Chapter One

In The Beginning

Our story begins in the southern town of Guilford, Vermont. My wife Joan and I were just every-day people who were just going to work to support our selves and our son Kevin who is an only child. We lost a son Brian at childbirth. I was employed as a Building Superintendent for Vermont National Bank a position I held for ten years. Joan and I both came from very strong catholic backgrounds and were attending St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Brattleboro, Vermont. One reason our journey was both so difficult and yet so exciting was our catholic background.

Joan and I noticed a spiritual movement going on that seemed to refresh people spiritually. They seemed to have a special brightness in their eyes that we wanted to experience. These people told us they had attended a weekend retreat called Marriage Encounter. Joan and I decided to attend one of these encounters and we left one Saturday morning in a bad snowstorm and headed north to Enfield, NH. We saw very slippery driving conditions, and cars off the road, but we encountered no problems what so ever as though we were guided there.

During this particular weekend, we experienced a relationship with Jesus Christ that we had never experienced before. We had always believed in Him and prayed to Him as our Savior but we never really felt His presence or thought of Him as a real person with us today. There was a great feeling of love, compassion and a total trust in God as our Lord and Savior, and a total acceptance of everyone else around us as brothers and sisters. Joan experienced a neck spasm, which made her miserable part of the weekend. She had these often during our earlier years.

We were not ready to return home that following Sunday afternoon because we had such a wonderful time. It was like seeing a great movie and suddenly we had to return to the real world. The weather had cleared, and we had a beautiful sunny day for our return trip. Joan noticed a cloud formation that looked like Jesus with wind blowing through His hair. I did not see it as good because I was driving and it was difficult to stop on a highway to look at clouds. People thought we were strange enough just doing a Marriage Encounter. The main reason for some people not to attend was that they had a good marriage, and did not feel they needed to go. We had a very strong marriage and now we had an even stronger marriage, plus a new spiritual awareness that we never had before.

The first time that Joan and I were ever exposed to any type of healing or resting in the Spirit was at a Day of Prayer & Healing in New York State. Three Catholic Priests led it. Father Bertolucci, Father D’Orio and Father Orsenie. We had never seen anyone prayed on and actually rested in the spirit. I always liked to sing and during the singing of The Lord’s Prayer, I was able to reach high notes. When we sang,” for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever, amen”, my voice went right up to the high notes. It took everyone even Joan a while to realize something had happened to me. I can still reach up to those notes today though I do not do it professionally.

The next thing that we noticed was that our prayer group at St Michael has started to disband. It was a very spiritual group. Some were led to other towns, some to other states, and some to other churches. Joan and I continued to attend St Michael’s but we no longer thought that we were being spiritually fed there.

Joan and I had been thinking of attending another church. My mother was in a nursing home and I knew she would not have a problem accepting this change, because of her declining health she hardly knew us in her final months. We wanted to attend the Guilford Community Church just down the road from our home. However, I thought we could not go there, because they had a female Pastor and it was not a Catholic Church.

It seemed that the Lord had other plans for us, because we soon joined the Guilford Church and became involved with the Choir and I later became a Deacon and then a Lay Supply Preacher. Joan and I even went to local nursing homes and sang. I was also a member of the Franklin County Barbershop Group. My mother truly enjoyed hearing Joan and I sing even after her stroke. We would sing together in the Church Choir or I would sing alone with the Barbershop Group. It was good for me too. Music soothes the soul.

During this, time my mother Bertha had suffered a stroke and was confined to Linden Lodge Nursing Home in Brattleboro. She was a wonderful loving and caring person. My sister Wilma worked at Linden Lodge and could give her extra care. My mother lived there about three years and continued to decline in health making it very hard on my sister especially, and all others who knew and loved her through the years.

I was the only family member present when my mother passed away. I remember reading Psalms and I told my mother “Say hello to Jesus when you see Him and tell Him I love Him. I know He knows, but it means so much more to me coming from you.”

My father John passed away years before. He had always said that he wanted to die on an Easter Sunday, to go and be with Jesus. It happened that way. Dad died on an Easter Sunday, with the family gathered around. It was the first time I saw my brother Alton cry. My brother was a foster brother, and was a leading figure in my growing up years.

My brother had been diagnosed with a heart problem earlier and had rejected surgery. He decided to take medication. After my mother passed away, I lost my brother six weeks later. I remember when I last saw my brother after mom’s funeral. As I started to leave for home, I noticed sadness in his eyes and I got out of the car, gave him another hug, and told him that I loved him. He was only 55 years of age.

He had retired recently and had a great life ahead of him. He lived in Richford, Vermont most of his life. He was active as an Assistant Fire Chief; he was also active in the Babe Ruth leagues. He served in Building Maintenance with the various Border Patrol Stations and had a short time as a Richford Constable. He was actually playing ball at the time of his death. He entered the dugout between innings and said, “How would you like to run like that guy?” He collapsed and never regained consciousness.

I remember how he played an active part in getting an old grocery store torn down and replaced by a park with a flag to be lowered at half-mast for the town’s fallen heroes. The flag was lowered half-mast the very first time for him.

One other thing I can recall was the color guard of State Troopers and Border Patrol who participated at the funeral home and the symbolic white fire truck that carried his body to the cemetery. It had rained all week, but the rain stopped when the funeral procession started and the rain started again when I was leaving the cemetery. I was one of the last people to leave.

We have always been concerned about the years ahead. We would like to know what the future would bring. There is a fear of the future with the sickness or death of a loved one. We look in the mirror and see this face looking back at us, and say wow I am getting old. I am reminded in my later years of an incident when I was a store detective.

I was reviewing videotapes because of a problem in one of the cash offices. I had set a secret camera in the overhead. While I was reviewing these tapes, I noticed an older balding man enter and talk to other employees. I said to myself “Who the hell is this. He should not been in here.” Than the man moved and I saw that, it was me. I had a good laugh.

I once stated during a Bible study that I would like to be able to have a more significant life with God, and be able to do more things for other people. If a person really does not want to do something like I stated to do, that night does not do it. God took me at my word and put a chain of events in place that changed my life and Joan’s as well as other people that Jesus touched through us.

I attended a weekend retreat called A Walk to Emmaus. A non-denominational event took place in the Methodist Church in Brattleboro. I learned about this event at the Bible study the night I asked to become more involved with God. I received my first visions there that changed me and gave my life a very different and significant relationship with Jesus and His people. This was a weekend Emmaus for men that are always held first with the women’s Emmaus weekend taking place two weeks later. Joan’s first weekend Emmaus was to be six months later due to conflicts in work schedules. Joan spoke on perseverance and faith, which is why we are where we are today and why we are so happy doing the Lord’s work, and why I think it is appropriate to include writing from her.

Perseverance is a large word not often heard used in everyday conversation. Perseverance has four meanings, to continue in the face of difficulty and opposition, to continue doing something, to be steadfast in purpose, and to persist. When this word is applied to our Christian lives, it simply means that we should give everything to God in recognition! Keeping Him in mind for the large and small blessings that can and do take place. In (Deut. 6:5) it reads, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”. Keep Him present in your heart and life can be so good. Without Him, all can be lost or meaningless. Thank God for day He has given you as soon as you awake in the morning.

We can keep our spiritual lives renewed by fellowshipping with other Christians and by witnessing about what God has done in our lives. Through Bible studies and discussions, we can gain a better understanding of God’s Holy Word. When a person sets aside time for personal prayer, guidance and direction can be learned if time is allowed to listen carefully.

Why should we persevere? Because people have needs and they consist of five basic needs or drives. They are security, recognition, love, adventure, and a need to be creative. God said,” Ask and you shall receive”. If we do not ask for these things of the Lord, Satan can step in and cause these needs to be filled deceitfully. From (Isaiah 40:31) we read, “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 grow faint.” Is it any wonder the youth of today turn to alcohol and drugs when they feel inadequate and defeated? It is for these reasons that a person needs God in their life.

From (Luke 8:12) we read, Satan causes people to forget the Word of God by taking it out of their hearts and minds so they will not believe and be saved. There is evil all around us in various forms. I read somewhere that Satan has meticulous plans for every believer’s downfall. Think about it, a powerful evil spirit has already decided how it plans to ruin you. The evil one does have access to the human mind; it exists in a realm that is not off-limits to spiritual forces whether good or bad. Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter betrayed Christ because Satan worked on them for that betrayal.

There is a universal law entitled “The Law of Expectancy.” This law operates in you whether you are aware of it or not. It is an eternal law. Let this law of expectancy develop in your heart. Surround that expectancy with patience, preserving, faith, and practice. Eventually it will produce results in the very thing you want most.

There is no need to pray if you do not expect your prayers to be answered. God always hears and answers prayer. When we come into His present with a prayer, our request should not come from self but as a spokesperson for Jesus Christ. We should come on His behalf. This is what it means in Scripture to ask in the name of Jesus.

When Joan and I pray we consider the Scriptures, agree and pray together. We pray together in the Spirit. It is not mandatory to speak in tongues but it gives you a stronger power. Always begin with Scripture readings. This is praying according to God’s will.

If we are trying to help some one to become a Christian or to help some one in need of a prayer for sickness or for some other healing. It is the desire of our hearts that they lead a life according to the promises of Jesus Christ. A person that is being prayed on can not compromise. They can not say if God will do this, I will do that. A person can not compromise. It is not fair to God and it is not fair to the person or persons doing the praying. Joan and I have seen this happen.

Remember I said how Joan and I agree? In (Matt 18:19) we read. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” We believe this is what we should do. (Matt 21:22) reads, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in heaven.

(Mark 11:25) “And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” An unforgiving spirit is one of the most common hindrances to prayer. I have seen this often. Oh, I can not ever for give. Wheather you can not forget ever. Just say I forgive in Jesus name and get on with it.

I love this reading in (Eph. 3:14-19). “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. That according to the riches of His glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man. And that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of. God

Some Christians go through life and never act as the word of God promises. Jesus said that it should be done! Believe it. Praise the Lord.