I was born 10 weeks early, at home and wasn't expected to live. I slept in a dresser drawer, lined with blankets & hot water bottle; and was fed whiskey by dropper, to stimulate my heart. My parents didn't get my birth certificate until I was 6 weeks old, because they were going to get my birth and death certificate at the same time. God had other plans!

My parents divorced when I was 5-1/2. I wanted to go with my Dad, but I wasn't allowed to; and was never allowed to see my Dad or my Gramma (whom I was "very" close to). I met my Dad again, after I married: Gramma had passed away. My Mom remarried; a man who was very abusive until I met future Hubby, when I was 15-1/2 and he was 17: then, my stepfather backed off.

We married, when I was 18: Hubby was still in the USAF and stationed on the West Coast. Our first daughter was born there: a footling birth; I almost died. She had clubfeet and casts were put on them, when she was 3 days old: later they discovered she had no right hip socket and was in a body cast for seven months. She walked when she was 2 years old.

Four months later, I was pregnant with our first son; he was a breech birth. By this time, military was over and we moved back home.

Two weeks later, I was pregnant again and miscarried.

Exactly one year later (to the day), a son was born normally, after induced labor - while head was still "down".

A year later, a daughter was born.

A few months later, I may have been pregnant again: my doctor wasn't sure.

A year later, another son.

A year later, another son.

A year later, another son.

A year later another daughter (she came early, before being "induced": she was also a breech birth).

A year later, another son was born - a month early, placenta previa (first). (This was the 10th or 11th pregnancy - our oldest child was 9-1/2 years old.) I began to hemorrhage and had a Caesarian section. He developed Hylaine Membrane Disease and lived 18 hours. I was told I could get pregnant again, but not carry to "term"...baby would die and I might die. This was a hopeless situation for us.

Through all of this, we went to neighborhood Bible Study. I was "born again", through a televised Billy Graham Crusade (Sept. 6, 1969); 7 of our children also received Jesus that night and I was able to lead #8 to our LORD, the following morning. Hubby was "born again" close to the same time, when he was reading a book called, "How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious", by Fritz Ridenour.

I had a hard time deciding between what our church taught and the Bible, because they weren't the same. I made a bad choice and became very sick; ending up bedridden and almost died. I was reading the Book of Acts and our LORD healed me, before I was all finished with that book. I got right up, out of bed and was just fine; we moved on to another church.

We began going to an Evangelical, Bible believing church, and were baptized in water. By this time we were speaking in tongues, simply because we saw it in the Bible and Jesus baptized us (me at home, while sitting at the kitchen table - Hubby when he was in Texas, on a business trip). We no longer "fit" into the new church, and moved on.

We had prayed for the 6 children who had severe asthma and they were healed. Pediatrician said, "We'll see." And he did, because he never had to treat them for it, again.

We began going to "home meetings"...non-denominational. A year later, a travelling ministry came by and said that new community farms were opening up around the world. We felt to go to one of the new ones on the West Coast.

Hubby quit a good job, we converted a school bus for our travel, sold our house and everything in it, and our two cars...then, we were off to Canada. We were turned back at the Canadian border (by immigration), because we had no job offer and they thought we might go on welfare...so, Hubby got a job offer from one of the farms, and then we were allowed into Canada.

We lived in our school bus, until the community farm could build us a log cabin...mostly for sleeping, because we had a huge log building, for meetings, eating, and a school. Before the cabin was built, we had to cross the river every morning...to the farm, by small motor boat; and cross it again, when it was "dark", after meetings.

Here we were 90 miles from town...50 below zero weather, 9 months of winter and 3 months of summer: nothing in-between! When our cabin was built, the logs were still wet and cabin just couldn't heat up. After a few weeks, they began to dry out and would make a very loud "CRACKING" noise, when they split...like a shotgun going off!

There are a million stories, of things that happened out there: from the wild things we ate, to the birthings on the farm (I was one of the assistants to the mid-wife). I have most of these stories in the autobiography I wrote, many years ago. They can be found in "Uniquely Me!" The "link" is at the bottom of my Home Page.

My Mom came to live with us...for 1-1/2 years. She almost died: she had a heart attack, and then a coma because she stopped taking her thyroid medication. I really got to know and love her, through this experience.

About this time, I had to have a hysterectomy. When I was coming out of anesthetic, Hubby said he felt our time at the farm was over. We had put all our money into the farm and had $35 when we left, with 7 children (#8 had gone to live on another farm; one in Alaska).

Hubby had helped a man a few years before; now he offered him a job in town. We found a tiny, 2 bedroom house for $350 a month rent; some church people owned it and tried to help us out.

Hubby's sister and her husband sent some money to us ("A love gift, never to be returned", they said). And, my Mom loaned us money for a stationwagon; we paid her back, as we could. Thank God, for putting it on their hearts to help us!

Hubby's second boss let him go to the cabinet shop, after work and build beds, etc. for us. He also helped us to build a house; when we had it almost ready to move into, the boss backed out. The bank wouldn't give us the mortgage loan (we had no credit in Canada). Nobody on the farm had been employed: the idea being to learn how to "live off the land".

We moved down here in the early spring. Hubby had been an electronic technician; but things change so rapidly, and he had been out of that trade for 5 years...all he could find was work in a cabinet shop.

A few years later, the government sent Hubby back to school, to be upgraded in electronics. After a year in school and a few months with no work; our LORD provided him with an excellent job (the one he retired from 2-1/2 years ago); he eventually began working with computers. Our LORD has always looked out for us…provided.

We tried many different churches...denomination, non-denomination, inter-denomination, and independent. We even went back into the same group we had been affiliated with. Hubby had been an Elder in that group, and was again: he loved the people, and felt an obligation to minister the things our LORD was making real to him. He was allowed to do this just so long and then, they wouldn't let him continue. We left the group and went to a few other churches: I worked in the office at some of them.

About this time, my blood pressure soared: my doctor told me to go to bed, I "could expire at any moment". Many days later and after much prayer, I had a super-natural experience with our LORD and was healed, instantly.

A few years later, I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was bedridden a good part of that time. One day, our LORD began speaking to my heart, "Walk away from it." I got up, drove (for first time in many months) and walked around in a local shopping mall. Each time I felt weak, I heard the same words repeated, "Walk away from it." This continued for many days, until I was completely healed. I've known many healings in my life; the life of my Hubby, our children and grandchildren. Our LORD doesn't have a special "formula"…He speaks and He also brings it to pass: He heals in many different ways.

We went back into the same group (third time): we had come into an understanding of the "grace" of God and Hubby began preaching it. People were very interested and came to him for counsel. The time came when he wasn't allowed to preach it, anymore. I loved the people… still, I could not go against my "beliefs". I had a nervous breakdown and recovered by listening to Maranatha Praise and Worship tapes, and reading Christian books put out by Minirth-Meyer Clinics.

For ten years, we have gone only where we felt our LORD would have us to go, to worship Him with others...a Pentecostal church that is close by, a Community Center or a school gymnasium, where a new church is starting up, etc. It seems our LORD has sent us to people who have been "wounded" in churches and won't step inside one. I tell people, "Go where you feel at home."

Then, our LORD began giving me poems, again. A sister in Christ started me off on making my own web site. Hubby also helped me, with his computer expertise. Finally, I had an outlet…

Hubby began going to a Men's Breakfast every two weeks and was encouraged to minister about the "grace" of God. He began sending out (email), to them and others...what he calls "Identity Scriptures"... putting their name in, to make it "personal": these may be obtained (14 pages), by emailing him at: joegrd@telus.net. He'd like to get this message out, across the earth. I sent them to some of the people, whom I counselled in Christian Chat on the Internet; it helped them to see just who they really are IN CHRIST.

In Christian Chat, I spoke (typed) out of my own beliefs and experiences with our LORD. They aren't written in stone for someone else: we all need our own experiences with Him. Bottom line is... we cannot live by someone else's experiences. I am delighted, when I hear how our LORD is working in other people's lives, and would never take any of it away from them. Some I have been through, myself... some I have not, yet. We are all on different levels...in different areas...we need each other!

The Bible says that each one of us have been given the ministry of reconciliation; we see that is how our LORD is using us: to reconcile people back to Him…not to a church, but to Him. We never discourage people from going to church, only..."Go where you feel at home".

In May, Hubby was diagnosed with cancer in his kidney: and the kidney was removed on June 22, 2001. The Prayer Warriors in Christian Chat spent alot of time on their knees; and praise God, their prayers were answered - the cancer wasn't anywhere else.

Just recently, I felt Father spoke that my time as a Prayer Warrior and counselling in Christian Chat was over...it's time to move on. Where He is leading, I shall follow: when He speaks, I shall obey. Every day is an 'adventure'...when we're walking with the King. It will be interesting to see just what He has next...for me (for us).

I thank our LORD for the way He has led me, all my life: and my heart's desire is to glorify Him, in all I do!

My Testimony is in the July issue of "Decision Magazine" (Billy Graham), under the heading, "Where Are They Now?". (2002)