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"Words can sometimes, in moments of grace, attain the quality of deeds." ~Elie Wiesel Writer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate



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Welcome to our many new members from around the world! I hope that you will quickly feel a part of our online family! We will soon be having another "Meet & Greet" chat night and I'll post the date next week. Enjoy a wonderful story from Annettee and have a peace-filled weekend.


"His Mysterious Ways"
by Annettee Budzban


"As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything." Ecclesiastes 11:5 (KJV)


One evening, I received a phone call from an old acquaintance, whom I had worked with about ten years ago. Our conversation quickly moved to the reason behind her call. She explained to me that God had placed it on her heart to call and thank me for what I had done for her. This piqued my curiosity, because I didn't remember doing anything for her.

She went on to explain, how one day, when we were sitting in a meeting regarding our employees' problems, she heard me make the statement, "I have done all I can about this problem, I am giving it over to God."

Those words struck a cord within her heart. At that moment, she realized that she wasn't giving anything in her life to God. She was trying to run her own life. Hearing those words that day changed this for her.

From that day forward, she started to submit her attitude to God. She had been struggling with her infertility, when it came to conceiving a second child. She had placed the blame on her husband for her failed attempts to get pregnant and considered bailing out of her marriage. With her attitude change, she decided to work on her marriage and place her desire for a second child on the back burner.

She started to look at the way she treated her husband and others. After examining her heart, she purposed herself to be more kind and considerate to them. With time, she changed her friendships, staying away from critical people and gossips. Over a period of time changes started to occur in her life.

She received a new job that was a better fit for her personal and family needs. New friendships came her way. She started feeling better about herself.

She finalized her conversation by saying, "I felt like God was placing it on my heart to call and thank you for what you had done. I recently did the same thing for someone else and they thanked me for it."

A few months later, I decided to make a follow up call to her. She was delighted to give me her good news (for which she had waited ten years!). "The strangest thing has happened," she exclaimed. "Within the month of my phone call to you, I found myself pregnant! My due date will be at Christmas."

We couldn't help but wonder if my friend was reaping the rewards of an obedient life.

On any given day, we never know how the wind of The Holy Spirit, is going to work in our life. We should always be ready to expect the unexpected when it comes to, "His Mysterious Ways."



Annettee Budzban copyright 2003

AHRTWrites2U@aol.com

Annettee lives in Illinois with her sweet husband Jeff and is a widely published writer. She is our December 2002 Writer of the Month and you can see her profile and other stories here: http://www.2theheart.com/heartwriters


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The Letter Box:



Arla,
I was truly blessed by your desire to be obedient to our Father in all things. I also find myself getting a bit too frenzied over silly stuff like the price tag on your shoes but I too, remind myself of God's humor and allow Him to fix me and straighten out my willingness to please Him. I thank God every day that He has a sense of humor and can laugh like I do at my mistakes as He gently corrects me to do His will. Thank you for your insightful look at God from a different perspective. I believe you helped others today as we all journey towards Him.

Nanci Stroupe Onenoni@aol.com

Dear Susan,
I loved Arla Ford's story of about her $2.oo shoes. In one of our weekly Bible study I ask God to give each of us uncommon favor. The following week, we counted our blessings with each other. One woman was excited to report the purchase of her brand new, brown, corduroy, jeans. She bought them at the local thrift store. They contained a Marshall Field's tag, at a bargain price. She wore them the following week to model them for all of us. She was proud of her bargain. Congratulations, Arla. You are in good company! What a great lesson.

Thank you, Susan, and Arla for sharing this story with us. Annettee



To family and friends...I thought perhaps you all might like to see and hear the interview that goodnewsbroadcast.com did with me sometime back. This is where you go to see my book and hear the interview. http://www.goodnewsbroadcast.com/relationships.html Scroll down the page and click on real Audio under the picture of my book. I felt very honored to be interview by them after seeing who some of the people were they have interviewed on their site. Go to their home page; there are some really famous people whom they have spoken to. I felt out of place in most of the company! :o) I don't know that this was the best that I could do, :o) but it was among one of the first I had done.

I had my first luncheon and speaking engagement today at one of the local churches and it went very well, I received a doz. yellow roses and sold some of my books.

The newspaper done an interview with me yesterday. They were here for two hours! It is to appear in the paper Sat.

My story in Chicken Soup will be coming out March the 18th in Chicken Soup for the Mother and Daughter Soul.

God has truly been blessing me and I hope I have shed some light upon Him!

Betty King
Website www.betty.newsmoose.com

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