My husband and I had attended this little church for several years. He would sit in the pew each Sunday as I sang in the church choir.

I have known the Lord as my Savior since I was a child. And gave my heart to the Lord as Savior of my life at the age of 16. I knew God was calling my heart into service for Him, but I just didn't know where or when or why?

I was just a baby Christian and had years to grow in his word. I met my future husband at about the some time I gave my heart to the Lord.

I loved him for his gentleness, his loving ways and kind spirit. I knew there would be differences in our lives and we would have to work them out as we went along if we were to married. You see my soon to be husband was Catholic and I was Baptist.

Oh, we loved the same Lord but had a lot of different views on what it meant to be a child of God.

We married a year after my graduation from high school. I knew this was the man God had chosen for me. So we began our lives together with God's blessing.

We added 3 beautiful daughters to our little family and life was happy. But there was just something missing in our marriage and I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was a void that I knew only God was able to fill.

I loved my husband with all my heart, but I wanted him to love and know the Lord like I had for years. You know, that personal walk you can have with Him in good times and the bad times.

As our family grew so did the trials of life and raising a family. We moved from our hometown in New Jersey to Ohio for my husband's job. It was hard to be without our family around us for the first time. This is when our life changing experience begins.

There were days my husband was on the road more then he was home and I had to do the raising of our children, the cooking, grass cutting, banking and SNOW SHOVELING! It snowed for 30 days straight! One night it snowed 22 inches! I cried all night trying to keep the snow off the driveway so it wouldn't freeze and we would be able to get our car up the driveway and off the street.

My husband returned home to Ohio and realized that his family meant more to him then any money or job title. So he moved us back to our hometown and he went to work back in the plant. How happy we were! All was well with the world and our little family.

We lived there for 1 1/2 years and then one morning I went out to get the morning paper and in big print on the front page it read. THE DEATH OF A PLANT! It had a picture of the glass plant where my husband worked.

I ran up the steps, tears streaming down my face and woke my husband from his sleep and asked, "What's this Richard?" He said, "Babe I didn't want to tell you until the meeting today. I wanted to be sure it was going to happen." I asked him, "Where do we go from here? No job and a large house payment. Kids to dress and feed. Insurances!" He told me he was offered to go to either Virginia or Texas. I prayed for Virginia! Oh how I prayed for Virginia!. It was only 6 hours away from home.

He went for his interviews to both plants. The next week we were told he would go to Texas. TEXAS! No! I wouldn't go! God! It wasn't fair! Texas was 1600 miles away!

But January and the harshness of winter came and the moving van packed up all our life's belongings and memories. I had to leave behind the plants and bulbs that were given to me by my husbands grandmother. The ground was cold and frozen. Just like my heart felt.

Adjusting to Texas was hard. Oh, the people were friendly enough. But I wasn't going to like them! I didn't want to be here!

I couldn't see any reasoning for God moving me to Texas. So I just sat back and refused to show the love of God that was instilled in my heart. I felt abandoned and alone.

By chance I met a neighbor who talked with me and told me that God had a reason for moving me to Texas and in His due time He would show me why.

So I asked God to forgive me for being so selfish and started teaching His children about His love and Singing again the music God wrote on my heart to share with the world.

Years had past and the void was still there. I prayed 25 years for my husband to come to know the Lord as his Savior and one morning as I sang in our church choir, my friend nudged me and pointed to the aisle of the church.

As the invitation song was being sung,I raised my head and the tears started to flood my cheeks. There walked my husband down the aisle with tears flowing down his face! Thank you Lord from whom all blessings flow!

The pastor was crying and hugging my husband and there wasn't a dry eye in the church. They all knew I had been praying for my husbands salvation for years.

I knew on that day that God does answer prayer! You just might have to wait a while for the answer. But He will answer it!

The following Sunday the sun was shining not only in the sky, but in both our hearts. The sermon held more meaning and the music was sweeter to our ears. A Joy you just can't explain until you experience it.

After church my husband walked up the aisle to leave church. He stood up against the foyor wall as he did each Sunday waiting for me to get out of my choir robe and meet him in the foyor. As he was waitng there, a man who was very shabbily dressed and dirty and smelled pretty bad! stood next to him and said "I guess I missed church?" My husband replied, "yes, But we have Sunday school classes that follow church. Let me get someone who can show you to a class for you." He turned away for just a few seconds to look for our pastor and when he turned back around, the man was gone!

My husband came back over to me and we left and got in our van and started home.

Richard was quieter then usual. Then he turned to me and told me the story about the man in the shabby clothes and what he did to help him find a Sunday school class. And when he turned back around in just a few seconds, the man was gone.

He had tears in his eyes as he told me the story. I turned and looked at him with tears in my eyes also. I told my husband it must have been a sign from God. I also told him God might have been testing him to see if he would share his new found faith with someone else. Then I showed him a scripture and read it from my Bible in the book of Hebrews 13: 2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing."

We both smiled. We knew he had been in the presence of God and His angels. Our life would never be the same after that experience. We know now why God had moved us to Texas. There are lost souls who need unconditional love, God's love, right here in Texas. Just like back in our own hometown.

You think this is the end of the story? No, it's still continuing day by day.

Some people think life get easier as a Christian.But that's not always true.

Sometimes life can get harder.

We found out in 1999 that I have Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus. They say there's no cure for this disease.

From the time I was diagnosed, until now, I don't know how I would have made it this far without the love and support from my devoted husband,my children,grandchildren,family, friends near and far, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. And yes! My Best friend, JESUS.

Some people would say where is your God now? Why has He allowed this to happen to you since you have served Him for so long.

I say to this. Why am I any different then anyone else who has to suffer life's trials when they come our way.

It is written in God's own word that the suffering here on this earth cannot be compared to the joy we will share in heaven!

Yes, we have come a long way in the years of our 34 years of marriage.

We have had many life changing experiences.

And someday we will have the altiment experience of hearing our heavenly Father say " Welcome." "At last you are both home again my children.