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Reflections My Personal Journey Part 3

by Jerry Pitts
06/30/26
Not For Sale
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Chapter 11

Serving Where He Places You

After college I was having a hard time finding work. There were no doors opening for me to serve in a church near my home and I was really beginning to get impatient. I was still in the National Guard and they had some extra funds for additional help and hired me to work in the office for a few months until I found a full-time job. In a previous story I told about the school I went to in Aurora, Colorado. The six months I was there I trained to be an Optical Lab Technician. Once I was through with training and back at my unit we never received any optical equipment for me to use. So I essentially was trained to do a job that I had no equipment for. As a result the leader-ship decided to allow me to function in two primary roles. During weekend drills I would function as Personnel NCO and work in the

office as well as Chaplain Assistant where I would give devotions on Sunday’s. Our Chaplain was spread very thin and did not have an assistant. He was responsible for several different units so he would at times assign me to go different places on Sunday morning’s and share God’s Word. I loved doing this but I especially loved our yearly summer camps. We were a field medical unit so there was not much paperwork to be done. I was essentially turned over to the Chaplain and was allowed to travel around with him and minister to the troops. God opened so many doors for me to share my testimony and He would frequently put people in my path who I would lead to Christ. I quickly gained a reputation among the troops and other Christians would come to me and we would have Bible studies and prayer time. It was a very special period in my life where I felt mightily used of God. One of the young men who I led to Christ one summer camp was full-time National Guard so when he heard I was looking for work he pulled some strings and helped me get on payroll for a few months. Just another example of how God works. Because I had been allowed to function as a Personnel NCO I was perfectly qualified for the position. And since I had led this young man to Christ he was more than happy to help me whenever he saw I had a need.

I graduated college in May 1998 and with no real job prospects I was getting really nervous. The job at the National Guard was keeping the bills paid but I knew it was only temporary and that I needed to find something permanent soon. After my failed ministry opportunities I had begun to question my call. If God had truly called me wouldn’t He have opened a door for me to serve somewhere? So I essentially just decided to find a job; any job that would pay the bills. I had gone to our local employment office many times and gotten quite friendly with the staff. They knew I was a Desert Storm veteran which was supposed to give me priority on job opportunities. Unfortunately, I lived in a small town and there were just few good jobs available. One day out of the blue the manager of the Employment Office called me and said, “You are a veteran aren’t you?” I replied yes. She said that the Veterans Representative in her office was having health issues and wanted to know if I would be interested in the job. The only requirement was a college degree which I now had so I gladly accepted the offer and began work on November 23, 1998.

As I began this job I quickly learned that you don’t have to be in a church to be in service to God. As an employment service interviewer I

was put in a position to help many people each day. I can’t tell you how many people God sent to me that I was able to share God’s love. Our manager was a good Christian lady and set me up in the back corner so when people would sit down to talk to me we had complete privacy. And even though we were a state agency I never once was told that I could not share my faith. I really felt like I was in a full-time ministry as I was in a position to really help people who were struggling and just needed someone to care. This job lasted for a couple of years before the state started having a budget crisis. Everyone in the office had been given our RIF (reduction in force) letters and notified that unless new funds became available we would all be laid off. Our manager cautioned us not to worry but I started looking for another door to open. I knew if this door closed God would have another door for me to walk through.

One day a couple of weeks before we were to be laid off I received a call from someone with the Department of Human Services. They said that they needed an Employment Coordinator to come and teach job readiness classes to participants of the TANF (Temporary Assis-tance for Needy Families) Work Program. I had taught similar classes at the employment office so this seemed like something right down my

alley. I setup an interview and met with a young lady who was clearly very new at her job. I later learned that this was a brand new grant and everyone was new. After a short interview she offered me the job on the spot and asked when I could start. I told her that the RIF letters would be in effect at the end of the month and I could start then. I really hated to leave my job with the employment office, especially since God had been using me like He was, but this just felt like I was in God’s will. I had never in my life gotten a job this easy before so I knew there had to be some type of divine intervention.

The next month when I began my new job I was astonished at how much freedom I had. I was given a stack of books and tasked with developing my own curriculum. I eagerly did so and began scheduling my first class. The program was setup to where I would teach an eight-day job readiness course. Those who completed the course I would then take out in vans and help them find employment. I developed the syllabus to include a graduation on the last day. On graduation day, in the morning I would show them a Christian based movie and field questions afterwards. Then in the afternoon they could bring anyone they wanted to come watch them graduate. I realized

those whom God had entrusted to me were for the most part the outcast of society. Very few of them had ever graduated high school so I wanted them to experience what it felt like to have a graduation of some type and the positive effect it would have on their self-esteem. I knew from my own experience that it had been baby steps of little accomplishments that got me to the point that I could believe I could ever go to college. And with a new found sense of pride they would have the positive attitude necessary to begin looking for employment. As time went on I had employers just waiting for these candidates to complete my course and I never had a candidate that graduated who did not go to work. God opened up many oppor-tunities for me to witness to the class as I had complete freedom to pray and share things God put in my heart.

Unfortunately, as most successful government programs go the funding got cut after two years and we were all given our notices. My oldest son had started our local Job Corps program to get a skill in Business Office Technology. He had already been to college for a year but had a really bad car accident which had caused him not to be able to finish the semester. Rather than wait for the next semester to start at college he decided to give Job Corps a try. One

day I called the Director to check on his progress and during our conversation I men-tioned that we would soon be out of work and if he knew of any opportunities to please keep me in mind. He asked if I had ever done any counseling. I told him that I was not licensed but had done a lot of church related counseling. I knew that Job Corps was for the most part young people who were troubled, most of which never completed school. I shared my testimony with him and told how I too was once a high school dropout. He felt given my past that I could be a positive influence on the young people and brought me on board. Job Corps has a career transition department which was more down my alley and he was hoping that by putting me on payroll that something would open up for me in that department. I worked as a counselor for a few months and it didn’t look like anything was going to open up soon. Then one day the Director let me know that one of the government contractors would soon be adding a staff person on the Center who would work with the youth doing job placement upon completion of the program. This really excited me and he gave me the contact to call. The director had pretty much set the job up for me so all I really had to do was accept the offer. I already had relationships built with the students and got along well with

the staff so it was a really good fit for me. Not to mention as a government contractor I would make a considerable bit more money than what I was currently making. So I gladly accepted the offer and made the transition.

Over the next four years I did job placement for Job Corps graduates and had free reign to minister to the students. I feel God used me tremendously over these years and I had many wonderful experiences. Especially after Hurri-cane Katrina hit in 2005. I was able to take quite a few graduates there to help with the reconstruction and spent a lot of time in the New Orleans area. I was able to see the devastation first hand, which is something I will never forget. By late 2006 the reconstruc-tion and hiring of Job Corps students began slowing down and I started looking for new places for the students to work. I developed quite a few business relationships on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the biggest being Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Over the next several months I brought 32 young people and helped them relocate to the Gulf Coast. The main reason I changed contractors was that my current employer was more hands-on where the first one was mainly restricted to the local area. With this contractor I did most everything to

help the graduates. I helped them find housing, furniture, and vehicles. I taught them how to set up their budget and how to buy groceries. It was a job where I was really able to make a difference and God was leading me every step of the way.

Unfortunately, in April 2007 we received the devastating news that we had lost our funding. Just like every circumstance before I immed-iately started looking for an open door. I was going to miss helping these youth tremendously but I could only assume God had other plans in store. I sent out an email on my contact list letting my business associates know what was going on so that they didn’t think I had just abandoned them. While I was relocating Job Corps graduates on the Gulf Coast, one of the requirements were they had to take and pass a Work Keys Assessment Test in order to work for Northrop Grumman. There was a lady named Marty Perkins who was the Director for Cares of Mississippi and they had a contract to administer the test. I had to schedule my candidates with her to take the test each time I brought some students down. She responded to my email and asked for me to give her a call. She wanted to talk to me about a new grant that she was getting in partnership with Northrop Grumman. She needed someone to teach a two-

week job readiness class and then take those who completed the class through the hiring process at Northrop Grumman. Since I had experience teaching job readiness classes and assisting candidates in being hired at Northrop Grumman the job was a perfect fit. The only problem was Pascagoula was three hours away from where I lived. After teaching for six years my wife Janice had just returned to Southern Farm Bureau where she had previously worked for seven years. Now that she had a college degree they offered her a much better job and she received her seven years seniority back towards retirement. She was really loving her new job and there was just no way I could ask her to move. Feeling this new job opportunity was where the Lord wanted me I decided to find a way to make it work. Since Northrop Grumman only works Monday through Thurs-day I was able to arrange a four day work week. That way Thursday evenings after work I could come home for the weekend.

Now where would I stay while I was down there? For the first 30 days, I borrowed my father’s camper and set it up at Shepherd State Park in Oceans Springs, Mississippi. It was not a bad arrangement but I knew I couldn’t do that long term. I had paid for a month in advance and got a really good lot right next to the

restroom. Near the end of the first month I went online to roommates.com just to see what my options were. I found a couple of possibilities and sent messages to both people. Both were divorced ladies just trying to make some extra income. The first one I met with seemed a little hesitant and she wanted more money than I had to spare. I had told them that I could afford about $75 per week. Immediately afterwards I received a call from the other lady and she invited me to come by and look at the room. She lived in an extremely nice neighborhood with a huge house which had a swimming pool in the backyard. I thought to myself, “No Way!” There had to be a catch. But no, she had an upstairs that was not being occupied. She had one young man who was an Engineer at Northrop Grumman who was renting one of her rooms and she had two more unoccupied. I told her all I could pay was $75 per week and she said that would be fine. I could not believe how well things were working out. I even had my own bathroom with a walk-in shower. Compared to what I was used to this was beyond amazing. But what else could you expect. God was just showing off yet again!

This was an amazing job. I went around the coastal communities and recruited youth for our program. We also hired a GED instructor

and she assisted me with some of the academic training we included in the curriculum. The program was for youth ages 18-21. The condi-tions of this program were that candidates who completed the two-week job readiness training would attend GED classes 2 hours per day then work the remaining eight hours of their 10-hour shift. They, of course, got paid for a 40 hour work week. Just like the setup with the TANF Program, we included a graduation at the end of the training. The youth loved this, especially when their families came to watch them receive their certificates. Most of these youth were outcasts in society and just needed someone to give them a second chance. I love that God had allowed me to be in that kind of position where I could help make a difference in people’s lives. It was another opportunity I will always treasure in my heart.

Chapter 12 Developing New Gifts

An additional blessing that came from this job on the Gulf Coast was that I had a lot of free time in the evenings. My work schedule was Monday – Thursday 4:30 am – 2:30 pm. So when I got off work I had nothing but time to kill until bedtime. I began praying for a constructive way to use this time. One thing I have always loved was music. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a country music household, with my father, Jerry Pitts, Sr. and my uncle, Clyde Pitts, both country music musicians and songwriters. This upbringing led me to not only appreciate the world of country music, but also how difficult it is to make it in the music industry.

The idea for LOCM (Ladies of Country Music) Promotions came one day while I was

searching for video content of Taylor Swift, about whom I had overheard my daughter and her friend talking. I had no idea who she was so I got on Youtube and started searching for her videos. The Internet revealed quite a surprise: many amazing young ladies performing Taylor Swift’s hits, artists that were clearly talented and yet unknown in the music world. My years in the ministry taught me to recognize an opportunity when it presented itself. My instincts as a promoter kicked in, and with a little nudge from God above, I knew I had found my new calling. I believed I could help these beautiful voices find an audience. I created a MySpace page and within a months time I had over 1,500 female country artists in my friends section and I started promoting them within the online community. A man named Bob Birch, host of the Venture into Country radio show in the UK, found the site and requested some of the artists to feature on his show. I started having the artists submit songs to me and I would forward them to Bob for consideration. Bob starting playing 8 to 12 LOCM artists in his show each week and also did a special presentation in his show for my LOCM Song of the Week.

While this was quite exciting for a few artists I quickly realized that there were many artists

being left out. So one morning while driving into work I had a divine revelation to start my own internet radio station. I thought I would do my own show thereby giving many more of the artists an opportunity to have their music played on radio. So I took a weeks vacation from work, taught myself how to record and produce a show and it was from this that LOCM Radio was born. After broadcasting from my MySpace page for a couple of months, my show was eventually picked up by the American Country Radio Network, and then several other stations, featuring music and interviews from country music’s future female stars. Holding down a full-time job, LOCM Radio became a force of its own, and I knew I needed help in order to take the mission even further. My prayers were heard, and while re-connecting with former classmates on Facebook, I became reacquainted with Thomas Hilton, Jr. Thomas shared his vision of a magazine, which I thought would be an amazing addition to the radio endeavor. With Thomas’ business exper-ience and outlook for the magazine, LOCM Promotions stepped forward into the light. With Thomas’ help we were able to provide an amazing venue for the artistry from these ladies of country music. His partnership allowed me to take LOCM Radio to a whole different level. I then made LOCM Radio a stand-alone station,

which broadcasted 24/7. I had a “best of” show which aired on Saturdays, featuring a combina-tion of the most requested songs of the week, new LOCM artists, and newly added songs by LOCM artists. Bob Birch then joined the LOCM family, hosting an all-female show featuring country music artists from around the world.

The final piece of our company we undertook was LOCM Magazine. Thomas did an amazing job and with the help of his son, Kyle, who is a very gifted graphic design artist. They produced a very high quality magazine with professional interviews by some of our favorite artists. We decided to have a Launch Party Concert for the magazine and invited 17 of the artists who came to Mississippi and performed in the all-day event. Thomas and his wife Tammy were able to arrange a beautiful venue and I was able to arrange for the event to be filmed by Nashville Spotlight who was one of our sponsors. In all it was an incredible experience and a time in my life I will always have fond memories of. Unfortunately, the timing just didn’t work out and due to a lack of funds we were never able to produce a second copy of the magazine. The recession hit and Thomas had lost his job. And since we were self-funding the project we just could not continue.

But, through this experience I developed some amazing new gifts that I would come to use in the not too distant future.

Chapter 13

The Storms Came Rolling In

I worked the job on the gulf coast for about 15 months traveling back and forth every week. As much as I loved the job I loved my family more and it was beginning to take its toll. I knew that Janice was strong but I hated that everything was falling on her shoulders. My daughter was entering her senior year of high school and I was missing way too many things in her life. I had always been very active in her life as she played sports (Basketball and Softball). I even coached her for about eight years in softball and was always there when-ever she needed me. Then the final straw came when my youngest son Kris became ill with the HIV virus. I had no idea how much longer he would be with us and I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. With all these things weighing heavily on my mind I began

looking for work back home. I had worked for the US Census Bureau during the 2000 Census as an Enumerator and knew they would be hiring for the 2010 Census soon. I put in my application and they called and offered me a job in the recruiting department. I hated to leave the job on the Gulf Coast but I explained my situation and they understood. Due to the economy Northrop Grumman had put on a hiring freeze anyway so this was an ideal time for me to depart since there would be no new classes taught anytime soon.

I came back home and things were going fairly well for about eight months. I was definitely enjoying being home every night. One of the main reasons I took the job with the Census Bureau was they told me that Recruiting would be ongoing throughout the 2010 Census. I figured this would give me close to two years to look for a permanent position. Then in May 2009 after the first phase of the Census was over they laid us off. For the first time in my adult life I found myself out of work. And in the middle of the recession there were no jobs to be had. Fortunately, Janice was now making good enough money to help us survive and with my unemployment benefits we were able to weather the storm.

I was really confused as to why God was not opening another door. For the first time since I got saved I felt like I was alone. In the past every time a door shut He had another one ready for me to walk through. Even with all the job changes I had up until this point I had not missed a single week of work, going straight from one job to the next. I found myself in un-chartered territory and was wondering if I was being disciplined for leaving my last job. Had I stepped outside of His will? Then I started searching for answers. I started spending hours each day re-reading old spiritual books by Rick Joiner who had really opened my eyes to deeper spiritual truths in the past. I felt like the heavens were closed but I was not going to quit until they opened back up. We had just moved back to our home after a nearly three year stint in Byram. After my daughter’s private school closed down we had to make a temporary move about 25 miles away to get her in a good school district. During our time there we never joined a church and with me staying on the coast all the time I guess without realizing it I had began drifting away from God. Not that I had returned to my old lifestyle; I was just not living for Him like I had done in the past.

Chapter 14

A New Direction

I knew now that we were back home we needed to join a local church and get back involved like we once were. We visited a local church where I knew the pastor was a true man of God. We had visited there years ago and even participated in a two-year revival they had after the Brownsville Revival had ended. So Janice and I began attending there and God soon revealed to me that He wanted me to begin an internet ministry. He showed me how I could use the new gifts I had recently developed and implement them into this new ministry. One thing I had gotten quite profic-ient in was recording and editing audio files. The church was already recording the audio sermons and the secretary was saving them to CD’s. I also had created my own website for LOCM Radio which is where I broadcasted my

radio shows from. So after I met with the pastor and shared with him my vision, he gave me the go ahead to get it started. I met with the secretary and we selected our service provider for the website. I then created the website and took it online in late October 2009. Then in November I started getting the CD’s after each sermon, edited them for broadcast and made them available to the public via our website. I also created other sites on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Myspace where we could minister from. At the present time I am still handling this ministry for the church. I have now trained the church secretary to edit and upload the sermons to our server but I handle pretty much everything else.

Another thing I have started to help keep me grounded in God’s Word is a ministry on Facebook. Each morning I will post a short devotion of what the Lord places on my heart usually accompanied by a related Youtube video. I will post these on my main page, the church Facebook page and another page I created which includes mostly old school classmates and a few special friends I have recently met on Facebook. Finally I am feeling like the heavens are open again and God is once again using me on a daily basis.

Chapter 15

A Time of Testing and Sorrow

I am so grateful that my spiritual life returned back where it needed to be else I may not have made it through what was without a doubt the most devastating time in my life. About a month after we got back involved in Church our greatest fears started to become a reality. It was during the Thanksgiving holiday that our youngest son, who was now twenty-four years old, called and said that he wanted to come spend the weekend with us. This was a bit unusual but we were glad to have him home. During the weekend he gave us the devastating news that he now had full-blown aids. He had gone to the doctor and they told him that he likely only had a couple of years to live. He told us how he wanted his funeral arrangements when that time came. We tried to encourage

him the best we could but he was in daily pain and I think he was just tired of fighting.

The Saturday night before my son’s birthday he called us all up to have a birthday dinner with him. This was a particularly beautiful day. It started off with snow covering the ground, which we seldom get in Mississippi. We went out to investigate the beauty and as we looked up in the clear blue skies you could see the bright sun rising in the east and the moon was still visible in the west. We took some breathe-taking pictures and I remember being astonished at all the beauty God was showing us that morning. It was without a doubt the most beautiful morning I had ever witnessed.

As these days normally go in Mississippi the snow was melted and gone by mid-day. We later got dressed and drove to Ridgeland and met my son at Applebees, where he was working at the time. At dinner we could tell he was in a lot of pain and he told us that he hadn’t been able to eat much all week. He told us that he had been drinking a little bit to numb the pain but he didn’t seem drunk or depressed at all. After dinner we walked outside the restaurant to say our goodbyes. He had told us that he was going out with friends to celebrate his birthday. When we left the restaurant he

hugged us, kissed us and told us that he loved us. We really didn’t think much about it because that was his normal behavior. He was a very loving young man and loved everyone unconditionally. The only thing that was a bit unusual was that he literally made his older brother, who was riding home with us, get out of the car and hug him. They usually never did that. But it was his birthday and he seldom saw his brother anymore so I really didn’t think too much about it at the time. We just thought it was a sweet moment between brothers.

My daughter Jessica, who drove her own car to the restaurant took Kris back to his apartment in Ridgeland and dropped him off while we all headed back to our home in Hazlehurst. On the way home I had a feeling that something was not right. I immediately called Kris and asked him to come stay the rest of the weekend with us. I had given him money to buy his medication and let him know that he did not have to go through his pain alone. He declined the offer and said, “Dad this is not your burden” and once again told me that he loved me.

It was about a 50 minute ride home. We had changed into our night clothes and were getting ready for bed when we heard our 18 year old

daughter run down the stairs crying. Our son’s roommate had been called at work and told that someone had been shot in his apartment. Police would not tell him anything until he arrived. It was then that he was told that my son had taken his own life.

We spent the night just trying to find answers. My brother Larry and his wife Susie met us at the morgue and no one could tell us where my son was. It was a very frustrating night to say the least. We ended up staying the night at my parents’ house in Jackson.

I woke up early the next morning and walked into the living room where my mother was just sitting in shock. She loved her grandson deeply. The first thing I did was to grab a Bible from her shelf and began reading the book of Psalm. While reading I just broke down and cried out to God and told him that He was going to have to help me through this because there was no way I could do it on my own. At that moment I felt His presence there in the room with us. I learned a whole new aspect of God’s love that morning and it has been with me ever since. I confess I have had days where all I could do is get away from everyone and just scream to the top of my lungs. But that was just part of the healing process.

The toughest part for me was being the head of the household. It is hard to grieve when you are having to deal with everyone else’s pain. My daughter, who was the last one to see her brother alive had the hardest time. She could not sleep in her own room for months. She has gotten better now but you can tell she still misses her brother very much.

As a family this was no doubt the biggest tragedy we have ever faced, but thanks be to God He showed us a way to make it. The first challenge we faced was how to pay for the funeral. With me just coming off a five month layoff, we were just now getting back on our feet. In fact things were so far beyond what we could handle on our own all we could do was place everything in God’s most capable hands and trust that He would do what He does best; and He did! My pastor was the first to call me that Sunday morning before services. He offered to call the funeral home for me. I told him Kris’ desire to be cremated and that we would not be needing a casket. He offered the use of the church sanctuary to help save on those expenses. That Monday we met with the funeral director and he told us the cost of the funeral. Even with us using the church for the services the cremation was still going to cost

$3,489.00. He said that he could give us six months to come up with the money which gave us a little piece of mind.

But how would we ever come up with that much money. In my weakened state of mind I just told God He was going to have to take control. I was in no shape to be worried about funeral expenses. My world had just been turned upside down and if I had ever needed Jesus to take the wheel, it was now. God began to work first through my family. Our daughter Samantha sent me a song by Rascal Flatts called, Why? I had never heard the song and quite honestly did not even want to listen to it. But out of courtesy to her I did listen and it literally broke my heart. It was the perfect heartfelt song to be played at the funeral. My brother Larry loved Kris and wanted to do something special. I sent him the song Samantha had sent me along with a bunch of pictures from Kris growing up and asked him to put together a tribute video we could play at the funeral. He put his heart into the project and produced a beautiful tribute we not only used during the funeral but uploaded it to Youtube and have used it many times ever since. Then my mother and sister Patty wanted to decorate the church and did an amazing job. The church was just breathetaking with pictures of Kris

everywhere. My sister Debbie has a back injury and was unable to do much setting up at the church but still wanted to help in some way. She offered to setup a memorial fund to help solicit funds to help cover the funeral expenses. I had never asked anyone for a handout and really did not want to do this but I saw she really wanted to help so I gave her the go ahead. After all I was the one who asked God to take control. I had no right to try to stop anything He was trying to do.

It seemed that everything had come together. Renee, the secretary from Church offered to come and run the sound system and play the tribute video at the appropriate time. I had asked a good friend of mine, Jimmy Parker to officiate the service. Jimmy was a former pastor of ours and knew Kris well so I knew he could bring a personal message for the family.

The service turned out beautifully and Jimmy delivered a heartfelt message which my family loved and appreciated. At the end when the tribute video was played we just embraced each other and let loose of our hurt and pain. There was not a dry eye in the house.

After the services we all returned to our house where we had invited many of Kris’ friends.

Renee’ and other ladies from our church had furnished us with more food than we could possibly eat and we had a special time of fellowship, then they said their goodbyes.

After the funeral was over my sister Debbie setup a bank account and typed out a heartfelt plea for donations and sent it to friends through email and on Facebook. We then placed it in God’s hands to touch the hearts of those who were in a position to help.

Since my only fundraising effort in the past was a major flop I had no real expectations of raising nearly enough money. My sister Debbie and her husband Paul started things off by opening the account with a $50 donation, then Janice’s parents got us off to a running start with a $500 donation. Then things really started to happen when we sent out messages to the ladies I had helped from my time running LOCM Promotions. The overwhelming majority of donations came from the many ladies I had helped. In all, God touched the hearts of over

50 people who blessed us with donations ranging from $5 to $300. When all was said and done not only were his funeral expenses covered but we had some left over which we used to bless a few other families going through hardships. Without a doubt 2009 was

by far the worst year of my life. You know the expression, when it rains it pours; well 2009 felt like a year-long thunder storm. But I believe because of all the dark clouds it forced me to realize my need for Almighty God.

Chapter 16

From Sorrows to Blessings

About 2 months into my layoff I had rededicated my life to His service. Not some ritual I did in a church service but just Him and me alone in my room. I dedicated each and every day to getting to know Him more and more. This resulted in my spiritual revival which not only helped me overcome the devastations that came my way but has given me the strength to carry on. Now as I reflect on 2010; it was by far the best year of my life. I was not out of work for even one day. In fact in April 2010 I was blessed with what has been the best job of my life. This job came as yet another blessing that resulted from my time doing LOCM Promotions. I find it amazing at how when you are in God’s perfect will He will use people from the past to bless your future.

While running LOCM Promotions I had a lady named Jay Brethen who worked for a military organization who was trying to organize some fundraising events and thought it may be a good partnership with LOCM Promotions. Since I was promoting artists from all over the world and there were military bases all over the world she was thinking I could bring in local talent wherever they happen to schedule an event. I was always looking for new ways to help promote the artists and this seemed like a great opportunity for the ladies. We corresponded for a few months but unfortunately the organiza-tion had decided to merge with a new organization and their mission had changed. Her new role would now be as Placement Officer and she needed someone to come in and help her. The organization provides entry level healthcare training and job placement assistance to those in the military community. Since I was both a Veteran and had many years of experience in the Employment and Training Industry it was a perfect fit for me. She knew through our email communications that my time with the U.S. Census Bureau would soon be over. I had been with the Census Bureau since the beginning and it was nearing its end. So after discussing my skills with her upper management I had a phone interview and was brought on board.

Also in 2010, we were able to take two family vacations. And since we had not taken a vacation in several years it was a tremendous blessing. First in June we spent a week at Fort Pickens. My father took his RV and my parents, Jessica and her boyfriend, joined Janice and myself for a fun filled week. Fort Pickens had been destroyed during hurricane Ivan in 2004 and this was the first week it opened back up. They had built a brand new beach area to swim in and Janice and I had an amazing time just floating in the ocean. It was a great family adventure.

Then in September my parents, my brother Larry and his wife Susie and Jessica joined us on a cruise. Janice and I hadn’t been on a cruise since our honeymoon and we were very excited. We took a five day cruise upon the Carnival Elation with stops in Progresso, Mexico where we went to see the Mayan Ruins in Chichen Itza and Cozumel, Mexico where Janice and I took the snorkel and zipline excursion. Jessica was also able to finally experience her dream of swimming with the dolphins. And after what she just went through we were so happy to finally see a big smile on her face.

Chapter 17 Conclusion

Now I know some of you are in the midst of your own storm right now. But I want you to know that God is there with you. You may not feel Him, but He is there. Never forget that He takes care of His children and He will never leave you. He loves you and has a plan for your life. So hang in there and soon you will be like me and be able to sing the praises of what the Lord has done!

As this reflection on my life verifies I have not lived a perfect life. I have made more than my fair share of bad decisions. But it also just goes to prove that you do not have to be perfect to be a child of God. I believe God has always been with me even when I was not living for Him. He never gave up on me. When I strayed off course He gently pushed me back to where I needed to be.

As I end this book it has been five days since I started writing the things the Lord put in my heart. It has been an amazing time of reflecting on all the wonderful things the Lord has done in my life. I pray that the Lord will use the contents of these pages to touch you. And I pray it will help encourage you in your own walk with the Lord. The Lord has me on an amazing journey and I look forward to all the wonderful things He has in store. May God bless you all!