I handed her a tissue and waited while she tried to compose herself. I began speaking softly and hesitantly at first.

  “Calm down,” I said softly. “It will work out.”

  “But how,” she said hopelessly. “Unemployment is not going to give me another extension.”

  “Do you have any family that you could borrow the money from?” I asked.

  “My dad was all I had,” she said, as tears began to fall again.

  “You know what?” I asked as words began to flow from me that I hadn’t planned to say. “I don’t believe God brought you to this point to let you down. I will say a prayer for you, and you call me when things work out. The job will be here when you are ready.”

  She thanked me for my kindness and left.

  Two weeks later, she called the office. She was so excited, I got excited too. She said that Unemployment worked something out with her and she was able to take the necessary training required for the job. I remember smiling for the rest of the day.

  The next incident occurred with an applicant who was dealing with domestic violence. As I reviewed the background process with her, she explained that she had a pending court case, but she expected it to be dismissed. I let her know that was fine and to contact me when the case was resolved. She thanked me and was gathering her things to leave. That’s when I saw she was holding back tears.

  “Hey,” I stopped her. “What’s going on? Why are you crying?”

  “It’s not fair,” she cried, plopping back down in my chair. “All I did was leave because I was tired of him putting his hands on me, and he lied to the police. He said I threatened him with a gun and now I have to go to court.”

  Okay, God, I thought to myself. What is going on?

  “Look,” I said. “The job is going to be here when all this gets dismissed. And it will get dismissed. This isn’t even about him. This is about you. You’re going to be amazed how God turns things around in your life. You made the first step. You chose you and your daughter. You’ll look back on this one day and will be surprised how far you’ve come.”

  I had no idea where those words came from. She thanked me and left.

  About a month later, she came to my office with her disposition from the courts showing the case had been dismissed. We continued with the hiring process.

  A few months later, I was conducting interviews at the training center, she spotted me in the parking lot. She hugged me and thanked me for everything.

  As I sat in the company car, I felt tears threatening to fall. I could sense God was moving in my life, and I didn’t understand it all. But I wasn’t afraid anymore. I was open to hear God’s voice and acknowledge it for what it was.

  The last incident that let me know that God was interrupting my routine occurred while I was dealing with a young lady who had recently lost her mother. She had been in the training process and had to withdraw because her mother took ill. When I reached out to her to check her status, I found out that her mother had passed away. I offered my condolences and told her to take the time she needed and to reach out to me when she was ready.

  She called me for two months. She was struggling with accepting her mother’s death. I found myself walking at lunchtime and talking to her my entire break for weeks. In encouraging her, I realized I was finding my own strength.

  Little did I know my father’s death would be the catalyst to cause me to make major changes in my life. I wanted to do something that mattered. I no longer wanted to let life happen to me. I wanted to make a positive impact on the world around me.

  I love when God has a plan. Those promotions that I received but didn’t really enjoy the work allowed me to receive two pay increases at a company that had a salary freeze for nine years. When the time was right, and after much prayer, I retired from my company and my job in human resources after thirty-two years.

  I now understand God had disrupted my plan so I could focus on His plans for my life.

  Finding Home

  When my father was gone, I felt exposed. I felt lost. I still had my husband, who was loving and supportive. I had my mother, who I was extremely close to. I had my children and my brothers, all of whom I shared a close relationship. So why did I feel utterly lost in the world?

  Somehow with my father no longer here, I became keenly aware of how far I had drifted from my relationship with my heavenly father.

  Dream

  I am running through a neighborhood that looks familiar to me. Usually, it is a neighborhood from my childhood or my early adulthood. Sometimes, I am in a place that feels familiar but doesn’t look familiar. It seems that I am lost, even though the area looks familiar. I am running from place to place before I hear a voice calling my name. It sounded like my father’s voice.

  When I awoke, I thought it meant that I missed my father. But then I remembered that I had this dream before. This had been a recurring dream of mine for years.

  I looked in my old journal and realized that I had been having this dream long before my father passed away. I was always perplexed because I didn’t understand it’s meaning. I always knew where my dad was, so there was no reason for me to search for him.

  I didn’t understand what this dream meant when I had it throughout the years. I certainly didn’t understand why I was having this dream now. I’ve read the Bible most of my life but had never seen the following passage until recently.

  I Samuel 3:4-10 – The story of how God was calling Samuel and Samuel kept going to his father, Eli, because he thought it was Eli calling him. Samuel hadn’t grown to the place where he knew God’s voice.

  What an eye-opener that was for me. God had been pursuing me all that time. At every juncture of my past, whether good or bad, He was there, calling me. I didn’t have to do anything special. I only had to answer His call. I didn’t need to stand before anyone and confess my faults. I didn’t need to do penance or carry shame for my disbelief. I only had to answer.

  If the loss of my father weighed on me this heavily, imagine how heavy the weight was from my years of disconnect from God. Matthew 7:11 (NLT) states, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those that ask Him.” Like in the story of Jonah, God’s unfailing love pursued me until I was ready to do what He intended in my life. No judgment, no condemnation, just love was waiting for me.

  Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT)

  What I’ve learned throughout my experience is to see people as God sees them. Bitterness is replaced with understanding. We are all flawed. Our experiences will dictate our interactions with others until we know better.

  My mission is to speak life into situations and to show love to others. Coming through the most painful loss of my life, I am finally where I belong.

  Karen Deslandes is the founder of the Institute of Self-Discovery (www.instituteofselfdiscovery.com).

  Karen is a certified trainer and life coach in diversity, women's issues and wellness for women. She is a Certified Professional in human resources through the Society for Human Resource Management. Karen has co-authored "Self-Esteem and Empowerment for Women", "Beyond the Body: Developing Inner Beauty", "Christian Woman's Guide for Personal Success", and "Raising African American Boys" for the Professional Woman Library. In 2017, Karen released "Peeling Back the Layers" and will be self-publishing the novel "No Longer Willing" soon.

  Karen lives with her husband, Steven, in Pennsylvania.

  In Defense of Love

  Pat Simmons

  The following is a scene taken from In Defense of Love, Book 2 of 4 in the Carmen Sisters series. It was based on the testimony of the late Sister Patterson who described in details the presence of the Lord in a similar situation. I have heard incredible testimonies throughout the years about the power of God and the works of His angels. Yet, there was something about Sister Patterson’s that had to be shared. Shari is about to deliver her and Garrett’s first child:

  His grandfather’s first word when he saw Garrett was “Jesus.” Then Garrett heard whispered prayers rising up from several people.

  Shari’s mother reached out and hugged him. “What’s going on?” she asked softly.

  Shaking his head, Garrett struggled to get his words out. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

  “I'm sure everything will be all right,” Stacy told him. “Ted nearly fainted when I was in labor for nineteen hours. It’ll be okay.” Her smile gave him little comfort.

  His vision blurred, but he couldn’t blink—it was as if he was in a trance. He tried to keep himself composed, but in reality, he was losing it. Lord, please bless my wife and my son. You promised, Lord. You promised! Please, God.

  “While we wait, let's pray,” his grandfather spoke up.

  Garrett linked hands with his grandfather and Annette. He couldn’t control the tremors in his body. Was he about to have a seizure? As Shae began to sniff, her husband, Rahn, wrapped his arms around her. Ted cleared his throat before grabbing hold of Stacy’s hand. Brecee, usually the most vocal of the Carmen sisters, was unusually quiet, her head bowed. As the medical doctor in the family, did she understand what was going on?

  Before Garrett could ask her, his grandfather began the prayer. “Father God, in the mighty name of Jesus, we come boldly to Your throne of grace, where we give You thanks above all for this joyous occasion. We bless Your name for anointing the marriage of my grandson Garrett and his beautiful wife, Shari. Now, Lord, we stand before You in need of grace and mercy for Shari and little Garrison. They’re in trouble, and the doctors can do only so much. Lord, You are a God of testimonies, and we need one right now. We know that in You alone are life and healing, so we ask You to speak healing, Jesus...”

  As the petitions were lifted up, the presence of the Lord descended and encamped around them. Their prayers quieted at the same moment Garrett’s soul trembled, not from fear, but from comfort and hope. He knew that God had heard them.

  Know that I am God. I created the heavens, the earth, and all that dwell upon the earth... His voice seemed to shake the room.

  Garrett listened in awe until he felt another presence among them. His body tensed. “Lord, something’s not right. I feel it. What is it, God?”

  God continued to speak, but Garrett was distracted. “God, protect us,” he prayed. “Whatever is in this room, I can’t see it, but I know something undesirable is here. Protect us, God.”

  Be not afraid, for I am the Lord thy God.

  Mixed emotions raced through Garrett. Suddenly his natural eyes were heavy to the point that he couldn’t open them. Meanwhile, in the spiritual realm, he came face-to-face with something a Star Trek fan would have labeled as eerie. He saw a long black robe draped over a figure; a hood covered its face and the arms moved within the sleeves, but he saw no hands.

  “God, what just came into this room?”

  Death.

  Their wailing crescendoed. Everyone was in the spiritual realm with Garrett.

  “Why is he here?” he asked of the Lord. “What does he want?” Garrett continued to question the Lord.

  He’s waiting on Me. I'm waiting on you.

  Me? “God, please don’t take my son. Not my boy, not my firstborn.” He began to sob. “You promised me that You would bless the womb of my wife...”

  I came for your wife.

  Pat Simmons has penned more than thirty-five titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.

  You Can’t Stop My Destiny

  Alicia Fleming

  Seven years ago, my husband and I made a life-changing decision to leave our denominational congregation and move to a non-denominational church. It has been a roller coaster ride ever since we made that change. We loved our old church home and our pastor, but we were at a point in our life that we needed more in our walk with God. Thus, we made a move, and our lives have not been the same. We took a class at our new church home about living and walking in our destiny, and I have been in pursuit ever since. Pursuing the Lord and asking him to reveal to me my destiny and how I can make a difference for Him. Well, I figured it out, and it involved two things that I have always loved doing reading and writing. Thus my walk toward my destiny began.

  One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Little did I know when I started pursuing what God has for me that the enemy was going to get busy throwing up distractions in my life. When the distractions first started, I didn’t realize what was happening but the closer and closer I got to releasing and unlocking the door to my destiny, the more severe and frequent the attacks. The attacks were not only on my life but also involved those who were dear to my heart.

  I never imagined that this journey would bring such turmoil to my family. To the point where I almost lost my father, my child, my husband and even my own life. I refuse to give up, I keep pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). So, my message to anyone who is reading this is – Don’t Give Up! God has got you and will continue to encamp His angels around you.

  You are just like me “yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). We are overcomers. In 2010, I started my first manuscript. I was on a roll, working on this manuscript until I received a call from my brother. He was rushing my Dad to the hospital. Dad had been working in the yard and started feeling bad. I knew it must have been bad because my Dad hates doctors and hospitals.

  I left work and met my brother at the hospital. After a couple of hours of the doctors running test, the Emergency Room doctor finally came to talk with us. I asked the doctor if my Dad was cleared to go home and she advised me that my Dad was scheduled for a quadruple bypass the next morning. I thank God my Dad was paying attention to the warning signs his body gave him. Had he laid down that night, there was a strong possibility that he would not have woken up the next morning.

  My Dad’s surgery was successful, but the doctors couldn’t get him to wake up from the surgery. Day after day, we went to the hospital and sat and talked to my Dad, begging him to wake up. I was afraid my Dad would not wake up. I could feel my anxiety level growing. After the third day, our family was really starting to worry. Going to work every day along with the hospital was physically and mentally draining. I put my manuscript aside because I didn’t have the strength nor the will to write during this time.

  The Lord had called my mother home in 2004, so my father is my only living parent, and I was not ready to lose him. The doctors were puzzled because there was no medical reason for why he wasn’t waking up. I kept praying and praying and then finally after almost a week, my Dad opened his eyes – thank you, Jesus. The Lord blessed us and enabled us to take him to Hawaii this same year. This was also the first time he had been on an airplane at 65 years old. Little did I know there would be more distractions to come.

  In 2011, I picked up my manuscript again and continued where I left off. I then ended up sick with the flu and thought I was dying from it. In 2011 and 2012, there were other minor distractions but nothing major.

  Then 2013, David and I were preparing to go to Italy on vacation, and his liver specialist called to say that his liver enzymes were out of whack. We started praying for his health because my husband had been diagnosed years ago with Chronic Hepatitis C, which is the reason he has periodic checkups with this specialist. After taking a few tests, the doctor called us into the office to go over the test results. He informed us that there was nothing to worry about. We could go on vacation and enjoy yourselves. Once we returned from vacation, I made a career change within my company. I started a new position along with working on my master’s degree. Again, I put down my manuscript because of the distractions. I hadn’t forgotten about my manuscript or the people that God had placed in a position to help me, but these minor distractions kept getting in the way.

  December 2014, I was headed to work. It was a beautiful day outside. It was cold, but the sun was shining brightly. I was listening to my favorite morning show minding my own business. I had the roof pulled back, so the sun was shining in. I also had on my Christmas attire for our office Christmas luncheon. I was close to my exit at the airport when traffic began to slow down and came to a stop. No sooner than I came to a stop, I heard a loud noise. Suddenly, my car was spinning around and around. I didn’t know what was happening. I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when she was in the house, and it was flying through the air. Everything was in slow motion, and I had no clue what was happening. All I could do was scream and holler Jesus; I kept saying it over and over again for what seemed like five minutes. The next thing I knew everything was quiet. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was people running full force towards me. Someone threw open my door, yelled her name and said I’m a nurse. I need you to listen to me. About the same time, another woman grabbed my left hand which was hurting and said my name is Angel. She smiled at me. Then I felt someone grab my right hand from the passenger’s side, said his name and asked, “can I pray for you?” I said yes, softly. The nurse started talking to me again as the man to my right was praying while Angel was holding my left hand. The nurse told me that I had just been involved in an accident and I needed to follow her instructions. I remember her laying my seat down and telling me not to move and I remember my left-hand hurting and could tell it was something going on with it. The nurse asked me my name if I knew what year it was and who the president of the United States was. I could answer all of her questions.