God does have a plain for your life.

[Arrowcreek]

God does have a plan for your life, I have a testimony of his saving grace.
Part 1 " My Story "

I need to start off with some of my early childhood background. Born in the small town of St. Charles Missouri, just north of St. Louis on the Missouri river. The town in 1938 maybe had 4,000 people more or less. My Dad and Mom had no religious background at least none that I know of. Dad was one of eight children four boys and four girls who helped their parents farm the Missouri river bottom lands in the early nineteen hundreds. Dad was English and Irish, Mom was of German and French decent, my Moms family made it to America just before the turn of the century, where my Dads side of the family, was part of the first founding settlements of America in the sixteen hundreds.

My early childhood was good, we grew most of our own food on a few acres, Mom did all of canning so we could survive the cold Missouri winters.
My uncle had plenty of cattle and hog meat, they butchered and smoked in those days, dad raised chickens, and I had rabbits to eat.
Life was good as it gets at that time, because we were living in the Roosevelt years of depression, nobody I new had any money and we were all trying our best, to survive on what we had.

When I look back on those years, Dad and Mom had a hard road to go down, raising two boys and two girls. My Dad had to work in a factory forty hours a week for less then fifty cents a hour, to help keep us going during those hard times. My Mom also made all my sisters clothing, out of chicken feed sacks, that came in many different flowered colors, and keep my jeans patched when I tore holes in them.

Now we all would get a bath on Friday nights, in a big wash tub that was heated outside, and brought inside where in was warm, yes we all used the same water. Mom would use that wash tub for doing her laundry in also, she had a big scrub board that she would rub the laundry on, to the point where the skin on her fingers got so thin, they would bleed, she never complain about it, because it was another chore in daily living, that had to be done.

When it came time for me to start school, I was enrolled in a public school, not far from my house, so walking there was no problem. Anyway I had a cousin that attended the Catholic school, a couple miles from where I lived, she must of told a Catholic priest about me, because he payed my Mother a visited, on getting me in the Catholic school, convincing her that I needed some religious teaching, since we had none in the family.

So I started my second grade year, and graduated my eighth grade year, in the Catholic school system. We never once opened a bible, that was for the priest only. But we sure did a lot of reading, from our Catholic Catechism, all about the history of the church, and the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Every day we had Church Mass, for the first hour, on Friday, we had to fast from eating meat, before communion was served, to all the school kids.
The part I didn't like, was going to confession, every Thursday afternoon, and confess our sins to the priest, we would do penance, so God would forgive us our sins. That just didn't seem right to me, so I would do my best to skip out, on going to confession, I made up a lot of excuses in those days, so not to be with the school class, as they marched us, to and from the confessional.

After I graduated from grade school, I decide not to enroll in a Catholic high school, but decided going to our local high school, for the next four years. I never was a very good student, I just didn't apply myself, to working harder, in my studies to get better grades. I'm not implying my grades where failing, just enough to get me through high school, never thinking about college, just learning a trade, or working in a factory like my Dad.

After graduation I did just that, excepting a job in a steel factory, where we built subway cars, for many big cities across America, the same company my Dad was working. I continued working there until, being drafted to serve my country, I chose the Army because I wanted to get this over quick as possible.

Now not knowing what military life would be like, I was headed to Fort Leonard-Wood Missouri, for the next eight weeks of basic training, right in the middle of winter. When you enter the military, they put you through a day of testing, to see just how smart you are, and where you best fit in, for serving their purpose, for the next two years. So after basic training, your now ready for the next eight weeks of training, I was sent to Fort Sill Oklahoma artillery training base. My test scores must of been good enough, to get a Top Secret Clearance, to attend Special Weapons school, with other enlisted men and officers.

After that eight weeks of training, I was sent overseas to Germany, on a ship, the USS Buckner, that took us twelve days on the ocean, and finally reaching land, glad I didn't join the Navy. The good part in all of this, is being in Germany and having a chance to see Europe, back in the 50's, where America money was king, at that time it was cheap to travel around to different countries. You only get so much leave time that's it, I used up all I had coming to me while I was there, traveling to Spain, Switzerland, France, Denmark and Sweden.

When it was time to return home to the states, the Army offered me a large sum of money to stay, and reenlist for three more years, my answer was no, I had just spent 1 year and 11 months, I was ready to get home. I had a good reason to go home, because I had my girlfriend waiting for me, who became my future wife, as of right now that was 55 years ago. All my buddies that took the money, and reenlisted for three more years, went to Vietnam, they were the first ones there, before the war broke out.

My ride back home, yes just my luck some got a airplane ride, I got another ship ride the USS Randolf back to the states. Now this was a ride I will never forget, because we hit a hurricane out in middle of the ocean, and we spent two days riding it out, before it calm down. Everyone including the sailors got sick on this ride, water was coming 20 feet over the upper bridge, during this event, I was really excited to see the US shore line, and the statue of Liberty, setting out in the harbor, what a beautfull site that was to be home in America again.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 2

I got back home and out of the Military in October 1960, just in time to vote for the very first time, for John F Kennedy who won the election, for Presidency of United States. Well after being home for a few weeks, I went back to work at the steel factory, and 6 months later I married my sweetheart, who had waited for me to come home. Everything was great I enjoyed married life, and it's struggles to get ahead, making just sixty dollar a week paying for rent, furniture, and car payments, was all new to me. My wife got a job also, just to help out with things and getting our own house, was a goal we achieved three year later. I just want to mention we bought a three bedroom house, with a full basement for ten thousand dollars back then, that was still a lot of money to us. How times have changed since then.

My wife and I struggled to make ends meet, from paycheck to paycheck, with three boys that where born, in the first ten years of our marriage. All this time we was attending the Catholic Church on Sundays. I forgot to mention, my wife was Lutheran so our wedding took place in her church, then we got married again, a few years later when my wife joined the Catholic Church. Now when the boys where born, they where all baptized in the church, because that was a big deal with family members and friends. You can see we were trying to do the right thing, so as not to be like my family with no religious background, again you got to remember the Catholic Church teaches, it's the only true church found on the rock of Peter the first real Pope as they claim.

Now it gets real interesting, because God has a different plan for my life, that goes beyond my wildest dreams. The factory I was working at, was now paying me a good sum of money, doing piece work on a daily bases, that made it possible for me to build a new home, in a new real estate development, and buy new cars every other year, of course I didn't save any money, now I was spending it trying to keep up with our wealthy neighbors. At this time my oldest boy, was attending kindergarten, in a catholic school. Well needless to say, the bottom fell out at work, the factory filed bankruptcy, and we had just a few months, to finish what was still on the assembly lines. I was forced to fined another job, and I did but it only paid about half of what I was making, needless to say I couldn't keep the new house, and cars, on what I was now making, this is where you wish you had saved some of the money, for a rainy day.

I worked at this low paying job for a few months, all the while looking for a better one, everyday I would look in the newspaper adds for work in my area, paying more then I was making, but to no avail. I started looking at out of state adds, and found a company in Reno Nevada, that was looking for someone with work skills related to what I do, then making a phone call that went well, they flew me to Reno for a interview. After arriving in Reno, the company owners Ned and Vivian took me out for dinner, at the Nugget Casino. Reno is a gambling town you know, and they showed me around, I liked what I saw, but it was way different then Missouri. Now after they left later that night, I checked in my room at the Nugget Hotel that they reserved for me.

Now it was way to early for me to go to bed, so I decided to check out the Casino gambling floor, with all the slot machines and card tables, not knowing anything about slot machines, I dropped a quarter in and pull down the handle, ding-ding jackpot. A person standing near by said, that machine has not paid out anything all night, lucky me I guess. So now what, go play another machine I guess, so I did the very same thing happened time after time, the machines keep paying off with jackpots. I noticed it was getting late, so I had to go outside to get to my room across the street, and there was a slot machine just outside the entrance, oh what the heck, put some money in and pull the handle, one more time before going to bed, yep jackpot.

Now when I got to my room, I just emptied all my pockets and bags with my winnings on the bed, I couldn't believe all the money there, so I decided to call my wife, and tell her my good luck story, with the slot machines, she said great I'm on way out there, she got a flight the next day to Reno, that meant I would be here a little longer then I expected. After her arrival here in Reno, we looked things over and we liked it, mountains with trees and valleys with wide open spaces, with the Truckee river running through the middle of town, just beautiful, except one thing, we had no family here that meant, living without them and that would be a first for us, because in Missouri most families live close by, and that was true for me and my wife's extended relatives. So we had to make a decision, and they gave us time to talk it over, because making a move like that, you better be sure it's the right one.

After a few weeks back in Missouri, my wife and I decided it would be better for me to drive to Reno alone, and work at this job to see if it was right for us. Every thing was going great at the job, so we decided to sell our home and make the move, but that meant leaving my wife alone with three small boys, and selling the house without my help, she did a great job with everything falling into place in just two months. I did go back to help pack things for our family flight to Reno, we arrived here on Halloween 1973, to start our new life out-west in cowboy country, to us it felt like a distant land some where else, being from the flat lands of Missouri.

We were now living in a motel while our new home was being built, my wife was beside herself, because we were dealing with mice running throughout the motel rooms all night long, finally after a month or so our new home was completed, and ready to move into. Our lives where now coming together here in Nevada, but we also longed to be with our family and love-ones in Missouri.

All that was mentioned here didn't happen without a lot of questioning God, plus a Hail Mary and Our Father here and there, at that time we didn't realize this was Gods plan all long. These things happen for a purpose, to bring us from darkness, to His light, and Saving Power, in His Son Jesus Christ.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 3

I was working this new job for two years as we manufacture stainless steel kitchen equipment, for restaurants in Casino's, Schools, and Fast Food joints, all across America. Ned the boss came up to me one day and said they hired me some help, I guess he though I needed help, maybe to speed up things. Anyway this young man name Jim was to work with me every day, and it was a good thing, we got along real well, he shared things about himself and his family as we worked together, most of it about his religious belief. We talked about the Catholic Church, because Jim and his family where members for many years, then he started talking about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I new all about the Catholic Church, but what I was hearing about God, and His Son Jesus Christ, in the light of things I never heard of before, this being all new to me, I ask my wife to pick me up some books on religion from the library to read including the bible, because I never had one, didn't need one the priest was the only one allowed to read the bible the Nuns didn't have one either, at least not during school classes.

Reading many of these books, trying to prove Jim wrong, and the Catholic Church as the one true church, wasn't going to well, So I started reading the bible for the first time in life, my understanding of Gods creation in the book of Genesis was amazing, I could not put the bible down, I would read until midnight or more, before going upstairs to bed every night. Then during the day at work, we would discuss things that wasn't real clear to me, concerning parts of the bible I read, the night before.

My reading the bible, and discussing how Jesus Christ was the Redeemer, who came to this earth to die on the cross for my personal sins really struck me, because I never new that, then to hear that he was every ones personal Savior, and by confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you could have eternal Life, and forgiveness of your sins. I had to do a lot more reading to be convinced, that was true.

I was now reading in the new testament books of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, when I hear a voice in my spirit or from some where say, how much longer are you going to wait, the time is now. With that I laid the bible down on the table, got down on my knees, and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to be my Savior, and to forgive me of all my sins. Now as I was kneeing there on the family room floor, crying my eyes out, I felt a weight on my shoulders and back that kept getting heaver, and heaver, crushing my head to the floor, then all of a sudden the weight lifted and I got to my feet, I could not stop crying and praising God, as I was drunk in the Holy Spirit, I had a hard time just standing, crying and laughing at the same time, with great joy for the first time in my life.

This happened in March late at night 1975, I had to go upstairs to get some sleep, but going up the stairs to my bedroom, still drunk in the Spirit holding tight to the railing was Awesome. I never experienced anything like this before, because I new how it felt to get drunk on beer, and liquor, done that many times before.

The morning after was a day in this world I never new could exist, the freedom of all that bondage, and the weight of sin, completely lifted off my shoulders, and my first day experiencing what it was like being a Born Again Christian, and walking with Jesus Christ my new best friend and Savior, now some 40 years later is still Wonderful, the song if I died today, I could honestly say I had a Wonderful life, is very true.

I have always been a shy person, very rarely ever speak out first to anyone, my wife is total opposite of me, she can talk to anyone. But she immediately noticed the change in me, because I would talk about Jesus Christ to her and anyone around me, about how he saved me, now they could have the same assurance by excepting Jesus Christ's suffering and dieing on the cross for their sins also. Most people I new would rather hear the old me instead of religion, that is what they all called it.

Now you would think that my wife would be very happy, and want what I have but that was not so. I would talk about Jesus day, and night, never getting tired of reading Gods word, as the Holy Spirit was revealing it to me, and wanting her to except Jesus Christ as her Savior. We where at the point of divorce our marriage was in shambles, until one day in April a month later, she set down to write my mother a letter about what was going on between us, no longer able to deal with her religious husband. When she finished the letter she wanted to check what she had written, and got the biggest surprise of her life.

She had no idea of how to explain my problem with religion, but the Holy Spirit must of helped, while she was writing, she had no knowledge of the bible, and what she would write in a letter to my mother. The letter explained the way of salvation for my Mom, she needed Jesus Christ as her Savior. Upon reading this letter she new this had to come from God, she had no other idea how the words got there, so she did what the letter said, got down on her knees excepted Jesus Christ as her Savior.

What happens next is I get a phone call at work from my wife, she is crying and trying to explain what just happened to her, explaining the letter, excepting Jesus Christ as her savior, well now she had me crying for joy also. I ask her what time did this happen, she told me just now, but I had some bad news to go with the good, Jim my coworker just got fired for no reason at all.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[for_his_glory]

Hi Arrowcreek and welcome to CF, Glad you are with us

That is one of the greatest testimonies of the mercy and grace of God in His perfect timing. You do realize who Jim was as being a ministering angel sent from God as God has chosen you to himself before the foundation of the world and Jim came to testify of God's salvation through faith in Christ. Looking forward to more of your post as you are an inspiration of that faith which is Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 

[Arrowcreek]

Thank you: for his glory
Read on Jim was a very important Saint in my early Christian life getting me grounded in Gods Love and Grace.

Part 4

But there was a reason I'll explain it. My wife excepted Jesus Christ exactly the same time that Jim got his notice, he was terminate as of that day. After telling him that my wife just excepted Jesus as her Savior, and her rejoicing, he went on to explain that this was Gods plan all along. The reason he was working with me, and witnessing the word of God to me, was because the Holy Spirit directed him to do so. You see he said I already had a good paying job, I was praying when the Holy Spirit said open the phone book to the yellow pages so he did, the phone book opened to the sheet metal section listing companies that do restaurant equipment, the Holy Spirit said call this company so he did, just happened to be where I work, ask if they need help, he did and they hired him.

We as a family still attended the Catholic Church on Sundays, for some time as we studied the word of God at home, now the strangest thing happened one Sunday morning as I was setting with my family, not paying much attention to the priest or the mass, my spiritual eyes suddenly opened, the Holy Spirit showed me all the evil around me, the statues, the paintings, the art work, the building, the priest clothing, then I heard in my spirit or a voice I don't know which, all of this is not of me, I couldn't wait to get my family out of the building, we left the Catholic Church and never returned.

Jim kept in touch with me, as soon as he found out we left the Catholic Church, he invited us to a Sunday Meeting, that was in a persons house. This was all new to us because every one had a bible, we sat in a packed living-room with chairs all facing a table, and piano, we all had church Hymnals. The songs we sung where the Old Gospel hymns, the teaching was from the Bible, as I had a hard time finding the different books and verses in the bible as we followed along with the teaching that Sunday.

My family and I where well excepted in this group of Christians, Jim had already told them about how we came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This group of believers was a spinoff from the Plymouth Brethren, the women wore long dress and head covering, the men just wore normal clothing and where by most parts clean shaven. My family was their first outside family to be excepted in their Sunday meeting, because of their teaching of being separate from other believers, I will explain this later.

I could see now how God had a plan for us, I found myself among men that were so knowledgeable in the word of God, that it is hard for me to explain it even today, these men of God have studied the Bible together for many years, old and new testaments, I was interest in what they could teach me, so I would set and listen as they explained, how the old and new testaments came together, for the church believers today.

Now here is why they keep all of this knowledge to themselves. Read Hebrews 13: 10-14, but verse 13 sums it up. Let us go forth, therefore unto him OUTSIDE the camp, bearing his reproach. We would pass out salvation tracks to people in parades, and large gatherings, also they had scriptures like Acts 16: 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be Saved, beautifully written on the side of their vehicles.

Right after my wife and I accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we made a trip back to Missouri to visit and tell our family members and friends about Jesus and the Bible. Not knowing how well this was going to be, turned out really good, because they seen a big change in me and my wife, they all had a lot of questions. Like I said before I always have been shy, speaking around other people, but now they could not shut me up, we would have Bible talk going on to midnight some time.

Not long after we arrived back home in Reno we started hearing the good news about our family members, one by one receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In about a months time fifteen or more family members reported the good news, how Jesus Christ changed their lives also. With all these new Christian believers where could they fellowship in Gods word, I mentioned this to the Brethren, they agreed to send a Brother and his family back to Missouri, to help them get grounded in the word of God. They started having Bible study, prayer meetings in each others home, until they found a bible teaching church in their area. This was much like what happened the Book of Acts, meetings took place in each others homes.

My family and I stayed with the Brethren about 3 years, then the Lord took us in and out of many Churches over the next sixteen years. While I was with the Brethren we traveled to others cites, like San. Fransisco Ca. and Boise Idaho, where the Church meetings took place in larger buildings, by this time I learned you better be ready because you could be the guest speaker at anyone of these meetings, that's just the way they did it.

I'll just say this for a example, my family and I stopped in on a Church meeting in Boise Idaho, we were on vacation headed to Vancouver Canada, I though we would get to hear this older Brethren do the teaching that evening, we arrived there just a little before their Church meeting began, and he ask me to be the guest speaker. I had no idea what to say, these brothers and sisters where older then me in Gods word, what could I say that they would want to hear. So while the Hymns where sung, I was praying about what the Lord would have me say. I walked over to the podium we opened in prayer, the Holy Spirit took me to some bible verses as I spoke about forty-five minutes, to this day I have no idea what I said. After the meeting was over, and very one left to go outside, this middle age couple came over to me, while you was speaking they said the Holy Spirit convicted them, that what they where about to do was wrong, they were about to get a divorce, but choose to come to the meeting together for one last time, to hear what the Lord had to say about it. They left the meeting with a commitment to work things out between themselves, and put the love of God back in their lives. We serve a Awesome and Holy God.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[for_his_glory]

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

When we give place to God's Holy Spirit it is then that His Spirit speaks to us and through us and are always prepared to whever He takes us to be at any moment. I praise the Lord for you as you truly have the Spirit of God dwelling in you and hear what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you.

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 5

In the early eighties much of our time was spent me working a forty hour week, my wife at home raising our three sons. Things weren't easy, we were making ends meet from one paycheck to the next, the Lord was providing, no complaints. Also at this time we were attending a Assembly of God Church that was close by in our neighborhood, they had just bought some property and were in the process of building a new church. Many of the church members would help out doing what they could to getting the building finished. It's needless to say we all drove a lot of nails in that building, working in the evenings and on the weekends.

So many things took place from the time my family and I got saved, that I could write a book, I might add a little of it after writing about this amazing story, of how God moved in a mighty way to save my friends house and all his belonging. This was one of the most awesome moments in my new Christian life to see the mighty hand of God move in unbelievable power.

Sunday morning August 9th 1981, my family and I attended " The Evangelic Free Church " on the outskirts of Reno, not far from us. That morning my friend Joe was teaching the adult Sunday school class, I remember that most of us where concerned about the heat, because it was a hot summer day. After church was over and all of us where headed home, you could see these dark rolling thunder clouds forming over the mountains to the west, our greatest fear is not rain but lighting, because of all the dry grass and sage brush on the mountain side leading up to the tall pine trees on top. After getting home it was not long before we hear distant thunder, on the mountains, then it was right on top of us. Usually on hot days we get no rain but a lot of lighting strikes, this is just what we don't want, then it happened a lighting strike about a mile northwest of our house, started a small brush fire we could see it from our house, as the winds begin to pick up, the fire spread quickly with wind pushing it northeast.

The fire was headed towards Reno and grew in size to the likes of anything I ever saw in my life. Picture this I'm on one side of a mountain separated by a valley looking west towards a mountain on the other side where Joe lived. I could see his house on the other side real well with my binoculars, the fire was headed away from his house so there was very little chance of his house being in danger with wind blowing strong from the southwest. Also the chance of any rain to help put this fire out had completely dissipated at this point. As the family and I were seated in lawn chairs, in the backyard, watching this fire getting bigger by the moment. All the while we watched and prayed for those who might be in harms way of this fire, and for the winds to die down. By this time the main line of fire was along way from us headed northeast, while just a small line of fire, still burning on our end of view.

Then suddenly there was a 180 degree shift in the wind, switching from southwest, to northeast this was not good, because this put all the houses across the valley from me in big trouble as the fire now was headed towards Joe's house. Now as we continued to watch this fire the winds got stronger and stronger as all HELL broke loose, the fire seem to generate it's own winds whipping funnels of flames fifty feet high and consuming every thing in it's path, brush, trees, houses, buildings, and bridges, it would jump across roads as the wind continued to push it southwest. This truly was a firestorm.

My wife and I along with my three sons formed a prayer circle, asking the Lord to save Joe's house, animals, and all his belongings, I felt helpless not being able to do anything but pray for Joe. I got a call later that night from him saying he got to safety, with some of his neighbors, and headed up the highway to higher ground. Joe wanted to know if his house had burned down or if I could see any thing at all of his property. I said Joe your house is still standing but I can't see any damage from here.
Part 6

Please bare with me on this being just Joe's story, I felt that I needed to explain some of the things that happened long ago on that Sunday afternoon. With me and my family having front row seats, looking at a all consuming fire, and how, The Hand of God, took control of it, to save a friends house and all his belongings, was a, amazing experience for me. This event and how God moved in a mighty way, strengthen my faith back then, and this holds true even today as we will need, faith, to deal with our own Tribulations as it comes daily, upon our world today. Jesus said how much faith will I find on the earth at His second coming?

I have not seen Joe and his family, for many years since they moved to California, that was a few years after the firestorm. I want to stay away from using any last names, without their permission, as not to offend any family members, who didn't want their names mentioned in this story. So here it is as best I recall of this amazing event.

 

[Arrowcreek]

The Firestorm:

The Sunday morning of August 9th 1981 with it's clear blue sky was going to be a beautiful warm sunny day in Reno Nevada. Joe and his family got up early to get things started, his wife Janice and the children were going to pack-up and head south to Las Vegas NV. for a week to visit her sister. After getting the family on their way, that left him with the dog BJ and two cats at home. Now this also left him little time to get ready, for church, he had a adult Sunday school class, he was teaching, and to prepared for.

After church on his way home Joe was thinking about all of Gods blessings, his family, his home, and all the things they worked hard for, and now having the time to enjoy some of it was great. With the family gone for a week he could a get few things done around the house, that his wife had ask him to do, like clear all the dry grass, and brush, close to the house that was a fire hazard. Also he was thinking he could get some reading, and relaxation time, after completing the needed work around the house, besides the quit time would be wonderful, while he had the opportunity to enjoy it.

The clear blue sky was now turning dark, with rolling thunder clouds, and the threat of lighting striking, the dry vegetation, in the valley corridor that surround houses, trees, and roads. About two PM lighting struck about two miles northeast of Joe's house starting a small fire. Joe and his neighbor Tony watched the fire spread to the northeast away from them. They both felt sure it would be contained before it could possibly reach them. just as a precaution, Joe loaded a few belongings into the car. He then got out a hose and began wetting down his roof and the brand-new deck he had just added to the house. Other people in the area were watching the fire also. several times the phone rang with people calling to say that they were praying, he would be alright. There was comfort and reassurance in that. But abruptly, around 4:45, the wind changed direction 180 degrees. The southwest wind suddenly became a northeast wind, the flames were now heading straight for them.

Then Tony, who had left a few minutes earlier, came racing back. They both stood there, half paralyzed by what they saw. What had been a small brush fire was now a gigantic firestorm roaring toward them, consuming everything before it in a wall of flame fifteen to thirty feet high and half a mile wide. The fire came at them at an incredible speed, consuming some of the oxygen from the air around them, and creating tornadoes of fire that shot fifty feet into the smoke-blackened sky. The popping and crackling sounds the fire made was terrifying. It was as if some gigantic monster of destruction had materialized from nowhere. It roared up the hillside, leaping across a canyon sixty feet deep and a hundred feet wide as if the canyon weren't there. Its speed was incredible. With in seconds it would be upon them, Joe snatched open the door of the house and screamed for B.J., but there was no sign of the dog and no time to look for her. Tony and Joe dropped the hoses and ran for there lives. As they ran, Joe said, he said, the fastest wide-awake running prayer he ever said in all his forty two years of living. Joe said Lord, I put my house and everything into Your hands. And then, remembering what St. Paul said about the importance of giving thanks for everything, good or bad, Joe said he managed to pray although he didn't feel like it at all, Lord, no matter what happens he said thank You for it all and I praise You.

Joe said he jumped into their little Omni. Tony flung himself into Joe's other car. They tore down the road to Tony's house, picked up his wife, warned a family in a third house, and raced for the highway. Behind us, the fiery monster swept on, roaring, hissing, crackling, engulfing everything. At the highway, Joe said he stepped out of his car and stared back at a wall of flame and smoke. How do you react when everything you've spent twelve years dreaming and working for is destroyed in seconds of searing flames? Do you swear? Do you scream? Do you cry? Others were all doing those things, Joe didn't, because the thought that was uppermost in his mind at that moment was: I'm a Christian, so act like one. Remember: All things work together for good to those who love God. Praise God. So he did praise Him, out loud, although he knew some people thought he was crazy, or in shock, or both.

Joe and Tony, stayed at the highway a few minutes, watching other houses become engulfed, too dazed to do or say anything. The flames were now getting close to where they where standing along the highway, and police told them they had to move farther up the mountain. Joe said later he heard that 125 utility poles burned along the highway that day. Also at this point something very strange happened, although it didn't seem strange at the time. Joe said he walked toward his car, a young man with dark hair, dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans, called to him. Hey, you in the white shirt. He didn't know this young man, and actually Joe was wearing a light-yellow shirt, but pointed to himself questioningly. The young man looked directly at him and said. He got upon his roof and watered it down for him. Tony also heard the young man say it. Joe was sure he had mistaken him for someone else, since no one could possibly have gone near his house after he had left. So he thanked him anyway, and though no more about it.

Joe said he arrives later at a friends house in Lake Tahoe, he was able to reach his wife Janice at her sister's. Having to tell her that their dream house had burned to the ground was harder than watching the fire. All she said to him was, Thank God you're all right. The threat of fire along the roads made it impossible to get back to Reno that night. He called the fire department repeatedly, but couldn't get any information. At one point he called me and my wife Betty, Joe knew I could see his house from across the valley. I said Joe, we watched the whole thing through our binoculars. When we saw the flames change direction and head for your house, my wife and I along with my three sons formed a prayer circle, asking the Lord to save your house animals and all your belongings. And, Joe, I said it's still standing.

Joe, thanked me, but he said he didn't believe me. Maybe he thought, I could still see the shell of his house, but he knew nothing could have survived the fire storm. His house was surrounded by dry brush and wood that his wife had asked him repeatedly to clear away. When Joe got back to his house soon after dawn the next morning, he couldn't believe his eyes. This is what he found: The fire had burned to within ten feet of the house, and all around it, but no farther. House and contents were untouched. The power line coming into my house had melted, thirty feet in the air, and had fallen to the ground just a little ways from the house. The telephone lines above the power lines had fused, his chicken coop, just forty feet from the house, was scorched and smoldering, but all ten chickens were alive. The dog and two cats were unharmed. The cats were outside, one in the garage and one on the back steps. The dog was inside, very glade to see him he said.

His bridge, which is two hundred yards from the house and not even on his property, was untouched, while the neighbor's bridge just fifteen feet away, was completely destroyed. Only dry brush was between them. Of the seven houses in the area, three were completely destroyed. All the others were damaged, two seriously. How do you account for all this? How do you explain the fact that absolutely nothing he owned was touched by the fire, whether it was on his property or not? All you can do is say it like this maybe, Joe said being a Christian almost all of his life, but he knew that his faith wasn't as strong as it could be. And this may be true of a lot of church going people, knowing we're Christians and we think that's good enough. but believing there are times when God wants to test our faith and reinforce it. also believing, you can't pretend to understand it fully, that sometimes when we are able to thank God in the face of seeming disaster, and place ourselves unreservedly in His hands, and get out of His way, He can and will do astounding things for us.

The intensity of that fire on that morning of August 9, 1981 cannot be exaggerated. At the time Joe was working for the Nevada Bell System, and so he said I know something about cables. It would have taken at least 1800 degrees of heat to melt those power lines that were thirty feet above the ground. Maybe 2000 degrees. And yet his house, thirty feet away, wasn't even marked. To him, that was God speaking clearly to him, and He was saying, I'm here, I'm real, I care. Joe said that did reinforce his faith, because He knew it needed reinforcing. He said that he would never be quite so smug or casual about it again.

 

[Arrowcreek]

The Firestorm conclusion:

Then there's the enigma of the young man, whom Joe never seen again. How did he know who Joe was? How did he know it was Joe's house? When Joe finally got back to his house, the hose he had dropped on the deck was now on the roof. At least three witnesses have told him that they saw somebody on the roof. But Tony and Joe left by the only route that was not in flames. How could anyone get there without their seeing them? And if someone did get there, how did he get up on the roof? There is no ladder. You can't just climb up because of the overhang. And since the power line must have been the first thing to be destroyed, how could water flow through a hose from a well pumped by electricity?

You can't answer these questions. But maybe, just maybe, there's an answer in the Bible. Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. For the word " entertained" substitute the phrase " been rescued by " Then you may have a clue as to what really happened that August day on Mount Rose Highway. Joe said it's more than a clue. What do you think?
God Bless

To be continued

 

[for_his_glory]

Arrowcreek, I am loving the testimonies and you should make this into a book as it is so inspirational. I can see you have many stories of your life and it needs to be shared. Thank you for sharing them here in this forum. God bless you my brother

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 7

After the firestorm and the completion of our new South-hills Christian Assembly of God Church, our lives begin to go in another direction. My three boys where getting older and they could do things now with-out their mother holding their hand. So this meant my wife had more freedom to do other things, so she decided to get a part-time job earning some extra money, to help out in our living expenses. By this time I had about eight years of experience fabricating food service equipment, and ventilator hoods for some big restaurants all across America.

Then one day I heard the company had been sold, to a group local businessmen, for three million dollars, that seam strange, because without any knowledge of manufacturing food-service equipment, how was this going work, and be profitable for this new group of owners? After Ned and Vivien left and turned the company over to the owners, it wasn't long after that, they approach me and ask me to engineer, and help in manufacturing of all the food service ventilators, so I excepted their offer.

This seam like a good thing at the time, but over the long haul it wasn't any thing like I had pictured it in my mind. Let me go back and explain some things, after getting out of the military in the sixties, I started night school three nights a week, studying communication electronics on the G.I. bill that covered all my cost for four years of studies. After I graduated in 1970 I had a opportunity to work at some companies that where hiring but didn't pay much to start. I was making good money at the factory, during that time, but couldn't afford to give up my job, and loose my new house and cars because of the money situation, you see I was a little greedy I'd say. I liked having money and spending it.

Now with my new position engineering and manufacturing food-service equipment, was going to allow me the chance to use my electronic abilities in research and development of new types of food service equipment, like utility distribution systems, that controlled the electric, hot and cold water, and steam, all the needs for a cooking line-up. From there it developed into ductless ventilator hoods for restaurants in tall buildings, that only allow filtered clear air to return back into the restaurant without duct work, just to keep from polluting the outside environment.

Everything sounds hunky doorie but not so, this meant I had a lot of traveling around to do, going to different states keeping this equipment operating when there was a problem. After a few years of this and putting up with the management group there I decided to start looking for work some where-else. I had been in contact with Wayne in St. Louis Mo. who also worked for a food service equipment company, I explained the difficulties I was having here with management, and not liking my job any more, so he ask me if I would be interested working for their company, sure I said any thing would be better than this place. I also liked the fact that he was a Christian, we would talk scripture over the phone when we had the opportunity to do so.

I talked to John the company owner and he offered me a job engineering layout plans, for all the underground work, stubbing-up the utilities that connected to the food service equipment they built and installed. With that I gave my company a two week notice I was quitting. I was so bent on getting out of Reno that I didn't even look for a opportunity to work here. The company gave me a going away party that I really didn't enjoy that's how bad I hated this place. We listed our home for sale by owner, and it sold within a month, or two, after closing on the sale of our house we finished packing some of things, we hadn't pack yet, into the remaining boxes.

My wife and I rented a U-Haul truck the biggest they had to put all of our furniture, and belongings in, and my three sons where a big help in getting the truck loaded. We had a few items left where there was no more room in the truck, so we donated them to the church. With the truck all packed and ready to hit the road to Chesterfield Missouri, a suburb in south St. Louis county. We had a rented house waiting for us there, that my wife's sister had found. So I'm ready an anxious to leave, when I get a phone call from Steve the owner of another food service equipment company in Reno, asking me to drop by his office he wanted to talk to me. I said sure I'll see you in the morning.

The next day early in the morning I meet with Steve in his office, he ask me to come and work for him, he was building a new 20,000 square foot building and needed someone to work in his engineering department, that would be ready in a couple months. He had heard that I quit the other company, but he didn't know I was packed-up and ready to move to St. Louis. Well I said the offer sound great but I can't, soon as I leave here I'm hitting highway 80 and heading east back home to Missouri.

Was this new Job offer that Steve spoke of from the Lord? Was I meant to stay put here in Reno, where the Lord saved my entire family, surely he could of done that back in Missouri? Was I going against the Lords will, by moving back home? I know this much I was so bent on getting out of here, and moving back to extended family and friends, that I wasn't listening or praying about it. It was going to be my-way or no-way. What did the Lord have to say about it? A lesson I'll never forget.

God Bless

To be continued

 

[Arrowcreek]

Sorry about spelling mistake Plain for Plan, I know some people do this on purpose in the theard header to draw attention, but I want to tell you it was my mistake my falt.

Love you all and God does also.

 

[for_his_glory]

waiting for the next part, so loving this.

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 8

The family and I arrived in Chesterfield Missouri in Late August of 1985, when we got to our rented house, some friends were there to welcome us home, and to help us unload the furniture and our belongings. With all of the help we had unloading the truck and placing it in the house, went very quick and smooth that really surprised me, because it took me and my family almost a week to load it, another good thing was nothing got broken, or scratched, that's more than I can say for the professional movers, who moved me the first time going west to Reno.

After settling in our home, I was ready and anxious, to start my new job, and meet all the people I would be working with, well it turns out that Bud, was there, who use to work with me, in the Reno company a few years back. I had visited him and his wife Mary, at their home many times in Reno, I knew he had moved back to St. Louis, just didn't know what company he was working for, there are a lot of food service companies in the St. Louis area, so that was a big surprise for me.

My coworker Walter was my new boss in a since, he was to get me started, and help out with any questions, I might have with work related issues, and company policies. Now I can say one thing he treated me good, and we got along real well. When I got home after work that first day my wife greeted with a kiss, and a smile, she said have you been smoking? I said no why, you smell like you have, that's when I told her about Walter, who was a chain smoker, he would lite one cigarette after another all day long, working on the drafting table next to me, the company did have a small over head filtered ventilator just above our drafting tables, but it didn't help the situation much, that meant going home every day smelling like cigarette smoke. My wife didn't like it, but I got use to the smell I guess.

Enjoying my new job it was just great, I had no pressure from management I was pretty much on my own, getting the shop drawings done for the utility location stub-ups and contractor approval. Wayne was the company purchasing agent, my phone buddy who helped me in getting this job, was now my new best friend, who really loved Jesus and wanted to know more of the bible, so every day we would have our lunch hour together, with our bibles in hand, discussing the word of God. Sometimes we would go to a near by restaurant, or brown bag-it, and go to a park close by. This was good I could get some fresh-air and be away from Walters cigarette smoke, but during the winter on bad days we had our lunch in Wayne's office. This I believed disturbed John, the owner, because he always eat his lunch in his office just a couple doors away, I'm sure he heard us discussing God's word and having a great time studying it together, I found out later he and his family were members of a Catholic church.

All this time Life was going great, my wife found a job in Chesterfield, as a hairdresser, my oldest son now nineteen, was working at a lumber yard, driving a forklift, the middle son, was a south-more in High-school, and the youngest son, in Junior-high. I failed to mention, my wife attended beauty school, back in Reno, a few years before our move here, she had a good business going with her clientele there, before I made her pack-up and leave, so I'm the blame I guess you could say, she had every right to get on my case, about having no clientele and starting all over again.

We found a small church close by that was on fire for the Lord, they called it, The Land of Praise, the pastor, Lucky and his family, along with all the church members, was the greatest bunch of people you could ever meet, they welcome us with open arms, with the love of God, to the likes of nothing I ever felt in a church before. At this point I was sure we made the right move, so now we had to find us a Home of our own, instead of living in the rented house, that was very nice, but it was not ours to own.

So the hunt began for a nice house in a quit neighborhood, that would be close to schools, and my wife's work, as for me my work place was thirty miles away so that was not a issue. After looking at many houses, we found a nice home on a cul-de-sac, off the main road in Baldwin, a connecting city of Chesterfield Missouri. My wife and I put a contract on the house, and they excepted our offer, our closing date was in March 1986, it was a little early for us to be moving, because we had a one year rental contract, meaning there would be five months left, we would be accountable for the remaining rent payments, but we didn't want to lose the house to another buyer, so that meant we would have to work something out, with the owners of the rental house.

Monday morning March 17 1986 was a beautiful day driving to work and thinking I had only ten more days until the closing on our new home. That meant I could do some remodeling, and painting, the rooms, the way we like it, this is something I liked doing, and was anxious to get started. Well after arriving at work, I started getting things ready on my drafting table, for another days work, when Walter came over and said the company had a meeting, over the weekend and they decided, to let me go due to a needed cutback on company expenses, starting in the engineering department, that meant I had to go, being the newest employee there.

That was the biggest shock of my life, being fired after only being there just six months, they said I could stay and work the week and finish-up my shop drawings I had going, but saying no-way, I was shocked to hear this, so I left there forgetting to say goodby to friends, I made working for this company. It had only been the week before, that John, the owner took Me, Wayne, and Walter, to lunch at his privet indoor tennis club, where he was a member, the very nice restaurant, over looked the tennis courts. John shared how well the company was doing, and the company appreciated our good work, he told me how the installers liked my shop drawings, and how well the equipment went in place, and lined up with the utility connections, saving the company time and money with faster install time.

Now on my way home I was thinking how was I going to explain this to my wife, and family, we had high hopes of living here in Missouri, and moving into our new home, now not able to close on, me not having a job, and most likely loosing our earnest money, that the owners requested for a deposit. I was so upset, that praying was hard for me, what was God trying to tell me, surely He knew what would happen to me and my family, before we moved to Missouri. So did the Lord open the door for us to stay in Reno, with the job offer the day we left? Are was it meant to be this way? The answer to these questions came in a plan God had for me, that took a year are more, for me to understand what his plan was, for my life, and the lives of my family.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[for_his_glory]

pins and needles. I hope your kids appreciate these stories.

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 9

As I begin to write this part of my testimony, It's not easy for me, because this was the most trying time, in my life, as I wrestled with God, wanting to know why, this was happening to me, and my family. Just trying to go back in time, and put my memories in order, how all of this unfolded, is more than I want to do now.

After returning home that day, and telling my wife I just got fired, wasn't easy for me, because I had made a lot of promises to her, of things being better then we had it in Reno. She was a little upset, but we both agreed, I shouldn't have any trouble finding a job, with all the food service companies, in and around the St. Louis area.

So I got busy right off the bat, typing up my resume, and calling on all the companies, we had been doing business with over the last few years. The first week I made contact with a couple companies, and had interviews setup, for the following week. My conversation with them sounded promising, so that made me feel confident, that I shouldn't worry about it, God was in control.

Now I need to mention this, Sunday the day before I got fired, I made a pledge to God, and The Land of Praise, that I would tithe, ten percent of all our family earnings, starting next Sunday. Now what was I to do, since I had no job, was I to follow through on my promises, or just skip it? We as a family decided to keep our word, and trust in the Lord, as he provides.

The second week the interviews that where arranged went really well, there was a good chance I would be working, at ether one of the two companies, in research and development, working on building and designing Utility Distribution Systems, and Ventilators, a product line I help design and build in Reno. The Reno company had a exclusive on this product line, because they where the only ones filling the demand for this equipment. Now every company wanted to get in on this new item, but they needed someone with the no-how to do the engineering and design work, and I was hoping that would be me.

On Monday of the second week, God blessed my check book, with $572.55, instead of $6.28, I could not find a mistake anywhere, so I just excepted it, Praise God. The day came and went as we where to close on the new home, we just believed God had some thing better for us in the days ahead. There was no way we could get our own home, with-out me working. I had to signed up for unemployment, that meant I would get a check twice a month, again Praise God. We also had some good news, a check was waiting for us, the earnest money, that we had put down on the house, the owners returned the full amount, my family and I learned how to give and take as the Lord provided every day.

The church became a very big part of our lives by now, I had plenty of time to do work, needed at The Land of Praise, usually carpenter work, like putting a window in the children's nursery. so the mothers could look in on their kids, without going in the room. The church members also helped us out in so many ways, I could write page, after page here, how God moved among us, to lend a helping hand in meeting every bodies need, without us complaining are saying any thing about our needs.

I'll just mention this one thing as a example of how God moved, but there was many, many, others I could write about, but this one stands out above all the rest, that I remember. We had a washer and dryer that kept breaking down, the washer had a bad gear that wouldn't stay in place, so I drilled a hole in it, and put a nail in, to hold it. My wife would complain of gear grease, leaving spots on the clean clothes, and the dryer wasn't getting the clothes dry, without running for a long time, needless to say the washer and dryer were very old and needed to be replaced. I had promised my wife many times I would do just that, replacing them when we got our new home. Well it came to that point in time, we could not wait any longer, the washer and dryer had to go, so we bought new ones, taking the money out of the savings, we had for food and rent, trusting in the Lord for our other needs.

My family and I attended our church, The Land of Praise, on a Sunday morning in July 1986, still looking for a job, God was providing some of our family needs, with food and other things, we didn't have the extra money for. Now I will come back here later in my testimony, but for now, our Pastor Gary Lucky said the Holy Spirit spoke to him on Saturday afternoon that he should take up a church collection, for my family, so he ask the church members to do so at the end of church service.

After the collection, they counted the money, it came to a thousand dollars and some change. By now we had learned to except, as well as give, this has always been hard for me, but I'm learning to trust God, for who he is, in providing our needs. So my family and I said thanks to all the church members, and God Bless. Monday morning I took the money and deposited it in the bank, to replace the money I had took out for the washer and dryer, it was then that I realized it was the exact amount, down to the very penny, I had paid for the both of them. For me it was a Miracle and a lesson to trust God, when it comes to difficult times.

To be continued
God Bless

 

[for_his_glory]

Trust is a hard issue with so many as they have no patience to wait upon God's perfect timing.

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 10

At this point in time I have been unemployed for four months, sending my resume to more than twenty five companies, across the USA. At one point I traveled to Denver Colorado and worked two days, finding out that the company was not right for me, after a lot of praying the Holy Spirit, I felt was telling me no. You see by now, I was so desperate, taking a job anywhere, but Denver would mean moving again, at my expense, and that was impossible, with our money situation.

After arriving home on a Friday evening, it felt good just to be with my wife and sons, I just new God had a plan for us, we just needed to be patient, for it to happen, in the St.Louis area. I would get up early every mornings, to read my bible, sometimes I would take my car, to a park near by, and watch the sunrise, thanking God for another day, and what His plan was for us. There were many days, I would just read my bible, underlining all the verses the Holy Spirit pointed out, now understanding these verses for the first time, having read them many times before. The Lord had me reading all sixty six books, Genesis through Revelations, settling down in the Book of Psalm, where I found daily strength and joy in the Lord, as we walked together every day, in His Word, underlining each verse, I felt pertaining to us. Learning to trust the Lord, with all our problems, I now had a good idea of how David felt, when he was on the run from Saul.

We found out from another company, that someone was slandering my name, and giving me a bad reputation, in the food-service business around the St. Louis area. I never did find out who that individual was, but I always suspected the company in Reno, most-likely they would be contacted first, due to the fact that was my longest place at work. My wife and I discussed this over, and this very well meant, I would have to seek a job, outside of the St. Louis area. This was such a big blow to my wife, because she was settled-in, now enjoying, being with her family, and friends again, another move was not in the cards for her, are me, as far as that goes.

Later that day, on Saturday, my wife was in bed crying her eyes-out over this, she was so up-set that she ask me to call the Pastor for prayer, this was more then she could handle, but I didn't feel it was necessary, because I was learning to trust God in these situations. This all happened, the same day, at the same time, the pastor said the Holy Spirit, had him pray for my family, also take up a offering during the Sunday morning service for us.

All this time I still believed this was where we would find us a home, and live our life around our family and love ones. My wife and I pretty much gave-up the idea of me working for any food service company, so we started looking into owning a business, we looked at Dairy Queen, then making Cinnamon Rolls, the kind they sell in shopping malls, this being a new franchise, available at that time. With none of these businesses panning out, I called Local 26 Sheet Metal Workers Union, in Reno, asking the Union president, if he could get me back in the union, he said sure not a problem, this would help me get a job with Local 36 in St. Louis on the "B" list, meaning, I could work only if no "A" list workers were available.

It had been a long time since I done any field, are shop work, I was praying that wouldn't be a problem for me. It was a couple of weeks later, I received a phone call wanting to know if I would be interested doing some duct work, and installing a ventilator hood, in Pop Pies Chicken, I excepted the job, even if it was to last only two weeks.

Getting up and going to work was no problem, it just meant I would have to get-up a little earlier to pray before I had breakfast and head-off to work. My first day working on the roof installing a hood fan went real good. The second day I was praying in my garage as I was walking around, now for me to that was not unusual at all, done that many times. As I stopped for a moment, I though, I heard the Holy Spirit, say pray for your back, then I though it happen again, but putting that though away, I continued praying for family and love ones as usual.

It was inside around noon I had to finish caulking a ventilator, just before lunch break, I was climbing up the ladder when one of the legs kicked out, and I lost my grip and fell, to the concrete floor on my butt. The men working in and around me wanted to know if I was OK, I said sure, just so I wouldn't be sent home. I had my lunch and worked the remaining part of the day, in such pain, moving my legs was almost impossible. I managed to drive my car home, I had to have had Gods help, because my back was broken in two places, with a crushed disk, at the third lumbar, meaning I would be in bed for several weeks, before I could walk again. Wishing now that I would of listened to the Holy Spirit, and covered my back in prayer, that morning. How many times do we not listen to God, and go on doing our own thing, another lesson for me, pay attention, to the Lord, because Satan has come to kill and destroy us, but Jesus Christ has come that we can live under his protection, and have eternal life.

Again I had the opportunity to study his word as I lay there on my back, also time was running out on this rented house, we live in, we would have to move out soon, because our year lease was up, and the owners were going to move back. As soon as I was able to walk again I decided to go to Real Estate school, four hours a night, four days a week, to get my Missouri License. Four weeks later it came time for State, and National, exams, my classmates and I numbering around one hundred, were all waiting to get our test results. When the test scores came back only a third of the class passed both exams, required, for your Missouri Real Estate License. With much prayer and faith, I passed, Praise God.

We found a very nice tutor home on a quite street in Chesterfield Mo. that we liked not far from our church and schools, where my two sons were attending. My wife and I made a real low offer on this beautiful home not expecting the owner to except it, but they did. Praise God for answered prayer. Was this finely over and we could now relax and go on living our life around Family and Friends?
That answer will come next.

God Bless

 

[for_his_glory]

Such a great testimony of God's mercy and grace as His power and authority in action. Cant't hardly wait for the next story.

 

[Arrowcreek]

Part 11

It was now in the fall of 1986, and winter arrived early in Oct, with a Canadian shot of cold air, coming straight down the middle of the country. We woke-up to a nineteen degree, reading one morning, with all the leaves still on the trees. The real estate business was slow, not many houses selling in our area. I was working for Gundaker Realtors, Better Homes and Garden, one of the largest real-estate companies in the St. Louis area. We had 20 men and 80 women working in the Chesterfield office, that meant I had to share office space with all of them. You quickly learn the successful people in this business is referral, referrals, they are the ones who get all the new listings. Me being new means I would have to get my name out there, and hope to get a listing. I printed up a lot of flyers placing them at many houses, hoping to get a listing from somebody wanting to sell their property. The only paycheck you get is when you sell something or if your listing sells, I had nothing yet, after three months of work. So was God trying to tell me something, was I not listening, by now things where getting pretty tight.

January arrived and still no changes, I'm still looking for work seeking a weekly paycheck, with my wife working in a beauty salon, and the small settlement from the accident with my broken back, we were on a even keel, no gain, no lost, our faith was still strong, trusting in the lord, for what ever came along. I want to say this, we had made new friends in and around where we lived, bible studies took place once or twice a week in their homes, we learn to share how God was moving in our individual lives, that was a blessing to us all. I mentioned before that our church pastor had a radio ministry on Sunday nights, where I had the opportunity, to give my testimony, several times, how God saved my entire family, and love ones. This was a good thing, sharing, learning, how God moves in all of our lives, with a separate plan, for each one of us.

We were thankful for everything, my oldest son now nineteen, and soon to be twenty, was working to be a electrician, choosing not to go to college. My second oldest son, chose to go to college, leaving high-school early in his senior year, to be with two of his friends, he had enough school credits to do this. So my wife and I decided to let him do this, joining his two buddies at the University of Missouri, in Columbia Mo, he chose to major in Business School. The youngest son was a south-more in high-school at this time, meaning there was only four of us now, because the oldest boy was still living with us.

This was a cold winter in more-ways than one, I'm still doing real-estate, I had two listings of property only, still not haven't sold anything. Everyday praying and thanking God for another chance, to see what was in store for us, trying not to complain about anything, wasn't a easy thing to do. One afternoon I was praying and walking alone in the house, I thought I heard the Lords voice, say open your bible, then I heard it again, I happened to be standing in a doorway that had bookcases on each side, not having my bible in hand at that moment. I took one off the shelf next to me, it was the New International Version so I opened it up, it seem to open on it's own, the Holy Spirit say read, I was looking at Ezekiel 3 verse 1 and reading when I was to stop at verse 11, with that I heard the Spirit say your called, to be a Watchmen. This happened January 29th 1987 at 12:50 pm.

This was the biggest changing point in my life, because being a watchmen wasn't something that happened over night. My study habits changed in a big way desiring, to read what the prophets of old, and new testaments, had to say about the return of Jesus Christ. This would take reading my bible and listening to the Holy Spirit, for days, weeks, and years, still going on, soon to be 29 years. Being a watchmen is not a easy task, you will find that family, and friends, no-longer want to be around you, when you start quoiting scriptures, that deal with the return of Jesus Christ, and the coming judgements on America, my wife now says where is the man I married long ago? If there are any other watchmen reading this, I know they most likely have experienced this also. There is so much more I could write about how God moved in making all these changes, not in just me, but others also. I may do that, so this watchmen will end it here, and pick it up later if the Lord leads me to do so.

Now going back to Thursday 01/29/1987 after the watchmen calling, I was so confused as to what I should do now, I still needed a job, with family to care for. Going to bed that night I had all of this on my mind, so sleep wouldn't come easy, so relax and pray yourself to sleep. Not mention any of this to my family, because I was so confused, as to what God's plan was us, move are stay put. Waking up early the next day, the Holy Spirit had me go outside, something I normally don't do, it's cold in Missouri this time of year, as I was walking down the driveway, there was a newspaper wrapped up, laying there, what's this I though, we don't get a news paper, it's yours I felt the Spirit say, read it, taking it in the house, I did just that, with my morning cup of coffee. The first place I looked, was in the help wanted section, going down the list coming to a add, for food-service work experience.

After having breakfast, I had a strong feeling about this add, to go ahead and call, the phone number, seeing if there was any possible chance for me to find work at this place. The add did not give a company name, or a where the location was, when I made the phone call I was surprised to find out it was a company, I had done business with many times, while working in Reno NV. It was a big food service company in Buffalo New York, that built equipment for restaurants, up and down, the East coast, we use to supply most of the kitchen ventilators for their veriest projects. They said yes we would love to have you work for us, but why wasn't I working for the Reno company, so I gave them my story, that's when they said, the management and owners, have all been replaced there, you might want to give them a call, before you make a decision to working for us.

So I did make that call, and yes all the old management was gone, including the owners, that I though new nothing, about building food service equipment. After talking to the shop manager Joe, who I new and worked with for many years, was surprised to hear I needed a job, he wanted to know when or how soon, I could get back to Reno, he need a layout mechanic for the kitchen ventilators, wanting me to work for him in the shop.

That evening at home, my wife and I had a long talk, about me going back to Reno, working for the same company I quit just 17 months ago. We agreed to give it another try, so I was to drive my car out and rent a small room for a month, to see if this was really from God, and His plan for us returning to Nevada. I arrived in Reno a week later, after driving through the worst snow storm, In Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah, I never want to go through anything like that again, but through it all God got me to Reno, safe and sound, Praise God.

All the shop worker were happy to see me, and have me working with them again, making me happy to be there also. I must of worked in the shop for a couple of weeks, when the engineering department found out, that I had worked, upstairs in the drawing room before, they ask me to help out.
After a week or so the new management ask me to work permanently, with the engineering department, they would allow me to keep my union status, and not having to give it up, to work with them. Also they would have a moving company move our belongings to Reno, when we found a house here.

It was like a different world working for this company, I told my wife to put our home in Missouri for sell by owner, because my real-state license was only good back there, we could do our own paper work if need be. This was hard on my wife again, selling the home and working in the beauty salon, with a good clientele by now, and having to give it up, and start over in Reno again, she is very good at what she does as a Hair Dresser, people love her every place she has worked.

I was now back attending church, at the South-hills Christian Assembly, the same church we had attended before leaving Reno, everyone was happy to see me again, wanting to know when the family would arrive, the only thing I could say was it would happen, when our house sells in Missouri, asking them to praying for us, that God would send a buyer. By now I was living with some friends, we had meet in church, back in the early 80's, this helped out big time in saving me money, also having more living space was very nice.

It was about three months later, when I moved back in town closer to work, at another Christian friends house. They were in the process of building a new home, I volunteered to help them out after work, and weekends. This was good for me, because it took my mind off the worries, of not selling the Missouri house yet, and missing my family, not being here. Now I must say working with wood or metal was something I really enjoyed, and there was plenty of that in building their 4000 square foot house. Helping them design and build all the staircases in this two story home was again a joy for me.

Our house in Missouri sold in November and closed in December, the movers packed up all our belongings, and headed west to Reno. My wife and youngest son flew in, arriving here on Christmas Day, a few days before the movers got here. We were now renting this nice home over looking the Truckee river close to downtown Reno. The house was empty because our friends moved into their new home, leaving their old house empty and for rent, just for us. My wife and I see it as a blessing from the Lord. Praise God
Conclusion to follow.
God Bless