For my introduction to this new chapter,  I thought it would be fun to get your creative juices flowing by giving you a puzzle to solve.         Its actually a visual challenge  that reveals and supports the title of this story.

 

I was thinking  about  all  the  times  we  go to the   dentist  or   doctor’s  office  and  even  though  we  are  punctual and  arrive right  on time,  there  always   seems   to be  a  time   of  waiting.   Throughout the busy waiting room, upon the tables  and  racks   there   are  a   sundry  of magazines to help keep your mind occupied  as  you  wait.      These  pictorial  periodicals also serve as a diversion, ( if you are at all  like me,)  from   feelings   of  anxiety   that usually  accompany  us as we  visit these  two   kinds  of   daunting , intimidating  and  ghastly  medical edifices.      (OK,   maybe   not    totally   ghastly,   but  definitely unpleasant  to the senses.)  In People  magazine, I  always  look  for  their  amusing brainteaser  to see if I can  guess all the answers before my time is up.    Placed  before  you  are  two , (almost  identical photographs, side by side.) The catch is  to find  within the  second picture, all the  new minor  details  that  they  have added  or taken  away from  the  first photo.        (To  find  out if   you  have  correctly  guessed them all, you can turn the page upside down to see all the answers.) Not so on a computer.

This puzzle is a little different. In observing the 15 photographs below, see if you can come up with the common-denominator between them all and the message they send.

OK, I will give you a small hint. The answer to this puzzle is found in either the photo alone, or the photo and what is next to it.

Did you come to a conclusion yet? If not, you can scroll over the photographs and find more clues!

Or, you can read the answer below!

Each  one  of the inventions  within  these  photographs  are  things  that  have  been created, that add wonderful benefits to our lives, yet each inspired and prolific product can not operate by or within itself. It is dependent upon something besides itself to be utilized , thus bringing forth the fulfillment and purpose it was designed for. This answered puzzle brings great enlightenment to this next chapter,  number 42 .

 

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one abiding in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit. For apart from Me you are able to do nothing.” ~ John 15:5

When  we  first say “yes” to Jesus,  our  entire  world changes.     Before Jesus makes Himself alive to  us and dwells within us, there is a knowing  that deep within our souls and spirits,  a void exists.    Its as if we  cognize  and discern  that we were meant to be filled  with something, but are not sure exactly what that ‘something’  is.   It  is  all a  mystery until  that  divine  moment in time when  Jesus  enters into  our hearts  and we are brimming over with an extraordinaire,  lulling  sensation of KNOWING, once and for all, we  are  finally HOME,  SAFE  and  FULLY SECURE , with  a peace  that we have never known, flowing throughout our entire being.

It all makes perfect sense as the Lord  is our creator, giving us the gift of life as He forms us  within our mothers womb,  preparing  us (and  our  parents ) for  our  grand  entry into   this  world,  (surely, one   of  His  many incalculable  miracles.)     Our  spiritual life, (the  one  that  is  timeless,  never  ending and   for  all  eternity,) transpires  when  we  call  upon  the  name  of  Jesus   as   our  LORD  and REDEEMER.) Of course God already knew we would choose Jesus,  when He chose us before the foundations of  the  world  to  be  His.   At this  amazing  time within  our  lives, we are no  longer a  vacant,  devoid  vessel, that  is frail,  gossamer and  easily  broken  as we’ve  been totally  dependent upon  our  own  goodness,  works  and  abilities,  but instead,  we  begin  blooming,  becoming  a glorious   house,  an  anointed  carrier  and  holy  vessel  of  Jesus,  one  that  is  overflowing  with  His glory , honor,  strength and empowerment.   

When I  think  about  God  our  Father and  the  fact  that  HE  is timeless,  with  no beginning and no end,  I have to say it is at the top of my list of  totally boundless and abysmal  truths in Gods word.     The second  one  on my   checklist  is  within my next paragraph,  about JESUS.    (And we know  that Jesus and God are one!) In  knowing that even if I tried to comprehend and understand these truths all day long, I would not get any further in my quest to conceive or decipher them, but instead,  just end up with an Excedrin  headache , where my  brain  feels  as  if it  has  completely  gone   into overdrive. (BUT, I KNOW they are true.)

In the beginning, (before all time) was the Word (JESUS CHRIST), and the WORD was with God, and the word was God Himself. (Isa. 9:6)     He was PRESENT ORIGINALLY with GOD. All things were made and came   into   existence   through  Him;   and without Him  was not  even one  thing  made  that came into  being.  IN HIM was LIFE, and  the LIFE was the LIGHT OF MEN. (John 1:1-4

 (He,) God and Jesus, knew us before we were created by Him within our mothers womb.         Jeremiah 1:5  “Before I formed you in the womb  I knew you,  before you were born I set you apart.”you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!

We all have a resplendent, inspiring story to share about the time and place  we came to Jesus and were ‘saved.’ I  still  believe  that one of the most  spectacular and  riveting moments in time we can ever see or experience with loved ones, is the day they come to the Lord…(and  to be  honest  with you, its  still  an awesome  experience even if you don’t know the person, but you are there and are  able to witness  them as they come to Jesus.) 

I can  visualize  the  Lord looking upon  all of  His kids…as He views us, I believe He sees us as precious gems.  Each of us, an eminently distinct size and shape with colors that we have  yet to  discover  or name  here upon earth.    We shine in His eyes as He looks at how each of us has  become  the perfect stone that He has desired.   He knows  our every story, every trial, our midnight hours,   specific wounds , glorious triumphs  and  how  we  have  all , by the  power of  Jesus,  been  transformed into the  glorious vessels  He had in mind for us to be all along. It is liberating to know that our father in heaven  sees  us  through   Jesus Christ ~ the grace of God and not  with all of the unclean, undone areas within our lives that create feelings of being less than, unrighteous and undeserving of Him. He sees us pure as He  sees  Jesus  in  us,  who  is   our  righteousness,   life source,  and the only good within us .      He desires to change and fill us to be used on this earth to bring Glory to Himself.  We were chosen before the foundations of the world and we are phenomenally blessed to belong to Him.

During  this  next  season  in  our lives, our spirits were filled to overflowing with the Lord’s presence and  peace.    It came  as  no surprise  when  He shared with us the  next  prodigious endeavor He had in mind for us.    (It was a little different than what I had imagined, but I knew we were ready.)   Even though the  Lords  desire was for the two of us, I  would  be  spending  more of my  time  in fulfilling  the commission as Kit had a business to run. But in the beginning, we spent many  a  hour  unitedly  starting our  quest from  the  Lord and it  truly was  one of the  most precious and  intimate  times that  Kit and I have ever experienced together in the spirit.

I  had  believed  for quite some time  that  the  Lord  had  spoken to  me  on   several occasions throughout the years, through both  His Rhema and written words,  that as  we  walked  through this journey with Him, “His  wondrous  works in our  lives  would  be published.” I, of course being ‘myself,’  with a mind that often jumps to conclusions of ‘what I think God means,’   presupposed   that  He  was telling me  that  one day I would write a book.     (Thus  I was  thinking  that this undertaking would  be a  long  way  off  as  writing and   publishing  a  book  usually occurs over  an extended, outstretched period  of time.)        So, I was  a  little  taken aback  when  He  spoke to me that  His  desire was for me to create  a  website with Kits help  and  begin sharing   all  that   He had done within  our   journey thus far,  as   well  as   many   more chapters of all He had yet to do. It would not be a paperback or hard cover book, but an E-book…  (I never would have guessed that in a million years.)   Was I a little nervous? Apprehensive? Excited? YES to all three!     But I knew deep down that I was READY as I knew it would not be me writing this story, but  the  Lord within me… Each page would be filled with  His thoughts and the abundance of His awesome  and  miraculous works, as  it  really  was all His story to tell...I  was just the  vessel He was  choosing to use. 

Coming up  with the title for  our story was  easy  as I had  been  praying and  thinking about it for years while I was writing  and journaling about our sojourn on any piece of paper  I  could  find  at  the  time as well as on our laptop.     I had  placed  all my typed  “rough drafts” from the computer within a  sundry of   notebooks  since  day one, when God gave us the vision and called us to one day  have  a  retreat  home  for  His kids.

I  felt  “Journey  to  My Fathers heart” was a profoundly  perfect title as I knew this journey had an  ambiguous finale.  One  aspect  of  it  was  the  reality  of actually having the retreat  home  one  day , decorating and preparing it as He has told us to , (thats one of the “acts  of obedience”   I   can   hardly  wait   for,) and serving  as  the hosts for  all those  He would bring.    We knew that in obeying His call, we  would  be  signing  on  for an  enthralling, riveting  and   timely , heavenly expedition.     It would be a home of His choice , given to us by His hand, along  with  His bounty  to  provide  for   each   of His  guests  to be  able  to stay  and be ministered to  free  of  charge.  In  being  the  hosts ,  we know that our lives are going  to  incredibly change,  and though it  will all be new  to us, ( a life so different from how we have lived thus far,)       Kit and  I have a  peace as  well  as  a knowing  that we   will  be  fulfilled,  enriched,  blessed   and one-hundred  percent  ready  as that  is just  how  God is.      His  timing  and  preparation for  every call He gives His children is perfect.    The second facet of what  this  title means  to Kit  and I,   which   I  cherish  now more  than I ever  have,  is  that  this  pilgrimage  with  God, over  all the many years of  walking in faith and  obedience to His every word, has graced us , and will  continue  to bestow upon our lives a precious and cherished gift of intimacy with the heart of our Father in heaven.     We did not possess the love and closeness with the  Lord  that we do today, when  we  first  began  this  sojourn.      Our  knowledge   of the Fathers   heart  has  become  advantageously  more intense, deeper  as  well  as felicitously  authentic. It is truly  a gift  Kit and I prize as individuals as well as husband and wife.

Both   parts  of   this  journey,   imbue  entirely different bestowals at the finish line , with much of  Gods  reward  already  being  given  along  the way.     Someone  Kit  and  I  respect  and regard highly told me one day; “Susan, you and Kit are  already  doing  what  God  has   called  you  to do…no, you   don’t  have  the  promised home yet, but  I see  the  ministry   God   has  called  you to, already pouring out of the both of you.”  Another person in our  Delaware  family  shared   with  us  one   evening   during   a gathering;      “Your journey will not end  when  your  promise  of  the home arrives and you’re  actually hosting Gods home by the water. You will  then take flight on yet another new journey with the Lord. Your growth and intimacy  with  Jesus  will only flourish and prosper  as  the  two of you are  hosting  the  home  and  fulfilling  His promise  with your dependency upon Him  becoming eminently stronger and your faith in Him much deeper. You will be blessed with even more knowledge of His Fathers heart of love, grace and mercy for His children. ”      It is times like these that Kit and I  are continuously  filled  with such an  overflow of  gratitude for the friends God has given us in life  and how He brings them ‘at just the right time’ to bring encouragement, hope and edification.     We have tucked their words away within our hearts as they embolden and inspire our spirits as we run this race.

So, the  title  was hands-down very simple, but  beginning the story,   brought  me  a  bit   of conundrum.   After praying (and I’m “talkin” FERVENTLY praying) I  felt the  Lord say; ” Start at the  beginning  and  trust  Me  to take you  through every step,  from  beginning  to  end. Your  job   is  to  seek  Me,  be  available, and  allow my Spirit to  guide  you  each time  you begin to write.” His  words  to my spirit brought a  hushed  peace within and  all of   the feelings  of  being  overwhelmed  began  to vanish . I, within myself, could not write our story ,  (really  His  story,) capturing all of Gods miraculous works  over  all  the   numerous years.     There were  so   many  seasons   to  share about…our  times of  miraculous  triumphs, many a prophetic word, ( some warnings, others filled with  encouragement,) dreams, visions,  a  few “midnight hours”, road blocks, dying to things we truly believed God  had  said  to  us, times of  His   silence  and  times of   His  presence   being  so intense, it was if He was actually there, standing next to us  in person!        But God knew  every second of our pilgrimage, every single detail! He would show me, remind me and guide my every thought!  Again, He calmed me by placing my trust back in Him and not  in myself… (Reminding me of what  this very chapter is about.)    Jesus is the vine, we are the  branches…  We are the heart, Jesus is our heartbeat,  He is  our source of life, we can do nothing outside of Him, but in Him  (and totally because of  Him,) we  will  bear  majestic  fruit,  divine  success   and  His glory will   be  magnificently  revealed.     Another  passage  that I love and rely upon often is Psalm 127;1  “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” I have learned , (OK,  I am  still learning,) to never embark on a task of any kind without KNOWING it is truly from the Lord…The consequences are not heartening, gratifying or rewarding, but instead, as my  husband  Kit  would  say “a big, OOPS!” or  in  the  enthralling  language of  the Spanish, “No Muy Bien.”

In preparation of knowing that this was going to be my new job for awhile, I got out all my  boxes of journals, my notebooks of writings and placed them before the Lord, asking  Him  to point  out  the  things He desired me to share in our story. As you can guess, it was a very busy year… I had friends and family saying ;  “I  never  hear from you anymore like I use to,”  or “You  never  have time like you use to talk for hours on the phone.”  I smile as I look back at it now,  because  it really  was  a  radical  change  within  my  life.        I was  so  caught  up in  research,  rough  drafts, as well as an abundance of prayer. (And of course, continuously  writing like crazy.)  I lost all consciousness of time, not realizing that  6 or 7  hours   had flown   by  and it   was  time  to  cook  dinner,  but  I was  having  the time  of my  life with Jesus, doing one of the very things  He created me to do.  Reading Gods Rhema  words to us,   reminiscing over  all the  adventures  the  Lord  had taken us through, all the answered  prayers  and having  the time  to freely write,  with no  guilt as  it was His heart for me and what He  desired  me  to be  doing  with  my time.   It was  a  time of bliss.    I realized that unless someone is a writer themselves,  it  is  hard  for  them  to imagine  the   hours   behind  even one chapter.     (I know Graham didn’t have  a  clue  and  not to  hurt his  feelings,  but he was not in agreement  that  I  was  suppose  to  be at   my  desk  all  day long…   We had many a battle, with a winning score  held by me  but  only  by  a point  or  two.)      ( I  eventually  reached  a peaceful  balance  with  this   new job  , learning  how   to  manage   my time  with the new changes,  and enjoyed those   long  talks  with friends  and family (and Grantham.)  Once again, my world was blessed with a  harmonious counterpoise.

 

As I was sharing earlier, Kit and I were tremendously blessed  in  working together on our exciting  assignment from  the Lord.   It turned into a “date day” every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  Our meeting place? Kits study with a junoesque, panoramic view  of our  Brobdingnagian, (as you can tell, I just love that  word.)  backyard, nestled next to the undomesticated woods and quaint meadow flourishing with hundreds of  climbing ivy vines and a sundry of wildflowers in bright yellow, baby  blues and rich shades of plum.    Once  we  got  started, ( in  our  cozy , relaxed weekend  attire,)  we  made  sure  the ringer  was turned off,  agreed not to answer the door, lit a few candles, chose one of our favorite  comedy DVD’s to put on for background noise and lastly, I brought out a freshly baked sour cream cinnamon coffee cake to accompany Kits delicious , steaming hot lattes.     Grantham,   already finished  with his  morning  walk ,  his breakfast and a  few  treats  in his tummy,  was totally chilling out,  while we  began  our  hours  of  creating!      We each had our individual jobs to do during the  week before sitting  down  together.     Kit,  the “Sage Web-Master” that he is,  built the site for “Journey” as  well  as   completed  the  programing codes for us to begin forming the appearance of each page.  We both chose the ideal font as well as the cover page, that fit our hearts desire to a “T”  to display our “headline” for our pilgrimage and adventures with the Lord. Everything was primed for the body of our story to be placed within it’s designed showcase.  My job had been to write the  introduction  and  first chapter and  choose all   the photos I wanted  to be implemented within the body  of our Internet novella. Kits pursuit was to mellifluously bring it altogether.    My favorite part was working together with all of the pictures I had meticulously chosen for the website. (So very close to our hearts!)       Kit  would  study  each  photograph,  fastidiously discerning the precise  shade of each  color  to  frame  our photographs  in,  and then place  the  complete and accomplished “Kodak moment”  within just the right spot.     We were having so much fun…the 4 hours flew by so quickly.  I would always urge kit to let us keep going but he kept me  grounded (with all my excitement,) to  stick to our plan, (4 hours of work,) inveigling  me with a medley of enticing invitations to go and see a matinée, take Graham to the River-walk and get a coffee or lastly, give our minds a repose, stay in and kick-back  and  rent a movie, get  some  Brie  cheese and a  fresh  sourdough baguette.  How could I resist!  .   God already knew this would be a very special and anointed time of  Kit and I working together  and I pause at times when I am writing now and smile, thinking about all of the august and  magnificent  moments we shared together putting Journey part one up , as  I miss those days so much .  As you already know, I am writing on Journey part two now as Kit taught me how to build and operate my own website so I am going solo with the Lord as I write and create each chapter…But Kit  is still  my Guinea pig , as I grab him every chance I can to get his ingenious opinions on the photos he likes best, if I am using the right phrases and if my title is the right one for what I am trying to convey!

God continued to bless us with a season that was graced with an abundance  of peace  and  His unmerited favor. Besides beginning Journey, Vito  asked  Kit and I if we would like to  host His bible  study  in  our home.    We were very touched,  honored  and  of   course  said  yes! Besides  Vito’s  exuberant love for Jesus,  I  think  a delicious home cooked meal came  in  a close second !   Vito would arrive between 4:30 and 5:00 PM, at least 2 hours before the study began at 7:00 PM. OK,   FIRST THINGS FIRST!  Before Vito could come  in  and settle  down  to even talk to  Kit or I,  he  would have  to spend at least 15 minutes  with  Grantham.   In being aware of the “language of a dogs tail,”  I knew  Graham was feeling an unrestrained extreme joy as his tail  was oscillating  in triple mode.  He was running circles around Vito,  vigorously bouncing up and down like an inflated, gigantic kaleidoscopic beach ball. (I would say ‘tennis ball’ but Graham was  big, (Herculean big,) weighing in at  150 pounds.)   Then came all the kisses… (In which some people do not appreciate, but not so with Vito, he loved them.)  Kisses have two major meanings to our Grantham. One of them being  his way of expressing his hearts  boundless love and devotion, the other , his desire to be  the center of their attention,  ( and I  mean  exclusive and  undivided  attention.)       We knew the finale had arrived when  Graham  calmed  down  a bit, laid  on  his back, paws and belly up, (his way of  inviting  Vito to give him one of his favorite  things in  all  the  world,  ‘A TUMMY RUB!’   Needless to say, the two of them  shared  a  very unique and  special  bond ,  so  much so that we had to  stop  saying  Vito’s name in our  home  the  days  he was  not  coming   over,  or  else Grahammy would  be  looking  for him all  day long!   (All of us who are dog lovers, know exactly what kind of day  that would be for non  canines in the home.)  Finally, Vito and Kit  enjoyed an hour or so of ” guys time” in Kits  study.” (The man cave.) Kit would get his espresso machine out and make a few lattes,  (Vito’s  favorite  being hazelnut!)     The two of them would take a moment to exhale, relax,  share  about  their  day ,  pray together or sometimes I could hear  them  researching  on  the Internet together.   It gave me  time to finish up dinner  and  get  ready  for  all the others arriving for bible study. (Plus I  loved the fact that Kit and Vito were so close and enjoying such a much needed time of fellowship.)

I had more fun thinking up what special menus to create for the three of us each Wednesday evening. I really believe the Lord was giving us a “mini taste ” of what it will be like when Kit and I have our prayer retreat home.      I love how every time Vito sat down to dinner,  he  would  say, “Here  I  am  again,   just  suffering  for Jesus.”    He brought so much love and warmth to our home and Kit and I felt so special to have him all to ourselves for that relished hour. Some of Vito’s favorite dinners were  my  moms recipe  for  home  made  spaghetti,  Steak   Chimichangas,  Chicken  Alfredo,   Beef Stroganoff and buffalo chicken salad. (Not to mention  the sweet indulgence*s of carrot cake, Neighbors  chocolate cake  or home made  cookies for dessert.) I am getting so hungry just writing  about these  scrumptious dishes.

 

Vito’s teachings on the grace of God took me back to our days in  Kits home state of Arizona, where we lived for 9 years… Now, I had told the Lord once, (after visiting Kits family there, and totally not being a cactus and  rock kind of girl,) that I would NEVER live in AZ.  So BIG LESSON HERE! ” Never say never to God.” 9 whole long years! BUT, God blessed us with one of the most wonderful spirit filled” churches in Mesa Arizona, with the senior pastor being Gary Kinnaman , now a renowned author  and speaker, as well as serving  as  a  pastor  at  large, mentoring  and   networking church, government and market place leaders to serve the Phoenix area.  Before Kit and I left this church after many years, the attendance at Word of Grace was up to 4,500 on a weekly basis.    (Which  says a lot about  how many people were searching to hear and understand GODS GRACE.)   While pastoring the church, Gary’s motto was “JESUS   PLUS NOTHING!”  I believe it still is!    His teachings are the only thing I can even begin to compare to Vito’s in depth bible studies on the grace of God through Jesus Christ.     I  truly  believe that  one can  never  understand  or  learn enough about  Gods  grace as  our minds  have  been  so conditioned since birth, that we naturally think the opposite of the way Gods grace operates.     As I look back in hindsight over those  9 years in the desert country, (even though at first, I was not a ‘happy camper,’ )  there   really  are so  many   beautiful  areas  within  this  desert  state. Scottsdale, Sedonna, The Grand Canyon and the Lord was so gracious to me, (as Kit, unlike myself, loved the desert,) to always provide a home for us that had beautiful, green grass and an abundance of trees.   But the best  part about  living  there  was   attending  Word  of  Grace  as  the  church  became  our   family.       Gary’s teachings,  wonderful sense of humor, felicitous  holiday fete’s he  blessed  us  with  as  well  as  the many spectacular guest speakers he brought in to bless us with, created a desire in the entire congregation to never to miss a single week.    One of my favorite events was Steven Fry and his  dance team  that  graced our church with their  performance of “Thy Kingdom Come.”  Their anointed, incredibly talented,  and deeply touching artistic presentation  was  truly  coequal  to  a   Broadway performance, leaving us all on our feet, delivering  a standing ovation as  well  as an  abundance  of praise to God.  I am so glad Arizona was a place the Lord had us lay  down  some  roots for awhile and ever grateful for all the many life long friends He bestowed upon our lives.

I thought we had a pretty  good handle in our understanding of Gods grace , but after meeting Vito and sitting under his ministry for years as well as  living with he and Lillian for 13 months, (watching this man live ,  mirroring all of the truths he taught, in everything he did daily,)   we both  knew there was so much more to learn.      Kit and  I  were  not only  awashed  in  the  mystery of  Gods  grace  through Jesus, we were  saturated,  submerged  and afloat!        Vito’s teachings were so abstruse, profound and extremely difficult to grasp with any part of  the natural  mind. Sometimes he would spend weeks on just one passage. There were times, jokingly, (well for the most part kidding, ) I would ask someone to please hit me in the head so I could  wrap  my  brain  around  what  he was teaching.  (All of the others attending the study  had  been coming  to Vito’s teachings for many years and am sure knew exactly how I felt. )       They would smile and chuckle and  at the  same time,  try  to  encourage  me,  but I  was  seriously  struggling  and  utterly  frustrated, as I wanted so badly to grasp and  get a hold of these  life  changing  truths  as I knew they would  bring  me  into   a place  of  greater intimacy  with the Lord.  The breakthrough in  being  able  to  receive it all  could not  come  fast  enough,  but  I knew  it had to be revealed by  the Lord to  my spirit as it was not like attending a  college class where in taking  notes  and  listening,  the natural  mind  is  sufficient  enough  to  comprehend  the teaching.  These deep teachings from Gods word were from His spirit to our spirits. (As 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us.)   Kit  and  I   grew  in  ‘giant strides’  as  our  faith monumentally  changed   under  Vito’s anointing.    His unconditional love and friendship to us blessed our lives beyond expression.    (And yes, I finally “got it”, but I  am  more convinced than ever that GRACE is an aspect of God that we will continue to learn and truly grasp the rest of our lives.)

After each study,  while enjoying endless cups of coffee, and a  yummy sweet  indulgence,  we  all had more fun together, thoroughly enjoying our social time , excitingly   fellowshipping  with  one another,  sharing the sundry of both good and “perhaps not so good” events of our week.   It did not happen often, but I have to tell you , (and in a way it made me feel better as I did not feel so alone in my struggles,)  that there were a few times over the years , perhaps a handful, that other peoples cages got a “little rattled” in  their  inability to decipher and grasp Vito’s teachings.  But I liken our  group to a gathering  of people similar to the last few contestants standing  in the American Idol Reality show as they at times were exhausted and burnt out. It was so moving to hear their judges inspire them, pushing them forward to fulfill  their goals, saying; “YOUR IN IT TO WIN IT.” Ours, an entirely different marathon to win and accomplish. We  fervently desired  to capture Gods life changing truths, to be triumphant in running the race to fathom and behold Gods grace  that  He has  called us to  and Vito  was  the gift  God  gave us  in  this season, endowed by  the  Lord  with  such   a  special,  unique  ministry.      Sure, we all had our moments of wanting to give our minds a vacation, but had to  be  reminded, as I wrote earlier, the truth will  be  REVEALED  to  our  spirits from GOD’S SPIRIT. The Lord is the one who truly  causes us to  HEAR His truth.    It is just so hard to wait, isn’t it?      Vito would always simile, (he  had  twinkling  eyes   like  my father,)   love us  with  the  love of  Jesus  and  was anomalously patient with each of us, offering  to  stay as late as anyone wanted to help us in our desire to indisputably KNOW  GODS TRUTH.   As I looked around the room, I got “warm fuzzies”  inside as I was  overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord for giving Kit and I such a loving, caring and  incredibly  amazing  family. We were filled with  such  a deep joy and fulfillment in the ability to “give back’ to  all of  those who had taken us in as family, supporting  our  calling  and  had  become such intimate friends. Wednesday nights had become one of our favorite evenings  of the week, and I believe it was the same for everyone as many an evening, some of our friends did not leave until after 11:00 PM. (We all  hated for the night to end.) 

In closing, I pray you will be blessed with a few  of Kits and my favorite passages on the grace of God, Jesus Christ, as well as a song by Steven Curtis Chaplin.

Ephesians 2, 4-10 ~

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His  great love  with which  He loved us, ⁵ even when we were  dead in  trespasses, made  us alive together  with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.        ¹⁰ For  we are  His  workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

2nd Corinthians 9: 8 ~

And God is able to MAKE ALL GRACE abound toward you, that you, always having  all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every  good work.

 Romans 3:24 ~ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

***This song and video is a perfect example of the message of this chapter… A great  inspiration as well as reminder of JUST HOW MUCH we need JESUS!   ENJOY!

 We are the dancers, HE IS THE LORD OF THE DANCE.

***PHOTOGRAPHS; In scrolling your computer mouse upon any of the photos or graphics, it will reveal to you where the picture originated from.