God's Amazing Grace: A Collection of Inspirational Poems and Stories

By Brenda Lee Compton

The Author created this book in the same styling of writing as the Author's do for 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' books. All Stories are true life experiences. Names and Locations changed to protect the identities of all individuals involved. The author was somehow one of the characters of three of the enclosed stories. The fourth short story was on other hand was created using several combined stories that was shared with her; to create one heartwarming story. Each photograph taken and poem was written by the author and shared to help inspire and make a connection between the reader and stories being told.I The Author hopes you the reader will find enlightenment. Perhaps a sense of believe that anything is possible. When you are at the end of your rope..... You can survive what seems un-survivable. Or perhaps you can see the true love that is within and worth never giving up the search for.

Happy Reading

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504979764

Brenda Lee Compton

Brenda Lee Compton was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1976, where she resided until her family moved to Tennessee in the fourth grade. She is a divorced mother of three. Brenda and her children currently reside in Knoxville, Tennessee. She enjoys spending time with her children. She spends her leisure time camping and fishing on occasion, where great locations and peacefulness help to feed her creative flow.

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God’s Amazing Grace

A Collection of Inspirational Poems and Stories

BRENDA LEE COMPTON

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2016 Brenda Lee Compton. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/17/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-7975-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-7976-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016902875

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.

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.

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Contents

Pride And Joy

Chapter 1

Falling Off The Dam

Chapter 2

God’s Saving Grace

Everlasting Love Of God

Chapter: 3

Until Death Do Us Part

Lighting Candles

Chapter 4

The Destination

Together As One

It is my desire to help inspire.

May these poems and short stories enlighten your heart and touch your soul. The first three stories are my real life experiences or where shared with me in some way. The fourth story is a compilation of several peoples stories combined. Locations and events researched or made up by me. Story four inspiring but lets just call it fiction.

Enjoy!

A merry heart doeth good like medicine.

Proverbs 17: 22

Pride and Joy

Ten perfect little fingers and toes.

Eyes bright enough to light up the world.

A smile that can melt any heart.

In my life?

Only the biggest part.

The first laugh

The first quietest, sweetest little cry.

From romping and crawling

To walking and talking

Every step of the way

Every single day;

Throughout my life

Now always and forever

My children;

My precious, pride and joy.

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This Book is dedicated to my children Jordan Jossalynn and Jazeel Robbe. I still wonder what I ever did without them. I hope I inspire them. They inspire me everyday. They hold my heart. In addition, it is also in Loving Memory of my two moms’: June E. Compton and my former Mother in law: Beth L. Letts. My two Moms always showed me love and support in everything. They laughed with me and cried with me. Both tried to always be there for me when I needed them. In return I tried to always be there when they need me as well. Family is what you make it. Sometimes family is not always blood related.

Brenda Lee Compton

CHAPTER 1

Falling off the Dam

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The rain had poured down for seventeen days straight. It was almost surreal to see the rain continuously fall down seemingly nonstop.

As if a mini monsoon had hit their small southern East Tennessee Town. The water running down the normally mediocre streams were gushing with rapids twice their normal size.

It was a hot muggy day in late May of 1992. The average temperatures would be around upper sixties or low to mid seventies.

On this particular day it felt like it was upper eighties to mid nineties. The sun was blaring down. The humidity made everyone want to stay inside. It definitely was not a day to hang out playing basketball, or flag football.

Bianca’s Father suggested that everyone should go swimming over at The Old Mill. Everyone one was fast to agree that it was in fact a great idea. That would be a fast and fun way to cool down. They definitely wanted to cool down on this hot muggy day. The entire group grabbed towels and donned their swimsuits.

With that everyone loaded up into two cars a short thirty minutes later. They took a forty-five minute drive to the next county over. All ready for some fun in the sun. Eager to cool down as sweat poured down their faces. As it happened they had a few inner tubes ready for tubing down the river.

Like most summers they would take inner tubes with them. One vehicle would park near the bridge. Everyone would get out and tube down the river. The second vehicle would be parked down by The Old Mill. When the inner tubers have finished the trek down the river it would end there. The second vehicle would drive the people back to the bridge for another run down the river.

A short stop at the closest gas station to their destination for Beef Jerky, beer, and soda pop and they were all ready for the fun in the sun to begin. Upon arrival about forty-five minutes after leaving home, you here the screeches and shrills from the eager anticipation. One by one they vacated the cars. Jacob, Donnie, Malcolm, Mary, Katrina, Troy, Bianca, and Larry started walking from the gravel parking space over to the lake. All excited for cooling down. They were more than ready to jump into the lake or swing from the rope swing.

Larry, Donnie, Mary, and Troy headed over to the tall tree that someone nailed wooden planks in as a tree ladder leading to the Y formation in the branches. Attached to the giant tree was the large yellow thick nylon rope often used on fishing boat outings. It is also sometimes used as a tow rope. A homemade rope swing; People often swung out into the middle of the lake from this swing.

Meanwhile Jacob, Malcolm, Katrina, and Bianca headed to the opposite end that led to the large rock formations that they climb upon to enter the water closest to the Dam. The water that was flowing over the dam appeared to be larger and flowing faster than normal. They climbed over the first set of rocks and saw a water moccasin snake.

The small group climbed up the next set of rocks. They sat there for a minute and watched the water flow over the side of the dam. Slowly Katrina and Bianca climbed into the water. Bianca stayed relatively close to the rocks were she had just climbed in. The girls were kind of venturing out. They were testing the current flow so to speak. Katrina was roughly six to eight feet away from the rock formation where Bianca was standing. The current to Bianca did not appear to be to strong. She walked in the opposite direction of the dam where the water appeared to be much calmer.

However, just as she was telling Jacob and Malcolm that the current did not appear to strong; the current had knocked Katrina off of her feet. It was pulling her towards the dam’s edge. Katrina screamed out for help as she clung to the dam for dear life.

Bianca drug her feet over the bottom of the lake so the current would not cause Bianca to lose her balance. She shouted Katrina give me your hand! Katrina yelled No! I can’t! again she shouted to Katrina and a little irritated I may add; Katrina give me your hand! I am right here let go of the dam just one hand! Katrina take my hand! I got you! I got you!

Again Katrina screamed no! I can’t, I can’t! this time even more fearfully she added Momma Daddy help me and with that you could see the anger in Bianca’s face because she was right there. Arms reach away trying to help her big sister clinging to the dam. In addition, Katrina is refusing to let her help.

In Bianca’s frustration she yelled at her one more time GIVE ME YOUR HAND NOW! as she previously did before. Bianca tried to inch her way closer to Katrina. However this time in her frustration she forgot to drag her feet along the bottom of the lake.

Bianca picked her right foot up off the bottom of lakes floor to step a