Learn to Negotiate Your Own Credit Card Debt

Why should you pay a credit counselor or loan consolidation service for their help when you could be negotiating your own credit card debt yourself?  It will not pardon what you owe, but could go a long way to eliminate unsecured credit card debt.

First, you must have all of your ducks in a row.  You are going to be speaking one-on-one with a representative who can help reduce your payments, so it is imperative that you be prepared.  Know exactly your total credit card debt.  Be certain to have the exact amount of your minimum monthly payment requirements at hand.  Have a detailed personal budget in front of you so you can informatively discuss what your monthly earnings and expenses are and suggest what sort of payment you can afford.

Let the credit card company know that you do indeed intend to pay your account in full, but you are looking for some help in reducing interest rates and eliminating late fee charges.  Ask the representative what you have to do to get a zero percent APR for six to twelve months.  Negotiate from a position of strength.  After all, you owe them and they want to get their money.  In the event that they tell you a zero percent APR is not available, tell them that you are sorry to hear that, as you may have to consider transferring the balance to another card and closing this account with them.  Be polite and courteous, but firm, when negotiating your credit card debt yourself.

The Bible admonishes us to be good stewards of what God has allowed us to have.  Doing so involves honoring the vows we made to pay for the item not matter what it takes.  Our reputation before others is much more valuable than the cost of what is owed.

In this effort, never lose your cool or start to sound exasperated.  If you are transferred to another party, start over from scratch.  Never assume that the person you spoke to formerly has passed any information on to the next person with whom you speak.  It is quite possible that the first representative just passed you along to get you out of their hair.  When you are told that they cannot help you, politely ask to be passed along to someone who might be able to help.  This is referred to as escalating the call, moving along to a higher authority.

I know this can get tedious, but patience and persistence often pay off well emotionally and financially.

Remember that you are in the process of saving yourself a lot of money.  By negotiating credit card debt yourself, you are saving fees and interest rates that would come from credit counseling and debt consolidation options.  Once successful, you will also be saving yourself interest charges and late fees.  So, if you get passed along and find that you’re repeating yourself over and over again, stick with it. The end result will definitely be worthwhile.

There is more help with credit cards to help you save money, live debt free and enjoy the many blessings around you.  Also, be sure to sign up to receive a free report, tips on budgeting, and encouragement to make your money worries go away.

For more reading on this, check out a further perspective on credit card debt settlement.

I met Darlene through a comment she left on my web page about “A Gift for Henry”. I came to find out that she had lost her husband, Steve, due to congestive heart failure and that he had died in her arms a few years ago. Knowing this I could only imagine how painful this time of year must be for her and wanted to do something to let her know that God sees her hurt and pain and that He cares. Three wishes is God’s special gift to Darlene this Christmas.

Three Wishes

Darlene regarded the Christmas decorations in her local grocery store glumly. She hated this time of year. Absolutely hated it! All it did was accentuate the sadness that she always carried in her heart like a heavy lead balloon. As a kid she had enjoyed the holidays as much as anyone else but all that had changed three years ago when her husband, Steve, had died in her arms of heart failure.

She sighed, fighting back the tears that welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. She wasn’t going to cry in the check-out line! Not in front of all these strangers!

The box boy stuffed the last of her groceries into the bag and Darlene hurried out, her head down, her shoulders beginning to shake. She got into her car, her hands trembling with the grief she tried to suppress and yet couldn’t. She let her head drop onto the steering wheel and allowed the tears to come. She missed him. She couldn’t help it. Even after a few years, there was still a big hole in her heart that just wouldn’t heal.

Oh, Stevie…she thought to herself, not for the last time. If only we had had more time together…if only your heart hadn’t been sick…if only…

Darlene violently brushed the tears from her cheeks and started the car. She didn’t want to go down that road again. She had to get home, unload the groceries alone without help and get some dinner for herself. The very idea depressed her beyond belief. She turned the key in the ignition and maneuvered out of the parking lot. She made to turn right, but the car suddenly had other ideas. It turned left. It shocked her so much she just gaped. Then the gas pedal depressed itself and the car began speeding up and driving itself. Darlene sat back and watched in shock as the car continued to steer, turning down streets she was unfamiliar with, stopping and starting without assistance from her, wondering where on earth her car was taking her and why. For some reason she felt no panic but a few times she caught the shocked glances of people in other cars as she half-heartedly smiled and waved at them as her car turned a corner without her assistance. Once or twice she gripped the steering wheel and tried to steer the way she wanted and to brake but the car was completely unresponsive.

Why fight it? She thought to herself and sat back to watch what would happen. A half hour passed, then 45 minutes and the car was on the main highway heading north. Before she knew it, she had nodded off to sleep.

She awoke when the car came to a stop, not remembering what had happened and wondering if she was asleep, dreaming she was awake. She looked around and found herself and her car in a tiny parking lot in front of a little cottage, brightly lit with cheerful Christmas lights and a wreath on the door. There was nothing else in site.

She got out of the car feeling stiff from her unexpected nap. She went up to the door of the cottage which was bright red, and knocked. Hopefully whoever lived there would let her use the phone or give her directions on how to get back home before the milk spoiled. She knocked twice.

“Come in, Darlene!” said a voice that made her heart skip a beat. A voice she had not heard in years but a voice that was dearly beloved and familiar all the same. Heart pounding, she walked into the little cottage. There was a fireplace with a cheery fire crackling away, a Christmas tree with ornaments that looked strangely familiar and her favorite Christmas music playing on the stereo that she hadn’t played in years because it had hurt too much to listen to it.

“Welcome, home, sweetheart!” said the voice again and Darlene felt arms wrapping around her like a warm cocoon.

“Stevie?” she sobbed, turning around to face what must surely be a dream or a ghost. “Is it really you?”

“Yes, dear,” he responded with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry we had to bring you here the way we did and that it took so long but I hope the memory we make will be worth it to you.”

“We? Memory?” Darlene repeated, completely bewildered. She stepped back out of Steve’s arms for a moment and rubbed her eyes, unable to believe she was seeing what she was seeing. Steve stepped forward again and gently took her hands into his.

“I’m sorry I have ruined the holidays for you.” He said, he eyes truly sorrowful. “I didn’t want to leave you at all, you know, but my heart wasn’t made to last as long as everyone else’s. Can you forgive me?”

“It’s just that I miss you so much.” Darlene said, the tears spilling down again. “I have wished so often that I could just have you with me just one more time, just a little bit longer…”

Steve took her face gently into his hands and smiled at her. “Wish granted.” He whispered and embraced her again. This time Darlene did not pull away. She melted into his embrace and allowed herself the luxury of breathing in the scent of his hair and his clothes without all the medicine smells that he had used to carry later in life when his heart began to fail. After a few moments, Steve parted them with a smile and reached for one of the grocery bags. “Here, let me help you with that.” He said, hefting it up easily.

“No! I’ll get it!” Darlene protested, falling back into the routine of doing most of the lifting herself because of his weak heart.

“Not necessary!” Steve said, grabbing both effortlessly. “No more bad heart!” He led her into the tiny but charming kitchen and took the groceries out one at a time. Instead of the dull, boring regular items she always got, she stared in amazement as Steve pulled out their favorite beverages, foods, and treats they used to share one at a time. It was a gourmet feast and it was already prepared and hot. Together they sat down at the table where candlelight glowed and ate and talked for hours. Then they cuddled up onto the couch together in front of the fire and the tree, listening to soft Christmas music together.

“I don’t want this moment to end.” Darlene said at last, knowing the moment for her departure was approaching soon. Steve laid a gentle kiss on her forehead and held her close.

“Do you remember our last moments together?” he whispered.

Darlene choked on her sobs, the raw wound opening up again. “Of course I do! How could I ever forget a moment like that?” she said, her heart aching. Steve held her closer and looked deeply into her eyes, his face serious.

“Darlene, I always knew I would not live very long and have a normal life span. I also knew it would be unfair to whoever I married and my kids because of it… but I was selfish asked God to grant me three wishes: 1) That I would be able to marry the woman I love, 2) that I could be a father (no matter how they turned out), and 3)…”

Steve paused, his own eyes filling with tears.

“Three?” repeated Darlene, wondering what it could be.

Steve sighed deeply and held her closer. “…that when it was finally my time to leave this earth and go to heaven, I would die in the arms of the person who loved me best in this life…You.

“God gave me all three of my wishes and now He has granted this one for you. He has given you one more memory…a little more time…just a taste of the joy of our being reunited in heaven so you can still go on with your life in this world and grieve a little bit less, knowing how well I loved you and how I still love you and that I’m waiting for you. The time is growing short when we will be together again forever but until that day comes, I want you to live each day knowing that I’m still loving you and caring about you. Try to find joy again in the little things again and I’ll be right there, sharing it with you. Can you do that for me?”

“I’ll try.” Darlene smiled weakly, wishing she could stay in that little cottage with him forever.

“Now lay your head on my shoulder and go to sleep,” said Steve, holding her close, “and when you wake you’ll be back to your regular life but remember that you always carry my love and my heart inside your own.”

“Okay,” whispered Darlene, clutching him tightly. “I’ll remember. I promise.”

“That’s my girl,” Steve smiled, caressing her head until she fell asleep.

Darlene awoke with a start and looked around her. The cottage was gone and so were the tree, fireplace and Steve. She was back in her little home but there on the table was the most beautiful arrangement of snow-white and deep red flowers she had ever seen. She picked up the tiny envelope and withdrew the little card that had Steve’s handwriting on it and instead of crying…she smiled.

THE END

For we do not mourn as those who have no hope for we know that if Christ is raised so also shall we be raised, and our loved ones who died in faith as well so that we can look forward to being  reunited with them.

My personal “storm” occurred about 25 years ago and started out rather innocuously. I remember the day well, it was the day after I had gone to Knotts Berry Farm with my boyfriend (now husband) Michael. I got what I thought was an ordinary case of diarrhea and took the typical over the counter remedies but nothing seemed to work. This ailment continued for the next two weeks and when I began noticing blood, I decided it was time to see a doctor. I went and saw a regular MD who had me undergo a lower GI barium x-ray which showed nothing. For a few days after that I had relief then it started up again with a vengeance; making me feel weak and exhausted. I then sought the services of an internist who performed no tests but put me on a more restricted diet and took my money for a year, only to have my symptoms become worse. I began to feel punished anytime I ate and started dropping weight. Finally my mother who had been worried sick about me, insisted I see a specialist. By this time I was so miserable, I agreed. His name was Dr. Jerome Cohen. He took my history, did a sigmoidoscopy on me and then informed me he was not going to mess around with my health like the other doctors. He was going to have to do a colonoscopy to find out exactly what was wrong.

After the procedure I was informed I officially had a “disease”. It was ulcerative colitis and while there was no medicinal cure, there were things that could help. I was only 24 and was depressed to learn I actually had a disease. He started me on prednisone which many doctors call a miracle drug because it temporarily will remove many symptoms of an immune system gone haywire. What they don’t tell you is how bad this drug is for you physically in the long run and how awful it makes you behave in the short term. It’s like having perpetual “road rage” and raging PMS at the same time but it did stop my symptoms immediately. After almost 2 years of almost nonstop diarrhea, bleeding and abdominal pain, I had almost instant relief. During this time, I had gotten engaged and was planning to marry. The only thing I could say that I liked about the disease was losing the weight but it was a heck of a way to do it. To save money, I moved back home to Torrance and commuted to Orange County every day. I wouldn’t eat or drink a thing until after I had gotten to work so as to avoid “waking my bowels” up. To say that I knew where every public bathroom was on my 60 mile commute was an understatement. Sometimes I barely made it to a bathroom in time despite not eating.

As the days and weeks progressed after our wedding, it took higher and higher doses of Prednisone to keep the ulcerative colitis in check. The increase in dosage also increased my heart rate, my rage and impatience and started bloating my face and body up to the point where I looked like an organ transplant patient who was fighting rejection of the new organ. My new marriage was taking an awful beating. I was practically chained to the bathroom, could hardly eat and was making life hell for my poor new husband who began secretly considering divorce before we had kids as I was no longer the person he had married.

By now I was up to 45 grams of Prednisone a day, I was having bathroom accidents frequently (which were totally humiliating) and if I continued putting up with ulcerative colitis for several more years, it would lead to colon cancer. My life had become so miserable that I really had no options left but to schedule surgery. At this time a Christian friend at work invited me to come to her church to hear a man preach who had a miraculous healing ministry. By this time I had scheduled the surgery to remove my colon and I was frightened of the subsequent pain and changes to my body. Even though by this time I had become quite jaded towards ministers claiming to have special healing ministries, I was desperate enough to try and attend; pleading with the Lord to heal me miraculously rather than through the expensive, painful surgery I was facing. I made myself a promise that I would not tell the preacher what was wrong; that if he was the real deal; God would have to give him a specific “word of knowledge” about my condition and approach me for healing, not the other way around. My husband was incredulous but agreed to go with me. I stood and wept silently throughout the entire service with tears streaming down my face, pleading with God to heal me so I wouldn’t have to face surgery. The preacher either didn’t notice me or was afraid to approach me. Whatever the reason, he made no reference to me and I left without having a miracle but still trusting the Lord.

I entered the hospital on October 8th, about a week before my 28th birthday. Next to me sat a young girl in the hospital admissions office that was facing open heart surgery. I decided I was glad that I was not having what she was but I was still apprehensive. My husband signed me in and they began prepping me for surgery the next day. The night before I had taken a colon cleanser (which resulted in another accident early the next morning before going to the hospital). That night there was no food, just a lot of antibiotic pills. So much so in fact that I ended up throwing them all up. Early the next morning I was wheeled down to surgery with my poor husband at my bedside. They had given me a shot of Demurral to calm my nerves and I was cracking jokes to the nurses. They wheeled me in, transferred me to the operating table and swabbed my entire abdomen with orange antiseptic. I remember counting backwards and only getting to 90. When I awoke from the anesthesia it was with a shock of pain. I couldn’t talk and could hardly take a breath, nor could I ask the nurses for more Morphine for the horrific pain while they discussed the latest videos they had rented.

They wheeled me up to my post-surgical room. My nurse was Stella and I’ll never forget how she hovered over me like a mother bird, putting pillows all around me, feeding me ice-chips and hooking up hoses and tubes to every opening in my body. Although I was weak I was very conscious of her exceptional care and was able to thank her months later face to face and tell her how much it had meant to me. I had a long vertical scar stretching from the bottom of my chest all the way down to almost my pubic area like a big zipper. I had a NG tube snaked down through my nose/throat into my stomach. I had a suction hose attached to where my rectum used to be and a large IV that was in my neck to feed me and hydrate me. And last but not least, I had an illesotomy bag and was catheterized to save me numerous trips to pass water in the bathroom.

I was only supposed to be in the hospital for 10 days maximum. I couldn’t eat anything at all for a few days then only clear liquids to start. Food and restaurant commercials on the TV were absolute torture. Slowly they began introducing bland food into my diet and on my birthday my surgeon had sent a birthday cake to me in my room but for some reason it tasted like dirt. I was warned that I would have a lot of gas so when I started experiencing a lot of pain and belching, I attributed it to gas. The night before I was supposed to be released, I was watching the world series with my husband in my hospital room. My husband was eating fast food as was his custom. The commute from his work and our home to the hospital every night was a good 30 miles each way. Suddenly I snatched away the empty Carls Jr. bag and threw up into it. That night my nurse spent the evening walking me around the corridor as I belched and belched, getting Demurral shots for the pain every 2 hours. The next day I was supposed to be released but instead of going home, I was given an emergency upper G.I. It’s bad enough when the stuff was cold but even more disgusting when the Barium is room temperature! I was writhing in agony at this point and not knowing what was going on. Hours later, the assistant surgeon told me what it was. Since my entire large intestine had been removed, during healing the small intestine had twisted itself into knots (referred to as a blockage) and could burst unless a second surgery was performed.

“Fine!” I said. “Do whatever you have to do; just fix it!” I remember just before being put under for the second time telling the Lord that I was committing my soul into His care should I not come out alive. I had the second surgery but this time instead of staples, they had to sew me shut the old fashioned way. Inhaling was even worse this time when I awoke. I felt like I had been hit by a Mack truck. Everything that could have gone wrong with me, went wrong. My NG tube fell out while I was getting my hair washed and it had to be put back in while I was awake (horrible procedure)! This time however, while I healed my bowels stayed in place.

My poor mother and father were at my hospital bed every single day (a long commute from Torrance) for what ended up totaling 30 days. They are not believers and couldn’t wrap their heads around the notion that we hadn’t paid the people who had come from our church to pray for the entire first 7-hour surgery and the second 5-hour surgery.

Through it all, though I was in a lot of pain, I entrusted myself and my soul to the care of my creator just like a little child; knowing that whatever did or did not happen, that I was in the center of His will. It has been over 20 years since I had that surgery and I have never regretted it. As a result, I have been able to alleviate the fears of one of my mother’s friends who was facing the same surgery and was scared to death. I changed my medical dressing right in front on him; showing him that it was really no big deal. Here I was a 30ish female, exposing my stomach with my cuffed small intestine sticking out through my skin and not acting like it was a big deal. It gave him a much needed lift and encouragement and he had the surgery. He never forgot this act of kindness and has since referred to me as his “angel”. I always told him to thank God, not me, because I did it for the Lord. Recently he was able to pay the same kindness forward as he did the same thing for a woman friend of his who also had to have the same surgery and he was so glad that he finally got his chance to do someone else the same favor.

Now I lead a very normal life; I eat whatever I want, going to the bathroom takes only minutes, not hours, I can’t have any more colonoscopies because I no longer have one and I’m off those horrible drugs which caused my older sister to have hip, shoulder and cataract surgery even though she had taken a lot less than me and for a shorter period of time. God brought me through the storm instead of flying me over it and while I would never want to have to repeat it, I don’t regret any of it.

NOTE: As providence would have it, a week ago I had the absolute thrill of running into one of my two favorite nurses at an event totally unrelated to my old disease or surgery. She was talking to someone else and mentioned that her name was Taffy and that her sister’s name was Candy. At this I knew instantly who she was. She was the nurse who had walked me around the dim corridors of Hoag Hospital at night, giving me Demoral shots every two hours because of my obstruction. I stood up and asked her if she had been a nurse at Hoag Hospital more than 20 years ago and she said yes. She recognized me and we hugged and I got to tell her how very grateful I was for all the tender care and concern they gave me and that I never forgot it. She told me something I had not known at the time; that they were all deeply concerned about me and my condition and were worried that it was either an infection or an obstruction – either of which could have been very serious trouble. Fortunately God worked it all out and I’ve been fine ever since.

It’s amazing what can happen when you stand up for Christ.  This is a great video.

Are you afraid of sharing Jesus? Just remember, God tells us that he will give us the words to say…just ask him.  The bible says that when we are weak he will be strong.

I also found some additional helpful resources like this article on “How to conquer your fear of sharing your faith” on Crosswalk.com, or this article on 20 ways to share your faith which talks about very creative ways to evangelize online.  Others are Digital Evangelism Issues on new and webinars on that subject.  I also found a great article called Prayer Strategy for Personal Evangelism on the important of prayer when evangelizing…what a thought…easy to forget.  A great tool for evangelism is using the Jesus Film from “The Jesus Film Project”…it literally comes into 1,000 languages. I also found this site with fantastic articles on sharing your faith called “Go share your faith“

I have to confess…I should have been an actress.  Not because I want to be one but because I have the same insecurities and need for constant validation.  If an employer or boss tells me one day I’m doing a great job and the next day doesn’t – I start to doubt myself.

Even though my life long dream of having The Victor published occurred earlier this year (against all odds)…I still struggle with the feelings of being a “second class” author because I didn’t get published the “traditional” way.

This week (the week of my 50th birthday) I was feeling especially low. I was having serious doubts about The Victor ever being anything more than just a good read for 2 hours. It was so bad I was just ready to give up.  All the “famous people” who had gotten copies of the book months ago have never contacted me nor do I know if they have or ever will read it.

These past few days I have also seriously begun to question my purpose in life.  Who am I to think that the Lord would need to use me (a nobody who didn’t even go to college) to write a book that would reach people  for Christ?

For the first time in many years, God began to “communicate” with me in a fairly obvious way.  First on Friday (my lowest day) with a David Wilkerson Devotional.  The second was when I noticed that the scripture verse the organizers had chosen to print on all the take away bookmarks was the one the Lord gave me specifically for my book 30 years ago (Psalm 45:1).

Next Kathi Macias (the first keynote speaker and a good friend – who did not know what was going on in my life) spoke first about how Satan will use two methods (subversive and perversive) to destroy what God wants to do with the talents He has given us. BINGO. After her address, 3-time Christy Award winning author, Athol Dickson, came up and introduced himself to me and to ask me about The Victor.  I told him the basic premise of how I wanted it to be used as a long “gospel tract” to reach kids in public school and he commented on how he had been dissatisfied for the past several years at how, even though Christian fiction had improved a lot, it was still “preaching to the choir” and not reaching out to people who didn’t know Christ.

When Athol gave his talk it was like he talking specifically about what God wanted to do with my book. I just sat there and wept. It was the Lord reconfirming to me personally that The Victor was His idea, that he had a purpose for it and not to despair and give up. I gave Athol a copy of my book as a gift and wrote in it how much his talk had meant to me.

He contacted me the next day and offered his ears and prayers and has done much to get me back into the right frame of mind.

Thanks, Lord…I really needed that.

Reasons to Start a Personal Budget

We explore how a personal budget plan makes setting financial goals obtainable.  First, write down a paragraph or list of where you would like to see yourself five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years from now.   Make this list financial, spiritual, career wise, etc.  Pour your heart out and write your true desires and passions.

Next, clearly see where are you are right now; time for some honest introspection.  Do your finances support your goals?  Look at what your earnings are in comparison to your spending.  Similar to starting a business, you need to consider all of the variables.

These variables include things such as what you spend the most money on, what expenses you can easily cut back, and what expenses are unavoidable.  Take a look at your checkbook.  There you will be able to see what you have spent your money on over the last several months.  Go back as far as a year if you can.  Some of the things you are writing checks for might surprise you.  How many of them were actual necessities, and how many could you have easily done without?  Without realizing it, you have now begun making a budget.

A key to success is in the Proverbs 21:5 admonition that, The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Next, think over your cash expenditures.  We usually spend a lot of cash on the “little” things.  Write down the items you can clearly recall spending cash on recently.  Are these repetitive items?  Do you purchase them every day?  Every week?  Add them together over the course of a month.  How much of this money could you save, or use to pay down credit card debt, or apply against the principal of your mortgage?  Can you now start to see your personal budget plan coming together?

Saving money alone does not equal happiness.  How does a life free of worry about paying bills and making ends meet sound?  Peace of mind is priceless.  What about being able to be financially free to go where God has given you passion for?  If you are encumbered by debt, you will not be free to serve at full capacity.

Your personal budget plan will help you to spend less than you earn, creating positive cash flow for you to save and to apply to meeting financial obligations such as paying off a car or house faster than you thought possible.

The best part is that it will not take long.  As soon as you begin the initial phase of your personal budget plan, you will be spending less, saving more, and setting financial goals almost immediately.  The achievement process takes time, but you will experience it step by step.  You will have a clear idea as to how you are getting ahead, even before you fully reach your goals.

Get started creating a personal budget now as you are setting financial goals that will lead surely to advantage.

What do you think?  Leave me a reply.

Recent news on global warming, plus the movie “2012,” are making people think about the idea of the end of the world. People are asking what will happen. Did the Mayans know something we don’t? Will mankind be to blame? How do we prepare?

What if I told you we can know for certain what would happen and how to prepare?

Here’s a hint – this book has a 2600-year-old prophecy about an alliance between Iran (then Persia) and Rosh – we know it’s either Russia or Turkey – in a war against Israel.(1) Persia has never been allied with Russia till very recently, and if it ever was with Turkey, it was never while Israel was in existence. Usually, Persia was at war or in an uneasy peace with Turkey and the empires there before Turkey. Yet, Iran is very cozy with Russia and cozying up to Turkey, and making many threats against Israel.

Some people follow these things for the thrill, like a scary movie. But, even if you follow it just for that reason, this is amazing, isn’t it? But, we can know much more.

This book also predicted that Israel would come back into existence, despite it not existing for thousands of years as an independent nation.(2) It also predicted television and/or webcams 2000 years before their existence, saying that everyone would be able to look on the bodies of two witnesses.(3) And, 2000 years ago, it also predicted microchip technology, which could be implanted in the skin, and a cashless society, where one would need the chip to buy or sell.(4) (Wait till you read below about Jerusalem!)

Prophecy isn’t history written beforehand to the last letter– but it is to the point that it’s easily understandable afterward. Take the judgment against Tyre, a very rich ancient trading city which was prophesized several centuries before it happened to be destroyed, not be rebuilt, and to have its ruins literally scraped down to the rock.(5) In 332 B.C., after many other nations had fought against it, Alexander the Great’s armies did just that – they scraped the ruins into the sea to make a way to the island part of it was on, and destroyed it entirely.

That’s not the only thing archaeologists have proven from this book. They’ve found evidence of many famous people mentioned in it.

Does this book really exist? It sure does. It has over 1000 prophecies, and all of the past ones have been fulfilled just the way it says. You can know about more than just Iran’s coming war with Israel, though. You can know more about how men will one day be scorched with great heat.(6)

You can also know how to escape all of this.

The book I’m talking about is the Bible. It has several hundred prophecies about Jesus Himself which came true, and more which will. He will return for His Church.

But wait, you ask – what about the other doomsayers? Well, let’s take a look. Because the devil likes to twist things, but there is an element of truth in some lies. That element is this: The world as we know it will end. And, it looks like it’ll be sooner, rather than later.

Let’s look at 2012. The Mayan calendar isn’t why the approach of 2012 is important. But, look at the Bible. Remember those first prophecies, about Iran and Russia and/or Turkey? That’s not all that’s happening now – and could be before 2012 – or after, of course.

Look at Jerusalem. It’s not just that Israel is being regathered to her ancient home. It’s Jerusalem. That city was prophesized 2400 years ago to one day be a “cup of trembling” and a “burdensome stone” to all. (7) Think about all who have tried and failed to bring peace to the Middle East. As the prophet says, it’s as if the whole world is risen up against it. It is truly a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone, with all who try failing. (There will be one man who does succeed, but he will lose in the end. More on him later.)

That’s not all. As we move toward a one-world currency, we get closer to a one-world government and even a one-world religious system that people are trying to put together. (8) We have lots of people saying these things are needed – things that have never before been possible.

2012 won’t be the end because of the Mayans. But, it’s important to realize that the signs of the times are showing that we are close. The Mayans just happened to stop their cycle at that point. But, God has put forth, in various places, what will happen in the end times. Again, they could start even earlier than 2012!

Let’s look at global warming, too. That prophecy about great heat is in the Bible, as are famines, disease, and so on. However, that doesn’t mean global warming is true. Like the Mayans with 2012, claims of global warming, true or not, are a coincidence. Actually, that great heat comes near the end of the Tribulation period.

What’s that? The Bible – which correctly predicted all that I’ve listed above, and hundreds more things – tells us. And, it’s vital for those who want to know the future. So, let’s take a short tour of real, Biblical prophecy, which is sure to come true.

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Definitions

Let’s start by defining a few terms:

God: The Creator of the Universe. He made this world perfect, so there was no sin. He wants a relationship with us. But, mankind brought sin into the world by free choice. God didn’t want us to be mindless robots. He wanted us to choose to follow Him on our own. He can’t have that relationship with us because He can’t touch sin. He exists in the spiritual dimension. It’s one we can’t see, but which exists. You know how we need an electron microscope to see electrons, or another instrument to see light? We need the instrument of faith to see the spiritual realm, because we are separated from Him.

Heaven: God’s home, again a very real place in the spiritual realm. In Heaven, there is no pain, no suffering, no tears. We can’t get there because of our sin. If any sin entered Heaven, it would not be perfect. We must get there by receiving God’s free gift of eternal life in his perfect Heaven.

Sin: This is what separates us from God. It is falling short of the mark of holy perfection. It’s anything we say, think, or do that comes short of that mark. As noted, sin is in this world because of our own free will. We must choose to accept or reject God. God wants a perfect world, where nobody will suffer. But, this world will be destroyed because of the sin in it. Because of our sin, we can’t make the world perfect, because we are not perfect.

Jesus Christ: The sinless Son of God. He is called that because He is equal with God in every way. God shows Himself to us in three ways – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. He always was, is, and will be God – He became man in order to take the punishment for our sins, when he died on the cross and rose from the dead.

Salvation: What one receives by simple faith that what Jesus Christ did – suffering and dying for your sins, and rising from the dead – was all that was necessary to restore that relationship with God, and get you to heaven. It is a totally free gift. It can’t be earned, and is not deserved. God gives it to us because of His love. However, He is also just. Sin must be punished. He took the punishment Himself.

Salvation has always been by faith – in the Old Testament, it was by faith in what God would do, in the New Testament, it’s faith in what God has done.

Christianity is unique in that only in Christianity does God come down to our level, take on flesh, and die for our sins. He died once for all – nothing more needs to be done. No other religion has the elements that Christianity does: A sinless substitute, punished for the sins of each one of us.

This is important. God will judge sin someday. It will be sooner, rather than later. All signs point toward it. Here’s what to expect, and how to prepare.

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The End of the World – An Overview of A Few Things

God promises the Jewish people will be gathered again to Israel. This has been happening for years. The Jewish people have always been God’s people. He never abandoned them. They were merely set aside so the Gentiles could be joined with them as children of God.

God will deal with Israel as a chosen nation again, once the Church Age is over. The Book of Revelation shows this. The church is not mentioned on Earth from the end of chapter 3 to the end of chapter 19, when Jesus returns with His saints.

Why? True believers are protected. We don’t know when it will happen. But, there will be what 1 Corinthians 15 describes. God the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write that Christians would all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.(9) He also wrote, in another book of the Bible, that Lord would “Descend with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. Then, the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who remain will be caught up together with Him in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”(10) These verses combine to describe the Rapture.

Here on Earth, one or two things may have happened before the above, or may only happen after the above. One is that war mentioned between Iran and her allies against Israel. Many think it will be during the Tribulation, and not before. Either is possible, though. The other is total and complete destruction of Damascus, mentioned in Isaiah 17. It will be sudden, without warning – one day it’s there, the next day, it’s gone. This could point to nuclear strike, an enormous natural gas explosion, a meteor, or something else. It also could very likely come during the Tribulation.

During the Rapture, not only are believers removed for protection, but God the Holy Spirit will no longer indwell believers. “He that letteth” – that is, that restrains evil – will be taken out of the way, and only then will the “wicked one” be revealed.(11) What this means is, people are very bad now. But, the Holy Spirit is still free to move around the Earth, causing them to do good by stirring their consciences. He keeps people from being really nasty all the time.

However, during the Tribulation, there will be complete chaos. A world leader will seem to be a man of peace. But, without the Spirit, people will be doing mean things all the time. Evil will run rampant. And, chapter two of the book of Second Thessalonians tells us what he will really be like. God knows people’s hearts, and he will really be a very evil person. This is the Antichrist, who will be destroyed at the end of the world.

God the Holy Spirit will be able to be on believers, but he may only light on them, like in the Old Testament, instead of living inside them.

Either way, He will guide and direct them. They will need to endure till the end, though; either when they die or when the Lord returns. Israel will be God’s focus in the end times.

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The Tribulation – the end of the world as we know it:

The Tribulation will start the minute a treaty is signed with the Antichrist. It will last for seven years. There is a question as to whether this deal will be an original one, or whether it will confirm/strengthen an existing one. The important part is, it will be seven years.(12) It may include the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem – the Third Temple – or the Temple may be rebuilt at another time.

This prophecy, from the Book of Daniel, is very important. He predicted to the day (with 360-day Jewish years) how long it would be from the order to rebuild Jerusalem, to Jesus’ crucifixion for our sins.(13) This verse says that Messiah would be “cut off – but not for Himself.” This describes God punishing Him for our sins, the just for the unjust. He literally suffered separation from God the Father in our place. Then, He rose from the dead, having defeated sin and the grave, so we, too, may live forever someday in heaven!

The Tribulation, then, is the final of Daniel’s 70 “weeks,” which means units of 7 years. As noted, it begins with this peace treaty – a covenant – with Israel. The people of this “prince that shall come” are said to destroy the sanctuary – Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D.. that doesn’t mean the Antichrist must live in Rome; but he will have descended from somewhere in the Old Roman Empire. The “number of the beast,” which is “666,”according to most sources (could be “616,” but that’s doubtful) might mean that some law about him has that number, or it could be just the number of man – 6, one short of 7, which is the number of God. Or, it could mean something else that we don’t understand yet.

A few judgments may start before the middle of the Tribulation, though it’s most likely that the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation will be a time of relative peace. You may have heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They will kill a quarter of the world’s population with war, famine, disease, and even the wild animals – who, in a major famine, would attack people.(14) This will come with a global economic collapse, which will make it so rough that a day’s wages will be needed to buy one loaf of bread, although the rich and powerful will still be rather wealthy, as the “oil and the wine” will not be harmed.(15)

It is also possible that all of this will happen only after the middle of the Tribulation. This will mark an important turning point. A one-world currency, one-world government (with this man at the head) and one-world religious system will be in place those first 3.5 years. But, they will be all about man trying to puff himself up with pride. We saw that people can’t be perfect, though, because of our sin. There will be people doing horrible things, and committing great sins. That’s because the devil, God’s enemy, will be running rampant. And, then, at the middle of the tribulation. He will inhabit this world leder himself, and the Great Tribulation will start.

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The Great Tribulation – Hell on Earth

The last 3.5 years will start at the middle of the 7-year period mentioned earlier. The antichrist will cause the sacrifices in the rebuilt Jewish Temple to stop. He made peace with the Jewish people. Now, he will turn traitor and make war with them. Jesus spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in part of His prophecy. But, not everything was fulfilled – this was a partial fulfillment.

Here, it will all be fulfilled.

The Beast – another name for the antichrist – will have a “deadly wound” that is healed at the middle of the Tribulation period, according to Revelation 13:3-8; this is when the devil will indwell him. This may mean a physical wound, but that is not certain.

We know he will make war against Jews and any Gentile believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jews will flee to a place – possible Petra – where they will be miraculously protected by God for 3.5 years. God will have been dealing with the Jewish people as His chosen nation before, during the Tribulation. But, they will be confused. They will think that the antichrist is their Messiah. In fact, Jesus Christ, their Messiah, already came, and suffered and died for them, and rose from the dead. They will only realize that when the antichrist makes war on them.

Around this time, the weather will start to go crazy. If it hasn’t already, a giant ‘star – probably a meteor – will come crashing into the sea, causing huge tidal waves and earthquakes. During this 3.5 year period, everyone will be making war with each other. All the violence and other horrible stuff will only get worse. The world system of false religion will be destroyed by the antichrist, as he forces all to worship him (16), and the world’s financial system will collapse.(17)

Finally, Jesus Christ will come back with all believers.(18) This includes those who died for His testimony during the Tribulation. Those Jews which survive will inhabit the Millennial Kingdom, which is a literal 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ, in a world which has a perfect system of love and justice. (Revelation 20, but also many other verses, talk about this time.) After that, people – because of that human nature – will rebel against God, and He will wipe out the world, and create a new Heaven and a new Earth,. But, that’s not important for now. For now, you want to know how to prepare.

First, there’s something VERY important you may have heard about, which will help in your preparation.

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The Mark of the Beast

This deserves its own section. Because, you might be reading this after some of this has happened.

NEVER, NEVER ,NEVER take a mark in OR on your hand OR in or on your forehead that says you must have it to buy or sell, and that causes you to swear allegiance to the antichrist – also known as the Beast – or the world system he sets up. I hate to shout, but this is very important. Remember that spiritual realm I talked about? Well, there’s a literal Hell, too, a place of horrible suffering, separated from God’s perfect love forever. It was created only for the devil and his angels, but where people go who reject God’s perfect love and goodness. If you take that mark, and swear allegiance to the antichrist, you swear allegiance to the devil, and all hope is lost.

I can’t stress enough that swearing allegiance to the antichrist by taking that mark is something that can’t be undone. It will be the point of no return. It won’t come until the Tribulation period – what part of the Tribulation, we don’t know. But, the mark will be the point of decision, where you must choose between Heaven and Hell.

Is it a computer chip that’s put in your body? That may be part of it, but it is not just an ordinary chip.

The Mark of the Beast CAN’T come be required before the Tribulation. It IS something that will be required to buy or sell, and could exist beforehand.

So, let me put it this way. If it’s a chip that’s required to buy or sell, don’t take any chances. It sounds like this mark will only become the “mark to Hell” once the image of the Beast is set up. But, if it requires you to swear allegiance to the world leader, or to his government, don’t do it. Even if everyone else is. Even if you can’t buy or sell a thing without it. Even if you would die because you don’t take it. Remember, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

But, you must know Jesus Christ as your Savior in order to be present with Him when you die. So, if it is after the Tribulation you are reading this, stay strong, trust in Jesus Christ, and endure till He comes, or till you go to meet Him.

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How do I Prepare for the End of the World?

This is addressed to two groups of people.

First, if it’s before the Rapture, you want to make sure you meet the Lord in the air, either because you’re among the dead who rise first, or because you’re alive and caught up to meet Him. We don’t know how close to the Tribulation this will be, but we do know this:

All the hundreds of prophecies about Jesus’ first coming came true. He war born in Bethlehem, yet came from Nazareth – a Nazarene. All the miracles; all those things about His death, such as the price of thirty pieces of silver for Him, and the soldiers casting lots for His garments; and, most importantly, His death, as the perfect, sinless substitute for you. He took your place when He died on the cross, and He rose from the dead.

It doesn’t matter what others have said. This is between you and God – He will take care of others. This is for you. Do you accept that you, personally, have sinned? That you fall short of God’s perfection? All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Remember, He took your punishment so you could get to Heaven.

You must simply receive Him by simple faith. Faith that He is the sinless Son of God, that He shed His blood, and took the punishment for your sins. Put your trust in the fact that He did all that was needed to get you to Heaven. Call upon Him to save you from your sins, and He will. Repent of your sins. That means to agree with Him that your sins cause you to fall short of His mark of perfection, and that you need Him to save you and cleanse you from your sins, and change you on the inside, and come to live in you through His Holy Spirit. And, He will. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. You will still have that sin nature until you meet Him in the air, when that fleshly, human nature will disappear. But, He will keep working with you till then so you can become more like Christ. Find a good, Gospel preaching church – there aren’t many left, but check out “Rapture Ready” and their message boards. There’s great fellowship there. Read your Bible every day, so you can be fed spiritually. (God will help you understand it; make sure it’s a King James Version, so you’re not confused by the counterfeits, as they are trying to change the Bible so much, printing new ones so often. And yet, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You can count on Him to never fail.) Pray, and witness to others. Keep trusting in the Lord to help you be more like Him spiritually. And, if you mess up, just go to Him and confess your sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sins, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He’s already done it – He died for all your sins, past, present, and future. He took your punishment, to get you into the Kingdom of God. And, He will never cast you out.

Don’t delay. We don’t know when the Lord will come back, and we don’t know when we’ll breathe our last. Waiting for the rapture may mean it’s too late.

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Preparing if it’s after the Rapture/during the Tribulation

Now, this might be after the Rapture. You might not even know if there was Rapture. Maybe things were just so hectic because of disasters, or maybe the news isn’t talking about it. Either way, remember the following:

1. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, by believing that He died for you, taking your punishment for your sins, and rose from the dead. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is saying. He is real, was real, and always will be real. The liberal agenda says to follow anything. But, there is a gap between God and man because of man’s sin. Jesus died to bridge that gap, and rose from the dead. No person can save himself, and no world government can save you. It doesn’t matter who is saying they’re the world’s savior – even aliens from space, one possible lie that people thought might be told. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM. Jesus Christ is God in flesh, and only He can save you from your sins.

2. Read the above about the Tribulation carefully. It contains important things that will help you understand what’s going on. Read the Bible, especially the parts listed. If the “Rapture ready” site is still working, read it, especially the Left Behind Letters. Prepare for the fact you likely have less than 7 years to live no matter what, so you have a decision to make. Do you go to Heaven, or hell?

You won’t see your friends in Hell; it’s a place of great darkness and pain that lasts forever. God doesn’t want you to go there. The world government, which tries to make like everything will be perfect if you follow them, is not perfect, and will – like the rest of the world – be destroyed.

God wants to protect you. He longs for you to come to Him, and confess your sins. He wants you in Heaven, but He is letting you make your own choice. Heaven is such a wonderful place, where there is no pain for anyone, no suffering, no tears. God wants you to be there forever someday. That’s why He came for you. It’s a real place.

You must trust in God, with all your heart, and continue to follow Him. Don’t go astray, whatever you do, especially if this is being read after the Tribulation has begun., but instead trust Him completely to help you to not only survive, but to tell others about Him, too. Because, you may not have much time. But, you will have the chance to earn great rewards in Heaven, where they can’t grow old or get messed up, and nobody can steal them.

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That, in sum, is how to prepare. The ride might be kind of bumpy, or there might be a lull, for a while. Just remember, it’s not about how many weapons or how much food or anything else that you have. God will provide all your needs. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things – all you need to glorify Him. – shall be added unto you. No matter if it’s before or during the Tribulation.

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(1) Ezekiel 38-39

(2) Many prophecies tell of the Jewish people being dispersed, then regathered in their ancient homeland – a very good book, which I recommend, is John Walvoord’s “Every Prophecy of the Bible.” However, I disagree with his use of Bible versions; ironically, for the very thing he states in the beginning of his introduction. The version he uses takes the Alexandrian texts, which even he calls heretical; they not only make so many things into allegory, instead of giving them real meaning, they take many words out and change others to confuse people. The King James Version is the one I use and quote from. Walvoord’s expositions and explanations are still very good, though.

(3) Revelation 11:9

(4) Rev. 13

(5) Isaiah 23, Eze. 26-27; Eze. 26:3-4 mentions scraping to the bare rock

(6) Rev. 16:9

(7) Zechariah 12:2-3

(8) Revelation 17-18

(9) 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

(10) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

(11) 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8

(12) Daniel 9:27

(13) Daniel 9:25-26 – a “week” of years is 7 years

(14) Rev. 6

(15) Rev. 6:6

(16) 2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 17 on the destruction of the false religious system

(17) Rev. 18

(18) Jude 14-16, Rev. 19:11-21

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

– Winston Churchill

Churchill certainly had the right attitude.  Take a look at  Isaiah 40:31, which reminds us that as Christians, we should continue to trust in the Lord even when times get tough, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  I believe that God has made me strong again and given me a desire to reach out to others in their troubled times.  Knowing that God would never betray me is my source of strength.  We know that no one will ever have a problem-free life, but faith in God and faith in our worth as beloved children of God will give us the hope and encouragement we need to remain strong and to witness to others for Christ.

I close today with these words from the founding pastor of the  Crystal Catherdral:

“Commit yourself to a dream… Nobody who tries to do something great but fails is a total failure. Why? Because he can always rest assured that he succeeded in life’s most important battle — he defeated the fear of trying.”

– Dr. Robert H. Schuller

My friend, Wendy, is president of a Messianic Jewish Club.  She is a teacher of scripture, a Biblical dramatist, accomplished musician and an author.  She studied theology at Hope International University and Drama at Brown University.  Her “Women of the Bible” dramatic presentations have been performed throughout the U.S., Mexico, Israel and specifically Bethlehem.  Her first book: “The King is Born” is filled with beautiful illustrations from well-known Israeli artist, Baruch Ma’ayan and portrays the story of Jesus’ birth as it might have been experienced in ancient Israel.  Although Wendy’s current ministry calls her to work in the U.S., most of her heart remains in and longs for Israel.  The Wish Fulfillment story below was written to encourage her in the ministry she has here and to remind her that she will eventually get there.

In the Land of Milk & Honey…

Consciousness came slowly…lazily…gently.  The bird song somehow sounded different, the air heavier and sweeter.  Wendy opened her eyes slowly and beheld dappled sunlight filtering through a canopy of grape leaves, laden with heavy purple-black grapes.

She turned her head to the side and looked about her “room”.  It was simple and yet beautiful. Pure white blankets glowing with the morning sunshine lay upon her. A wooden table, elegant in its simple beauty held a bowl of fresh fruit, and a pitcher of iced tea and a glass.

With a sudden intake of breath, Wendy sat up and looked through the transparent walls of her sukkot booth.  In the distance were rolling hills of vineyards and orchards and to the other side in the distance, the lake of Galilee. She suddenly knew why the air felt heavier and sweeter…the presence of Yeshua.

How had she come to be in this place; the land where her heart beat like a drum with joy and all her senses were awakened as if from a deep stupor? Yisrael. She stood slowly, hesitantly to her feet noticing at once her white linen frock, glowing as if it possessed a light of its own.  On her feet were hand crafted sandals.  The morning sun was rising higher and with it came a breeze smelling of roses, bay laurel and the fresh scent of the sea.

She stepped outside her sukkot booth into a garden which surrounded it. It was humming with bees and fluttering butterflies, busy collecting nectar from the numerous blossoms. With pounding heart; afraid to wake up from what must surely be a dream, she slowly climbed the nearest hill, breathing deeply in and out as if each breath were nourishment. She stood and faced the holy city, Jerusalem and was stunned. It was not as she remembered it at all. The Dome of the Rock was gone and in its place stood a gleaming temple of gold and alabaster.  The filth of the Arabic section of the old city was gone, replaced by avenues of trees and streets that glistened like gold in the early light.

“Do you like it?” spoke a familiar masculine voice. Wendy closed her eyes and inhaled sharply.  It was the voice of her beloved but it was not in her head but in her ears.

“Yeshua…” she breathed, holding up her arms; tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks from underneath her closed eyes. She fell slowly to her knees. “Yeshua?”

“There is a question in the saying of my name, beloved,” came the response. “You are wanting to know if you may stay here always?”

“Yes,” whispered Wendy, barely able to breath or speak.

“My precious child,” responded the Master, gently enfolding her in His embrace. “There is no such thing as time where I am concerned; for I live outside of it…and you with Me. Where I am there you are also…and my eyes and heart of ever upon this place, so in a sense…you have never left Israel and it has never left you.  The body which you must inhabit within the human time domain is limited but not your heart or your soul. One day time will cease to exist and both body and soul will be reunited with Me in this place that remains the apple of my eye.  Can you endure until that “time” and do the work I have set before you?”

“Lord, you know my heart and soul’s desire…I will always gladly serve you” replied Wendy.

Yeshua smiled upon her and in the instant she beheld that smile she felt the sight, sounds, smells and “feel” of the land implanted indelibly upon her mind and heart.  From that moment on, wherever she placed her feet, Israel and Jerusalem went with her and before her.  A secret to enjoy between her and The Redeemer as well as the hope of the real reward yet to come.

“Now, come…” Jesus said, holding out his warm brown hand to her.  “Let us enjoy this day together and converse to our heart’s content. What would you like to do first?”

THE END

Michele Fritzler is the sister of my first love, Barry Henriot who died of a brain aneurysm when I was 22 and he was 25 back in 1982.  After his death I “adopted” his mom (Ruth) and father (Al) and had dinner with them every Sunday for a few years until Ruth and Al moved up to Oregon to be closer to their daughter, Michele,  in 1991. Barry and Michele’s dad, Al died in 1994.

Even though I have only seen Michele less than a hand full of few times, we have come to accept each other as “sisters” because of our mutual love for her family and especially Barry.  He has been gone for so long that there is barely anyone remaining in her life that ever knew him; making his existence in the past that much more unreal. It was with panic last December that I realized that I had lost her mom’s mailing address and phone number and was desperately hoping that I would get her annual Christmas card so I could tell her that my book was going to be published with a dedication in it to Barry that I had put in there more almost 30 years ago.

I fired off a letter to her the next day asking her to call me and that I had something important to tell them. To my relief I got to speak with Ruth on 12/15/08 and let her know that the story I had worked on for so many years was going to be published.  Ruth sounded like her old sweet self but much more frail.  I promised to send her a copy of the first book off the press as soon as I got it.  In early January 2009 I mailed a copy of The Victor to Ruth who was now living with Michele and a few weeks later I got an urgent email from Michele asking me to call because she had lost my phone number.  With dread I called and Michele told me the news which just broke my heart.  Ruth had died about a week earlier and my book had arrived on the day of her funeral.  I couldn’t help but burst into tears.  Ruth Henriot had been like a second mother to me and she had never gotten to see the book dedicated to her long gone son, Barry, who I had loved dearly.

Last August I got to see Michele for perhaps only the third time in my life but it was just like being with family.  We talked for hours and reminnisced.  Michele is the only member left of the Henriot family but like me, we hope to all be reunited again.  This story is my gift to her.

More Than a Memory

The rain came down in heavy drops and in only moments, Michele’s hair and clothes were drenched.  Living in Oregon for years, she never carried an umbrella (only the tourists did) and put up with the constant rain like everyoe else.

Now rivulets of cold rain water were beginning to run down inside her collar and drench her from the inside out. She needed to take cover.  To her right was a revolving door leading into a Starbucks and without a second thought she ducked in for a quick respite and a  white chocolate raspberry latte to warm her up.

The site that greeted her eyes paralyzed and completely disoriented her.  She blinked, rubbed her eyes and shook her head, her mouth gaping as her surroundings refused to change back into reality.  Before her was the living room of her Huntington Beach home the way it looked when she had lived there with her brother, Barry.  Immediately tears sprang into her eyes with the familiar ache that clutched her heart.

“Is that you Michele?” sang a voice from the kitchen.  The beloved voice sent a thrill through her heart and her voice caught in her throat. Had she fallen unconscious? Was she having a dream?   Having received no response, Ruth poked her head through the doorway. “Cat got your tongue?” she grinned at her dumbstruck daughter.

Michele’s mouth moved but no sound would come out as she stared at the face of her dear mother who had passed away just under a year ago.  At that moment a figure walked up behind her and pinched her in the ribs, making her scream. She whirled around and standing there alive and as if he had never aged, was her brother Barry.

He grinned at her and gave her a bear hug but there was no feedback from the hearing aids he used to always wear.  He stepped back and pointed at his head with a lopsided grin. “I hear great now!”

Michele’s eyes traveled hungrily up and down the length of him. Same wavy brown hair, twinkly eyes, mischievous grin, dimples and plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up as if 25 plus years had never passed.  The tears now spilled down her cheeks unabated and a sob of joy caught in her throat. With a look of understanding compassion on his face, Barry enfolded her into his arms and let her sob.  Michele could barely hear the familiar footsteps behind her on the floor and then her mom’s arms were about her.

“Al, just don’t sit there watching the game, get in here!” Ruth yelled.  At that, Michele pulled back and turned around to see her father stride towards them, his arms held out wide. She flew into them, crying even harder.

“There now,” soothed her mom in her wonderful accent. “Do you really want to spend your entire visit with us crying? You’re scaring Sonny!”

“Meooooww!” agreed the gorgeous Himalayan cat, entering the room. This was all just too much!

“I don’t understand!” was all Michele could manage, shaking uncontrollably.  Al, Ruth, Barry and even Sonny all stared at her in sympathy. “Am I dreaming or dead?”

“Neither!” chorused all (except Sonny) in unison. “This is a gift, sis.” Explained Barry gesturing to the family dinner table laden with a Thanksgiving turkey and all the fixings. “The Lord thought you’d enjoy one more day and meal with us all together again.”

Michele clutched at her heart. It was all too much to take in and yet she couldn’t deny it was what she had secretly longed for more often than she could say but there was still something missing.  A lot of “somethings”.  As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” cried Barry with a wink in his sister’s direction and bounded over to the door.  He opened it up to reveal Michele’s husband, Dave, and all their kids.

“Uncle Barry!” they all shrieked, not the least bit shocked or bewildered.  Barry hugged and pounded Dave on the back with glee and hugged each of Michele’s kids in turn as if he had known them all his life.  They in turn hugged his neck with equal glee and then everyone circled around the table and grabbed each other’s hands.

Marlayne, Barry + Kitten 1982

“Barry, would you lead us all in thanks to the Lord?” smiled Ruth, winking at Michele.

“I was hoping you’d ask!” Barry grinned. At that everyone bowed their heads as Michele’s beloved brother led them all in a prayer of thanksgiving for a reunited family that was separated only by the very thinnest veil of eternity.

THE END

Henry has been quadriplegic since the age of 14. I wrote this story as a gift to encourage him as he strives to serve the Lord while still enduring tremendous physical & emotional trials.

(Below is Henry’s bio written
in his own hand)

A Gift for Henry…

Henry awakened with a start, his heart pounding and looked around.  For a few seconds all he could do was to stare at the vista which greeted his eyes and then it hit him like a ton a bricks…he was sitting up for the first time by himself since the accident. He opened and shut his eyes slowly several times, the amazing view never changing and then slowly, as if he were afraid he would shatter and break like glass, he bent his neck down and looked at his lower half. Instead of thin, atrophied legs that ignored all of his mind’s commands, there were two tanned and muscular limbs.  Holding his breath…he did something he hadn’t been able to do in decades…he wiggled his toes.

A shout of pure joy issued from his mouth, so loud it even scared himself. “YAHOOOOOO!” Then he did something else he hadn’t done in years…he pinched himself… as hard as he could, right above the hips in the “tickle spot” and practically doubled over with mixed joy and disbelief.

“Vicki!” he shouted, wiggling and wiggling his toes more violently. “Will you look at this? Just look!” There was no answer.  It wasn’t until he found himself standing and then jumping up and down with glee that he really noticed and took stock of his surroundings. The sky was the deepest blue he had ever seen but there was no sun.  Instead an incredibly pure and blazing glow of light originated from everywhere.  In every direction he looked he saw the loveliest terrain he had ever laid eyes on.  Majestic mountains with craggy peaks (but no snow); fields of wildflowers broken only by gurgling brooks which fed into crystal clear lakes; wide open undulating plains of the greenest grass he had ever seen.  No buildings, no bugs (except butterflies), the most delicious smell of orange blossoms permeating the air and a hint of lilting music that seemed to come from everywhere.

“VICKI!” he shouted again, frustrated that his wife was not there to share the experience with him and validate that it was all real.

“She’ll join you later,” responded a deep and profoundly gentle voice. Henry whirled around and instantly fell onto his face upon recognizing who had spoken to him. “Henry, please rise,” said the man, lifting him gently onto his feet. “I want you to enjoy this time I have given you on your feet, not your face.”

At His touch, a surge of strength flowed through Henry’s entire body that was electrifying. He felt like he could run all the way to China and back again and not even get winded.  Jesus smiled a crinkly smile at him and pointed off into the distance. Henry followed with his eyes and saw the most gorgeous tree he had ever laid eyes on.  It was indescribable but even from this distance he could tell it was laden with flowers and fruit; somehow he knew that this is where the lovely perfume was emanating from.

Henry looked back into the face of His blessed Redeemer, his eyes filling with tears and his heart welling with emotion so strong he felt it would burst with joy.  Jesus laid his nail-pierced hand upon his shoulder and Henry felt a thrill pass through him.

“Run, Henry!” Jesus smiled broadly. “Run!” Despite his desire to not leave his Savior’s side for even a moment, it had been as though the words were more of a command than a suggestion.  The next thing Henry knew his legs were pumping, his arms were flailing and he was racing like a cheetah through the fragrant grass towards what he knew was the Tree of Life, closing the distance faster than he dreamed could be possible.  As he ran, tears of joy flew back in the wind – and a howl of laughter and sheer joy erupted from his throat.  He was running. HE WAS RUNNING!!

He exulted in the sheer joy of feeling his once dead limbs alive and thriving again. Oh… if only the dream would never end…if only he would never have to wake up…but wait…he had pinched himself…and it had hurt. What was going on? He came to a stop just before the tree, amazed that he wasn’t even breathing hard.  Maybe he wasn’t dreaming…maybe he was…

“You’re not dead, Henry” whispered the voice of Jesus quietly in his ear as if The Master were standing just behind him.  “And you’re not asleep either.  This is my gift to you for now…unwrap it and take it out whenever you feel the need and know that one day soon, it will be yours to enjoy for eternity with all your loved ones who have trusted in Me.”

Henry hung his head and wept, his shoulders heaving with gratitude. The Lord’s voice interrupted his thoughts again. “I have one more gift for you before you leave…if you’ll accept it…”

“Lord,” sobbed Henry. “It is enough that you suffered, died and rose for me and have allowed me to live a life, though broken physically, that has been abundant for you. I will accept whatever gift you want to give me but what can I do in return for you?”

“You have been giving me the best gift for many years, Henry…You.” Replied Jesus, and suddenly Henry turned around to find Jesus standing before him again only he wasn’t dressed in his “typical” biblical clothes but hip-waders and carrying two fishing rods. “I once told Peter, Andrew, James and John that I would make them fishers of men,” he continued with a broad smile that lit up everything about Him. “But today I think that you and I will just go fish for trout in that stream over there. I can guarantee a good catch but as for you …well today you’ll have to clean and fry them up. Deal?”

Henry’s mouth just hung open and then he bellowed with laughter. “Deal!” he exclaimed.

THE END

Shining Perspective

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. ~Genesis 1:1

What comes to mind when you read this verse?

My son is learning this verse at preschool.  The children in his class learn a new bible verse each month.  I thought to myself: “this is an appropriate verse for the beginning of the school year.”  I didn’t give it another thought.

I noticed this verse staring at me this morning.  It was among a pile of papers on the counter.  I believe I absorbed the impact of its power for the first time.  It’s quite possible that this verse in the beginning of the bible is overlooked.  It is not a verse that one generally refers to as a life verse or a promise.  But the word of God is living and active.  This morning I was overwhelmed by the power in this verse.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

This verse alone should inspire awe. One day God just said, “I’m going to create the heavens and the earth.”  Really?  On my very best possible day, I couldn’t dream up the earth, let alone create it and the heavens too!  Wow!   That is power.  I began to take in the amazing creation that is our earth; the perfect balance that exists because God made it that way.  God perfectly crafted each tiny detail of it.

Why is it so easy to overlook the beginning?  When I begin something new it is exciting.  But it doesn’t take long before I am racing to the finish. We seem to be in such a hurry to get to the end.  No matter where we are in life, we struggle to get somewhere other than where we are.  I propose it is pure selfishness.  God blesses us with the beginning of his amazing plan, his plan for this season of our lives and we just want to get through it. We just endure it.  But God has a purpose for each season.  God’s purpose is the reason that we don’t get to just jump into something and then poof, it’s done.  God wants to build patience, character, perseverance and test our loyalty.  God wants to prepare us for something amazing. If only we would be willing to let him.

I am extremely impatient, especially with myself.  I propose that it’s time to slow down a little.  Take a look at the beginning.  The beginning is God. No matter what it is you are trying to accomplish in your life, look to the beginning.  You may discover how far you’ve come.  Or you may be shown that you have gotten off track from where you once began.  When you take time to look at the beginning, you will see that your focus shouldn’t be the task at hand, but the hand of God guiding your steps; that is what you truly seek.

If you are at the beginning of something, live in that moment.  Embrace it.  God fashioned every tiny detail in your life and planned each set of circumstances that lead you to this exact moment in time.  Today I am at the beginning; the beginning of this season in my life.  I am at the beginning of this semester; the first semester of my college career.  I am going to live here, in this moment and not focus on the end.  I do not know what tomorrow will bring.  I can’t see where this season will take me.  But I will choose today to trust in the Lord for his plan is perfect.

Perhaps you are at the beginning too.  At the beginning of something awkward and new, at the beginning of something and you don’t know what to do.  Maybe you are in the middle, and your circumstances are bleak, or each day feels mundane.  Wherever you are, if you will take a look at the beginning, you will find your focus, your purpose, at the beginning of it all, you will find God.

Lots of people were asking, in the hours after Tiger Woods’ admission of “transgressions,” what in the world are transgressions?  It’s not a car part or the newest sandwich at your favoriate fast food place (though dieters might think it one), but instead, a word which, if we understand, can give us real success.

King David, in the Old Testament, committed much worse ones than Tiger Woods. He lusted after one of his generals’ wives, Bathsheba, had an affair which resulted in pregnancy, then – when the general, Urriah, wouldn’t sleep with his wife Bathsheba – had him killed and married her.

When he realized that God knew just what had happened, even if he’d hidden it from everyone else, he wrote Psalm 51.  It was his true, heartfelt prayer to God. At the end of the first verse, he pleads with God, according to His tender mercies, to “blot out” his transgressions.

Transgressions are sins. But, the word carries a greater meaning – it shows the stain that sin creates.  A stain that must be blotted out, just as a blotter is used to clean up ink. (No, I’m not old enough to remember using those, but I do love history.)

Our society doesn’t think about the consequences of their actions.  Therefore, we don’t really think about transgressions.  It’s a word that shows we have stains on our hearts, on our lives, that require cleansing.  Just as Davis prayed for God to blot out his transgressions, we all need ours blotted out.

Why? because we are all sinners.  Not everyone would do what Tiger Woods did – and certainly not many people would ever act as King David did.  But, those stains upon our hearts mean that we can’t enter Heaven.  Heaven is a perfect place, where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears.  There can be no sin there.  If there was even one little bit of sin in Heaven, it could make someone suffer, and then it would not be Heaven anymore.

It’s interesting that this came out around Christmas.  Because, this is when we celebrate God’s gift to us.  He came into this world to be born of a virgin, to live a perfect life, and to take the punishment for our sins, the just for the unjust, when He died on the cross and rose from the dead.  He did blot out our transgressions.

David had faith to know that would happen someday.  I don’t know Tiger Woods’ heart, so I don’t know if he’s truly repentent – I do pray that he is.  But, this is a good reminder that each of us has transgressions in our lives.

We haven’t all committed every sin. But, we each have stains in our actions, words, or thoughts – remember, Jesus says that if we lust after someone we’ve committed adultery in our hearts. These are stains on our record that God must blot out.  Instead of an ink blotter, though, we have the only thing that can blot out our transgressions.  It is the perfect blood of our sinless Savior, Jesus Christ, which was shed for each of us.

It is only through faith in His finished work on the cross as blotting out our transgressions that we can go to Heaven. This is because only His blood can wash away the stain. It also allows us to have a relationship here with Him on Earth, so He can help us through all the problems and pitfalls of life.  God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us.

I am a Christ follower and it is not always easy!
People say mean things to me or just ignore me.
I LOVE Christ and I would not stop following him for as long as I live!
It makes me feel LOVED to know I am his Child!
Though the road has been up and down I will not look back again!
This is my true feels and I stand for Christ!!
You will not keep me from my GOD!!
I know because of Christ I am saved and forgiven!
Christ is the reason we LIVE and pull through the hard times!
He is my rock and my shield!
Who is your rock and shield?

On Christmas day Jesus Christ was born.
This means that he is why we were  born,why we celebrate Christmas day.
Christmas is spelled with CHRIST.
This is great news for us!
Because of a new born baby boy you and I are alive and well today!
Did you know that because of what Jesus did for us,we are free?
It is true!
Jesus deserves to be celebrated more than once a year!
If you don’t know about Jesus, I suggest buying a BIBLE and reading it!
The more you know the better person you will become!
Always share Christ in your words and actions everyday in every way!