Mine: An Everlasting Promise of Love, Deliverance, and Wholeness

By Muriel Gladney

YOU SURVIVED. But, is Gods enemy keeping you emotionally trapped in the past.

Mariahs rescue operation is encouraging, heart-warming, and at times rib-tickling funny. The divine-imparted steps that set a former survivor and a former atheist free from the diabolical bondage of her old life are eternal.

They will

Empower YOU

Strengthen YOU and

Heal YOU in YOUR journey to

true freedom, Joy and Hope.

MINE is a first-hand confirmation that God

is Unchanged.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490875941

Muriel Gladney

As a guest speaker, Muriel [Mariah Gladstone] Gladney uses her life as an instrument of ministry to encourage women that trusting in Jesus is the only way to live life to the fullest. Gladney is a recipient of several awards for her articles including a 2010 OCCWF Beverly Bush Smith award. She is also published in God Encounters, by author James Stuart Bell.

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Copyright © 2015 Muriel Gladney.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Illustrations by Jimmy Purcell, author of Been Better Comic.

Contact him at [e-mail].

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7595-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7596-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-7594-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015905697

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/4/2015

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Phase 1 – A Father Prepares for the Rebirth of His Child

Chapter 1 – The Scent of Peace

Chapter 2 – Ribs Serve a Purpose

Chapter 3 – Stuck Like Glue

Chapter 4 – Peace and Death Are Strange Bedfellows

Chapter 5 – A Very Long-Distance Call Connected

Chapter 6 – Hear Ye, Hear Ye (Miracle on Floor 7)

Chapter 7 – Last Call for the Soul Train

Phase 2 – Spiritual Birth and Training Up of the Child

Chapter 8 – Born Again—Really?

Chapter 9 – The Thief Tries to Reclaim His Property

Chapter 10 – Hey, There’s a Baby in the House

Chapter 11 – Lost in the House

Chapter 12 – Following Blind Simon

Chapter 13 – Divine Bread-Crumb Trail

Chapter 14 – Eating Ungodly Food Has Consequences

Chapter 15 – Divine Business Class 101

Chapter 16 – The Ugly Duckling Really Is a Swan

Conclusion

Guide – Thoughts for Food

Acknowledgments

Everyone that we meet in life contributes to what we become. As such, I want to give a special thanks to Shirley Port for encouraging and guiding me toward a life with Jesus, even in the before God dark days of my existence. A special thanks to Elder Marion Chaney, Pastor Noah Richardson, Christine Gibson, and Elder Larry O. Broedow for showing me the wonders and the value of the written Word of God.

And most of all, my eternal thanks to Yahweh, our God and heavenly Father; to Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord and Savior; and to the Holy Spirit for giving me the best gift in the world: true life.

Introduction

Concealed beneath matched ensembles of clothing, perfectly applied makeup, and manicured nails, the varied acts of maltreatment, exploitation, and sadism, that we as women have experienced throughout life, are seared into our souls like a branding iron marks a cowhide. In my case, sermons about a futuristic hell were illogical. Purgatory—on earth—had been my residence since birth, as far as I was concerned.

People tried to help throughout the years. Most felt that I should just get over the past. Few understood why it was not that simple.

A murder—mine—had been committed. The killer, who professed to be a Christian, served no jail time because the assassination of a soul is invisible to the naked eye.

Throughout the Bible, loss, pain, and devastation made people turn back to God. But what about when there is no knowledge of God. Mine answers this question.

If written, the diary of my life without God would have portrayed events that ranged from abortions to a zealous disbelief in God, and almost everything in between. Nevertheless, a few years after I had purchased a T-shirt that advertised to the world that I had been on the earth fifty-plus years, a jaw-dropping event took place.

Romance novels by the thousands had filled my bookshelves since puberty and thus my time. They in turn had led to numerous dreams and expectations about being rescued by a champion who would never leave me and would love me forever. However, nothing within those millions of pages could have prepared me for the midlife event that would change my life forever.

A real hero came to my rescue.

Better than any imagined mythical champion depicted in my extensive library of novels, Mine illustrates that this hero’s work is foolproof and guaranteed.

In the Bible, God always did the telling before visibly demonstrating what He said. However, Scripture also reveals that the people described in the Bible had experienced, heard, or read about God all of their lives.

I knew nothing about God or His Word. Given this reality, God flipped the switch—if you will—from tell and show to show and tell to help with my transition from death to life. One such instance can be likened to a top-billed New York Broadway stage play but better. And the cast was unbelievable.

In Matthew 4:19, Jesus told the first disciples that He would make them divinely appointed spiritual fishers of mankind. In keeping this promise, my journey started with a fishing expedition. More so, as it is written in the Bible, neither the bait nor the lure was the kind that is found in fishing tackle boxes.

A twentieth-century fisherman was assigned to my case. And like the first biblical disciples, his job was difficult. His mission consisted of getting a hard-nosed, cantankerous atheist to the church on time.

The stage was set. The cast was selected. The old boss had been fired. The new director was in charge.

Given the events that followed, I imagine him calling out, Lights, camera, action and make it real for her this time.

Phase 1

A Father Prepares for the Rebirth of His Child

Chapter 1

The Scent of Peace

Intent upon finding a parking space in the packed lot, my car rocked and jounced over new and old holes and cracks in the asphalt that threatened to swallow my tires. Below zero winters of ice and snow followed by warming spring air made this a familiar event. Upon entering the building, the thunderous roar of a multitude of bowling balls making contact with ten wooden pins bombarded my ears. Shrieks of joy or groans of defeat announced the results.

Everything was normal or so I thought as I turned to greet the day manager.

Hi Clark. Can you point out Aaron Billingsly?

He’s right there at the end of the counter.

Casually leaning against the counter and watching the bowlers was a man reminiscent of a modern-day Hercules. He straightened up at the sound of his name. His muscular build was obvious as his wide shoulders and bulging arm muscles threatened to burst the seams of his form-fitting T-shirt that outlined his narrow waist.

Oh good grief, I thought. Not now.

Femme fatale attempts to fulfill my teenage storybook fantasy of a tall, handsome hero who would rescue me had kept me in trouble all of my life. Tattered and worn pages of romantic novels that were filled with promises of forever love had never come to fruition. Exhausted by life, failed relationships, and me, I had decided to transfer my hopes and expectations to inanimate objects, such as homes that needed a makeover.

When he stood up from leaning on the counter, my eyes were forced up to meet his gaze as I walked toward him. His six-foot, two-inch frame seemed to tower over my five feet, five and a half-inches. Forty-six years old when we met, his body still exhibited the physical training of his younger days when he played semipro football.

"Who sennn—t you ta me?" he drawled in a baritone voice reminiscent of movie actor James Earl Jones.

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God sends human helpers to guide others towards their specific purpose in life.

—Acts 8:26–29

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You have got to be kidding. A body and a voice.

Memories of my last relationship kicked in like electrified cattle prods herding my thoughts back to my original goal.

I’m Mariah Gladstone, and we have a mutual friend in Judy, I replied. She said you were an electrician and a carpenter, and I need both.

After discussing the job, we agreed to meet at the house that