I know that in today's world this is a very provocative question. It is one I thought I had the answer to in my own life at age 42. Most of these 42 years I sang in the choir, took my sons to Sunday School, helped with church functions and prayed. My grandmother O'Conner; on my mother's side of the house, carried her Bible, went to church and prayed for her children and grand-children faithfully. She had a wonderful voice and often she would sing to us girls "Jesus Loves Me, yes I know for the Bible tells me so." Her Bible was with her on her lap most of the time. I was working at 42 and I felt so pressed for time. Eventually I quit going to church so I could have a time of rest and be with my husband and family. It was about 2 years into this lifestyle that I became ill. I thought I had cancer. I began to think about Evie and what she had said to me at one time. "Joy... You need to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior." I told her I was fine and gave the reasons. I stated about my work. About that same time my father had a heart attack. I visited him in Canton, Ohio and he gave me a book that his pastor had written "God is Real." I read the book as I was really frightened. Later I learned I did not have cancer but this was the Lords way of pulling me to Himself. After reading the book, I said to the Lord, "God... If you are real then make Yourself real to me!" and He did. I think I was close to Him at different times in my life but I didn't have a relationship with Him. I recalled several instances earlier when I knew He was there. One time we were camping in Michigan on a small lake. My husband and I had a disagreement and I headed for the shore. I knew the Lord was present. I could feel the calm come over me. The Bible speaks of Gods perfect peace. I didn't know the Bible then but I did know I felt that peace. After the Lord made Himself real to me I began to search the scriptures and memorize some verses. I stall was pressed for time but I carried Christian tapes in my car. I would put them into my tape player and listen as I drive. I was on the road 5 days a week 8 to 10 hours a day. I would also meet people along the way who would share their stories and faith with me. The enemy tried to stop me many times. He would use people, my family, my health and anything he could to discourage me. It was a fight for 7 long years but I didn't give up and give in. I had decided to follow Jesus. THE VILLAGE CARPENTER WORLD WIDE MINISTRIES, PUBLISHING HOUSE, BIBLE SCHOOL, OS PUBLISHING, ME SHED CHURCH, GALACTIC ORDAINED MINISTRIES at GOD'S HOUSE INTERNATIONAL, PO Box 133, Lakeview, Ohio 43331 USA see TheVillageCarpenter.info OR see GalacticOrdainedMinistries.SpaceAbout the Author: Joy Renee' Blackburn; says, I was born during the Depression in Springfield, Ohio, to wonderful parents who had a Christian back- ground. I had two sisters; and we were born two years apart. As we grew older, dad and mom quit going to church but they would insist that we girls go. They didn't quit all at once, they would attend during the holidays or if we had a part in the Christmas plays. That was expected of any "good parent." Yet, at the age of 11, my mother and father divorced. We girls were never around to hear them argue, so the divorce was quite a jolt. Dad kept my middle sister and me, and our youngest sister went to Texas with mother and grandmother for a short time. We had several babysitters, but none worked out, so Dad took us to St. Mary's of the Springs School for Girls for six months. Then Dad remarried. At the age of 14, I could decide whether I wanted to stay with my father or go with my mother. My father decided with our urging that sister Nora and I would go with mother. We missed her so much. Because Dad was an insurance salesman, he was home very little before our bedtime, and it was hard on us to be "on our own" as teenagers. Dad was very hurt concerning our decision, but he let us go with mother and grandmother. We traveled that first year quite a bit, then moved to Dayton, Ohio and then on to Indian Lake where we all three attended school and graduated. It was at Indian Lake that I met my true love, Howard Carroll Blackburn. Charles Lee Emerson; Minister, spent 50 years in business while serving The Lord Jesus Christ in ministry at the same time. On September 5, 2006 Jesus called Charles to take "Exclusive Rights" to go to the people and investigate and write books to document Signs, Wonders, and Miracles that He is doing right now. The Book of Acts was just a start of what God is doing. Today He is very busy, but we have not seen anything yet! Daily Signs, Wonders and Miracles are taking place at a phenomenal pace and God told Charles they would continue to increase in intensity until Jesus comes! Charles has traveled to Alaska, Cambodia, Canada, Guam, Japan, Vietnam and Wake Island. In recent years, Charles has traveled the US and Canada. God has opened his eyes to the lack in many churches. Many people today are simply "Playing Church." They are under a "Curse of Religious Spirits" or "Religiosity." Charles ministers in churches, in speaking engagements and in his writings to impart the endtime truth.