Divine Pearls: Spiritual Insight through Personal Short Stories

By Mareshah Brown Miller

Divine Pearls is a collection of Mareshah Brown Miller's personal short stories and reflections. She uniquely weaves wisdom into everyday experiences and explores vital life lessons. Her stories are entertaining, inspirational, and encouraging. Some will make you laugh; some will make you cry; but all will make you think.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644168660

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Divine Pearls

Spiritual Insight through Personal Short Stories

Mareshah Brown Miller

Copyright © 2018 by Mareshah Brown Miller

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

This collection of stories is dedicated to the loving memory of my dear husband, Kevin Anthony Miller. He always supported all my endeavors with encouragement, assistance, and an abundance of praise. Risking cliché overload, I can truly say Kevin was the wind beneath my wings; and even now, his love keeps lifting me higher.

Acknowledgements

To say I would not be who I am today without my parents is simply a fact. I am extremely thankful that my mom and dad gave me all the tools necessary to live a productive, creative, and love-filled life. They also gave me the treasured gift of family. The proverbial village was (is) the soil that nourished my creativity and love for relationship. Thank you to my dear sisters, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews for the continuous appreciation and enthusiasm you have shown for my essays and stories.

My precious children, Ashley, Kortney, and Eddy, have graciously accepted that their experiences are shared with the world through my writing. Despite that, they are always excited to see what I will write next and they continue to encourage me with their love and support. Mostly, I am grateful that we continue to create joyful memories together.

I am blessed to have many friends who, over the years, have urged me to write and publish my work. I am thankful for friends who cheer for me and propel me to achieve my aspirations. A special thank you to my friend Joyce Beckford for her written review of this book and her consistent prayers.

With a heart of gratitude, I’m thankful to my pastors and mentors, Dr. Gary Smith and Dr. Janis Smith. Their spiritual guidance, example, encouragement and support for the past fifteen years have kept me grounded and inspired to pursue a genuine life. Thank you, Pastor Janis, for investing time and effort to endorse this book.

Thank you to the editors, illustrators, and graphic designers at Christian Faith Publishing for taking my ideas and bringing them to reality. And a special thank you to Matthew Brumbaugh for guiding me through my first publication experience.

Foreword

I recently had a string of pearls repaired that my husband lovingly bought me twenty-five years ago. The strand had broken and was kept in a small cloth bag for eighteen years or so. The jeweler immediately recognized the pearls as authentic by their opalescence and glistening reflection underneath the examiner’s bright light. I suppose most people would not recognize true pearls from fake ones, but the master jeweler cannot be fooled.

Mareshah has blessed our family for many years as a parishioner, choir member, and friend in the faith. She is a powerful woman of grace and determination. Her secret, without a doubt, is that she has discovered The Pearl of great price for herself. That is evident in the way she has journeyed through troubles, trials, and even losses. As a result, she is a true pearl in the hands of the expert jeweler. You will be blessed by her ability to share in a way that is comforting and inspirational. These vignettes will bring strength, tears, and joy when you feel weak and weary.

My strand of pearls has been through a lot of wear and tear, but today they are as beautiful as ever, after having been restored by the master jeweler.

Dr. Janis Smith

Co-Founder of City of Life Church

Kissimmee, FL

Introduction

Many people maintain a journal—some daily, and others weekly. I have done that a few times in my life, but never consistently. I believe one of the obstacles has been my poor penmanship. So, many years ago, I developed a habit. When I want to document a special moment or memory or record some specific revelation, I will sit at my computer and type. Then, I will ascribe a clever title. Over the years, I have shared some of these writings with family (and a few friends). However, sometimes these stories were written for my reference, reflection, and personal growth.

Divine Pearls is a collection of my personal short stories and reflections. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, but all will make you think. Each story is dated, but the writings are purposely not presented in chronological order. Although I would love to know that you devoured this book in one sitting, it is organized in such a way that you may enjoy each story separately.

My daddy was a storyteller. I grew up hearing stories of his island boyhood adventures, young adult sagas, and other special events that shaped his life. His stories always induced conversation and similar anecdotes from others. These story-telling sessions helped inform me