God Had a Plan

We received the invitation to serve on the Faith Alive Weekend in Connecticut and dutifully prayed for God's leading, although we recognized that recent family health concerns had substantially diminished our financial reserves and prospects for my annual raise at work had been squelched. We prayed for God's guidance although we were discouraged by rising air fares and the mileage from the Midwest to New England and back in our gas-guzzling Jeep Liberty. We prayed for God's guidance although snow storms threatened the blanketing of the East Coast, closing major highways.

We counted out available funds: $175.

And God spoke: "Go." He had a plan.!

His plan for Kathie and me: After a powerful Weekend and a Spirit-led (and tearful) time of committing ourselves again to Jesus as Lord and Savior during the Sunday service, we took our places as one of several prayer teams. A young lady came forward to ask for prayers for a deeper sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit. She radiated in God's love as she moved about during the following coffee hour. Deeply touched by seeing this change in his wife, her husband asked for prayer. He said he wanted to "surrender himself to Jesus." What a wonderful way of putting it! Surrender to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and letting His will be done .. not ours.

God had a plan. We made it to St. Paul's in Brookfield, CT, and made it back home. We spent exactly $175 on gas. We didn't have a penny to spare when we got home. But our riches overflow as we recall the wonders of serving Him as lives were transformed forever.

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." Acts 22-24

Dan Klueg 11/2011

Princess of the Realm

At Christmas time, 2010, our grandson, Joshua, and his wife, Nicki, together with their children, Lilly and Bella, came to visit my wife and I over the holidays. Lilly, who was then five and Bella, age three, were our precious great-grandchildren who, not surprisingly, endeared us to them immediately. Lilly was old enough to remember me from previous visits and clung to me with hugs and kisses as never before. So before she left to go back home I told her that she was such a special person that I had to proclaim her to be a princess of the realm. I then called her into the living room and took down my Naval Academy sword (in her words a REAL sword) and required that she kneel before me. I then touched her on each shoulder with the sword saying that "I dub thee a princess of the realm!"

Well, it is not too surprising that when Lilly, Bella and their parents came to visit us this summer, Lilly reminded me that I had proclaimed her to be a princess (She will never forget that sweet ceremony). And then I was stunned when she said, "Except that because God is my father and He is the King, I was already His princess!" .

Later on during the first night of their recent arrival, this six year old child looked up into my face and said, "Grandaddy, except for God, you are the nicest person I know!" I do not have the ability to respond to such a loving remark. Could you? But I can say that these children are being brought up by their parents in the knowledge and love of God who is in their life daily in a beautiful way. One of my ultimate desires has been to simply pass on my faith to my kindred and watch this faith multiply from generation to generation and to the glory of God. Thank you Lord. How sweet it is !

Cranny Boensch, Walterboro, SC 08/2011

Talking With God

As I struggle with a lung condition which may take me home to be with the Lord, I am being prayed for by many people.

While I may not be feeling a physical improvement, I think what the prayers are doing is giving me more patience through all of this and bringing me closer to God.

I find that if I am wakeful at night, this is when he really speaks to me, so I do not fret over not being able to get back to sleep. On one occasion He used the opportunity to tell me' "Yes, Jerry, it's time," referring to my wrestling with the decision to quit singing, a lifetime joy of mine. His voice was quite clear and really affirmed me to take this step. The next night when I felt His presence again, I lay back and said,"OK, Lord, what do you want to say to me tonight?" He said, "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to be with you, that's all."

Wow, what a blessing. I almost broke out laughing, but stifled it so as to not awaken Christine. And so it goes. His Grace prevails.

Jerry Steege 07/2011

O Lord, Use Me Today

Last Tuesday, November 23, I bought a new car. A routine procedure is the transfer of license plates. Seated across from the administrator, I watched as he took a second look at my plates: VANGLST. "Evangelist," he translated.

"That's to help me behave myself when driving," I smiled. "I remember rushing home from school to get out of my Cub Scout uniform before fighting with the kid next door. Those plates don't state who I am but who I want to be."

The administrator took his hands from the computer key board and gripped the top of his desk. "I so hunger for God," he whispered. "I'm going through some difficult times, discouraging times!"

And so what began as a routine shuffle of paperwork became a time of listening and then praying as our Lord introduced me to my new brother in Christ. At the conclusion of our very special time together we embraced, promising to stay in touch.

Later that day, as I went through the box of stuff that I had removed from the old car, I came across a pocket-sized pamphlet, the Gospel of John. I have no memory of having that in the car, nor from where it came.

The next morning I returned to the dealership where I was warmly greeted by my new friend. "I brought you something," I said. Tears came to his eyes as he thumbed through the small pages before placing it in his shirt pocket. Then he removed it, returned it to me and asked, "Would you autograph it?"

I wrote, "To Henry, my new brother in Christ," then signed and dated it. 11/23/2010

Tom Riley 11/2010

Who is the Provider?

It was an early Monday morning in February 1991 and I was putting the finishing touches to closeout an over-budget project that I had inherited from another employee who had left, and had spent all weekend working on. The firm was in a state of turmoil with canceled projects and downsizing resulting from a massive reduction in backlog resulting from the recession resulting from the Savings & Loan debacle.

As I arrived at the office, I was greeted by an announcement on the PA system that there would be a staff meeting in about 2 minutes. At the meeting we were told there was going to be a layoff of approximately 40-percent of the staff, and that those persons being laid-off would be contacted in their offices after the meeting. So, almost everyone went back to their offices waiting for the "dreaded" phone call.

About an hour later my phone rang. As soon as I answered it, I instantly knew the purpose of the call. I answered the summons to the Vice-President's office, and some minutes later blindly made my way back to my office struggling with the feeling of how was I, as sole bread-winner, going to provide for my wife and 4 children.

The next few days I struggled to find my footing and mechanically went through putting my projects in order for someone else to take over. Thursday morning rolled around and with it my 6:00AM Men's Prayer Breakfast I'd been attending for not quite a year. This group of men was a new experience for me in my Christian life, and had become a highlight in my week. That morning I was given a few minutes to express my concern for finding a job and providing for my family. After breakfast, one of our number, Art (who was later to become a treasured mentor), came up to me and asked "Ed, who is the Provider?"

In the days ahead I pondered Art's question. And so it was to become a major "theme" in my life and my family's over the next 15 months of unemployment and beyond, as I came to realize I was not the Provider. God was (and still is). Vignettes still come back to me now: a neighbor showing up at the door with a roast saying "this had your name on it"; three bags of groceries left in the car while we were in church; a call to do some contract work for an long time friend; an envelope thrust in the door of the house while we were out with some cash in it; a hand thrusting currency in my pocket as I was jostled in a crowded hall at church; . . . I could go on. I still marvel that we never missed a mortgage payment, nor defaulted on the car loan.

One specific incident I'd like to share. I was being pressed very hard on a substantial past-due bill a year into this unemployed period, and had been praying for a solution, because there were no funds available to pay it. I had not shared this with anyone, however, that Thursday morning one of the men at the Men's Prayer Breakfast said "I believe that we need to bless Brother Ed this morning", and they passed the basket around. I was handed the proceeds which I put in my pocket. Later, I found that the amount plus the $5 I had in my pocket was enough to pay the bill. Oh, by the way, in the 40+ years this group has met, this has only occurred 3 times.

I've had a number of occasions recently in the challenging economic times we face to recall this period in my life in 1991-92 and share with others the knowledge that God, not Ed, is my Provider. Today we refer to that period as "God's Provision 101" and periodically recall some of the stories of God’s provision during that time.

Ed McCorkle 8/2010

It's Simply a Matter of Clearance!

Jack moved from serving as a commander of a submarine and captain in the U.S. Navy to Director of Naval Intelligence in Washington, DC.

"I don't understand it," he confessed, "Judy and I pray before I leave home, I listen to Christian music on the way to work while talking to God about the tasks of the day. I walk into that building and I change! My language changes. My whole demeanor changes. I leave at the end of the day, listen to Christian music in the car and talk to God about my day. By the time I get home, I'm rejoicing in my relationship with Jesus as Lord of my life and Lord of our family. But the work day is so hollow, no sense of God walking with me!"

Then one day he called: "Riley!! Jesus has security clearance!! I can let Him in." Jack told me that he had gone to sleep asking God why his office life was so empty. As he awoke, it dawned on him: Jesus Christ is sinless. He has security clearance. He enters top-security places all over the world. And so on that morning -- and every morning thereafter -- Jack and Jesus walked together into that top-secret environment. Jack shared his day with his constant Companion. Throughout this assignment, and even now in retirement, his stories of faith at work draw others into a deeper relationship with Him.

I give thanks for our men and women in uniform, both military and civilian, who place themselves in harm's way that we may enjoy our freedoms .. including freedom to worship without persecution. And I thank God for revealing to my dear friend Jack that our Lord Jesus will travel with us wherever we might go. He has the clearance!

Tom Riley 7/2010

Our prayers have legs

My friend Frank read the brief newspaper article again. A priest in Romania was arrested, his arms broken, and hurled into prison for proclaiming his Christian faith. Frank decided to make the sign of the cross every time he said grace at mealtime, and to pray for the imprisoned priest.

It was impressive..and funny..to us when we dined with friends. Self-conscious, Frank would often explain to someone at the table, "I'm not Catholic, I'm a Protestant. I cross myself when I say grace and pray for Fr. Calciu in Romania who was imprisoned for displaying his faith in public."

Almost two years later, Fr. Calciu was released from prison and shortly thereafter was brought to the United States to testify on Capitol Hill before a U.S. Senate Committee exploring The Persecuted Church Worldwide. Residing in nearby Northern Virginia, Frank arranged to attend the hearing, to see this faithful servant for whom he had prayed hundreds of times.

At a break in the proceedings, Frank slipped forward to shake the priest's hand. "I'm Frank Watson," Frank said as he reached out his hand to the elderly priest. The response was immediate. Fr. Calciu grasped the offered hand in both of his own. "You .. you are Frank Watson .. you are the man who prayed for me every time you took bread!"

Somehow, through someone who told someone who told someone, Fr. Calciu had received the encouraging word that a man in the United States, Frank Watson, was praying for him every time he took bread.

Our prayers have legs.

Tom Riley 6/2010

Perseverance

It was Thursday morning, and like most Thursdays I was up at 5:00 AM to attend the Men's Thursday Morning Prayer Breakfast that met at a local restaurant. I'd been attending this breakfast for about 5 years and the men had become good friends of mine, and more importantly seeing the fruits of prayer through this group was helping me grow in my faith.

As we began to bring prayer requests forward, Leroy asked for the Lord's guidance in sharing the gospel with a couple that they would be seeing later that day. This couple had been close friends of Leroy and his wife for 37 years, and they had prayed about sharing the gospel with them for many years. We had prayed with Leroy for this couple's salvation many times, and as we prayed, one of our number, Mel, said "Leroy, I believe that today is the day."

Next week when we gathered, Leroy began with "I have a Praise Report." Leroy and his wife felt the "go ahead" from the Holy Spirit, and shared the gospel with their friends, and they did accept Jesus as their Lord. Afterwards, the couple said to them, "You know, we knew that you’ve wanted to share this with us for many years, but if you had done this before today, you would have lost us as friends." The entire group rejoiced and was strengthened by Leroy's continuing in prayer for someone for 37 years.

I've shared this with children and friends, and though Leroy passed on a number of years ago, this lesson of persevering in prayer is just as fresh today as it was then.

Ed McCorkle 2/2010

Remember That?

"All these strange words and phrases make me very uncomfortable," I told Doug Coe, head of the National Prayer Breakfast.

I boasted in those days that my job was my top priority, and I had done well. "The job comes first, second, third, fourth and fifth. Then civic stuff and church because they’re good for business. Then my wife, Marj. The kids are on her priority list."

I was an invited guest and then a regular at the weekly prayer breakfast meetings across Pennsylvania Avenue from U.S. Treasury, kitty-corner from the White House. As Goodyear’s rep in Washington, DC, covering a region from Philadelphia to Miami and west to Texas, I fit in well with these business executives and government officials, including U.S. Senators and heads of national trade associations. Good contacts. Good for business, I told myself.

But there was something different about these men. There was a peace, and a trust in each other. They talked about prayer with a confidence that was new to me. And they used terms like "personal relationship with Jesus" and "born again."

Doug Coe had a way of looking into and through my eyes. He leaned forward and asked, "Do you remember when you were first born, as the doctor brought you into this strange new world? Your first gasp for breath?"

"Of course not," I declared.

"Don’t worry about it. Most people don’t remember that. How about when you took your first drink from a baby bottle? That was a surprise! Your Mom, who loved you so much, looked down on you and laughed. Remember that?

"No."

"How about when you took your first step? Probably didn’t really take a step. More like a lunge, passed from your Mother to your Father. But they were excited. You were warmed by their love as they celebrated your first step. Remember?"

"No."

"It’s okay. Lot’s of people don’t remember that. The point I’m making is that birth is an amazing event. And most often those around you, who love you, are more aware that you are a new creation than you are. Ever see a baby lying on her back, looking up at her hand, wiggling those fingers, marveling at the movement? So it can be when one is 'born again.' Those around you, who have come to love you, see that God is moving in marvelous ways. You are becoming a new creature. He is drawing you to Him. And we see it! We see the Holy Spirit moving, Tom. You just don’t see it yet."

"But you will. You will discover that Jesus has become Lord of your life. And, as we’re told in Scripture, 'when you believe in your heart and speak with your lips that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved.' We see that day approaching. And we pray that we will have the privilege of being there when you know within yourself, 'Jesus is Lord and He is making me into a new creature!'"

They did see that transformation, that born again event. And fifteen years later, at the age of 52, I left my employment in the secular world to become president of Faith Alive, having served a number of years as Weekend Coordinator and Board member.

Tom Riley 1/2010

Walking Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Held in the palms of praying hands nationwide and beyond for more than a year, she succumbed to cancer on September 21, 2009.

Visiting with Beverly Maxwell in the backyard of the home in Belen, NM, which she shared with her husband, Fr. Bob, she told me,

"God has opened doors for us into ICU treatment rooms where few can pass. We meet those with fading hope, clinging to their faith, and those unfamiliar with His saving grace. We witness to the power of prayer and sustaining hope. We bring Christ and His promise of life everlasting. We are there to proclaim the Gospel, to provide a comforting touch or embrace as God’s voice and hands."

"What a privilege it is to be used by Him!"

Often during those months of treatment, of pain and frustration and receiving 24/7 care-giving by loving husband and ‘adopted daughter,’ our long-time Office Manager would be on the phone offering prayers for others, experienced counsel to the leadership of Faith Alive, and receiving words of comfort and prayer.

Above all, her testimony on the front lines of intensive care stands as a witness and challenge to all who knew and loved her.

Tom Riley 10/21/09

Thirteen years! Hardly seems that long ago.

When I started fulltime as a youth minister in a church in South Carolina, a young member of the congregation, an 11th grader, had seen her parents go through a horrible divorce the year before. She was angry at the world, and was mad that I was hired since she wanted the current part-time youth minister to get the job. When I met with her, she told me two things: that she would be my worst nightmare, and that she wanted to know more about Jesus and what difference he made in her life.

This weekend I will be driving across the Midwest to attend her wedding. She attended a Christian college after high school and has spent several years working in a Christian halfway house for former prostitutes. I keep telling her I'm waiting for the "worst nightmare" phase to kick in. She is like a 2nd daughter to my wife and me. God is so great. This beautiful young woman has served on several Faith Alive Youth Teams, and has had a powerful impact on many.

Tony Walter 08/09

Lord's Servant

Church Army is part of a worldwide cadre of evangelists within the Anglican Communion, serving the inner city, rural and Native American areas. I was asked by the executive director, Steve Brightwell, to speak at Church Army's annual banquet.

As I prayerfully prepared my message, I tried to picture myself speaking before the group, probably sitting at large round tables. As I visualized myself addressing this group, I kept seeing myself in a tuxedo. "That's strange," I said to myself. But that image was persistent and I finally phoned Steve to ask what people would be wearing. "It's Friday evening," he responded, "so most will be in business attire. We'll be wearing our Church Army uniforms." I told him that I sensed that I should wear a tux. "Okay," he responded. "I trust you."

Probably, thought I, I'm thinking of wearing a tux because I'm the principal speaker for the evening, the entertainment. Kind of the "star." So I checked out the tux that I hadn't worn in years and was pleased that it still fit. I had it cleaned for the occasion.

The Thursday before the banquet, as I reflected on what I planned to say, I again visualized myself in the tuxedo. But this time, to my surprise, I noticed that there was a linen napkin lying across my left forearm!

I wore the tux, with napkin on my arm. And I helped direct our guests to their seats, filled their water glasses, and helped them be seated. And I spoke not as the "star," but as one of our Lord's servants celebrating a remarkable servant ministry, Church Army!

"Do not worry about what you will say. For when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will instruct you." Luke: 11-12.

Tom Riley 5/09

Will I ever see you again?

I was attending a powerful conference at Kanuga on the saving grace of Jesus Christ, reminded again of those words of Paul in his letter to the Romans, "When you believe in your heart, and say with your lips that Jesus is Lord (Lord of your life), you will be saved." Previously unchurched and now finding a new life in Christ as an adult, I thought back on the times my Mother attended church with us during her occasional visits. At the conclusion of the conference, I asked a couple to pray for me, and instead of heading for home in Virginia, I flew from Asheville, NC, to Cleveland, OH, where I rented a car and drove to Akron for an unplanned visit with Mom.

"Mom, I've come because I'm frightened that I'll never see you again if death should take you or me," I began. "When you go to church with us, you just kind of sit quietly in the pew, or stand silently while we sing. I know that I will see my wife and our children again if something might happen to me or them, because we all know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. But will I ever see you again? Do you have any kind of a relationship with Jesus?"

"Tommy," she responded. "I know Jesus. I pray to my Lord Jesus."

You never told me.."

"You never asked."

Tom Riley 3/09

No Peer Pressure if We're One

Our granddaughter, Lisa, was twelve and had left for a sleep-over at the home of a girl friend celebrating her 13th birthday. Just as we were sitting down for dinner, the phone rang, answered by our adult daughter and Lisa’s mother, Jennifer.

"Yes, Lisa, that's right,” we heard Jennifer say. “You were right to call me. If it's a PG13 video, of course you can't watch it because you're only twelve. You are so mature, Lisa, probably everybody thought you were already thirteen. You are so grown up. And the 'PG' means that Mommy and Daddy should see it first, and we haven't seen it...

We'll, you've got some books you could read in the other room or ... I know what!! .. You've got some great videos here that you might want to share with your friends! Do you want me to talk to Ginger's Mommy?"

"Hi. Lisa acts a lot older than she really is, and most of her friends are already thirteen. But she's only twelve. So of course you wouldn't have even thought of that when selecting a PG13 video. But Lisa has some great videos that she would love to share with her friends. Would it be okay if I brought them over? Thanks so much! I'll be right there!"

When Jennifer returned as we were concluding our dinner, I observed, "Boy, that took a lot of courage for Lisa to 'call Mommy' about the PG13 video. That's a lot of peer pressure she had to overcome."

Jennifer replied, "There's no negative peer pressure, Daddy. We're all members of the same Christian community. We're all working hard to live a life that's pleasing to God, and we learn from one another."

Tom Riley 2/09

Oh, what wonderful words

Isn't it amazing what a lift children can give and what wisdom they impart to us?

Saturday, Ryan gave me a lesson in humility. He is in an honors band, which includes about 16 school districts in our area, at a University that is about forty-five minutes to an hour away from us.

While he was at rehearsal, it began to snow and the roads became icy. We had some hairy moments on the way home, and Dad (me) was praying quite a bit on the trip. When we got close to our home the roads became clear and the last 10 minutes was easy.

While we were at a red light, I said, "You seemed calm the whole trip. You didn't get worried?" He said, "No I wasn't. I knew we would get home o.k." Dad replied "I'm glad you have confidence in me." The reply to that was, "Dad I wasn't confident in you. I was confident in God."

Humility check! But, oh what wonderful words he gave me. I am so happy that he feels that way and has already opened up to our Lord. I sure didn't when I was his age.

Dan Klueg
St. Thomas
Harmarville PA

How Many Cubits?

My two partners and I, all engineers, were in our living room while our wives were visiting in the kitchen. Kaitlin, my granddaughter, was playing with some stuffed animals in the corner. For some reason we began to discuss Noah and his ark, perhaps prompted as we watched the child at play.

Within minutes we engineers had searched the Bible for the ark's dimensions, translated them into feet, and set about designing this boat that would carry a great many pairs of animals. In typical engineer fashion we had our paper, pencils and calculators. We listed all requirements including the storage of food and discussed the waste management issues. Especially troubling was the sheer space required for the animals themselves.

Without missing a beat, my granddaughter interjected, "All the animals were babies, you know!"

"Oh!" we engineers stammered, "Guess we didn't know that!"

"Out of the mouth of babes . thou hast perfected praise" Matthew 21:16

Denis McMullan, Vienna, VA

Wife of a Moonwalker: 'God, are you out there?'

Our marriage was becoming unglued.  Depressed and lonely, seeking little value in my life, I began to consider suicide.  I’m going to die sometime.  Why not now?

It was at this time that our Vestry, of which I was a member, decided to hold a Faith Alive Weekend.  I had never heard of Faith Alive, and I didn’t like what they told me about it.  (This had nothing to do with the purpose of the church: to help the poor and feed the hungry.)  But the Vestry voted to do it, and as a Vestry member, I was expected to attend.

The thing that struck me first about the Faith Alive Weekend was the number of out of town visitors who came to present the program, and how happy and cohesive they seemed to be.  The enthusiastic singing caught my attention next.  I was reminded of my youth summer camp days.

During our Saturday morning home group I was amazed as one after another spoke about their faith.  Each one was sure that God had not only heard, but had answered their specific prayers.  They admitted to problems, but said God helped them to turn them around for good.  They were sure of God’s reality, Jesus’ love, and God’s promises.

On that Saturday evening in the quietness of my bedroom, I knelt and prayed:  “God, I don’t know if you are real.  Jesus, I don’t know if you are the Son of God.  But I’ve made a mess of my life and if you are real, I give you my life.  If you’re not real, I want to die.”

The next day, I received no answers, but I knew I had made a commitment to God, if He was real.  I figured the only way to find out if He was real was to talk to Him the way the people on the Faith Alive team had prayed.  I talked to Him about my pain, my needs, my desires.

After a while, one of my prayers was answered.  I considered it a coincidence, but I kept praying, talking to God.  Prayers continued to be answered and I became aware and assured that not only was God real, He loved me so much that He was actually intervening in my life.  I discovered that I knew that Jesus had really died for me on the cross, and was resurrected and alive today.
This happened over 25 years ago, and there have been years of growth since then.  The wonderful peace that came from that assurance has never left. 
~ Dotty Duke

Dotty Duke’s husband, Charlie, followed her to faith through the weekend seminar, Walk Through the Bible.  The Dukes have an international ministry of sharing their personal faith called Duke Ministry for Christ.  Brig. Gen. Charlie Duke, USAF Ret., served as lunar module pilot of Apollo 16, the first scientific expedition to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features on the moon.

A Story of Faith: Ministry of Receiving

He discovered the lump under his arm shortly after Thanksgiving, and the surgery in early December revealed a fast-growing cancer already spreading to his lungs.

Twelve of us committed to laying hands on David, praying for him at 5:45 every evening, at home and later in his hospital room. Chemotherapy, radiation and experimental treatment were given because of David's determination to fight. "Pray for my will to live," he would ask.

David ministered to us through his gift of receiving, recognizing the power of prayer and seeking to direct it for maximum impact on his life-and-death struggle. "My platelet count has dropped. Pray tonight that my bone marrow will begin again to make platelets." "My legs ache, I guess from tumors there. Pray tonight for my legs, and that the pain is lifted so I can sleep." "We're worried about our sons. Pray that this burden will be lifted so we can again focus on Jesus and seek His leading and His strength during our conversations with the boys." "You don't know when to stop our prayer session, and I get tired. From now on, I'll just jump in with The Lord's Prayer when we need to close."

And so we grew, we small band of believers, through encouraging times and tough times. We searched our own commitments to Christ. As conduits of God's healing power, we wanted those vessels to be as clear as possible. Never worthy by our own acts, nevertheless we drew closer to Him through our prayers and study of Scripture.

David died in May, surrounded by his family and his prayer warriors. We have wept for this young father who brought us face to face with a loving and healing God. We have praised God for hundreds of lives touched by witnessing David's steadfast faith. There are those whose strong faith brings to them confidence about their Heavenly destination. David's "bags were packed" and he was ready to go on ahead of us with absolute certainty.

It was through David's ministry of receiving that we all walked .. and continue to walk .. closer to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

(Reprinted from the Faith Alive Newsletter, July-August, 1989. By Tom Riley)