Adventures at waffle House & God

Back in the day I think I might’ve been Stephen’s age around, 11, or 12 years old. My dad and Jennifer and my brothers and dogs and my great grandma were all piled in the van on a road trip. We were headed to Kentucky. I remember there where  a lot arguments, people getting in trouble, and car games, but there was also stops on the way up there, and the one that rings true in my memory is when we stopped at a local waffle House. For years I have despise waffle houses all because of this one experience I had when I was a little. I remember going through the doors and the smell hitting me like a tide of bricks. It was so cloudy that my eyes began to water. You see back then it was common for people to smoke inside restaurants, and that smell may me queasy. Everything we got at waffle House tasted like he came out of an ashtray. I remember getting sick, and threw up, and was dizzy for a few hours after we left the establishment.

  For many years anytime anyone in would mention waffle House. That imagery would ring clear in my memory.   It was a very bad memory, and even today I could still smell the decrepit stench of smoke. Well today I did something I never thought I would do I found myself going to a waffle House. It was between waffle House in Cracker Barrel, and my friend Carrot and I had just had Cracker Barrel yesterday, so Stephen and I decided we were going to try it. I won’t lie to you I was a bit apprehensive of even stepping inside the restaurant; because, even though I know they are no longer allowed to smoke inside restaurants, that memory still hunts me till this day.

  As we entered it looked like one of those old-school diners. Almost brought me back to a time when I was a little Kid. Around the age of seven or eight my mom would take me to school. On the way to school we would stop at this old diner. Sometimes my grandpa would join us. Everyone knew was there, and in time they knew what I wanted. I would simply go to the waitress and asked her for my usual. That consisting of French toast, bacon, and orange juice. As I walked in the waffle House doors this bought that memory flooding back. We sat down at a booth and gazed through the menu. Everything was extremely cheap. Which could have been one or two things, either it was a really good deal, or to the food sucked so bad that they were trying to compensate. Stephen wind up getting a whole meal that consisted of chocolate chip waffle with whipped cream, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast, and a hot chocolate. I got a baby burger that was a dollar, and a 99 cent orange juice. I also helped Stephen with some of his. We also got another baby burger for Stephen to take home for dinner later that day. In the end our Bill was under $13. So now I am down with waffle House.

Why tell you this incredible story; because, this got me thinking. For years I didn’t go somewhere because of a bad experience I had when I was little. That one experience kept me from ever wanting to try to go in another waffle House again. Let’s dig deep we’ve all had experiences in our life’s. Sometimes they’re a lot more horrific than a bad dining experience. Example: “I got my heart broken why should I ever want to attempt to have another relationship so I could feel that pain again?” (Does that sound familiar?) Or “you don’t understand what they did to me at that church.  They’re all a bunch of hypocrites! Im never going to another church again” (am I hitting a nerve yet?) “Sorry I can’t do that. I tried a one time and it was a total disaster.”  “I’m afraid they’re going to laugh at me. I’m afraid of what will happen if I say something to them about Jesus”

Things happen in our lives that we can’t change. Experiences happened that define us and shape us to the people that we are today. Without them we would be empty shells of people who would’ve should’ve but didn’t. This is just a simple waffle House experience that will definitely get repeated, but maybe there are experiences in your own life that go way deeper, and God is asking you to give it another shot. Don’t miss out on the blessings God has for you because of a past experience. You never know how trying something again may turn out.

This is the Kiwi please go free to leave any comments –peace out-

I saw Jesus today

I saw Jesus today standing in the street. He had no shoes upon his swollen, hurting feet. His clothes were covered in rips and mud, and in his hands boar a sign. My heart began to ache as I read out loud what it said. “Hungry will work for food” why did nobody help? Why was he all alone? How could they just pass him by? I did not understand. Why we all would pass by, and disregard the son of man.

I saw Jesus today sitting in a jail. His face was old, and lonely. The markings were all clear. No one came near him. Nowhere were visitors near. I could not believe my eyes. Why was he treated this way? Would no one come and visit him to brighten up his day?

I saw Jesus today standing in the rain. Nowhere was there shelter. He had no place to rest. I did not understand why no one invited him home, invited him to say. This is Jesus after all! Our Savior remember? The one who died for us! The one who set us free! Why are all you doing this? How can you be so mean?

And then like lightning it struck me. I do this all the time. Jesus is here in every face I see, and when I reject them. I’m rejecting he. He who made me as I am. The one we say we love, but if we really do why can’t we show the kindness he would give? To someone who is hungry. To someone who’s in jail, for someone with no place to rest their weary head.

Why can’t we? That’s easy. Our eyes are closed to see. We sometimes forget what Jesus would do, for those who are in need. He would help them, and show his love. We need to do the same, and remember he saved our souls. He set each of us free. Shouldn’t we proclaim that to the world? I mean hey it’s only eternity.

By Deanna Bridges

It happened so suddenly

It happened so suddenly

It happened so suddenly. The day that I died; there was nowhere to run, no place I could hide. Why did I choose to live in such sin? If I could go back I would change I swear! I would right all my wrongs. I would walk in the light, but…

It happened so suddenly

I didn’t have time! Now look at me all covered in sin. There’s no way the Savior will ever let me in, and why should he, when I didn’t even care. I lived how I wanted. I knew where it would lead. My heart didn’t feel guilty, and my mind was consumed with greed. Not for any riches or wealth, but that of my life, and vision of self. The part of me who just wanted some fun, but…

It happened so suddenly

Now I’m in hell. Sin is fun for a season it’s true, but I just could not help to think what would Jesus do. He gave his own life so I could be free, so I could be with him for all eternity. He loved me so much. I was his son, and now look at all the damage I’ve done! I have betrayed my only true friend, and turn my back never to look at him again. I cared more about the fun I was having. I did not realize how little I had. Im young, I’m healthy, I have all the time in the world. What a foolish notion! Where was my head? Time was never on my side. If only I had listened to all those people who told me what I already knew.

It happened so suddenly

My life is no more. No longer the light I see. My home is in darkness. My life is in pain. No longer will I dance in the rain, or feel the love consume my heart, or be with my savior for we are apart. I’m sorry, but sorry came too late. You won’t see me at the pearly gates. Mom dad forgive me I didn’t realize

it would happen so suddenly.

For I went astray, I just didn’t think it would happen this way. I bid you farewell. There’s nothing more to say. This is the path I’ve chosen. My sin was so long. My death came so quit. If I could give you some advice follow the Lord. Don’t go astray, or you could be where I am today; because, life is too short to live in the wrong, and why would you when you could follow the light, so just remember what I say. There’s no way to foresee your fate. For me it was suddenly and way too late.

 By Deanna Bridges

A man who carries a cat by the Tail learns something he can only learn in no other way

Ok so we had to do this Journal for English class, and use this quote, and it had to be personal so um this is what I came up with… um what do u think?

A man who carries a cat by the Tail learns something he can only learn in no other way

 –Mark Twain-

     One of the biggest lessons I have learned  if  I want to sit down and really think about it would have to be a spiritual one; before, I was saved there was a lot of horrible stuff going down, “Cliff Notes version” Because otherwise I could be here all day.   The gist of it was I dealing with evil spirits, and my dad from time to time getting possessed and trying to kill me. The most significant memory I can recall was the most terrifying experience I ever had with my father.   I can picture it all like it just happened yesterday. 

      I needed thank you cards.  That’s how it started something so small.  I remembered I had some people at school, and church that had really helped me out and I thought it would be nice to give them a thank you card.  My mom had bought a whole box of them, and told me anytime I needed one to just ask her.  I walked across the house to my mother's bedroom.  The door was closed and Metallica was blasting on my mom’s stereo.  I knocked on the door and my mom appeared in a Towel with a big smiled on her face.  “What can I do for you Sweet pea?” She asked.  I asked her for the thank you cards, and she told me it was no problem.  She went in the room and picked up a bundle and, handed it over to me.  I told her thank you, and I began to walk slowly to my room, but before I got there my stepfather was sitting in his favorite chair with a fresh beer in hand, and he had this look on his face it was filled with such anger.  I literally started to shake under his hateful gaze.  He looked at me, and with a deep raspy voice spewed out what the ---- are you doing?  I hated when he got this way; I knew the only safe thing to do was to speak slowly, so in a soft voice not to arouse his anger  I told him I had asked mom for some thank you cards.   Then in that same low deep voice he said who the ---- are you going to thank?  I explained just some people from church and school.  I remember walking even more slowly to my room.  I didn’t want him to think I was being disrespectful.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I passed the threshold of my bedroom.  I began to close the door; I was very careful to close it so silently, so you didn't even realize I had closed it.  I didn’t want him to think I was slamming the door, and make him more upset with me.   I remember Feeling better about being in my safe room.  I laid the cards in the middle of my bedroom floor, and sat down Indian style. That’s when I heard a loud bang almost like a gunshot.  I turned around jumping to my feet, and looked at my bed.  There in the middle of my mattress was a doorknob.  It shocked me.  The doorknob was in one complete piece. It was just sitting in the middle of my bed, as if someone had just laid it there ready to be installed.  I then turned to the door to see a big hole where the doorknob used to be.  He must have punched it I thought, but at that moment fear took hold of me.  My stepfather was coming at me. His face was blank, and it held such hatred; it almost seemed to radiate in waves off him.  The thing that frightened me most was his eyes.  Normally his eyes are hazel, gray, sometimes blue, or a mixture of both, but at that precise moment his eyes were black.  Not just any black, but a black I had never seen before. If evil had a color it would’ve been that shade of black.  In that moment I knew he was going to kill me.  I was never so terrified in all my life.  I never screamed; I wasn’t that kind of girl, but in that moment I let out a blood wrenching scream that people must've heard from blocks off.  My mother came rushing in yelling and cussing, and screaming about what was going on.  She took one look at her me, and then at my dad, and then she started yelling at him.  I ran to the car, and my mom took me to church for choir practice, and then someone drooped me off at Publix where my mom worked till she got off around 2 am.  I could not be in that house alone with him.  That’s just one of the many instances I was dealing with.

     Before I accepted Christ there were a lot of roads I went through to try to rectify the problem.  I turned to friends who were involved in the occult, and I even tried to take some of it on myself.  It only made matters worse.  Our house was consumed with a darkness that seemed impossible to fight.  Objects flew on their own record.  Cast of black smoke would appear often, and not to mention anger, fear, and hopelessness consumed us all.  Let’s just say nothing I try to do in my own power worked.  Then I met Jesus and everything changed.  Before I got saved I tried to kill myself.  Not my most proudest moment, but that’s how lost and broken I was.  I couldn’t deal with my father’s abuse, or all the evil that surrounded me.  Darkness was all around me, and it seemed I was doomed to a life of gloom and despair.  Then something amazing happened.  Jesus came into my life; he chased away the darkness, and filled me with his light.  Now I was complete and whole.  It baffles me that all I needed to do to get rid of evil was use his name.  “In Jesus name Flee” And they were gone.  There was no big hocus-pocus; just a simple faith and belief.  It wasn’t an instantaneous victory.  It took months of practice.  I had to learn how to trust, to believe, and to have faith.  It was definitely a process, but after I learned how to properly cast out evil from my house, and in my own life there were a lot of spiritual tests.  Evil things weren’t happy that I had found this new faith in Jesus Christ.  I got hit with a tidal wave of badness.  It was like a domino effect.  One little domino of wrongness fell down, and oh look he brought all his friends! Between physically and mentally even in my dreams I was being tested.  It was sink or swim, and I struggled kicking and screaming all the way to the surface.  I’m happy to report I came out victorious, but the battle is far from over, and I still have a lot to learn, so going back to our original Quote about a lesson that I’ve learned, and that only by going through it could I have prevailed. In my mind that was the most significantly important one I will ever lean; because, it not only saved my life it also saved my future for all eternity.

Shine your light and let the whole world see...

  

Okay at church today we were singing that song.

{My savior he can move the mountains.  My God is mighty to save.  He is mighty to save.  Forever, author of salvation he came and conquered the grave.  Jesus conquered the grave.  Shine your light and let the whole world see.   We’re singing for the glory of the risen King.  Jesus.  Shine your light and let the whole world see.   We’re singing for the glory of the risen King}

So anyways as we were singing that song this entire scenario popped in my head, so I was like okay God what would you have me do, so he told me to write it down, and share it with all of you. I just thought this was really cool.

   

     Darkness fell on the entire Earth. All light, hope, faith, and love seemed to disappear within a blink of an eye. Evil had won. Demons everywhere were rejoicing.  Cries of pain and anguish permeated throughout the entire planet.  It was almost like everybody was united in fear, agony, and hopelessness. Some try to take their own lives, but evil wouldn’t let them die.  The sun no longer shined, and all the stars and moon no longer lit up the sky.  It was darkness pure darkness.  Not even artificial light was permitted.  Everybody who was left lived in constant fear.  Somehow I had lost my way.  I looked around the street.  I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face, but I knew many people just like me were standing all around, most of them screaming in agony, and the laughter of demons rang out like nails on a chalkboard.   At the moment I just stood there paralyzed with fear.  Terrified of what was to come not knowing what I was going to do, and then something amazing happened. I remembered. It was just one thought one word, but that one word held so much power.  That one word could save my life.  That one word can turn darkness into light.  Jesus I said that over, and, over, and over in my head. I hit my knees knowing I had messed up.  I knew all along what I should do, and yet I ran from it. I ran away from the one person who could have saved me this agony. I knew at any moment evil would come for me. The demons eventually got to everyone; it was only a matter of time before I was screaming in pain for the torture that was soon to come, but then just before fear overtook me again; I remembered the name. That name could move mountains.  That name could save. That name had the power to heal, to cast out evil, to raise the dead, and to bring light into a darkened world. 

     I knew what I had to do.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  It was suicide.  It was only a matter of time before I was stopped, but I heard God speaking to me, and he told me to praise him. I know I wouldn’t die when they came for me. They never killed anybody; you were not allowed to die. I was terrified, but despite my fears I could not hold back any longer.  I hit my knees and begged God to forgive me. I was wrong.  I sinned, but I knew when I asked he had forgiven me.   Still on my knees I began to sing.  I sang amazing Grace.  It was soft at first, but soon my voice rang out through the darkness, and I raise my hands to heaven praising, and worshiping God, and thanking him. Despite my situation nothing was going to stop me from praising Jesus name. Silence fell and I knew people around me were shocked. One girl yelled out in a hushed whisper.  Are you suicidal? Keep it down you will bring them right to us! I ignored her and kept singing.  She got angry at me.  How dare you sing praises to him! Don’t you know he forgot about us! He’s allowing this to happen, he doesn’t care about any of us! He doesn’t care about you! I just sang louder, and then something amazing happened.

      I felt warm.  It’s hard to describe, but the darkness has been constant for longer than I care to remember. Everybody is always cool all the time, but this warmness I was feeling.  It felt like the sun was shining down on me.  I opened my eyes shocked.  There it was a light.  The most beautiful glorious light I had ever seen.  It had been so long since I had seen any sort of light, and there it was bright, and shiny like a little ball.  It was coming from me; I smiled and sang all the more.  Excitement was now shooting through me, and as I continued to sing praises to my king.  The light grew.  Soon it encased me in a sort of bubble. They had come now furious that someone was singing praises to him.   I knew they were coming for me, but I didn’t care and I would not stop singing, and then something even more miraculous took place. They could not touch me! As long as I was singing to my king, as long as I was focused on him evil could not lay a hand on me.

     In the distance another voice joined in with mine, and we both began singing praises to God.  It wasn’t long before I saw who it was; because, there light exploded a protective bubble around them. Then one by one people everywhere began to drop on their knees, ask for forgiveness, and sing praises to God.  Just like that lights everywhere began to spark, so much so that darkness began running scared trying to find places to hide from the powerful light of God. Other people who were in darkness began to reach out and touch those who were singing.  The Spirit of God came upon them, and they too were filled with his light dropped to their knees, and began to sing praises to him. It seemed mere moments before the entire town was encased in light, and it spread like a forest fire throughout the globe. From city, to country until everyone was singing!

    

      Evil began to scream. NO THIS IS OUR TIME! WE WON! NO! Nobody paid any attention. People were smiling. Everybody kept singing, and then I saw him. It was Jesus! He came down from the clouds and stood a mere few feet away from me. Evil let out a blood wrenching scream.  He waved his hand at them all as if he was swatting at annoying fly, and just like that they were cast out of Earth.   There was only one dark spot left, and I knew who it was. The girl who had yelled at me to stop singing, she stood there in shock unable to move. Jesus looked at her, and she hit the floor a mass of tears. He walked over to her, and touched her.  The instant his hand rested on her the rest of the darkness flied and she was encased in light. She bowed lower in tears repeating how sorry she was, and begging for forgiveness.  I watched him as he picked her up wiping her tears, and said I already have. People erupted in shouts.  Evil was vanquished. Darkness was gone, and only the light of God and his glory incased the earth.