Trusting In The Lord

I had been asked many times to teach Sunday school, I always declined in the past but now felt that I was ready. Did I know God's word? No! But I was willing. As I walked to my class room on that first Sunday morning, I felt so much anxiety, my prayer was, Lord, I don't know your word but You do, help me. Boy did He! One of my little first graders gave me a compliment I cherish to this day. Her mother told me "Karen came home and said 'mama, Mrs. Reed sure does love Jesus"

You see the Bible says "he who is faithful with a little will be given much" Did I take a great knowledge of Gods word in that Sunday school room? No, however, I did take a love of Christ that was apparent to the little ones. I started having a desire to be baptized again. I had been sprinkled with my son Steven when he was baptized, but when I read how Christ had come up out of the water, I wanted the same. The next post, I'll share what happens next. Wow!

The Power of Positivity

There is so much more to each of my posts, so much more I could tell you, but now I want to share a real positive in my life. His name is Bob Reed, my husband who never belittled me because of my education or past; in fact he would even make excuses for me when I did make a mistake. To the readers of this blog: Please start building up the ones in your life who need encouragement. Don't criticize them, I don't care how negative they are, there is a positive in there lives that you can build on. Bob always knew who he was and didn't need to cut someone else down to feel better about himself. 

Today Bob, after multiple strokes, heart attacks and a broken hip, is handicapped and bound to a wheelchair. It is my privilege to give back the love and understanding he has given me for 60 years. I try to practice Proverbs 17:22,

 a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones 

I hope that my joy would be an encouragement to him.

A Change is Gonna Come

There was so much more to the last entry about the second angel, take my word for it, he was angelic.

Going back to an earlier entry... after the prayer meeting was over, I went home and as I laid in bed a scripture came to me, it came again and the third time I realized it was from the Lord. I got  a Bible to look it up and as I was writing, four more came. All but the last one had to do with the Holy Spirit and laying of hands. The last one was very disturbing. Later, I asked a very spiritual man what he thought it all meant. First he prayed, then he told me that I was doing something that was grieving the Holy Spirit. Well boy was I, getting drunk, swearing, going to X-rated movies etc. After this, I started to clean up my act. Did you understand that I said started? The Bible says there is "pleasure in sin for a season",  I continued trying. 

"...Look For The Light in The Sky"

On this entry I want to share about the second angel I have seen. I saw two before I surrendered my life to the Lord and have seen two since.

When Bob and I were first married, a job took us to the Dakotas, after a few months we headed for Kansas City, MO, where my grandmother lived. We were getting short on money, Bob said not to worry, he could pull money out of his bank in Iowa from anywhere if the teller would call to confirm, well it didn't happened. The little bank in Kansas refused to call leaving us unable to access any money. I started driving and when we came to the edge of town an old man, very well dressed, was standing there with a $10.00 bill in one hand and a brief case in the other. He asked if we would take him to his destination for $10. We said yes, he got in and we took off. When I came to sharp curve, the car slid as we went around, the man said "think nothing of it, there is nothing to it, look for the light in the sky" We soon arrived at his destination, he got out and said again "think nothing of it, there's nothing to it, look for the light in the sky"

Unfamiliar Voice

I was in the basement in Des Moines, Iowa and I heard a voice. It called out to me, "come" then it said "you'll have to die". Well that did it, I made up my mind, no way. Later, the voice spoke to me again, he said "you'll have to sing in the choir, you'll have to walk through waterless places and you'll ask me next time". I thought, oh my goodness, what is this all about? 

I started having health problems and then at age 29 my daughter Kimberly was born. We were still going to church then but I guess my heart was hardened because it was quite some time before I heard the gospel/good news again. We moved back to California, a job transfer for Bob. We found a new church when we moved, the pastors wife asked me if I would like to sing in the choir. Boy did I say yes fast, I wanted to hear that beautiful voice again. It didn't happen, at least not yet. A friend in our Lutheran church said they were having a prayer meeting at her home Wednesday night and asked if Bob and I would like to attend. We went, they laid hands on my and you guessed it, God spoke to me later that night. 

The Beginning of Something

Today, I'd like to take you back in time a bit...

I have said before that I did not come from a church family, however I remember going with my grandma when I was young. She passed away when I was 6. I also went once with a neighbor but we moved away soon after. When we moved to the next place, the little neighbor girl invited me to go to VBS with her. I went, I can remember being able to earn stars for memorizing verses. I was able to memorize the 23rd Psalm. Towards the end of the week the church had an alter call, the other children went up so I did as well. After that VBS, I didn't go to church again for many years. 

When Bob came home from Korea, I wanted a child, we had been married 4 years. I asked Bob if we could visit the Lutheran church down the street, we did and 9 months later steve was born. After that we started going to church more regularly. When Steve was 4, his paternal grandma wanted him to be baptized. As I contemplated this, the Lord spoke to me...

True Love

Like I mentioned before I met my husband Bob when I was 18. 11 months after we met we were married, he is the love of my life. We will celebrate our 60th anniversary this June, it has been a wonderful life together. Bob knew about my fast, his love was unconditional. During World War 2, Bob was in the Merchant Marines. After 1 year of marriage he was called into the army but was able to join the Air Force instead. I followed him to his first base in Witchita Falls, TX and worked in the Post Exchange (PX). He had to live on base so I got a sleeping room near by. When a call came saying he would be going to Korea, I moved back home to be with my family who has recently moved to Kansas City, Missouri. After a year in Korea, Bob was able to come home, he was stationed at an Air Force base in California. On August 24, 1954 he had our first child, a son named Steven. After Steve was born, Bob got out of the service to start college in Iowa. Five years later our daughter Kimberly was born (5/2/59). Soon after, Bob was offered a job in california, so we moved our family back to the west coast. It had been a good life but there always seemed to be something missing.

End of A Chapter

...2 years later my husband returned from overseas, he was stationed in Louisiana. He was living on base, wanting to be near him I rented a room and got a job at a 5 and 10 cent store near by. Soon I was able to get a better job as a waitress. One of the waitress at the restaurant had a husband stationed at the same base, she told me that my husband was having an affair with another officer on base and having an affair with her. Hearing this I returned home to Iowa, he was discharged a year later. Trying to work it out, we  moved to a little town in Iowa, shortly after, we moved again to New Mexico and then Colorado. After some time of this I finally said "no more", this little girl had grown up. I got a divorce (now I know that wasn't necessary, I could have had the marriage annulled) and moved back to Iowa to be near my family. There I rented a sleeping room and got another job as a waitress.

When I was 18 I met my husband, Bob, we have been married 59 almost 60 years (6/19/49). You'll hear more about him tomorrow. 

Solved Mysteries

He was a hired man, and I was a hired girl. His family decided that we needed to be married so it was arranged. Lying about my age, this made me a 13 year old bride. Within a few months he was called in to the service and I returned home. 

My oldest sister's husband was overseas and she worked in a bar in Topeka, Kansas. There were two government bases there and the employees just served pitchers of beer. She called home saying that my second sister was needed. A couple months later she called again and at 15, I was on my way. 

I didn't realize at the time but I was about to encounter something I couldn't explain until much later.  

After closing, the bar employees would sit, chat and drink beer. One night at about 12:30, I was walking home and a car passed by me, it went around the block and as it came by the second time, the man pulled around as I stepped off the curb. He threw his door open and reached for me. I heard footsteps from behind me and when I looked up there stood a tall,  well dressed man, who looked to be about 70. He said "I'll walk you home" in a voice that shook the heavens, the man in the car sped away. The old man walked me all the way home.

Later, as I would share this story, I would say how lucky I was. In 1970, when I surrendered my life to the lord and started pouring through the Bible I realized, WOW, that was an angel.

Adventures

I'll continue where I left off yesterday...

although we were not a church family, we were not allowed to swear, I was sure the bad words I had heard would be in the dictionary.

I felt for years that I was not smart enough to be in the twins class, hindsight shows me how ashamed and angry this made me. When school was out I went home to my folks for one year. At age 12, I had a friend who's cousin was a personal manager at American Packing Co. in a town 8 miles away. The war had started taking the boys out of the workplace. My friend lied to her telling her I was 16 even though I had to be 18, never mind, I got the job. I lived in a rooming house by myself, after work I found friends to hang out with. Most of the time we would hang out in the huge train station. I met a boy who was 7 years older than me and soon we became an item. His family lived in North Iowa and when he got in SOS to come home, he went back and I went with him. He worked on the farm and I did house work...

Talk to you tomorrow.