Chapter 27

     The bakery had a Git-N-Go convenience store next door where I would go for anything to eat but baked goods.  The night shift clerk, Denny, and I used to get into some major theological discussions.  He was a DJ with the college campus radio station and had syndicated his show to other stations.  An all-Christian music platform.  I informed him I had been a DJ in High School for a bit and he told me about all the musicians who had become Christians.  

     The bakery owner brought a book to the bakery one night about “Out of Body” experiences.  I asked him about it and as he told me a few of the stories, I realized that then was what had happened to me when I had my car wreck.

     The first dream girl was raised Catholic and in order for us to date, I was required to go to church now and then.  It was a really different experience from growing up in the Assemblies of God Church.  I did enjoy going to her church, but they believed quite a bit differently.  They did believe in Jesus though and the Priest was an excellent teacher. 

     The hospital I had worked at was also Catholic and I used to go to the chapel and pray.  It was a very beautiful chapel, marble, and all.  It was a very peaceful get-away-from-it-all place to go and talk to God.  My soul would light up afterward so much so that my friends would ask me what drug I was on and could they have some.  But I kept my experience to myself and let them think whatever. 

     The owner of the bakery was Catholic too, and he would share his faith with me from time to time.  When the book subject came up, I decided to share with him my experience.  He understood and encouraged me to pursue faith, as he believed God had kept me on earth for a reason.

     Shortly after my talk with the bakery owner, I was off work one night but bored.  I walked down to the convenience store at three o’clock in the morning to talk to Denny.  At one point Denny asked me if I believed in Jesus and I told him that I did.  

     Suddenly it was like the bottoms of my feet opened up and all the gunk in me fell out.  My feet then closed up and I was filled to the top and overflowing with the Holy Spirit.  I knew what this was and was about to speak but only speaking in tongues would come out.  I covered up my mouth with my hand because there were other people in the store, and I didn’t want to freak them out.

     I walked home that night a whole different person, full of confidence in God and on fire.  I cleaned out my apartment of my pot supply and girl magazines, as I just didn’t want to be around them.

     I would walk to work at the bakery at times, praying in tongues, and the spirit world would open up to me.  It was like I had been living in the dark and someone turned the light on.  My giftings were lit up and on fire too.  I saw an angel (in the spirit) one night walking on the other side of the road up ahead of me.  He looked back and saw me and knew I could see him.  He just turned around and kept going.

     I really enjoyed those walks.

     I went to church with Denny and his wife for a few months and I got baptized there.  When school started, I looked into the college youth group of the Assemblies of God, called “Chi Alpha”.

     Seeing in the second heaven, the spiritual realm, has become a common experience for me.  I liken it to the gifts of tongues, actually the two gifts of tongues.  The one gift, the Holy Spirit bursting forth as a result, similar to what is described in the second chapter of Acts of his overpowering presence and influence.  The second gift of when a person simply prays in tongues when choosing to do so. 

     My gift of seeing is sometimes like the second gift of tongues and experienced at will.  I simply “look with my spiritual eyes”.  It also occurs like the first gift of tongues, when the Holy Spirit wishes to reveal something to me and opens the spiritual world, with no effort of my own, presenting a vision of what He would like me to take notice of. 

     Since my experience of what is known by the Pentecostals, being baptized in the Holy Spirit, my gift of tongues and my prophetic gift of seeing became much more available to me.  It was as if I had been living in a dark black and white world all my life, and someone turned the lights on making everything in vivid technicolor.  

     However, seeing angels and dark spirits (not always by my choice) and what they were saying or doing can be challenging, and overwhelming at times even though it is quite beneficial. 

     Denny had a syndicated Christian radio show and invited me to join him in organizing Christian band concerts, bands such as Second Chapter of Acts, Servant, and others.

     This was a great privilege as we always invited attendees to come forward should they have an interest in giving their hearts to Jesus and many did.  To be a part of reaching people for Jesus was an amazing thing.

     A peculiar thing happened at the Servant concert.  A man was walking along the other side of the auditorium from where I was standing toward the front after an invitation and I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “You will do business with this man”.

     It was quite shocking to me, and I was wondering if I was really hearing right.  I looked at him and wondered if I would ever see him again thinking this was a bit crazy.

     It would be 27 years before I saw him next.