To go or Not to go that is the question....

God carried us through Ted's trial, and then almost immediately we were faced with a huge tax debt. God provided a way to pay for it, but it raised some valid questions as to how spend our upcoming vacation it without the emphasis on the word "spend". We had talked of a family vacation to Washington, DC, but then we realized that was not going to work. We then almost settled on a fishing trip to North Myrtle Beach, but Ted's mental calculator is feeling the proverbial pinch of the pennies.

Today, Ted helped me do some work at the office for which I am soo grateful for his help, and then we headed to Wadesboro. Had a pleasant service experience at a McDonald's in Indian Trail, NC, then onward. After he was finished in Wadesboro, we had a lovely dinner at one of our most favorite restaurants, Fontanella's.

After arriving home, Ted took me for more range practice and I did very well this time!!

Justin is on his way home from a Youth Revival, and James is spending the weekend at his grandparents doing alot of outside work for them.

So, do we go on vacation? Do we have a stay-cation and just putter around the house doing things that we can't seem to get caught up with and then eat out? Do we take simple day trips to places? I don't think this will save us any money, but it might be a better way to spend it???
To go or not to go... ??????

Because HE Lives....

Happy Resurrection Day from the Corriveau Family

Do You Remember?

Do you remember the day Jesus saved your soul; The day He found you wandering out in sin; The day He picked you up in His strong gentle arms, pulled you close, and whispered in your ear "it's gonna be ok. I'm still here"?

Then just remember; "This same Jesus"- Acts 1:11, is coming back to take us home! I can't wait! Praise His Name!

~~~Br. Ted

Do You Believe in Easter?

THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS...

Happy Easter!

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio , Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.

One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.

Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly . Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure.

Edith began by saying, “My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do."

Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?"

Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, " Beverly , don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room.

After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient." With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. W hy are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just
told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started call ing her Edith Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot.

When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you."

Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work.. I'm not interested."

Edith said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family."

Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," and curtly walke d out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you."

One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day"

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, "Do you believe in Easter but you have never asked me."

Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked." Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?"

Phyllis Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, an d I do want Jesus in my life "Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday."

Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter.

When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Fath er's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"


Thanks to Alexandria Caldwell for sharing this story with me.

NOT GUILTY!!!!

I so enjoy the song "God will make this trial a blessing" but sometimes it's hard to believe God meant it to be a REAL trial in my life. The words "I've just come into a valley" reverberated in my mind back in January, when I was charged falsely for actions I did not do; and I found myself in a whirlwind of storms with battles raging around me as I walked through this valley. At times I didn't believe (and still don't really) that my lawyer even believed that I was telling the truth, even through the testimonies of the 4 false witnesses that testified during the actual trial which took place yesterday.

I had been given 3 choices:

1-Run away; sign an agreement that I DID what I was accused of with no assurance of protection from civil recourse (personal lawsuit) against myself in order to avoid having a criminal record, which would then cause me to give up certain rights provided by the constitution.

2-Give Up/Hide; squeeze myself under the "no contest" plea hoping that the Judge would take lenience in the case since I had no real evidence to the contrary aside from my own testimony. Even though this would not be considered admission of guilt, it WOULD be considered a guilty verdict and subject to the punishments of the court. This verdict would also give me no protection from further civil lawsuits.

3-Trust God (Proverbs 3:5,6); I was helpless.. like David with a sling and 5 stones facing a Giant with sword and shield. There was only ONE place on Goliath's body that he could be defeated, and God knew just where that place was. Expecting the worst, I submitted my course to My Father, who knows my every need... and waited.

After the accuser and his 3 conspirators (witnesses) had finished their lavish tail of woe, my attorney attempted feebly to motion for dismissal, which the Judge flat-out denied. She (my attorney) was preparing to close when I guess God must have nudged her to ask me "do you want to testify?" Up until then, she hasn't wanted me to testify because she thought I'd look too intimidating to the Judge, but I calmly replied "Yes.. I believe I can tell the truth".

After my testimony, the Judge was talking.. I came back and sat down, but my lawyer said "Stand up".. so I stood and looked at the Judge. Expecting to hear the words of my sentence, my knees became weak as the judge explained his position, then said these words "I found you NOT GUILTY" ... HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD!!

It was as if God had shut the Lion's Mouths, or as Psalm 63:11 "..but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped." AMEN! God doesn't lead us through valleys just to make us stronger; He does it so we can help others as they walk through that same valley; So we can be an encouragement to them, as others encouraged us.

Paul said in Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses," I thank God for those who prayed a host of angels down around me, the court room, and the Judge yesterday. Thank You. And may God make me as much a blessing to others as they face their Goliath's in the valley.-----Ted

Promises Fullfilled!!!

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Revelation 15:3


Psalm 139:14
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Muddy Waters

I mentioned some time ago that we are going through a valley here in our lives. It's an ongoing battle of truth and justice. I will not go into the details, but suffice to say God has been so visible and verbal in His love towards us personally. Today is a rough day and as I had my devotions last night, I wasn't sure if I should use the devotional book that has so greatly helped me or stick with God's Precious Word. I grabbed my much loved blue Bible and opened to the very next chapter in the book I am reading through. The words of promise leaped off the page and burned into my soul.
How I love the Lord and the way He speaks to His children.

Isaiah 25
King James Version (KJV)


1 Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

2For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

3Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.

4For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

5Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

6And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

7And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

9And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

10For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

11And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

12And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.