I do wish I kept up on my writing this
past year – it has been so packed and so many miracles … I got way too busy with the school.
God has been telling William now for several months that we need to start back with proclaiming the Gospel through singing Christmas Carols. So in November, he mentioned to someone at the Patriot meetings that we were planning on doing this (the only date he set was Dec. 23rd in Ashland, but said he wanted to do this in Coos County as well), did they want to be involved? Somehow, someone there took this on and set the dates and printed posters, announced it to the Patriots and started with the Dec. 4 Christmas Parade in Myrtle Point, in which our school got heavily involved in. The kids all had built in previous weeks, their Dirby cars (yearly contest held that evening at Hometown Hardware), the kids dressed up for a live nativity where someone brought in a donkey, 2 goats, 3 sheep, and the 10th grade girl had painted a portion of a camel for background – it was awesome. Anyway, caroling was scheduled for 6 pm and I assumed we were going to stand in front of the school and carol, but instead, we all got on this decorated trailer pulled by a tractor and we went through the parade caroling from the tractor. I found out later while we were singing out lungs out, no one could hear us! The whole time I was singing; however, I felt the spiritual impact of singing about Jesus, the truth, the Gospel, etc. that entire evening. Even specifically, whenever I said certain words and phrases, I felt the ‘screams’ of the enemy as he fled. Anyway, Christmas caroling was also scheduled in Bandon (18th) and Coos Bay, North Bend (11th). It rained while we were in Coos Bay, but about 15 or so came out to sing – same thing, I felt the Spirit around and we saw evidence of impact from what we were doing (via people stopping in the rain and listening, honking of horns as people rolled their windows down, listened as they drove by. North Bend we were inside Pony Village mall – some people just walking by stopped and sang with us. Toward the beginning while we were singing, some masked up guy got on his phone and called security to throw us out; however, security had already given permission AND he liked it! I know great warfare was taking place throughout each caroling event.
A side topic dealt with Max’s ex-wife who had moved back into the area last summer. A couple time she had tried to connect with me over the months, but I found her to be very pushy and she irritated me (I know there’s a spiritual thing there … long story) so I kind of kept her at a distance, even though we continued to invite her to all gatherings – she showed up at Sunday meetings a couple times, etc. I know she just wanted to fit in and be helpful, but there’s something about her that really irritates me and I don’t want to be near her. I know I’m not supposed to be that way, but I think it is a familiar spirit thing and I’m not the one to be working with her. She and her cousin Barb (one of my art studio artists), wanted to make cookies and did so. Anyway, she kept hounding me about the caroling events, dates, times, what we were doing, etc. and I shared it with her as I got the information. Somehow or another, she got it in her mind that I was in charge of this whole thing and was getting nitpicky with me about some things and I kept saying, “I don’t know, I’m not in charge,” yet somehow she kept missing the part I wasn’t in charge! Well, she ended up getting mad at me because of Dec. 4th – she showed up at 6 with a couple people to sing, along with Max – they went to the school, but the rest of us were already headed for the float a few blocks away. Only about 5 or 6 people sang at the school and she got mad at me because I and the rest of the singers were not there! Anyway, I found out later that during that time, she got into an argument with Max and he took off.
The next day, I get this text message from her:
“Well, we did it! Thank you for the inspiration behind reaching Coos County for Jesus! [then she asked for info about the other caroling events and she was giving me all these instructions on how to pull off the Bandon event and telling me to keep my phone on to take calls from people she was sending to me, etc. and etc.] “since you are organizing the event and everything. …”
Anyway, it REALLY pissed me off for some reason and I called her and lit into her. I know I wasn’t right in doing so, but I DO NOT LIKE BEING PRAISED FOR ANYTHING!! Putting that on me was really not a big deal, but I took it as such for some reason and it really made me hopping mad for days. I never told her I was in charge and I never said she could give out my phone number, etc. and etc. It doesn’t matter one way or another, I’ve been in charge of things before, but that wasn’t the point. Anyway, I kept telling her otherwise, gave her the schedule (where Bandon and Coos Bay were swapped on another poster – I think there was more than 1 person doing posters and got dates swapped – there was no coordination between anyone. Anyway, I had to repeat myself several times and she just wasn’t getting it and getting mad at me for giving her wrong info! So, in the end, I never saw her on the 4th, I got back and she wasn’t there. She showed up at Pony Village Mall and then in Coos Bay, but was very subdued, didn’t really talk to me, but I was too busy trying to lead the singing. I guess, though no one said so, I became the leader for singing from the 4th on. I about lost my voice several times. It just fell to me, no one knew or said, but it just happened that way. Somehow from the beginning, I knew that to be so that I was the appointed song leader as in leading the Israelites in battle song – it was a Biblical victory thing. She hasn’t talked to me (or visa versa) since. Like I told William, I don’t know what to do about this since I believe I am the wrong person to work with her. She is in serious need of deliverance.
William and I were sick in the weeks leading up to Christmas (I started getting sick the week of Thanksgiving with a head cold) – this flu acted different than others. William got the worst of it because of asthma, so his lungs got real full. I started with a head cold, it ended up in my chest and I had a harsh, severe cough for a couple weeks. To this day, I still cough too much with too much flem. Not only that, but both William and I lost our sense of smell and taste – everything tastes the same, and I know certain things should have had a strong smell, and we smelled nothing. Real weird. Also, to this day, William has way too harsh of a cough for the time it’s been and he’s still using his breathing machine several times a day. I had to go to the school 3 days a week anyway while I was sick (I think I had a fever for a few of those days prior, so while in school, I just had the severe cough), because Denesa had Jury duty and we are still unsure of our volunteers at the school – when their kids are gone, there go our volunteers! So we aren’t sure if we’re going to show up and find that we are the only ones there (which has happened a couple times) – we agree that one or the other of us has to be there at least part of every day. Anyway, William hasn’t worked since Nov. due to his back being out in Nov. for a couple weeks and then getting sick – I think he worked a couple days in between, but God has provided for all of our needs – 3 turkeys and 2 hams in the freezer – pulled off a great Christmas (and Thanksgiving) dinner!
Chris moving in with us early Dec. and John moving into our trailer in Oct. Now that was a story: John text us one Thursday in Oct. on our way to Prayer meeting, “help!” and that was it. So we immediately tried to call him, couldn’t get him, text him and found out he was on the side of the road with all his stuff having been evicted. So we spent the evening rescuing him. Soon after, Denesa hired him a couple days a week to deliver furniture for her furniture store. We had told him initially that he needed to take this opportunity living here with us, to save all his money to find his own place; however, as time went on, we realized he was spending it too fast, not saving, going to that new ceramic store and painting – all of which is his own business and choice; however, we told him our trailer is not a permanent solution.
Jon called us one day in early Dec. and said, “Chris wants to move up there with you. We’ll be there in a week. He finally quit the dollar store.” We saw this as an answer to prayer and a total miracle. Chris has been on the streets these past 4 years, lost and getting worse – schizophrenia, paranoia, living in the public bathrooms – locking himself in for days, refusing to communicate with family, then other times, expecting Jon and Jen to take him in days on end, etc. I guess, he one day recently, he crawled into his tent, opened his bible and got set free. Not 2 days later, Jon shows up with Chris on our doorstep! We were just getting used to the idea let alone doing something about it (clean up the downstairs room, etc.)! Anyway, we were shocked yet joyful that he was set free and in out of the cold. I’ve noticed ever since, how clear-minded, God-seeking, joyful, and interacting normally with us he has been. What a total miracle!
Also in October, my daughter moved in with my mom. Mom has almost been totally bedridden for months now, her roommate Debra died last month, Albert is getting sicker from cancer of the lungs, etc. and is sleeping almost more than mom these past few months. Anyway, I’m glad Laura moved in with her so she could get the care she’s been needing; however, Laura, unfortunately, has turned into her father – that over-controlling, evil spirit that was on him, seems to be worse on her. Between her rebellion from age 18 on getting worse and worse in deed and heart, she is not my daughter – the daughter I raised is not evident in her. Last Aug. when I went to visit her (first time I’ve seen her since 2016), I could not believe how dark she had become. Spiritually, physically – I saw no love, no joy, no happiness whatsoever, no warmth, no familial ties, no words even to express such, etc. She’s even worse now. Where William and I were gaining ground with my mom Spiritually and Politically – she was actually listening to us and saying she believed what we were saying, etc., Laura comes in and completely tears it all apart – not even mom talks to me much anymore, let alone Laura. I told mom I was coming down for the days before Christmas to visit her somewhere around Thanksgiving. She was excited, yet gripped that I wasn’t staying longer as well as through to her birthday – celebration the whole time. I told her I couldn’t due to other obligations and she gripped that I put others before her, etc. and etc. Anyway, the end of it was that not only her, but Laura yelling so in the background, “you cannot come in here without wearing a mast the entire time.” I said no way. Now, this entire past year-and -a -half, she has never once asked me to wear a mask around her, nor was she hesitant (even in Aug. when I saw her) to hug me, etc. Now, she’s like Gestapo insisting! No, it was a Laura, being a control freak over mom now – she has taken charge (the devil sent in some big guns to block mine or William’s words of salvation from getting through) like a gate keeper now keeping me out. Prior to my visit to the valley, Laura was very guarded in conversation with me, and very short and vague. After I was home, she was all jovial and chatty – it is she who does not want to see me! That was the situation last October when both Laura and Kelly came to mom’s – they really didn’t want to see me but they all plotted together to make me out to be the bad guy and in the end, coming within 1 hour drive from my house, yet made no effort to see me. (the spirit in them knows the Spirit in me will whoop them)!
Arrived in the Rogue Valley Dec. 22nd – stopped, almost like last minute, literally, at Steve's house. He had just gotten home and was still outside, hadn’t even gone in yet. He was so excited to see us. I had noticed when we got there, he was stooped over more than usual, looked sad and lost. But after our hour-long conversation, he was so perked up and happy looking. I felt that there were angels in the room the whole time, that when we came in there, there came light, and as we talked, we got more and more excited in the Lord – I believe our last minute stop was God-inspired and Steve was blessed! What’s cool, is that he invited us to the Medford Gospel Mission (where he volunteers) for their Christmas dinner. I was so surprised and impressed on the improvements on the place. Not only was the dining room like a restaurant, but the ladies delivered the food to us – very good. Not only that, but the whole place had been modified and refurbished.
Next, stopped to see mom, she refused to see me (whole episode over mask), got signed paper work for my house (I had mailed her a form earlier in the week), from her dresser, she was in bed with her back to me, awake, but refusing to turn over. When I went into the house, I was rather shocked to notice it was all dark entirely, no fire was going in the fireplace, and not a person was to be seen anywhere. I noticed that Karen’s dog was yapping in the driveway, right under the loft apartment (where Albert now lives). No one seemed to be about. Now, I wonder, is Laura really taking good care of mom? Mom refusing to talk to me when I called the 25th and 27th; however, she talked with Denesa when she called about the house on the 28th and was very pleasant. Mom is being controlled by Laura as well. William and I have been doing warfare for their sakes ever since we realized what has been going on, and William especially, has been getting even more intense in this way over them.
Dec. 23 Christmas Caroling on the plaza in Ashland – after 9 years of being gone, very powerful. It has been raining pretty steadily all day, but William and I kept saying throughout the day, “it’ll stop while we are singing”. Sure enough, while we were unpacking the car, it was pouring. I had the 3 girls (Tamara’s) telling them to stick to me like glue all evening (and they did). About 10 or so people showed up with umbrellas, ready to sing (me and the girls also each had umbrellas). I talked to this one guy and my mouth took off without me again … he was asking what church was sponsoring this, and I said none, that we were just out to preach the gospel through Christmas songs, to re-take Ashland in the name of Jesus through our caroling, and on I went like that, which was all good and true; however, I ended it with “and we are the real deal.” And he stepped back with a surprised look and I realized how bad that sounded, even though I only meant to say that we were just out here doing what Jesus would do – I wasn’t meaning anything toward praising myself or any such thing, I just realized I must have sounded like I did – it wasn’t my intention! I did also say, “It will stop raining when we start singing, and it will resume when we stop.” And sure enough, that is what exactly happened!
Anyway, by then we had about 20 or so gathering. One group were all masked up, took the books, and when we started singing, they just looked at their books and would not sing. They backed away from us to the edge of the Plaza, stood there through another song, looking like they were confused and didn’t know what to do about this situation. They then ended up across the street doing the same thing. I lost track of them after that. When we started singing, an intoxicated man came into our midst (different than 9 years ago where he stayed on the outer parameter cursing God), this guy would sing, but when we got to anything about Jesus, or Emanuel, or the blood or cross of Jesus, he would freak out, scream, and wiggle around real weird. Throughout all of this, me and the girls were standing on the concrete boarder area above the people, leading in song. At the same time, an obviously Spirit-filled lady kept praying for and over him throughout caroling, William, I could see, was nearby, observing everything AND praying, in the end, he was set free, sobered up, and left his large, paper bag of weed behind.
Since it was Tamara’s birthday and she was working, we dropped the kids off at their house (dad was home) and went to the bar where she worked. We sat there for quite some time appalled and annoyed at the culture around us – how much people have changed/TV has changed over the past 40 years, etc. almost ready to call it quits, when Tamara finally shows up with a friend to introduce us – who when all gaga over William and his hair. Anyway, we ended up in the smoking lounge where she introduced us to her boss. There William and he get into this great discussion about God, really making an impact on both and Tamara. She had been struggle with God while lamenting the struggle of being a mom with a cheating boyfriend, etc. Yet, still holding back from God and the seeking she needs to do …
Anyway, back to the day before, after we left mom’s, we went to get Jon (he got off work at 3), then went to Tamara’s, came home the 24th via 101 (5 ½ hour trip) due to snow on the pass, wonderful trip home, picnic (packed food – too broke) on the beach (Gold Beach), got home around 4 or so …
