Were you there that day Jesus sat on a colt of a donkey and rode into Jerusalem? Oh it was a marvelous day! Jesus will now be king! We all stood on either side of the road. I saw you throwing branches into the road. I was doing the same. Jesus went into the temple and got very angry, turning over the tables where the people were selling things they could use as a sacrifice. He yelled, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” We followed Him and his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, I supposed to sleep there. He told his disciples rest while he went farther into the garden to pray. He took Peter, James and John with Him, He was there quite a while and when He came back he looked different.The men had fallen fast asleep! He said,” Could you not watch with me one hour?” This happened again and he said,” The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Come let’s be going.” They then went back where the rest of the Disciples were waiting.

What happened next? It hurts me to tell, I imagine it hurts you too. The men were just standing there, talking when Judas, one of his disciples came with several policemen. Judas pointed at Him and then stepped up and kissed Him. The policemen came up to Him,roughly grabbed Him and carried Him off. The disciples ran off to hide somewhere! I couldn’t believe it and I looked over to you. You were crying. Why did they leave the side of their Master? Peter, James and John did return before the trial started.

The trial was terrible. I was there and I spotted you too. I would think it against the rule to have a trial in the middle of the night, but the way they treated Him was awful. They flogged Him many times with a whip, looking much like the cowboys carry in our western movies, except the whips had sharp metal ends on them that poked his skin right off! The worst thing was when Peter cursed Him and said he didn’t know Him. They finally went inside and asked what they should do with this man. The people seemed to be the same ones that yelled,” Behold, the King of the Jews”. Except they were now yelling, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him”! They sure changed their minds fast! The people were asked whether to crucify a mad criminal or Jesus. They yelled even louder, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” So they led Him away to be crucified. He didn’t even look human as he walked toward Calvary. Somebody had to carry His cross for Him. I would have, but a man came forward and carried it

I didn’t want to watch but I had to. I noticed you did too. They nailed his hands and feet to the two pieces of lumber, and then raised the cross up high above us. Two others were crucified, one on each side. I only heard Him say one thing, but there were several times He talked. The thing I heard was telling John to take care of His mother. When He was dead a guy pierced Him to make sure he was dead.Blood and water ran out of His body. A man who looked very wealthy offered to place His body in his tomb. He was placed there with a huge rock in front of the entrance.

I thought the event was over so I could go home, but I stayed and I don’t know why. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up early and walked to the tomb. Three women were running away from the tomb, all excited. They ran to the room where the whole group had their supper. Some of the men raced to the tomb too. Everyone was excited and wondering what had happened to Jesus. Then I heard that Jesus actually came into the room where thy were. There were many people who saw Him alive again. I didn’t see Him until the day He left us. We were all in a field near Jerusalem waiting for who knows what? I saw you were there too.Then Jesus came. He looked great! Not at all like He did that awful day. He stretched out His arms and told us that we are to make disciples of all nations. That sounds like a big order, but we have nearly done it. However, there are many who haven’t decided that Jesus is the Son of God. After He spoke to the people, He raised His arms and was taken into Heaven to live with His Father, God. I went home after this, and I was ready to make many people believe like I do. Jesus us the Son of God!,

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I have often wondered if folks know that God leads them whether they have asked him to or not. Of course you were given free will and can refuse his leading if you want to. I have decided to tell you some of the ways I know that God has led me. If you know him, You will recognize some of the ways he has led you.I’ll tell about my first husband. He did not like working for his dad because he was always afraid of heights. His dad owned a roofing and insulation company. Eddie had completed two years at the University, but wanted to join the army when World War II broke out. He was turned down, and it was the same at every other branch of military service. He had a heart murmur. So he went to work at a Military factory, which made all kinds of things the men and women in the service would need. When that closed, he went to work for his dad.

One day, he was roofing a church which had a high roof and Eddie was very afraid. All of a sudden he knew he had to quit his job and go back to school. He came home very exited about this knowledge but I couldn’t see it. We were both still feeling sad. We had suffered the loss of our two boys. They were both full term babies about 14 months apart. One lived long enough to take a breath, but the other was born dead. Anyhow, I didn’t catch his excitement. He said, “Don’t you see? It all ties in. Our babies and everything. God wants us to do this!” I began to catch the excitement too.

One day we were ready to take the plunge.I know it’s hard to believe, but his college work was such that he would earn his Bachelor Degree in 1 and one half years and be ready to teach high school science courses. I was walking down the main street, while Eddie was at the school, and a sign caught my eye. I went in Montgomery Ward’s store and got a job as an invoice records clerk. A little later that same day we went to visit a couple of friends. They had just agreed to rent their upstairs apartment! We rented it, beginning when school started. It’s all true! It couldn’t be that God was involved, could it?

Another time was when Eddie died when he was in his thirties. It was so sudden. He was teaching some of the boys how to handle the spears in the gym of the school. (He was now Assistant Suprintendent)when he dropped to the floor dead. It was awful! And we had three kids to raise. The State took every bit of money and put it into probate and that wasn’t much! I ended up promising I would pay my rent as soon as the money was available, and I borrowed money to buy groceries. I knew I had to find work so I dragged out all my papers from Bible college and my First year college card, hoping that I could get a job as a Parish Worker. I sent out resumes. I got one answer telling me to see the head guy in Chicago in a couple of days. He was head of Missions for his denomination. I thought, “Where on earth can I find the money?” The next day I got a sympathy card. In it was a check for the exact amount it would cost both ways on the train to Chicago! I couldn’t believe it but I went to Chicago. I got the job as Parish Worker in a church in the state of Washington.He said one thing made his decision easy.:” How do you expect to do all your work when you have three children?” I answered, “God has left me with the Children. He will not let either the children or my job suffer. I will handle both.” I got the job but I worried a bit about driving well over 1000 miles to Washington.

Soon, we were heading for Washington. We had a station wagon which held quite a bit of the things we would need on the trip like camping equipment, clothes, toys, two boys and one girl, a collie dog,and me. I had very little driving experience. On top of the station wagon we had a 14 foot boat, and then we hauled the largest U Haul we could find and that was filled with household items. I needed all the help I could get so I called on God. We made it, without even a flat tire. That just had to be God.

You can look back on your life and see some times when you wonder: How did I do that? You must realize that God says he will never forsake you. The you I’m writing about is you, who has taken Jesus as your savior. If you haven’t, Now is as good as any to do it! welcome, sister or brother!

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