HELLO
AND MUCH LOVE TO MY SUBSCRIBERS & FRIENDS...
To
subscribe, if this has been forwarded to you:
http://www.embracedbythelight.com/enewslet/joinlist.htm.
 Dearest
Friends:
My heart is grateful for your many prayers and sweet notes
to me during my recent experiences in Texas. In the most difficult
moments, I truly felt strengthened by waves of loving support.
This has been a time of challenge for me, but also of growth
and many choice blessings. I have seen Our Father's love revealed
in powerful ways, and have experienced again how near to him
he holds each of his children. Even inside our country's prisons
and in every darkened place, his endless love and mercies
are truly there for each son and daughter. As I continue my
rest and recovery, I ask God's blessings of comfort and healing
to be with you in your own special needs. Through whatever
darkness you may walk, may you come to know the fullness of
God's love.
Macooa
(a piece of my heart),
Betty
Picture
of me on the "Sun Porch," Summer 2001. Taken by
my daughter, BJ (Little Betty).
If
you find my newsletter of value, please send it to a friend.
Quote
God's
Love Ripples Through Me to Others
When God
compels us and offers opportunities for teaching his love and
truth, we must teach as Christ taught: meekly, lovingly, and
by laying down our convenience and temporal security. Then,
like so many dominoes set up by his hand, we touch our neighbor,
we unite as one, and God's love and truth ripple out into all
the world. (The Ripple Effect, p. 44.)
Scripture
Verse
As every
man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to
another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter
4:10, KJV)
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, open my eyes to the needs of others, and help me minister
to them as Jesus would. Bless me with his sacrificial love,
that I may put aside my own comforts and serve willingly, that
his life may live on in me.
Affirmation
I live after
Christ and express his attributes of humility and grace.
(From Embraced
By The Light: Prayers & Devotions For Daily Living, entry
for April 22.)
FEATURED
ARTICLE
LOVE
RESCUES AND SAVES
by Betty J. Eadie
This
summer brought a challenge to my life which has tested me
in many ways. I was the minister and spiritual advisor for
Jeffery C. Doughtie, a man convicted of murder in 1993, whom
I had been corresponding with and visiting on death row since
May of 2000. Just a few weeks ago, on August 16, Jeff was
executed. I was there in that Texas death chamber to witness
his death, and I can tell you, this brought me to the edge
of my emotional and physical endurance.
In time, I will share more details about my experiences with
this man, which were both difficult and transcending. At this
time, however, I'd like to give a simple message and share
a wonderful letter from a visitor to my website.
The message is this: Love rescues and saves. What held me
up and kept me going through the many difficult months and
especially through that last week of Jeff's life, was simply
love. God's love for me. And my love for God. It is the power
of this mutual love with the Father which makes it possible
to walk through hardship, endure discomfort, and push our
energies to their limits in loving others and helping them
through their trials.
My love for Jeff kept me at his side wanting to guide him
and serve him in the best way I knew how. But the love which
ultimately rescued Jeff and saved him from darkness and despair
was the Father's love. It was the Father who gradually drew
Jeff closer to him, who brought him loving and supportive
friends, who strengthened his faith in what awaited him on
the other side of death's door.
As with Jeff, it is the Father's love which ultimately returns
us all to His eternal embrace. Yet it is our privilege on
earth to become as co-saviors through our Christlike love
for others. This happens as we allow our hearts to lead us
to rescue and save those lost and hurting souls who can be
uplifted and have their lives changed by our willingness to
love them.
The following letter illustrates so wonderfully this power
of love to rescue and to save. It was submitted to the "Heavenly
Encounters" area of my website which contains stories
about near-death experiences and visions of heaven. This Heavenly
Encounter, however, has a twist.
Dear
Betty:
I too have a Heavenly Encounter I would like to share. I'm
a 45-year-old happily married father of three teenage boys.
My wife and I have been together for 23 years. I grew up
in a "religious home" with strict parents who took great
pains to make sure we did all of the right things as kids,
and for the most part we did. As an adult I made sure that
I "religiously" attended mass on Sundays and Holy Days and
that I said my Rosary and my litany of rote prayers.
But my wife always prayed differently than I did. She had
conversations with God. I didn't understand how or why she
prayed that way. In times of crisis she would have one of
her conversations and then would say to me, "Don't worry,
everything is going to be fine." I would think to myself,
Yeah right. Without exception, in hindsight, things did
end up being fine. Perhaps not exactly like I had planned,
but fine nonetheless. She would say to me, "That's the way
God wanted things to be."
About 4 years ago I was in a state of crisis. My business
was a mess, my father was ill, an injury prevented me from
running (which is my passion), my boys were becoming teenagers
(enough said about that). My attitude was bad. I was negative,
and cranky and scared and not much fun to be around. My
rote prayers no longer helped me, and my faith was at its
lowest point ever.
Then one day, my wife, who is a school teacher, got me out
of bed at 5:00 AM on the first day of her spring break and
said, "Okay, buster, out of bed. You're going to listen
to me read to you everyday this week." I was reluctant to
say the least. She then pulled out a Bible and said, "I'm
going to read you a story about a guy who had it a whole
lot worse than you, and he never lost his faith."
She read the book of Job to me. A few chapters each day
of her spring break. She would interpret what God was doing
and why, so I would really "get the point." She ended each
day's reading with one of her conversations with God. She
prayed aloud so I could hear how she prayed and what she
prayed about. She prayed for me, Betty. She told me that
she had prayed for me every day for the past 19 years. I
cried. By the third day I could feel the Holy Spirit's presence
as we read. A calm began to overtake my mind and body. By
the fourth day I was out of bed first. By the fifth day
I was also having "conversations" too. By the end of the
week, I was reading to her. On the seventh day we rested
and talked and cried. My life has never been the same since
that week. It was truly God at work.
My wife next insisted we read "Embraced by the Light." She
had read it twice before and talked of it often. I had always
been scared of dying, to the point of phobia, so I was not
anxious to read your book. But my wife can be very persuasive.
She insisted I read the book to her. I read it slowly, and
we talked after each chapter. My anxiety and fears about
death slowly vanished and were replaced by an ever-increasing
unconditional faith in God. Again my life had changed. I
had learned not only to not fear death, but also to look
forward to going home some day.
Four years later, my wife and I are still getting up early
and reading spiritual books to each other, including all
of your books. We have conversations with God every morning.
Our kids join us several times a week for conversations
with God. Jesus himself speaks to me and helps me.
What I want to share is this: I know my guardian angel,
and I speak with her daily. She's my lovely wife, and we
are best friends. I tell everyone I know that she is my
best friend and my spiritual advisor. She not only saved
my life, she saved my eternity. Little did I know that the
woman I married 23 years ago would end up being my own personal
Heavenly Encounter. I know with all of my heart and faith
that God sent her to me, and we both look forward to going
home together.
Sincere Thanks, and May God bless you and your family,
Mark Vanderheyden
South Bend, Indiana
Love rescues
and saves in simple and powerful ways. May your eyes be opened
to someone around you in need of a loving touch. And may the
power of God's love move through you in reaching out and lifting
that precious soul closer to the Light and the saving Love
of Heaven.
NEWS
AND UPDATES
 New
Books available now at my website:
- Embraced
By The Light: Prayers & Devotions for Daily Living
My fourth book contains meaningful readings, scriptures, and
prayers for growing nearer to God with every day of the year.
I have written special prayers and positive affirmations for
each page, and my own prayer is that this book will help you
find a more intimate and sure connection with the Father.
- Maniilaq,
Prophet From The Edge Of Nowhere. In simple poignant
language, this book tells of the life, prophecies, and disappearance
into the North Arctic of the Native Inupiaq Prophet, Maniilaq.
Powerfully symbolic, this true tale, as told by a council
of Inupiaq Elders, holds relevant messages for us today. Must
we live by the word of "shamans," or can we depend
directly upon God to guide our lives? Readers of all ages
are captivated by this enchanting story of the Arctic and
of a people God, our Creator, has surely not forgotten.
- The
Soul's Remembrance now in a new trade paperback edition.
A wonderful companion book to "Embraced By The Light."
These are Roy Mills' incredible memories of his life in heaven
before birth. He gives understanding about life from a whole
new perspective. My soul thrills to Roy's descriptions of
parts of heaven which I too remember from my near-death experience.
In
September I will be traveling to Anchorage and Kotzebue,
Alaska, for events which celebrate the release of Maniilaq,
Prophet From The Edge Of Nowhere. Chief Arvol Looking
Horse of the Lakota Sioux will be a special guest speaker
along with myself and the book's authors.
I
have created a new area on my website where you may
read
about Jeffery Doughtie and my experiences with him in
the Texas prisons. In time, I will be adding much more to
this area, but you will
find links there now to background information as well
as to relevant news articles.
My
"Embraced By The Light" TV program has been
updated and improved. It will air this month in Portland,
Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix. I hope you are able to view
this inspiring program.
Regular
Features
Heavenly
Encounters "I lost my beloved dad to cancer of the
kidney. In September 1997, my husband and I were married.
Dad was in a lot of pain, and it took all of his energy to
attend the wedding, which I kept small and simple. But it
was only a couple weeks later that his health deteriorated,
and he soon passed away. I believe he had some type of agreement
with God to stay on earth long enough to see me married..."
(continued...)
Ripple
News A rare and painful disease can't stop this young
woman from helping others in need.
Mother's
Prayers A mother facing homelessness prays for help and
receives an answer and a boost to her faith.
God's
Tiny Miracles Two traffic related miracles you'll enjoy
reading about.
I thank you for your continued
support and love! - Betty J. Eadie
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Eadie Website
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The Betty J. Eadie Email Newsletter, issue 8, September 2001
copyright © 2001 by Onjinjinkta Enterprises
and Gleska Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
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