I am half way to 98 now and this year my birthday fell on Easter!? Yesterday, the family celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection by attending Sunday School and the Worship Service at OHCC in Michigan.? Our Pastor preached about the love of God.? Right before the service began, a friend who is a new baby in Christ, came and sat by us.? My family and I? have been writing to him while he finishes his residential program at Life Challenge.? Folks, it really is all about Jesus.

Today, in the mail, I was so encouraged to receive this poem written by one of my 5 sisters.? The Poem is called, Jane.? God has been so merciful and gracious to me, and that is why I share this poem.

Jane

She arrived with the spring like

the first flowers each year,

And she remains as fresh as

the day she arrived, it appears.

She renews and refreshes her

family’s home,

comforts and nourishes the

children of her womb.

Her constancy and commitment

are a wonder to all,

Her faith in the Lord is certain,

and she has answered His every call.

Another generation will now

receive her love –

our Jane – as beautiful and

peaceful as a dove.

(Thank-you dear sister, MB!)

God places people in our paths so that we may point them to Christ.? On occasion, there may be someone the Lord puts in your path who is/was addicted to drugs, alcohol, etc.? In the Detroit area, there is a residential ministry called Life Challenge which is a discipleship program lasting a year.? For more details, check out the Life Challenge website.

God opened a door for our family to make and serve breakfast on Christmas morning for the last couple years.? What a blessing to be able to cook for these men (and women, housed in different facilities).? Truly, God is at work through the Life Challenge program/ministry.? Lives are being changed.? Men and women are re-training their minds with Scripture memorization and prayer, with godly mentoring and teaching.

One man stated, “At the age of 12, I had already spent 4 1/2 years of my life away from family and pretty much society as well.? I had spent time in many local city jails which included (here he mentions 5+ jails).? The more time I spent locked up, the more I rebelled against people.? I became a very mean person, not physically, but mentally and emotionally.? My family had tried everything they could to get me professional help but I rebelled against that as well………I had no understanding of God at all, but I always seemed to call upon His name when I was in some sort of dilemma or in jail – I would say, ‘God, please get me out of here and I won’t do it again.’? God doesn’t negotiate with us.? He wants and has always wanted? a personal, intimate relationship with us.? I would get released from jail or a certain dilemma would pass and I would continue doing the same insane things.? I didn’t think there was anything wrong with spending 6 months or a year in jail and get released in the morning only to return that afternoon or that night…..My life was in total shambles, broken beyond repair….I had been up for approx. 18 days and lost about 50 lbs. while snorting heroin and cocaine….the doctor at the jail stated another day or two and I would have died from a total body shut down….I was in total denial and my life was in total disaster.? I? had hit bottom on several occasions.? I became homeless.? No money.? No food.? Layed off from work.? Unemployment had run out.? Eating out of dumpsters, sleeping in abandoned vehicles and/or buildings.? Walking 20 miles to get my fix, wearing the same clothes for 2 weeks at a time with no shower…..Then, out of utter desperation and despair, my Pastor recommended I enter a Bible Ministry Program called “Life Challenge” in the city of Detroit.? Now, I wasn’t really interested at first because I remember we had driven by there some 15 years ago AND AT THAT TIME I WOULDN’T COMMIT 1 YEAR OUT OF MY LIFE TO GET TO KNOW GOD WHOM TODAY I CALL MY LORD AND SAVIOUR…”

Bless the Lord that this man’s life changed and he was drawn to the Saviour.? This redeemed man states, “I am truly blessed that the Author and Protector of my life, Jesus Christ, is a caring, loving, merciful God who? truly loves and cares about His children, whether we’re lost and broken, or just struggling with life’s battles.? GOD IS THERE….”

God is at work at Life Challenge, a residential year long Bible based discipleship program.? Be watching this column for a testimony of one person’s journey to new life through the school of hard knocks.