Angel Touches Publishing

(This Is My Testimonial Story)

Our God Of Salvation And Restoration

When I was 5 years old we lived in Indiana out in the

country, so far that we had to use a horse and buggy

to get the last half mile! My dad was not a farmer,

but he owned and operated a sawmill. 

We did have horses, a cow, chickens and hogs. We also had 

a garden where my job was to hoe, pick potato bugs off the

plants (which I hated--my job that is) but I loved the tomatoes!

I vowed never to have a garden myself, and at the age of 69

I have never had one.

Dad cut trees for homebuilders & cross ties for the railroad

at his saw mill. My job there was to shovel the sawdust.

(This led me to another vow, never to own a saw mill and

I haven’t!)

I described this to tell you that I would accompany 

the men to the woods to watch them cut the big trees down 

for the sawmill. They would notch the tree to determine the

direction it would fall.

I always asked them which direction the

tree would fall in and I would go to the other side. One

morning I asked which way the tree was going to fall and 

I went to other side as usual.

But this particular tree twisted on its way to the ground 

and fell right toward me!

M y older brother, Charles Ray, told me later I had run

fast to get out of the way, but I had run in a straight line

with the tree instead of cutting left or right.  Either way I

What happened next was what I consider a miracle!

It was a huge tree and I should have been killed! (Just the

other day I saw a car that a tree had fallen on during the

hurricane that hit MS & LA; that car was smashed flat.)

Now, as the tree was falling and I was running, a limb with

a fork in it came down on my head; the limb bent as it fell,

and just before I was to be smashed into the ground the limb 

straightened out pushing me out of the way of the body

This is just a part of my story because years later I

Realized that I been saved from the falling tree by

God or one of His Angels! He has a job for me!

I grew up through high school during the 50's, (the last best

period of time to grow up in). No abusive parents, no bullies

in school, no drugs. Just racing my 52 Olds ;o)>

Upon being discharged from the USAF I took a job selling

food door to door.  My manager Jim Chism, and I rode 

around making appointments to explain the food plan.

As we traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood, 

Jim would witness to me using Eph 2:8-9:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that

not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works

lest any man should boast." (kjv)

To make a long story short, on a Tuesday morning 

at the office approx 10 a.m. in 1963--I accepted 

Jesus as my savior! I was 50 Ibs. lighter, (at least

I felt that much lighter) with all my burdens off

my shoulders!

I was in my "first love" with the Lord!

I studied the word, attended church, told people

about Jesus and what he did for me. This witnessing

continued for approximately four years. Then we

moved to Florida, and found a good church.

I was even convicted about my smoking. Finally, after

two years I quit! (More about this later).

Then I gradually stopped going to church, I stopped

reading the bible, no prayer life, and soon I was drinking

and visiting bars, living back in the world.

 Saved but no works. God is not mocked!

This continued for several years but about seven years

ago, several things came to a head. My business slowed

way down. I got behind on my credit card bills, behind

on my mortgage payments, but still drinking at home.

(I had stopped going to bars several years ago)

The mortgage company foreclosed, I was going to lose

our home! I did the only thing I knew that would stop the

foreclosure. I filed bankruptcy--chapter 13! About this time 

I found an on-line bible college. I started taking the lessons

and getting back into God's Word.

Here's something. While watching Christian television one

afternoon, "The New Jim Bakker Show" came on. 

(The PTL Club’s “Pass The Loot Guy). 

I knew he had served 5 years of a 45 years sentence,

but I listened to him for awhile. (Not too long after he 

had been released, he was back on T.V. with a different

message).

No more “prosperity and feel good" messages! He told me

about a God of restoration for himself and others. 

And along with my bible studies I was "Restored, Too”!

Jesus never left me! 

John 10:20 "And I give unto them eternal life, and

they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck

them out of my hand." (kjv)

I WAS away from God. Now I arn “baacckkk” with Jesus

again!  Praise the Lord!

Remember how long it took me to quit smoking? Well,

this time the LORD removed my desire to drink!  He did

And the Bankruptcy was discharged in 18-months! 

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

© 2007 by Joseph Handlon

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Questions? Call Joseph at 941-629-0639 

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