Early this morning, I had a dream that was so real that it felt like my Dad had visited me. The church counselor and I had
planned to meet with my granddaughter so she could go to rehab. My granddaughter was not there but Dad was. He came into the
room and I said, "you are not suppose to be here cause you died." He replied, "it's a secret, no one is suppose to know." He
told me that my granddaughter wasn't coming but she would be alright. He reached out his arms and hugged me so tight. He moved
back as if he was leaving the room and I awoke suddenly. Later that morning reality set in for my granddaughter and I. Her choice was
not to go to rehab for alcohol and drug addiction as she had told me she would go. The past year of struggling with her being
outside of rehab has been more than I can continue to deal with. My choice now is to follow God's Will for my life. The Lord has
lead me to programs that help people with addictions through this past years struggle with her. My granddaughter had been
warned during this past year that if I found drugs in my home again, she would have to leave. Well that time had come.That
morning, I realized that I had to let go of her so that God could take control of her life now. Do I believe she is a Christian?
The answer is yes. My interpretation of this dream is that Jesus being my Heavenly Father, used my earthly Father to let me
know that my granddaughter would be alright. I'm not sure of what the outcome will be but I have peace that my granddaughter
will be able through God's help to either beat this addiction or she will go home to my earthly Father and Heavenly Father.
My Christian earthly Father went to be with Jesus in the year 2000. I wrote a poem that applies to this generation but
it was written in 10-6-94, almost a year before my granddaughter was born. I hope sharing my experiences will help someone
who may be either going through what she is going through or a loved one is feeling the pain that I have. Read more for poem.


AMERICA'S CHILDREN

HOW DO WE HELP THE CHILDREN OF OUR WORLD
THE PAIN IN THEIR EYES
CHILDREN TELLING LIES
LYING, STEALING,
YES RAPING, KILLING,
HOW DO WE HELP THE CHILDREN OF OUR WORLD.
HOW WILL THEY KNOW
WHICH WAY TO GO
WHEN NO ONE'S THERE
TO BREAK THEIR FALL
HOW DO WE HELP THE CHILDREN OF OUR WORLD.
IT'S CHILDREN WHO LIE
WHERE WE SHOULD LIE
FACE DOWN IN THE DIRT
AND SIX FEET UNDER
HOW DO WE HELP THE CHILDREN OF OUR WORLD
REACH OUT YOUR HAND
TAKE BACK WHAT'S YOURS
REACH OUT
TAKE BACK YOUR CHILDREN.
THIS WORLD YOU MADE
CAN BE CLEANED UP
REACH OUT
TAKE BACK YOUR CHILDREN.
GIVE GOD YOUR HAND
THEN TAKE THEIR HAND
REACH OUT
TAKE BACK YOUR CHILDREN
REACH OUT
TAKE BACK YOUR CHILDREN.

Poem or Song 10-6-94
By: Betty Thomas

There is hope in Jesus Christ. We are praying for my granddaughter's return one day but while we wait, we will try and do
God's Will for our lives.

 Jesus Raise Me Up

As I played the song You Raise Me Up, I would try and sing this song and all I could do was cry. Pleading with God to tell
me what to do about my daughter/granddaughter with her drug addiction. As I would listen to this song I could see myself
falling down behind Jesus shoulders and my husband or a pair of wings picking me back up for Jesus to reach out and put me
back on again. During this time I believe that Jesus wanted me to be still and quiet and hear His voice. Not mine that He had
given me to sing but His to hear His Word and what He wanted me to do. I listened to a few new songs and the Lord let me know
that I would have to know them to sing them. I think He wanted me to feel the songs, it's words and Him. One day I told Him
my voice for singing didn't return that it was okay I would just sing to HIm in heaven and give Him the Glory. Then no more
than a week later I was ask to sing at a festival for an hour. I could hear Him speaking to me to go ahead and do it. I
hesitated a bit and ask for less time to sing and she said 45 minutes. I said I haven't sang in awhile she said you got a
week. I ask if I could sing all gospel and she said okay. Then I practiced that week and the night before I sang at church
and almost fainted. My friend said go to that festival and sing, God will be with you and you will be able to sing. I did
and I give Him all the Glory.

The Lord, as I said in the blog (Jesus Raise Me Up) softened my heart and brought down the walls of hurt and pain. Not too long after this time, my granddaughter that I had raised for most of her life told me that I was going to be great-grandmother. I can't tell you how great that is to me. This granddaughter would have been my mother's first great-grandchild. Mother went to be with Jesus before she was born.   It might be a difficult road for her and us to go down due to her past health issues and additions. She has been clean for awhile and trying to put her life back together. I have been sharing some of my life experiences about this issue because I'm hoping to be able to help by telling some of the stories on this subject matter. The next website that I'm very interested in putting up is stories of mine and others that wish to share of the problems with additions. Parents and grandparents need to step up and give their loved ones good examples of changes in their life. My husband and I have attended church on and off most of our life. We have also tried to get our children and grandchildren there also. We were not the examples of a good Christian home. Finally we realized that our children and grandchildren didn't have good examples in the world like it was when we were growing up. So now we are the old people. On Mother's Day after about three weeks of going to a local church we joined and have turned our family over to the Will of God. It is too big out in the world without Jesus in your life no matter what it is you are facing. I'm excited for this new baby to maybe help bring the family even closer together.

 

A CHILD OF GOD

I AM WHO I AM BECAUSE GOD CREATED ME TO BE

THIS WAY. I HAD A CHOICE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE

DOES AND I CHOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST. A

LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I

CHOOSE TO LOVE PEOPLE I LOVE AND GO

THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER THAT I

DO. IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT

UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED BY OTHERS AND IT IS

WHAT THE LORD HAS CALLED ME TO DO. MAYBE

SOMETIMES, I DON'T EITHER. WHO OR WHAT DOES

THAT MAKE ME? ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN. I

REMEMBER AS A YOUNG CHILD ALWAYS LOVING

THE LORD. I WAS SURROUNDED BY A CHRISTIAN

FAMILY THAT LOVED THE LORD. I WENT BACK AND

FORTH FROM GOOD TO BAD. THE ENTIRE TIME THE

LORD STAYED WITH ME. HE WAS CLOSE AT TIMES

AND BACKED AWAY IN THE DISTANCE UNTIL I

REACHED BACK TO HIM. HE WAS WAITING FOR ME

TO SEE HIM. MY PARENTS AND FAMILY HAD

TAUGHT ME ABOUT THEIR LOVE FOR HIM BUT IT

WAS MY TIME TO MAKE THAT CHOICE TO FOLLOW

HIM AND ACCEPT HIM AS MY SAVIOUR. THE NIGHT

THAT I MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW HIM

COMPLETELY, HE LET ME KNOW IT WAS NOW OR HE

WOULD MOVE ON. THAT WAS MY AWAKENING

THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. IT'S NOT JUST

THAT I KNOW HIM BUT I LOVE HIM AND HAVE A

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. I TRY HARD TO

DO THE RIGHT THINGS BUT SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T

WORK OUT. HE IS STILL THERE AND WILL NEVER

LEAVE ME OR FORSAKE ME. IT IS WRITTEN IN GOD'S

WORD, THE BIBLE. HE IS MY FRIEND THAT FORGIVES

ME AND FORGETS MY WRONG DOINGS. HE IS

PERFECT AND WE ARE NOT. THAT DOESN'T STOP

HIM FROM LOVING YOU AND I. HE WANTS THIS

WITH EVERYONE. HE CREATED YOU AND I TO HAVE

A FREE WILL AND CHOICE.

WHAT WILL YOUR CHOICE BE?

I DON'T REGRET MY CHOICE AND YOU CHOSING

JESUS CHRIST WILL BE THE BEST CHOICE YOU WILL

EVER MAKE IN YOUR LIFE.

CHOOSING JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL LIFE.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE DURING

THESE TIMES.