my exhausted body could fight, and I drifted off to sleep.
Morning came with a jolt of cool air biting my cheeks. Slowly I gazed around at the tent. No missing door, no ripped out walls, and all bodies present and accounted for.
I quietly moved indoors for a hot cup of morning coffee while I let the children continue to sleep. As is my normal routine I pulled out my Bible for my daily time of scripture reading. This particular morning my reading was from the book of Psalms. My heart began to tingle as I read, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
I realized I’d done all that fretting for no reason at all… the angels were having a slumber party at my campsite!
My father came over early that morning and walked out behind my brother’s home to greet the guys that were laying blocks for the basement to the new home my brother is building. Shortly afterwards my dad came to the door and called me out to see the fresh bear tracks! No kidding!
A few days later for my devotions I read that verse in Psalms and I realized how God really was taking care of me! That was Oct. 1, 2006.
Of course, this was two months into our battle with Child Protective Services. My hubby called and said he was coming up to get the kids so he could take them to the doctor for a “visual inspection” to prove there were no “bruises” on them that we were accused of. He took all the kids home and “hid” them at a friend’s house.
Then Larry called and told me CPS was demanding I come back to Muskegon so they could start an “in-home” program that we were refusing. But I packed up and headed for home on Oct. 10.
I got up early and couldn’t get back to sleep so I decided to pull out early because I had an 8 hour drive ahead of me and I was so anxious to get home. I told my brother goodbye and took off for home.
God gave me a real peace about leaving my parents. Thankfully, their health was stable and improving.
On my drive home, I had 8 hours of fellowship with the Lord. I prayed and cried and prayed and cried. I really needed courage to get back in the battle with CPS. I had just spent three weeks of intensive study about all the CPS info I could find so we could figure out what to do. I had attended my mom’s church and the day before, the Pastor’s son had given me a CD of music.
One song in particular, “Someone is praying for you,” encouraged my heart so much. I listened to it about 10 times, crying each time and finally a wonderful peace flooded over me that I could put my trust in the Lord. He was in control! Even if my kids were taken from me, God was still in control and I determined to put my trust in Him.
I arrived home around 3:30 p.m. to an empty house. When I carried my luggage in the bedroom and laid on the bed, I noticed the answering machine was blinking with a message. I listened to it and it was my sister asking me if I had gotten the message about “Steve.” Her ex-husband’s name is Steve and I thought something happened to him. I called her immediately and she told me that no, it wasn’t “her” Steve, it was “our” Steve. My oldest brother Steve had died from a massive heart attack at 3 a.m.
I could hardly digest that. I sat at the table and cried so hard I thought my heart would burst. I told God I could not go on. No more! I begged him to help me and slowly I felt grace at its sweetest! Those gentle reminders of angels round about me! Now they were camping in my kitchen!
A few days later I realized how sweetly God woke me up at 6:30 a.m. that morning so I could get on the road before my brother got the bad news at 7 a.m. I could not have driven 8 hours with that news on my heart. Instead, God was strengthening my spirit for 8 hours to face another battle.
Isn’t that just like our God?"
Cougette Baxter, "House Queen"
Fruitport, MI
"Did you know that angels have slumber parties? I know this is true because I’ve been to one.
I had to take a trip recently that reminded me of how much fun that camping isn’t! It was a trek up north to be with my parents. My mother was gaining her strength back from heart surgery and my father was having 18” of cancerous colon removed.
My brother, who lives a few miles from them, graciously erected a tent in his front yard, next to his mobile home, for my children and I to sleep in. All the modern conveniences of the mobile home plus the outdoor freshness makes sleeping so pleasant. It was the ideal set up.
Four of my younger children — ages 10,8, 7, and 5 — were sleeping in the tent with me. I think the tent was designed for four adults. I can’t verify “allowable body mass.” It did give that fitted feeling like an unwashed pair of new blue jeans. The sleeping bag had the feeling of laying on a bag of squeaky gelatin.
I’m sure of one thing: October in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can get cool. Frosty cool, as in 32 degrees of nice, nippy cool in the mornings. Thankfully, our five bodies produced enough heat to feel cozy warm like a cub tucked next to a mother bear for the winter.
Speaking of bears, my brother said he’d seen bear tracks in his backyard. Okay, I know no one has ever been mauled by a bear track. But bear tracks mean bears.
Great! Not only did I have to worry about my parents’ health, but also a bear rummaging through my tent looking for juicy morsels of toes, fingers, and leg bones to eat. Mine!
I tried to shut those thoughts out of my head as the children and I were settling in for the night. We’d had a nice drive up during the day, and arrived in time for the delicious supper my brother prepared for us. We were able to visit with my mother, and my father had come through his surgery successfully.
I was feeling mellow and drifting off into that twilight stage of sleep when I had this little, tiny thought...the compost pile!
I sat up with a bolt and proceeded to hyperventilate. I recalled my brother dumping all the scraps from that delicious supper out to the compost pile which was in the woods at th edge of the yard. The tent happened to be 30 feet from the edge of the yard, in the path that a bear might want to take to get to the compost pile.
Do you have any idea how much bears love compost? I do! I really didn’t want a bear mad at me because I ate the good part of the meal and let him only the scraps.
Needless to say, I had gotten myself pretty worked up over the thought of a bear wanting to have me for supper while I was minding my own business trying to get some much needed sleep.
The children were dozing quietly and I didn’t want to disturb them so I tried to lay as quietly as possible while my mind was spinning in circles trying to think of ways to defend myself against hungry bears.
I didn’t think it was right to wake my brother to try rearranging places for us to sleep on his living room floor. I did consider dragging all the sleeping bags and blankets into the minivan for the night until I remembered a story I had heard about a bear that ripped the door open on a vehicle in Yellowstone, so I decided that would not be much help. Besides, I would never be able to drive home with a door missing.
Then I got this great idea! The neighbor’s dog, Sam, was always over in my brother’s yard. Especially during our cookouts. I could call her over and she could sleep in the tent with us for the night! I got my courage up and started calling for Sam in a loud whisper. No response. I decided that maybe a whistle would work a bit better. After a few attempts I heard the familiar rattle of a chain hitting the side of a doghouse and decided that Sam was stuck for the night in her own yard.
As I rolled over to find a more comfortable position on my overcrowded bag, I heard the slight jingle of car keys in my pocket.
Why didn’t I think of it before? I could get my pistol. I always took my .38 Taurus with me on long trips, which I carried in the center console of my van. But as I struggled with the tent’s zipper in the dark, I recalled that in my haste to leave town for my father’s surgery that I’d forgotten to pack my gun!
I decided I would hit the alarm button on my remote and make the horn honk to scare any bears away.
I wrestled my way back into the sleeping bag and tucked the blanket around me.
The warmth of the coverings was starting to slowly overpower my shivering. As my eyes were drawn upward to the shadows the moon was casting on the roof of the tent, my heart was drawn upwards to the Creator of the moon and bears. Since God made the bears, I knew He could keep them away from my tent. I immediately asked God to send some angels to stand guard around the tent to keep us safe from bears.
The calm in my spirit was more than my exhausted body could fight, and I drifted off to sleep.
Morning came with a jolt of cool air biting my cheeks. Slowly I gazed around at the tent. No missing door, no ripped out walls, and all bodies present and accounted for.
I quietly moved indoors for a hot cup of morning coffee while I let the children continue to sleep. As is my normal routine I pulled out my Bible for my daily time of scripture reading. This particular morning my reading was from the book of Psalms. My heart began to tingle as I read, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
I realized I’d done all that fretting for no reason at all… the angels were having a slumber party at my campsite!
My father came over early that morning and walked out behind my brother’s home to greet the guys that were laying blocks for the basement to the new home my brother is building. Shortly afterwards my dad came to the door and called me out to see the fresh bear tracks! No kidding!
A few days later for my devotions I read that verse in Psalms and I realized how God really was taking care of me! That was Oct. 1, 2006.
Of course, this was two months into our battle with Child Protective Services. My hubby called and said he was coming up to get the kids so he could take them to the doctor for a “visual inspection” to prove there were no “bruises” on them that we were accused of. He took all the kids home and “hid” them at a friend’s house.
Then Larry called and told me CPS was demanding I come back to Muskegon so they could start an “in-home” program that we were refusing. But I packed up and headed for home on Oct. 10.
I got up early and couldn’t get back to sleep so I decided to pull out early because I had an 8 hour drive ahead of me and I was so anxious to get home. I told my brother goodbye and took off for home.
God gave me a real peace about leaving my parents. Thankfully, their health was stable and improving.
On my drive home, I had 8 hours of fellowship with the Lord. I prayed and cried and prayed and cried. I really needed courage to get back in the battle with CPS. I had just spent three weeks of intensive study about all the CPS info I could find so we could figure out what to do. I had attended my mom’s church and the day before, the Pastor’s son had given me a CD of music.
One song in particular, “Someone is praying for you,” encouraged my heart so much. I listened to it about 10 times, crying each time and finally a wonderful peace flooded over me that I could put my trust in the Lord. He was in control! Even if my kids were taken from me, God was still in control and I determined to put my trust in Him.
I arrived home around 3:30 p.m. to an empty house. When I carried my luggage in the bedroom and laid on the bed, I noticed the answering machine was blinking with a message. I listened to it and it was my sister asking me if I had gotten the message about “Steve.” Her ex-husband’s name is Steve and I thought something happened to him. I called her immediately and she told me that no, it wasn’t “her” Steve, it was “our” Steve. My oldest brother Steve had died from a massive heart attack at 3 a.m.
I could hardly digest that. I sat at the table and cried so hard I thought my heart would burst. I told God I could not go on. No more! I begged him to help me and slowly I felt grace at its sweetest! Those gentle reminders of angels round about me! Now they were camping in my kitchen!
A few days later I realized how sweetly God woke me up at 6:30 a.m. that morning so I could get on the road before my brother got the bad news at 7 a.m. I could not have driven 8 hours with that news on my heart. Instead, God was strengthening my spirit for 8 hours to face another battle.
Isn’t that just like our God?"
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Good in Every Situation: Uncle Winnie
What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?
Winston Taylor
Parsons, Kansas
"The time in my life when I knew God was beginning a new work in me was in 1989, after learning I could no longer be a firefighter and my marriage collapsed. I'd sort of given up and felt my life was over.
It was through conversations with one of my best friends indirectly telling me what I needed to do with my life. All of Proverbs 4 pretty much explains what the Lord was putting on my heart at this time. Tapping into my memory bank of what my Granny had taught us through the years, Bible studies and being put in the presence of good, sincere Christian people has been the spring board that keeps me seeking more of God.
Now after being saved 20 years and 18 years serving in musical and spoken word ministry, I'm still hungry for more of Him."
Editor's Note: My Uncle Winnie responded to this on May 17, 2007. A singer with the contemporary gospel group, "Rushing Wind," he enjoyed prison ministry and loved music.
He passed away unexpectedly August 8, 2007, at the age of 61.
You are loved and missed very much, Uncle Winnie.
Winston Taylor
Parsons, Kansas
"The time in my life when I knew God was beginning a new work in me was in 1989, after learning I could no longer be a firefighter and my marriage collapsed. I'd sort of given up and felt my life was over.
It was through conversations with one of my best friends indirectly telling me what I needed to do with my life. All of Proverbs 4 pretty much explains what the Lord was putting on my heart at this time. Tapping into my memory bank of what my Granny had taught us through the years, Bible studies and being put in the presence of good, sincere Christian people has been the spring board that keeps me seeking more of God.
Now after being saved 20 years and 18 years serving in musical and spoken word ministry, I'm still hungry for more of Him."
Editor's Note: My Uncle Winnie responded to this on May 17, 2007. A singer with the contemporary gospel group, "Rushing Wind," he enjoyed prison ministry and loved music.
He passed away unexpectedly August 8, 2007, at the age of 61.
You are loved and missed very much, Uncle Winnie.
Every (yes, every) situation can work for our good
Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose."
In fall 2007, I embarked on a writing project that the Lord placed on my heart.
My career has been in newspaper reporting for nearly two decades, and at that time, I felt I was taking a new step of faith in my writing.
The purpose of this series of entries is simply sharing stories of other people. Their trials, their adversities, and shine a light on where God was in the midst of these experiences. These experiences are based on Romans 8:28, which is seen above.
I sent letters to several folks, asking the following: "What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?"
I asked those who responded to my request to be led by the Holy Spirit in giving their testimonials.
I thank each and every participant for their submissions. I believe thoroughly that these stories, these shared experiences, will be a hope, help, and encouragement to other people, both believers and non-believers in Christ, who are going through challenges in life.
May the Lord use this blog and these experiences in this new project for HIS glory.
Readers may find these posts on this blog, under postings named "The Good in Every Situation."
"Tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done." Psalm 78:4
"Speak of all His wonders...Remember His wonders which He has done." Psalm 105:2,5
In fall 2007, I embarked on a writing project that the Lord placed on my heart.
My career has been in newspaper reporting for nearly two decades, and at that time, I felt I was taking a new step of faith in my writing.
The purpose of this series of entries is simply sharing stories of other people. Their trials, their adversities, and shine a light on where God was in the midst of these experiences. These experiences are based on Romans 8:28, which is seen above.
I sent letters to several folks, asking the following: "What is one situation or experience in your life where circumstances looked bleak, but God pulled you through?"
I asked those who responded to my request to be led by the Holy Spirit in giving their testimonials.
I thank each and every participant for their submissions. I believe thoroughly that these stories, these shared experiences, will be a hope, help, and encouragement to other people, both believers and non-believers in Christ, who are going through challenges in life.
May the Lord use this blog and these experiences in this new project for HIS glory.
Readers may find these posts on this blog, under postings named "The Good in Every Situation."
"Tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done." Psalm 78:4
"Speak of all His wonders...Remember His wonders which He has done." Psalm 105:2,5
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