She Had to Die, so I Could Live: A Journey to Happiness

By Brenda Baker

A small victim of smoke inhalation lay in a coma clinging to life. Her single-mother of six wept when she was told by doctors the two year old was not expected to survive. She not only survived, but today thrives by Gods grace to bring you these heartfelt and encouraging words of nourishment for the soul.

With this series of short stories recounting real life experiences, Brenda Baker takes the reader on her personal journey to happiness and shares how throughout the ups, downs, twists, and turns of her life, the power of the Almighty surrounded, enfolded, protected, and watched over her.

She Had to Die, So I Could Live will help you see, no matter what youve been through in life God can take your experiences and use them for His purpose.

Youll laugh, youll cry, you may even get a little angry, but when youre done youll see, beyond the pain, theres still hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512719055

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Copyright © 2015 Brenda Baker.

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 author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-1904-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1905-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015918522

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/18/2015

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 I Am Who God Says I Am

Chapter 2 The Little Girl Inside of You

Chapter 3 The Day I Stopped Breathing

Chapter 4 Is God Telling Me No or Not Yet?

Chapter 5 Will You Be My Daddy?

Chapter 6 The Power of a Voice

Chapter 7 Single Parenting, No One Said It Would Be Easy

Chapter 8 I Am My Sister’s Keeper

Chapter 9 Cover Me…I’ve Been Exposed

Summary

About the Author

In Loving Memory

of

My Mother Dr. Loistean Mason

and

Grandmother Gospel Radio Host Mary E. Turner

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Introduction

I spent years feeling bitter and angry about my life. During that long season of discontent, it never occurred to me that despite the negative events, I had a choice in how I responded to them. I could either wear my pain as a badge of honor on display so everyone would know I’d been hurt, or I could use those circumstances as an opportunity to better my own life and the lives of others. I could have chosen to live a life of happiness, but no one ever told me this was an option.

My mother’s sudden death in 2003 changed my whole perspective toward life and relationships. Her unexpected death shocked me into the realization that life can be taken in an instant. I made a choice to stop wasting precious moments with negative attitudes and unfulfilling relationships. I decided to dedicate my resources to help others find happiness. It’s undeniable that I’ve had moments of depression over life’s circumstances, but I rejected the thought of depression as a way of life. Besides, I still had a career and a three year old daughter who depended on me. I lacked the time and the energy to spend on the most tragic and painful event of my life. I chose to use my time and energy to celebrate my mother’s life.

My new journey began after my mother’s death. Far from immediate, the changes took time to evolve. Through the amazing grace of God I succeeded in peeling back the layers of my life piece by piece to create a new me. These changes did not come without a struggle. My outlook changed as