Journey of a Disciple #3

The Holy Bible tells that angels are real and watching over us, even though we may not always recognize them: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).

I Believe in Angels

Ever since I was eight years old and in the third grade, I have known about angels and how they guide and protect us.  

Riding my bicycle home from the grocery store one Saturday morning, I was struck by a car and knocked into the ditch. The car didn’t stop to check on me. A little ruffled but otherwise unharmed, I brushed myself off and rode safely home. Mother met me at the door and could easily see my dirty shirt. Showing no surprise she asked, “Are you alright?” When I told her what had happened and she could see that I was okay she said, “I knew you would be safe because I prayed to God that he would send his angels to protect you.” From that moment on I knew that angels were real, even if I couldn’t see them.

In 2018 I was involved in a car wreck and woke up in a hospital. I barely remember the accident but will never forget how I was saved by an angel.

The accident occurred in the country. For miles around there was no one but me. I hit a guard rail and totaled the car. I later learned that a young woman named Rachel found me and took me to the hospital. I never saw her, never heard her voice, but I knew without a doubt that God had sent an angel to rescue me. 

God has always revealed himself through the ministry of angels. In chapter six of the Book of Daniel, God sent an angel to close the jaws of the lions after Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. And we all know about the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom tells of her remarkable experience in the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbruck. Upon arrival, she and her sister Betsie, along with all the other women prisoners were told to remove all their clothes and put them in a pile. They were then handed their prison dress.

Guards then searched the women before taking them to their barracks. Corrie had a Bible hidden in her clothing, along with some woolen underwear for her sister. Those items made a bulge in her dress and could easily be detected by the guards who searched the women again before taking them to their barracks.

Before the final search, Corrie ten Boom prayed, “Lord, cause now thine angels to surround me, and let them not be transparent today, for the guards must not see me.” The woman in front of her had hidden a woolen vest under her dress. It was taken from her. They let Corrie pass, for they did not see her. Betsie right behind her was searched.

Miracles happen today like they did in the Old Testament and the New Testament times. Angels continue to minister in our lives today, as they have throughout all of history. They watch over us and protect us, and they guide us in the right paths of life. We may not see or hear them, but they are real and they are all around us.*

*from my book, Journey of a Disciple, at www.amazon.com  

geneallengroner@gmail.com

Gene Groner, author and biography

Journey of a Disciple (Part One, cont.)

 I want to take you on a journey— a journey filled with adventure and travel. I have walked through the “valley of death,” and by God’s grace I climbed up from the valley to the top of the mountain of the Lord. It has been a journey of learning to depend on the Lord for strength and hope to begin living again, better and more abundantly than ever.

It all started with my great grandmother Julia Adelaide Spawn, the grandmother of my mother Dixie, and continued on through my 74 years of living this lifetime on earth. The story will hopefully keep on going after I pass over to the next part of my journey, my life in heaven—my true home. I’m in no hurry to get to heaven; I really love it here on earth, but I am ready and willing whenever God calls me home. I take great comfort and joy knowing that God, his son Jesus, and many of my ancestors are there waiting for me.

I know that I am on the pathway of eternal life and joy, and that is a great and marvelous source of blessing and encouragement for me.

I believe that God created us for a purpose, and that we are all on a journey—a spiritual journey in a physical world. We are spiritual people in temporal bodies that are not our own, but are ours to care for. And one day our spiritual selves, our souls, will be freed from our physical bodies and return home to the Father who created us, to live eternally in heaven. That is why the Bible teaches us that our bodies are the temples of God’s Holy Spirit—First Corinthians 6:19—temples that house the Holy Spirit.

Every journey has its ups and downs. Mine is no exception. I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve traveled through my “dark night of the soul” (poem by St. John of the Cross). Through it all, my heavenly Father has been with me. He has always been present in my life, and I am assured that he always will be. He is a God of unconditional love and blessing, and even when we go our own way, God is always ready to forgive us. God hates the sin, but He loves us unconditionally, and “love never fails”—1 Corinthians 13:8. 

There is a Cherokee proverb which says: “If eyes had no tears, the soul would have no rainbows.” 

Life has its tears, tears of sadness and tears of joy. I’ve had both, and I have been greatly blessed throughout my life, thanks to the Lord’s amazing grace and mercy.

The greatest and most important fact of my life is my awareness of the presence of God. I feel God with me, see him in others, and sense his presence in nature and in everything that exists—He is the creator of all. I am very grateful for this awareness, and I know it is a gift from the Almighty himself. There is no limit to his grace and his love. He has given me a life of extraordinary blessings, and for that my heart is full of joy. The Lord is my strength and my song. My whole life is a testimony to the limitless love of my heavenly Father.

Every day now I look for the return of Christ, to come to earth and restore peace and harmony to the world. The world is moving rapidly toward its destination, the kingdom of God and Christ. As we move forward on our journey to heaven, we will see even more pain and suffering because of the destructiveness and evil so evident all around us. Satan and sin are real, and they are leaving a trail of tears in a world filled with need. We desperately need the Lord to take the helm and guide us safely home. Though the Lord may tarry for a while yet, I continue to seek his coming. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. I pray that the time will not be long.

“Father in Heaven, I thank you for your gift of grace and love, and for sending your son Jesus Christ. I offer you my prayer of blessing for all your children, especially those who have not yet had an opportunity to know you as I have. The greatest joy of my life is to know you, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Thank you for the opportunity to share my testimony with others. Thank you for giving me a good family, a family that has been a blessing to me and has helped me on my journey, enriching my faith and helping me grow in spiritual maturity.

Thank You for the church, where I have experienced the rich fellowship of friends and fellow disciples. Today is the Sabbath. I pray that I may remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, consecrated to worship and praise and learning more about you. May your ways be my ways. May your love be my love.  May all I do and say reflect honor and glory to you and to your son Jesus Christ.

Journey of a Disciple (Part One)

 The story of my journey as a disciple begins on November 26, 1857 in the village of Rensselaerville in Albany County, New York. The town is located in the northern Catskill Mountains, just west of the Hudson River, and was settled in 1712 by Dutch farmers in what was then known as New Netherland. 1857 was the year my great grandmother Julia Adelaide Spawn was born.  She was the first member of my family to be baptized in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now known as the Community of Christ.

My grandmother Julia was a small woman, barely five feet tall, but she was a woman of great stature in terms of her faith and courage. In 1873, at the age of 16, she married a Swedish Lutheran by the name of William Harrison Matson from Stark County, Ohio. They moved to Iowa and had three children, including my grandmother Ada May who was born on January 14, 1886 in Richland, Iowa in Adair County.

When my great grandmother Julia was 33 years old, she was baptized in the RLDS church, and remained a faithful member of the church until her death in Independence, Missouri at the age of 94. She was living at Rest Haven, our church’s nursing home, when she passed away in 1952. I remember when she came to my hometown of Marshall, Missouri, where I was staying with my grandmother Ada. I didn’t have the opportunity to know her very well, as I was very young at the time, but I do remember her sweet smile and sunny disposition. I recall her sitting alongside my grandma Ada in a large white wooden armchair on our front lawn at 908 South Ellsworth Street. It was a warm, sunny day in the summertime. Many times I have wished I could have known her better—so many questions remain unanswered.

My grandmother and great grandmother left me a legacy of faith in our church and in my Lord Jesus Christ. And they also gave me the legacy and firm commitment to family. They were lifetime members of our church, and kept their wedding vows to remain faithful to their marriage covenant for life. Both of these things have been an integral part of my life, and have created in me that same commitment to faithfulness in my church and family. I am who I am today because of them. On my journey through life as a disciple of Christ, my commitment to faithfulness has been the guiding principle in all I do. It is my heartfelt desire and passion to pass on that legacy to my children, my grandchildren, and to all the future generations of my descendants. This idea is the source of immeasurable satisfaction to me, adding meaning to my existence.

A Personal Historian

 

My brother Wayne was a wonderful brother and a great family man. I am honored to be known as his younger brother. Often when I am introduced to someone, they will ask me if I'm Wayne's brother. I am happy to respond, "Yes I am." He is well-known throughout the church and our community, and I am proud to have grown up with him. Sometimes I talk too much. When we were younger he would say, "You're telling me more than I want to know." So many great memories.

He has visited me several times in my dreams, and I feel he has been encouraging me to continue the work and ministry of writing that he did so well. I doubt I will ever be as good a writer as Wayne, but I keep trying. 

Wayne was a memoirist, a biographer, and an excellent personal historian. I am hoping to follow in his footsteps, thereby keeping his memory alive. I have always loved my brother and looked up to him, and I still do so even today. So when I write a memoir or a biography for someone, I am doing so to continue the ministry of writing that Wayne did so well. He had a gift given to him by our Lord. I can only pray for such a gift so that I may honor him.

I miss you brother.

With loving kindness,

Gene

All My Tears, All My Blessings

Let me introduce to you an exciting memoir as told to my brother, Wayne Groner. The memoir is titled All My Tears, All My Blessings, by Ngoc Pease. The book is available on www.amazon.com for $10.99 and I encourage everyone to read this amazing and emotionally moving story. You'll be glad you did! Thank you sincerely, Gene.

p.s. The book I just wrote about, titled All My Tears, All My Blessings: A True Story of Courage, Hope, and Faith is now available at WalMart online for $12.42. Please get a copy now and you will be thrilled and astounded at this truly moving story. Thank you and may the Lord bless you and keep you healthy and happy. 

Writing Your Memoirs

I am now offering my services as a writer of memoirs and biographies. To date I have written over 50 books which are available on Amazon.com and include my own autobiography and many biographies of other people  (my eBooks and print books are on www.amazon.com sell for $3.99 to $29.99). I've also written numerous inspirational articles that are published in the Daily Bread, Herald, and Veterans' Voices magazine. Inspired by my late brother Wayne Groner, a personal historian and memoirist, I have decided that now is the time to begin writing memoirs for other people.  If you are interested in securing my services or would like more information about the process of writing your biography or memoir, please contact  me at geneallengroner@gmail.com. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Visit my website at keywords Gene Groner, author  

Shalom

 

There is no peace without justice and compassion for others. So often we look at peace as the absence of conflict, violence, and war—all caused by self-interest, greed, and lust for power.
Real peace—shalom—is so much more. This book explores the various aspects of shalom, with comments by the World Health Organization, the United Nations, Mother Teresa, and Christian author Max Lucado. A pleasure to read and share with others.

https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Allen-Groner/e/B077YTVSJZ