Turning Right and Keeping Straight: How God’S Love, Mercy, and Amazing Grace Continues to Manifest

By Xlibris US

Nibilas Testimony!

I absolutely know the power of the name Jesus! I began to call on Jesus early on in my youth. Having parents who love you unconditionally was Gods first manifestation to me and what I will cherish the most from him. My journey to a deeper relationship evolved much later in my fifties. The twists and left turns began once I became a woman in my early teens. It was then I began to navigate through life ignoring the GPS (Gods perfect solutions) for my life. It was Jesus who kept me and that still small voice who guided me time and time again out of my detours, roadblocks, potholes, fender benders, and the head-on collisions that I willingly drove right into before giving Jesus full control of me. Gods love, mercy, and amazing grace continue to manifest in my life today. Jesus continues turning me right and keeping me straight and focused on his love, which is for all who believe in Christ Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499048575

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Copyright © 2014 by Faith Devine.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912320

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982

by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 07/08/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 My Parents

Chapter 2 My Sisters

Chapter 3 The Younger Years

Chapter 4 The First Time

Chapter 5 Reflections

Chapter 6 Relationships

Chapter 7 Married Life

Chapter 8 My Daughter

Chapter 9 His Saving Amazing Grace

Chapter 10 Online Love

Chapter 11 Making That Right Turn

Chapter 12 I’m Pressing On Straight Ahead

Conclusion

DEDICATION

D edicating this, my first book, to my parents.

To my parents, whom I love, adore, and cherish with all my heart. They weren’t perfect parents, but they were God’s perfect parents for me. I want to thank them both for all the love and encouragement they have always given me. They are the true vision of unconditional love. Thank you, Father God, for blessing me with a strong foundation that was rooted and grounded in love.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my love and appreciation to the following very special people:

To my two beautiful sisters, I am so very honored to be your big sister. I love you! I wish you both all the joy and happiness your hearts can hold. To my nephews, I love you both like my own. I am so proud of you both!

To my daughter, I love you with all my heart. Thank you for your love and my two beautiful granddaughters. To my multi-poo, who has kept me smiling with joy all day every day for the last eight years.

To my two best friends, you are my earthly angels, and I love you and your families like my own. Thank you both for being the true definition of what all friendships should be.

I am continually grateful for my MMC prayer partners and the godmother for the morning motivational calls. There is no better way to start my day than in prayer with these remarkable men and women of God who are also my professional mentors and business partners. A special thank you to two prophetic women of God, whose prayer calls have changed my life. Thank you to my author’s class teacher, who provided me the encouragement and tools to complete my book.

Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6, ASV)

I’m nothing without you, Lord. Holy Sprit, continue to breathe on me!

Introduction

T his is Nabila Child’s testimony, and she is giving God all the glory.

My name is Nabila Child. God has called upon my heart to share my life’s journey.

I, Nabila, as we all are, am far from where God would have us to be. We are all God’s beloved. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are the apple of his eye. He delights in us. I, Nabila, am, like you, his child. When you believe that, you can’t help but to seek after him. He is the way, the truth, and the light. His word is true. Jesus is the straight way to God the Father. Keeping focused on him will keep you on the right path straight to heaven!

It’s amazing how much God loves me. It’s even more amazing how long it took for me to really gasp the full capacity of his love, grace, and mercy for me.

Chapter 1

My Parents

M y handsome dad, who’s been rejoicing in heaven since 2000, was my protector, mentor, and strength whom I can’t thank enough for showing me a father’s love. I know my daddy loved me. He taught me how to be confident and strong and to try each and every thing till you can’t try anymore. He was amazing in my eyes. I was an army brat, and we traveled, and there would be times when my dad had to leave us for a year at a time (Korean War). Those years were hard for me and my sisters but even more so for my mom and all the more difficult for my daddy. He had to leave his family of all girls and go fight for his country in order to provide for his family. I can’t imagine what he felt. I remember one Christmas he called home from the front lines to wish us a merry Christmas. I was so happy to hear from him that I blocked out the gunshots and explosions going on in the background.

He was the best dad. He was a master sergeant and his mess hall won awards for being spotless and for his four-course meals. My dad could cook and bake; you name it, he could make it and present it in the most spectacular way. We ate so well when he was home. Daddy rules the kitchen, and Mom lets him as it was a break for her. We would watch both him and Mom cook, and I loved being in the kitchen with them.

My Dad molded me. He would take us out to dinner and teach us how to eat and present ourselves in public (I would still rather eat with my fingers). He introduced me to the world and made traveling fun—even though, as I later found out from my mom, he was scared to death of flying. They would have to put him to sleep when we flew. He took us on long drives to see nature, and I remember riding a camel in the mountains once on one of our family outings.

My dad never smoked or drank, but he loved some sweets. When I was young, he would make my favorite homemade caramel cake. I never knew anything about box cake mix till I was sixteen, let alone any other boxed food. Everything was from scratch. The entire neighborhood would be at our house no matter who was cooking, but my dad would cook up a ten-course meal for me when I was older and I would come home to visit. That’s when I got my nickname from my sisters, the Princess. Daddy would roll out the red carpet for me and there would be food for days—fresh homemade bread to all kinds of desserts all from scratch. He cooked just like he was at his mess hall cooking for his entire battalion. I later found myself cooking way too much, so I would have to invite people over to dinner.

Daddy and Mommy both complemented one another with their skills and talents. Mom worked all my life till I was in my twenties, and Daddy made her retire. Daddy spent twenty-two years in the army, then retired and then kept working. He was always providing for us.

I am so blessed with the life of military travel as it expanded my world and let me dream, and I was introduced to all kinds of people and different lifestyles. The reason it wasn’t so good was that most of my friends, once I got older, lived in one place all their lives and had friends from head start to college, and that’s amazing. What I didn’t like about that was that they lived a very sheltered life with little to no experience of what the world really is or has to offer. They believed what they were told and what they saw on television, which is not always true and is very limited. What I also saw was people (but not everyone) who live in the same place all their lives and would also settle for the way things are and feared the unknown. Change would be very hard for them. I on the other hand became a chameleon, and I embrace change as it keeps my mind expanding and challenges me to grow.

Daddy loved his music and there would be all different kinds of music playing in our house. He introduced me to jazz, among many others. He enjoyed all types of music; however, when Daddy would listen to jazz, it’s like he could envision every note and really feel the passion of each musician playing. I was so engaged watching him listening. I wanted to play an instrument to try and impress him of course. So out of all the instruments, I picked the accordion. It was the closest to a piano at the time and what I thought we could afford. Daddy would have gotten me a piano if I had asked. I was actually pretty good at it, but I grew tired after a while and moved on to other things. I am going to play the piano one day as I have almost purchased several baby grands over my lifetime but hadn’t had the space on those occasions to house it, but that will change soon.

Daddy taught himself to build furniture. He was a master at everything he did. He built our entertainment center. After that, he became a self-taught tailor. He started off making us girls our school clothes. I loved that. I would bring home a pattern every week I had paid for with my allowance. Daddy would have it made within two days, and I would be the best dressed in my class. That didn’t last but a season as he then taught me how to make my own clothes. That was no fun and I got bored easy. Daddy got really busy making clothes for other people. In less than a year, he was making three-piece tailored suits for businessmen. His suits sold for hundreds, then thousands. I was too young to keep track of that. All I know was he was extremely busy.

Daddy was the most handsome man I ever saw. Whether he was in his military uniform or in a suit, he was always dressed to impress. I was always so proud of him. I would tell him often, Daddy, you can do anything. He would respond to me every time I would say that to him, which was often Bila, you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. Growing up hearing those words from your father is priceless.

Thank you, Father God, for my earthly father, who taught me not to limit myself. I love and miss you, Daddy, so much. I felt your love for me every time you looked at me. You showed me in so many ways how loved I was by you. I saw it in your eyes the last time we were together before you passed away. I had never seen my dad sick or ever look as if anything was ever wrong with him, not even a cold. He was always working or doing something new.

One day he was driving home and experienced a stroke. He later experienced several more before he passed away in my mother’s arms. I was blessed to be able to move closer to home in the beginning at that time, and I am so glad I did. I later moved to the Big Apple. Daddy, you impacted my life in so many positive ways. The strokes had impaired your speech, but your love for me I felt from you every time you looked at me. Your smile lit up my heart. I could talk about the reasons why I love you all day. You taught me that I could do and be anything I wanted to be. I miss you every day. God has given me peace as I know you are rejoicing in heaven. I love you, Daddy! I just want to make you proud!

My beautiful mother, what an incredible woman she is. I can’t say enough about this amazing woman. There is nothing like the love of your mother. I am so blessed. She is my biggest fan. She has always supported me; even in my crazy decisions, she always stands by me. She comforted me in my worst of times and rejoiced with me in all my happy times. When you meet her, she can’t help but capture your heart with her welcoming spirit. I am far from perfect, but she loves me unconditionally. I know this because I have truly pissed her off and disappointed her, but she loves me even more because of my imperfections.

She is the one who grew my mustard seeds of faith. She introduced me to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. My mother is a praying mother. I would see her reading her Bible at various times and on her knees every night, and she is the same to this day. She sent