There were six knife-carrying bullies in our community during my teen years that kept us farm boys living in fear that they might engrave their initials on our skin. Until one day, my mouth overtook my brain, and I challenged them to clean up or clear out. What I thought was a deadly mistake turned out to be a blessing. I cleaned the plow of all six of these brothers by taking down their big cousin that I called Goliath. I became known as the giant killer, the one that cleaned the plow of seven all at one time all by myself. Our trials should be kept as treasuries for strength for another day, another battle, as did David when facing Goliath. The clouds that appear in our lives are Gods way of creating a dark background for grace to paint a new picture of our life. Contributing authors Mike and Vickie Oliver tell about their dark experience as parents of a prodigal, as their youngest daughter ran away from home with an illegal immigrant and was without news of her for seven months, until the master artist took the brush of grace and painted a picture of hope, and their nightmare of harrow turned into a blessing that would benefit many. Trials are not pleasant to our flesh or spirit; however, if we can glean and draw strength from them, somewhere in our future we can use them as arrows in our quiver to thwart the progress of defeat. I never imagined fifty-years later my experience as a teen would become a part my book series, Goliath Awaits.

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