Against All Odds

This book, Against all Odds, is about FAITH, FORGIVENESS, AND HOPE. It is also about VICTORY AGAINST SATAN. It is my life story as a young girl who lived in a small SW Virginia town, Big Stone Gap, relocating to Washington, DC when almost a teenager and becoming a born again Christian at the age of 16. As I grew in my faith, reading the Word of God, I discovered the teachings of Jesus about forgiving our enemies. I had been mentally, verbally, and sexually abused from the age of five by my dad, and I struggled to come to grips with the idea that God not only wanted me to forgive him, but REQUIRED it. When I finally obeyed and submitted to God, I enjoyed a peace and joy I had never known before. I believe because I obeyed, forgave and prayed for his salvation, he received Jesus as his Savior before he died of brain cancer. I met my husband in 1967 and we entered into full-time ministry in 1973. God truly blessed our ministry, but at our 3rd church, my husband was falsely accused by both church members and church leadership, and eventually we were asked to leave the denomination, after faithfully serving in it for a number of years. We just couldn't believe what had happened to us and we both struggled with a lot of anger, hurt, pain, and rejection because of their lies, treachery, slander, and defamation of our characters . However, once again, God's Word instructed us we could only be set free spiritually and used again for God's ministry if we let go of all our bitterness and forgave all of them that had hurt and defamed us. It was a hard thing for us to do, but God's Word says to love our enemies and do good to those, who out of spite hurt us. We finally understood what it meant to suffer for doing good for the Gospel of Jesus. So, as we healed spiritually through reading the Bible and the working of the Holy Spirit in us, we were finally able to let go of our bitterness, forgive them and through that act of obedience, we once again experienced such love, joy and peace in our spirits. All hatred and bitterness was gone; Satan lost the battle for our souls. After our spirits were healed, we discovered God was not done with us and we once again entered into full time ministry. Since then, my husband has gone on to Heaven to live eternally with God. One day I shall join them, but until then, I will remain faithful to his work. God is so good and ALL the time, God is good!