Over Thirty years ago, at age eleven, I was baptized at The Church of Christ. I Thank God for placing me in a Christian Family. I am so very blessed. I have never doubted God's existence, but I was slow to seek more of Him. When I was 21 is when my trials started, now at 41 these trials are my Blessings. Although not knowing this at the time, each and every step has only brought me 'CLOSER TO GOD'! In so doing, He has and continues to mold me to His Plan. I now am closer to Him and love Him more than I ever knew was possible. I want to be more, so I can give Him more. I will Praise The LORD for ever and ever, and Where He Leads Me ... I Will Follow! His path calls for, 'DAYLEE WALKIN' and I Thank Him for each step, is to a 'CLOSER WALK WITH THEE'.

Over Twenty Years ago, my mom killed herself. I found her dead in the garage and from this I suffered deep depression and thoughts of killing myself for several years. I made a couple of weak attempts at suicide, as I cried for help. Instead of looking to God for comfort and strength, I tried to find it in drugs and alcohol. It is only By God, that I did not kill myself intentionally or unintentionally, during those 7 years of depressions darkness. Thankfully, God pulled me out of the darkness so that I was with Him for this next loss.

My brother was 34, when diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was this year and a half of him suffering, that I learned what prayer was all about. I learned to pray, and I mean really pray! My first prayers for my brother were that a cure would be found, and he would be healed. My second prayers were for God to take me instead of him. He so wanted to watch his daughters grow up, and although I had gotten over wanting to die, I would have gladly given my life if it would of given him a happy, healthy and longer life.

It is this third prayer, that was answered immediately and over and over again. My brother had 3 surgeries, radiation therapy, and other numerous ordeals, of which after all of this, he was told there was a new tumor. He had been on medication to keep his brain from swelling, allowing him to live longer, but what the medication did to his body was hard for those of us who loved him so, to watch. He did not even look like the same person. It was basically only through his eyes, that I still knew him. Several times, I found myself at the door of his hospital room, not being able to go in. I cried and pleaded for God to give me the strength to go into that room and be able to give my brother the care and comfort, he so well deserved. I could not bare to see him suffering so. Yet, I knew I must be strong for his sake. God answered these prayers by giving me a strength so powerful, it could not have been my own. ONLY By The LORD Thy God!

My fourth and final prayer for my brother, must be the hardest words I have ever spoken, yet surely the most loving words I would ever say for him. I prayed for God, to take my brother; to end his pain and suffering and to take him home. Within only a few days, God also answered this prayer. He gave me the comfort of knowing that I would never doubt asking this, and never doubt that it had been answered. God gave me His Blessed Assurance. Jesus was present. I was not just praying to Him, I felt Him present.

My brother, for several days, had not been alert to his surroundings. He was not even aware of being in the hospital, he thought he was at his house. His eyes had seldom been open, and when they were open they were not seeing; just eyes that had no life. My sister and I were sitting by his side, when he sat up and asked, "Who is that?" Having no idea what he was talking about, and knowing we just went along with what he said anyway, I said "I don't know who it is!" He looked back, to where he thought someone was. I just figured that he thought it was our dad, but then I realized it was not. It was our Father! My brother then said, "Oh, I know who it is!" The beauty of the light in his eyes, showed my sister and I, Who it was also. Both my sister and I were so aware of His presence. We did not see Him like our brother saw Him, with his eyes. But we did see Him through our brothers eyes. This was beyond amazing, beyond glorious. This was Jesus taking my brother home!