Destination Kingdoms Mansion: A Personal Journey and God’s Sovereignty

By Pat Cruz

I’ve learned through the school of hard knocks that life’s journey is planned by God and not our own.

My nuclear family, friends, and Christian exposure influenced the person that I became. I’ve learned that God’s plans are not thwarted by our self-determination and direction. Eventually, I saw life through God’s lens and gained a spiritual perspective over time. Through my life’s journey of free will, undesirable outcomes emerged. In retrospect, I suffered the consequences because I had a rebellious nature toward my God.

I married men who were incompatible and unequally yoked, which was my cross to bear. I point to incidents and occurrences that lead to failed marriages.

But the good news is that I finally embraced the truth and turned to my first love, Jesus Christ. I spiritually connected to the good book written by men of faith. I felt compelled to share the story of God’s plan of redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ. I learned that His yoke is easy and that His burden is light.

Now I implore you to never give up if you mess up, fall off, or slide off the train. It’s your choice, and your life is in the balance of a positive or negative outcome. If you choose disbelief, your destination is with the adversary. If you choose Christ, you’re on your way toward the Kingdom’s Mansion on the Happy Day Express.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890432582

Book preview

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Destination: Kingdom's Mansion

A Personal Journey and GodaEUR(tm)s Sovereignty

Pat Cruz

ISBN 979-8-89043-257-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89043-258-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Pat Cruz

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

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

To my son, Byron; my daughter, Danielle; Dr. Carole Hysmith; Rosalind Law; and my pastor, Ron Swift, who encouraged me to write this book and share my story

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1

The Journey

Chapter 2

Formative Years, Growing Up

Chapter 3

The Church

Chapter 4

A Season of Family

Chapter 5

Returning to the Fold

Chapter 6

Life's Pitfalls

Chapter 7

Husband Number One

Chapter 8

Husband Number Two

Chapter 9

Freedom, I Thought

Chapter 10

Husband Number Three

Chapter 11

From Now On

Chapter 12

God's Prophetic Word

Chapter 13

The Blood Shed for You and Me

Chapter 14

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Chapter 15

The Truth

About the Author

To my son, Byron; my daughter, Danielle; Dr. Carole Hysmith; Rosalind Law; and my pastor, Ron Swift, who encouraged me to write this book and share my story

Foreword

It is my joy to write the foreword to Pat Cruz-Stoessel's new book. It is an honest look back over past blessings and bad seasons and her God-led journey of life and recovery. Her look back into her upbringing, and it's uprising in her heart, recalls a mother's musical talent and those high notes of excellence, and her older twin sister, who taught her, at the tender age of eight, mastery of poetic art expression. Her insights into how God weaved His will into her circumstances are a work of comprehension and understanding. She shares her heartbreak with vivid recall, sees beyond the scenes, and views their value and lessons. Clarity and a crisp understanding of her God and His provisions and presence make this beginning jewel a quick and insightful read. Here is both a pained and promising self-correcting rehearsal of life lived and learned a hard way. See into and seize the life-engaging words from the pages of this work. Blessings as you read, reflect, and reconnect with it time and time again. She heavily engages God's Word as the energy and encouragement required for life's journey. By the way, the pilot light is set in her heart for the plan and purposes of God to be lived. If you've bottomed out, this book will help you climb out.

Pastor Ron Swift

Introduction

The road that we travel in life is never straight. There are curves and rugged terrain on our journey.

Some try to take shortcuts, while others continue no matter the obstacles encountered on their way.

On this journey of life, we will meet people who cross our paths frequently, infrequently, and sporadically. People are getting off and on the train scheduled for a specific destination. That destination is the Kingdom's Mansion.

We are not alone on this journey. At times, we may feel that way, but the conductor of this train is Jesus, the Son of God, Who, when we invite Him to keep us company, enters without effort with an all-encompassing agape love freely given.

Those who choose to remain on the train and not get off are the strong and are anchored to the cornerstone.

I, like many, have gotten off from time to time, but I always return to secure my seat and continue on my path toward the Kingdom's Mansion.

I've met many people along the way through God's divine providence. Each person has been placed by God to fulfill a purpose in my life. Sometimes, from a 360-degree angle, people appear, disappear, and reappear as God directs. It's mysterious to some, but I see the hand of God now in all of these things.

Chapter 1

The Journey

Starting with my small nuclear family, we never heard about uncles, aunts, or cousins on our paternal or maternal sides. Our parents never spoke about them or offered information regarding them. We did, however, grow up knowing my maternal grandmother and step-grandfather. It wasn't until years later that we discovered we had extended family in several locations around the country and out of the country. We were like a diaspora in a microcosmic way. So our small nuclear family remained as it was until I bravely did an ancestry probe through ancestry.com as an adult.

A remarkable discovery opened up a host of relatives unbeknownst to me. It was a delightful discovery, and I contacted some of them and even connected with them. Through invitations