All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
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Darlene Hight
- Female
- Hamilton, Ohio
- United States
- Blog Posts (5)
- Discussions (9)
- Groups (3)
- Photos (3)
- Photo Albums
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Gifts Received (3)
Figuring it out ~day by day
Profile Information
- Gender
- Female
- Country (not County)
- USA
- Occupation:
- Christian writer,storyteller, and dramatist
- I'm here to...
- network with other Christians
- Interests:
- Drama and writing
- I'm passionate about...
- Drama and sharing God's love through creative communication
- My story with God
- I have a personal relationship with God since I was about 26 years old. I love God and I am so thankful that He rescued me and my family from my mess.
Here is my testimony that I wrote awhile back:
Journey to Jesus
By Darlene Hight
As I watched my granddaughter pour the five pound bag of sugar into the canister, I felt the laughter begin to bubble up. It was a school project. She had to carry the sugar baby with her everywhere that she went for one week.
At the beginning of the week she had been so excited about the prospect of having a sugar baby. She printed out a birth certificate for it and baby announcements. A friend and she went to great lengths to decorate the bag of sugar to look like a pretty little baby girl. The project was designed to drive home the huge responsibility of parenting. Evidently, it had worked!
Friday, she got home from school, went directly into the kitchen, tore open the sugar baby and deposited it unceremoniously into the canister, her parenting responsibilities fulfilled.
The school project is a great idea, moving too fast into the adult world isn't. It can start a cycle of mistakes that build up speed like a runaway skateboard. I know first hand how unprepared a teenager can be for parenting.
I fell headlong into the adult world of parenting. One month after my seventeenth birthday, I gave birth to my daughter. I was totally unprepared and unrealistic. I expected a tiny baby to fulfill my deep emotional needs. She of course couldn't do that. My husband, also, a self-centered, unprepared parent and spouse, didn't meet my needs nor did I meet his. And neither of us sufficiently met the needs of our daughter or the two sons that followed. I can truthfully say that our life was a mess and our children were square in the middle of it. I tried to clean up the mess but I didn't know how to do that.
In the early days of my journey into the adult world, I looked for an escape hatch. I went to parties where I could drink, dance and laugh. They provided a temporary escape from reality, but I always landed back where I started, usually with less money and more dissatisfaction. The partying life was no more than a thinly disguised longing for childhood, but I was unable to reenter that world. I tried going to work, which also provided no escape. In fact, working added to an already heavy burden.
Many nights I could be found lying on my couch asking God to rescue me. How this translated was, "Please, save me from my circumstances." When He didn't do that, I concluded that if there is a God, He doesn't care about me.
My life became as futile as a super ball bouncing between the floor and ceiling. I alternated between trying as hard as I could to create a good life for my family, when I was on the up cycle; to turning again to parties or sleep when I was on the down cycle. I carried guilt with me everywhere, all the time. Unlike the sugar baby that can be occasionally passed off to a friend, guilt hung around my neck like an anvil.
I carried my failures like a laden backpack. One weight, in particular, was heavier than all the rest it was the weight of Jesus' death. I knew from my early church days that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Instead of being appreciative of this fact, it made me angry. I didn't ask him to, I reasoned and there is nothing that I can do about the fact that he did! To me, this was a burden too heavy to carry. He felt like someone who looked down on me. I didn't like being around Christians either. They, also, seemed to be looking down on me, condemning.
But somewhere deep inside, I wanted to believe in a God who loved me. As a child, I had believed. One of my earliest memories is of touching Grandpa's bible; I remember thinking this has to be the most special book in the whole world. I didn't know it, but I was longing for a relationship with God even back then. I longed to be a good person. I didn't want to be rejected by God. I needed to be a good parent. One thing that I felt a good parent did was to take their kids to church but I didn't want to go to church. I had enough guilt. I was very conflicted.
I started sending my kids to church on a church bus. Surely, that would be considered a good thing even to church people. When the church had children's musical programs, I wanted to go for the kids, but most of the time, I felt like an outsider. I saw judgment in the eyes of the church people. I never felt dressed enough. I didn't fit in. After a while the kids didn't want to go anymore and that was okay with me.
Then something unexpected happened. My friend, Kathy, asked if I wanted to go to church with her. Kathy wasn’t a churchgoer. She was my drinking buddy and my only really close friend. She had been invited by a mutual friend of ours. We went because it would be good for the kids.
Somehow, I ended up sitting on one side of the church, alone. Kathy sat on the opposite side with the girl who had invited her. The preacher spoke that day about his life before becoming a Christian. It mirrored mine. I remember thinking, "He’s no better than I am."
Then he said something that had never occurred to me before. He said, "If you will only ask Jesus to forgive you and come into your life, He will change your life."
I had never done that. It probably seems like a common sense everybody-should-know-to-do-that kind of a thing, but for me, it was a "Eureka" moment! I sat quietly in my pew but I knew what I needed to do. I asked Jesus to forgive me and he did or at least I felt like he did. Later at home, I began having doubts about whether or not Jesus could really forgive me. My life was still a mess nothing had changed had it? I knelt in my living room that night and asked Jesus to forgive me again. This time, I became enveloped in a love and warmth that I had never experienced before. It felt like the God of the universe took me into His arms and held me, and poured all of the love that He had waited to give me. Nothing had changed in my life and yet, everything had suddenly changed.
The days that followed for all practical purposes continued on just like my life before meeting Jesus. One difference that occurred immediately is that I had an unquenchable desire to read the Bible. I read through the entire New Testament in a matter of weeks. With each page, the picture became clearer. Slowly without me even noticing, my life began to change and I began to change for the better.
I would like to be able to tell you that the rest of my journey has been smooth sailing but that wouldn’t be true. God had a lot of work to do in my life. Some of it was quite painful and at times still is, but there is a difference. I no longer carry the weight of my sin. I carry everything to the cross and Jesus lifts it off of me and places it on himself. How can I help but love a Savior who does that?
For everything there is a season. There is a season for enjoying the freedom and fun of youth and there is a season for discovering the joy of parenting. But whatever the season, Jesus is the right choice to help us through. He helped me and He will help you too, if you will let Him.
- Other stuff about me:
- I am married. I have three grown children and 11 grandchildren. My husband, Mark and I travel all over the country with his job. We have three furry travel partners; Woody, a yellow cat, Ivan, a 13 inch beagle and Evie, a 26 inch American foxhound. I love meeting new people as we travel the country.
Darlene Hight's Photos
Darlene Hight's Blog
An Open Door
Posted on January 8, 2009 at 8:42am 1 Comment 0 Likes
An Open Door
By Darlene Hight
Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.
~ Emily Dickenson ~
I love 'drop in' friends! Nothing is better than swinging open the door and finding a friend standing there. When my children were young, I had one friend who would pop over for coffee and we would end up spending all day together. While our children played in the yard, we whiled away the hours laughing and talking.
I can't always… Continue
By Darlene Hight
Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.
~ Emily Dickenson ~
I love 'drop in' friends! Nothing is better than swinging open the door and finding a friend standing there. When my children were young, I had one friend who would pop over for coffee and we would end up spending all day together. While our children played in the yard, we whiled away the hours laughing and talking.
I can't always… Continue
Echoes of Joy
Posted on December 3, 2008 at 11:08am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Echoes of Joy
By Darlene Hight
Joyous melody stood, barely able to breathe as the Conductor moved closer.
"Is it my turn?", he asked in a whisper.
"Not yet." the Conductor answered "Your time will come and it will be glorious, well worth the wait."
Tears stung Joyous Melody's eyes as crushing disappointment entered his spirit. I can't bare the wait. What good is a song that can't be expressed? Music shouldn't have to wait. Should it? When?… Continue
By Darlene Hight
Joyous melody stood, barely able to breathe as the Conductor moved closer.
"Is it my turn?", he asked in a whisper.
"Not yet." the Conductor answered "Your time will come and it will be glorious, well worth the wait."
Tears stung Joyous Melody's eyes as crushing disappointment entered his spirit. I can't bare the wait. What good is a song that can't be expressed? Music shouldn't have to wait. Should it? When?… Continue
Up a Tree without a Ladder
Posted on November 18, 2008 at 7:10am 0 Comments 0 Likes
"Mark, it is not easier to be on the road longer when you are travelling with two dogs and a cat." I could feel the edge coming into my voice. My husband and I had been having this same conversation over the past several weeks. He was in Texas and I was in Ohio. He left over a month earlier to begin his new job.I stayed behind until we could arrange housing in Texas. His trip had taken two days, pulling a trailer with all of our belongings. I had been been dreading this trip for several… Continue
An Open Letter to a Soldier
Posted on November 11, 2008 at 3:17pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
An Open Letter to a Soldier
By Darlene Hight
Dear Soldier,
Today is Veteran's day and as I sit on my outside deck drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee, my thoughts are on you. The day is warm and pleasant here in Bastrop, Texas. My puppies are playing in our fenced yard. Birds sing overhead and I watch as my cat hunts a field mouse. A light breeze brushes across my face. I think about how I sit here in a place of peace and safety while you face… Continue
By Darlene Hight
Dear Soldier,
Today is Veteran's day and as I sit on my outside deck drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee, my thoughts are on you. The day is warm and pleasant here in Bastrop, Texas. My puppies are playing in our fenced yard. Birds sing overhead and I watch as my cat hunts a field mouse. A light breeze brushes across my face. I think about how I sit here in a place of peace and safety while you face… Continue
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Please "WIN the 10/40 WINDOWS" for JESUS CHRIST.
The 10/40 Windows (located between 10 - 40 degrees North of Equator - between West Africa to East Asia) need Missionaries, have no church at all, and there live about 40 percent of the world population. INDONESIA, my country is in the 10-40 windows though we have churches. Please also pray for ISRAEL and all over the world. Let's get on our knees, praying hand in hand with me for their revival. I look forward to the day when the Lord who I kneel to worship will be recognized by all the living and the dead as the One True Lord.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2A message was given recently in which Jesus said, the mansion I went to prepare for you is now finished. All is ready for Me to bring My people home.
With much love in Christ: Christy Gabriel BPlease do keep on praying for the request of mine down below, and I know I can count on you to do it:
Please "WIN the 10/40 WINDOWS" for JESUS CHRIST.
The 10/40 Windows (located between 10 - 40 degrees North of Equator - between West Africa to East Asia) need Missionaries, have no church at all, and there live about 40 percent of the world population. INDONESIA, my country is in the 10-40 windows though we have churches. Please also pray for ISRAEL and all over the world. Let's get on our knees, praying hand in hand with me for their revival. I look forward to the day when the Lord who I kneel to worship will be recognized by all the living and the dead as the One True Lord.
Thank you so very much
With love in Christ: Christy Gabriel B
With much love in Christ: Christy Gabriel B
With love in Christ: Christy Gabriel BSoul food for the Day: The CENTER...
The center chapter of the BIBLE is Psalm 118.. there are 594 chapters before and after Psalm 118
And if we will add this we will get 1188... in which the center verse of the BIBLE is PSALM 118:8
What is the significant of Psalm 118:8 in God's perfect will for our lives?
It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.-- Psalm 118:8
When things get tough, always remember faith doesn't get you around trouble..
it gets you through it!
When you relinquish the desire to control your future you obtain happiness...
Prayer:
Father God, bless my friend in whatever it is that you know he/she may be needing this day....
May their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have closer relationship with you. Amen...
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