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Blessings to you.
Compelling. Suspenseful. Inspiring. A mixture of romance, intrigue, Christian values, and subtle tactics of Satan. A story that will keep you on the edge of your seat along with the cheers!
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Chris is busy winning cases in Atlanta’s courtrooms while her sister, Teri enjoys beach life. Will either give up their careers to fulfil new dreams? Full of exciting twists, intrigue, heartwarming romance, and a strong sense of family.
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Like Abraham, the Lord suddenly tells Sue to “go to land I tell you.” From below zero temperatures to above one hundred degree desert air, and everything in between, God’s faithfulness fills the pages of Sue’s personal journey of learning to trust Christ and to be obedient to whatever He calls her to do and wherever He tells her to go. This is a journey you don’t want to miss!
Unique in presentation, heartfelt, and inspirational. My story is a testimony of stepping out in faith and being obedient. It is so transparent that many Christians would hesitate to tell it.
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If you think following Christ is a smooth ride then join me on my roller coaster ride of learning to trust and obey our Mighty Savior, Jesus Christ. The truth about walking with the Lord, my truth that is, and the Lord sure proved faithful!
Compelling, transparent, and heartfelt. A testimony of stepping out in faith, but not without frustrations!
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Hard hitting! Thought provoking! Compelling! Timely! Are you brave enough to look within your own beliefs? Be prepared to be confronted!
BOOKS MAY BE ORDERED THROUGH:
www.elahministries.com (U.S.A. only) I have all books available and you’ll get an autographed copy.
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All proceeds from the sale of my books support Elah Ministries, Inc.
By John Grant-
Ruth looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter one more time…
Dear Ruth,
I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I’d like to stop by for a visit.
Love always, Jesus.
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.” With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. I’ll have to run to the store and buy something for dinner.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
“hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
“Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and , well, if you could just help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.” Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”
“Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.” The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
“Sir, wait!” The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. “Look, why don’t you take the food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag.
“Thank you lady. Thank you very much!”
“Yes, thank you!” It was the man’s wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. “You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street… without her coat and nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady Thank you very much!”
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. That’s odd. She thought. The mailman doesn’t usually come twice in one day. She took the envelope out of the box and opened it:
Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you too, for the beautiful coat.
Love always,
Jesus.
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
“The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Matt. 25:40
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Blessings to you.
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elah501c@bellsouth.net
Blessings to you.
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elah501@bellsouth.net
Blessings to you.
~~~~~~
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elah501c@bellsouth.net
Blessings to you.
This is a video we need to hear. So many of us are feeling disappointed in our churches. Hopefully this can help.
Do you agree with her?
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elah501c@bellsouth.net
Blessings to you.
Once upon a time a little girl was born into a family that wasn’t rich and wasn’t exactly poor. I suppose they would fall into the “middle class” category of society. They lived in the country and those who knew them thought all was well. But it wasn’t. It was a family filled with deep dysfunction.
As the little girl grew, her hurt and pain grew with her. She was being abused; physically, emotionally, sexually, and psychologically from a very early age. She had no hope, no dreams, and saw no way out. She put on a brave front but inside she was empty, lonely, and angry. Very angry!
One day her neighbor asked her to church so the little girl went so as to escape the misery at home. The preacher spoke of how Jesus saves us. Hope filled the little girls heart and she ran forward and asked Jesus to save her. When she got home she waited and watched. Any sound and she’d run to the window to see if Jesus had shown up to save her from the torture she lived in. She expected the knock on the door any day.
But no knock came. As the days passed she felt hurt and confused, then angry, then bitterness set in.
As a young teen her hell continued at home with added pain piling high. She was gang raped then learned she was pregnant. The child was taken from her womb and placed in the arms of a stranger without her ever seeing her child. Her bitterness grew and any who spoke of God would meet with her wrath.
Her rage and angry roots grew so deep no one could get through. The door was slammed shut to anything pertaining to a loving God. Her pain continued to dig deeper and deeper. She attempted suicide a couple of times but to no avail. God wouldn’t even let her die!
She married in her late twenties and thought all would be okay now. Only it wasn’t.
Her new husband beat her. He stayed out all night and brought women to their bed when she was out of town. He drank and lived in the bars. He got mixed up with the wrong crowd and finally was looking down the wrong end of a gun being held by a killer. Her pain deepened but life must go on.
Where was God? She didn’t ask. She figured He could care less. As far as she was concerned she didn’t exist in God’s eyes. If He doesn’t care why should she?
Once again single she figured single life was okay. She dated, she worked, she had a good time, too. The mask she wore covered her wounded heart.
Four years later she met another man. A man totally opposite of her abusive husband. A Christian man. He didn’t belittle her. He didn’t hit her or call her ugly names. He didn’t drink or chase other women. He supported her and loved her. He didn’t preach to her. He somehow knew better. He didn’t talk about love. He showed her what love is and gradually she was able to toy with the idea that maybe God brought this loving man into her life. She trusted her husband and loved him more than anything she’d ever known.
But bad things happen.
She retired. He retired. They traveled and enjoyed doing the things they had dreamed about doing some day. But all those dreams were never met. He got sick. Five years of fighting his illness and living in hospitals brought her new pain. At least now she was talking to God. Lashing out would be more like it. “If You are real You are going to have to prove it to me!” she screamed silently.
He did.
Soon after she buried her husband she found herself standing in front of a pastor asking Jesus to be her Savior. She wasn’t sure how she got there, or really why she was there, but after that things began changing in her life. Changing drastically! Jesus was now her Counselor and the wounds of the past were being confronted and healed. Her life was being transformed a step at a time.
Her phone rang one morning. She slowly walked toward the kitchen to answer it. While reaching for the phone the Lord spoke softly, “I’m giving back to you what was taken from you.” She heard her long-lost child’s voice for the first time in thirty-six years.
God wasn’t through proving He’s real.
He used her to help others with similar pain from their pasts. He taught her to trust Him. He took her to places she had never been, not just physical locations, but emotional and spiritual places. He’s given her dreams and visions and warnings and encouragement to give to others. He’s used this once hurt and angry little girl in ways that continues to amaze her even today.
Long ago she gave up on Him – but He never gave up on her!
He uses her today to tell those that do not believe or accept Him, that He is real. He wants them to know He cares. He wants them to know they’ll never be alone if they will only accept Him. He wants them to know that He will transform their lives if they’ll just place their trust in Him.
I know because I was that little girl.
God proved He is real and continues to prove it to me every day. He is my life, my healing, my hope, my Redeemer. He is my all. What He does for one He does for all.
I pray He will become your all, and that if you haven’t already, you will ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart and transform your life.
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“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Roman 10:9
“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives. And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Is. 61:1
Feel free to e-mail me any confidential questions or comments at: elah501c@bellsouth.net
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Blessings to you.
Carla braces against the wind as she faces the water looking over the sea. Black, ominous, boiling clouds roll threateningly toward the shore. The sky has suddenly turned black, replacing the sun. The wind is hurricane forces, whipping and bending the trees as easily as if they are straws. Pushed to almost the breaking point, their arms sweep the ground. Their trunks lean menacingly, as though being shaken by the strong arms of a giant. A few have been ripped from the ground.
The roar of raging waves fills the air. Crashing against the beach with such force, they leave grooves, holes, then suck the fine sand back out into the gaping mouth of the sea. Their rage cannot be tamed. Their fury is bent on destruction.
The few seagulls that have braved the wind are whipped about like loose paper picked up from the street. They’re being thrown up, around, down, and can’t seem to get a foothold on where to go or how to get there. One bird is driven down, down, down. With every ounce of strength it has, it fights to keep from hitting the ground like a bomber nose diving toward earth with deadly results. At the last second before impact, it swerves, just missing the branch of a large tree and lands in the dirt beneath a wall with the words, “But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth” written on it. Dazed, the bird stands, ruffles its feathers and staggers toward an empty barrel.
“Run!” people scream in terror. “It’s a tsunami” a man hollers as he runs as fast as he can toward the hotel. The waves roar toward the shore, threatening man, beast, and life. Anything in their path will be gone in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again.
Carla grabs her five-year-old daughter’s hand as the little girl screams, “Mommy!”
“Come on, honey, we have to run as fast as we can.”
The little girl tries but the sand seems to imprison her feet. The torrents of rain burn their eyes, raindrops so large they feel like small pebbles pelting their face, bare arms, and legs. Carla stumbles. “Mommy!” the little girl screams as she trips and Carla drags her across the sand.
“Lord help us!” Carla screams as she stumbles again while swooping her daughter into her arms.
Stumbling again, she almost drops her daughter as people rush past her. A woman slams into her, almost knocking her to the ground. She cusses at Carla and continues to run frantically. Mothers yelling for their children to hurry up, children crying in fear, screams are heard and the roar-the roar of the monstrous waves grows louder. Slowly, methodically, like an army of giants, these twenty-and thirty- foot high waves march closer and closer as people frantically try to get out of their path. Nothing will stop them. These monsters have a mind of their own.
Carla runs holding her daughter tightly in her arms. A huge wave roars up behind her and just as it’s about to swallow her whole, Carla’s eyes fly open and she bolts upright in the middle of her bed. Gasping for air, she hugs herself in the dark of her bedroom. Her body is covered in sweat and her heart is racing. Realizing she is grasping a wad of blankets tightly, she loosens her grip. It was only a dream! she thinks, relieved. Her heart finally slows and she lies back down.
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“…An intense page turner from beginning to end,…” Angel B. Pennyman – Experience His Freedom Ministries Founder
“…a riveting story of the power, grace, and healing of God…” Steve Wood, Sr. Pastor – Mount Pisgah U.M.C. – Atlanta, Ga.
“…literally captivated me…skillfully woven a mixture of romance, intrigue, Christian values…” Bill McKinnon, Pastor – World Outreach Church – McRae, Ga.
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AVAILABLE: (All proceeds supports Elah Ministries, Inc.)
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Blessings to you.
“You know you aren’t fixing this up for yourself, don’t you?” the Lord said to me in 1999 as I wrestled with sticky wall paper while standing on a ladder.
That was the beginning of what I call my five-year Odyssey. My husband had gone to be with the Lord, I gave my life to Christ soon after and was serving Him through my church and in ministry. My “adopted daughter” (a young woman the Lord brought to live with me that stole my heart and became like a daughter to me) had left the safe nest. I decided it was a good time to freshen up the house with new paint and wallpaper.
Needless to say I had no idea the Lord was planning on my moving to destinations known only to Him. By the time the wall paper was hung and dry and three rooms painted I was being told to start packing. He gave me the name of the realtor I would use and low and behold she was real! She had six weeks to sell my house and as I was to learn over the next five years the Lord always keeps His word!
This was going to be hard lessons that traversed across the United States. “Start packing” would come at the least expected times and it would only be in the middle of the packing that the Lord would decide to inform me of where I was going. One time He sent me to see a niece and half way there He dropped the verbal bomb on me, “Oh, by the way. You’ll be buying a house while there.” I almost wrecked the car!
He would eventually tell me how long I would be in a particular location but He would NEVER tell me why He was sending me there! The frustrations grew stronger with every move. New lessons were learned with each, “Start packing.” He would say those words and obediently I would start gathering boxes, emptying out drawers, donating items He said I would no longer need, and gearing up for yet another destination. Johnny Cash’ song, “On the Road Again” became my theme song.
The Lord never asked me if I wanted to move. He never asked me what I thought about living in such and such a place. It was simply a statement of fact, “You’re moving!” When I reached the sixth location I decided I would unpack only the absolute necessities. To heck with unpacking and packing for a year’s stay and then moving some place else. I had finally gotten this moving business down pat.
To my shock, as I read labels on the packed boxes, the Lord said, “You don’t have to move any more. Unpack all of it.” I was very dubious about that statement, although He had proved faithful for all this time. He repeated, “You don’t have to move any more” several more times before I was able to accept that and unpacked and settled in.
Five years later, totally convinced I am here to stay, I hear His familiar voice. “Start packing.” That has to be the devil! God? You told me I didn’t have to move any more! “Start packing.” I won’t go into the devastation of what those two words did to my faith. The devil was jumping up and down with glee and feeding me lies upon lies and I was falling for them hook, line, and sinker. He got his teeth into me and was shredding every thing I believed about my Lord. But God is greater! “He who is in you…”
It was two moves later, 2 new locations, that I began to realize there is a difference between “You don’t HAVE TO” and “You WON’T.” As the movers hauled my furniture and boxes into the home I now have the Lord spoke very gently, “Sue, You won’t be moving any more.”
I stopped in my tracks, set the box down and said, “I WON’T be moving any more or I don’t HAVE TO move any more? I need to know clearly, which is it, Lord!?” It was then that it suddenly occurred to me that when He had told me previously that I don’t have to move any more He was allowing me to choose. I could do as He wanted me to do, move, or I could say, “Naw, I like it here. I’m staying put.”
For me, when the Lord either makes a request or makes a statement of His will, there is no choice. I have two definitions for “fear.” “Fear,” as in reverence to the Lord Almighty and bowing to His will, not mine. And “fear” as in, He will knock me flat on my backside with a great big bolt of lightning!
Yes, He gave us free will but in my opinion, if we are followers of Jesus Christ we will do His will regardless of whether we understand it, want to, can afford it, or anything else we can come up with. He always supplies what we need to do whatever it is that He calls us to do. He wants only two things from us as Christians, to trust Him and to be obedient. We cannot do one without the other!
The devil continued to try to convince me that Christ is the liar but now five years in this home and many times of wavering, at first, about whether I would be called to move again, I am totally trusting His promise and that He will be faithful to fulfill that promise of, “You are not moving any more.”
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You’ll laugh, cry, and rejoice, as God reveals His faithfulness:
Available in the U.S.A. at: http://www.elahministries.com
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Blessings to you.
Sue's Pen 2 Paper Blog 