It's Been TOO LONG

Hello Hello again,
I see Joel has done some explaining on what has been going on in our lives. I hope you have enjoyed reading the fun day to day things we face.
As for me life has been so much better. I have finally broken free of the things that have kept me in bondage for so long. Okay so it wasn't me that broke me free but that one touch from Jesus. I have been struggling everyday for a year if God really is good. The old theological question came up over and over again, if you are a good God why do you allow ___________ (you fill in the blank) to happen. I had a very bad experience a year ago that made me question the goodness of God.

I was obedient to God in what he told me to do for a certain situation. Then it all went down hill from there. I was called self-righteous, arrogant and conceited for doing what I did. It was hard and a harsh reality. God had been with me the whole time through the storm but after it was all said and done I was like what kind of God are you? I did EXACTLY what you told me to do why did you allow __________ to happen. Has any buddy else been there or is there now. So, every day for a year I thought about what happened and wondered if God was really my friend, BOO, protector, defender, etc.

Then nearly a week ago God got through and touched me in the most awesome way by using a scripture you read all the time. It says rejoice and be EXCEEDINGLY glad when they call you all kinds of evil names and revile you because of me. GREAT is your reward in heaven.
I was extatic when I heard a speaker preach on this. I knew then that for every evil there is, God has good. Whether you see it in this life time or the next. I came to realize I would never see the true goodness out of the situtation until I got to heaven. That yes there is evil in the world, yes bad things happen to everyone (some worse than others) but GOD is soooooooo good that he creates something good out of that bad, whether we see it today or not. It will come to pass: His goodness for every situation. In the book of Ecclesiastes it says Everything will be made beautiful in it's time. I believe this with everything I have or I would cease to see the Goodness that is in God.

So as of now I AM FREE. THANK YOU JESUS, for touching me the way You did.

Other than that work has been good. We are having a disaster relief training coming up at the end of June. Both Joel and I are teaching a class. Joel on temporary tarping for roofs that have been damaged by disasters and for me Emergency Radio Broadcasting. How to go on air for a disaster response. Nervous and exciting all at the same time. God has blessed us in experiencing these subjects so why not teach others before they dive right in. Sounds reasonable? YIKES. Pray that we will do this with God's guidance and that everything we say will be so clear that the people coming could teach the class after we are done with them.

We love you all thank you for keeping up on our NORMAL (hehehehe) Daily lives.

Love you all,
Dess