WHAT???

 Praise the LORD!!!

    WHAT??? You may ask and it is my intent to tell you. I'd been working here at the apartments for eight months. Asked at first, while still working at another complex, to fill in until they could find a full time person. Two were hired and both were short lived. One for a whole day and the other, didn't even make it to lunch. With both of these I was allowed to give them a several hour 'briefing' as to what their job would entail and then given the boot:) From what I've written you should be able to see that the boot wasn't on the foot for very long and I was asked to come back and take over my work. Now I didn't mind doing this, because I saw it as doing that which JESUS would want me to. Helping someone out that was truly in need, which they were.

   This began to wear on, to the point that they removed their adds from the paper. They also began to add more work to my already heavy work load, even requesting that I do works to which I'd already to them that I wasn't qualified to do; plumbing and electrical. Have grown up with an old fashioned craftsman, I can do much in many fields, even plumbing and electrical, but there are limits that I set as to how far I'll go in these fields. Personally, I'd rather see a job done correctly and not have to return and redo it, than to jury-rig it in the first place. It is a much better profession attitude than what they were wanting, but one I'll not give into!

   Most of you are familiar with my online postings and if you've not noticed, most were made in the mornings, while a few were made during the lunchtime break. These though were beginning to become more and more scarce. The reason behind this is that as the day wore on, I was falling deeper and deeper into a state, for lack of a better word, depression. A deep foreboding fog would envelope me by mid day. Something which was causing me to spend most of my day in prayer for relief from it. I was sinking into a mire of mud so thick, that I could barely be removed from it's grasp. My personal hygiene was beginning to suffer, there was a total lack of desire to do much of anything and this began to take a toll upon my relationship with the LORD. It was getting to be the norm that besides early morning time with the LORD, was the only time spent with HIM and I don't like that. Even my practice of being constant in prayer was faltering and this is one asset that I consider primary in my walk. Everything and anything that I undertake is put before the LORD, before it is done. These kind of conditions should be a 'red flag' to any Christian and one where a reaction is needed.

   My reaction to this was along the lines of what I'd normally do, prayer and lots of it. It started on Friday and continued all weekend. Monday morning I'd yet to receive a viable response to my prayers, so I continued to go to work, but also poured out my heart even more so. By quitting time Monday things had only gotten worst and I continued to increase my level of prayer. I was so deep in the quagmire by this time that I didn't even grab a bite to eat until almost eight PM. and then ended up going to be just after nine. When I awoke in the morning my heart was full of but one thing, that was the fact that the only way to get out of this problem was to get out from under that which was causing it, the job. I didn't just jump up and quit though, for I've learned to 'try the spirit' of a message, never just going with first impressions. For the adversary can use this manor to side-track us quickly and I wasn't going to fall for it! After two hours of trying this solution it was clear to me that it was of the LORD and my action was quickly to follow. I went to the office and told the manager that I quit and the reasons behind it. In short time the deep foreboding fog that had been covering me, was replaced with an unbelievable peace. Sure I don't know where my next months rent will come from. Or where I'll get the money to purchase food and other items. But to once again be at peace within and with GOD far out shadows any of these problems. I've faith that the GOD that got me here from Ohio with but twenty dollars in my pocket,, will be same one that will carry me through, through to the fulfilling of that which HE brought me here for. The set up and bringing to full operational status Vine of CHRIST Ministries' first fully operational office and D.R.O.C.!!!

 May GOD richly bless you and guide you this day,

 Rev. Marshall Barth

 Vine of CHRIST Ministries