Enlightened Within

Preface This book would not have been written without receiving the message from God to write it. There are a lot of true stories about evil spirits or hauntings and many times people don’t know what to do in a situation like that. They think people won’t believe them or that they’re crazy. Often they will lean on “mediums’ or “psychics” for assistance or some kind of message. This is what God tells us in Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” It’s really important that we turn to God for help and not the things of this world, for those things are not of God. They will only distract and clutter your mind and soul even more. God has given me a gift and I plan on using it to help others in their battles. We are all in some kind of battle and if we have the proper tools, we can overcome them. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil within the heavenly realms.” I have been blessed with a wonderful, loving family that has supported me throughout the whole process of writing. Thank you for all of your encouragement and patience. My love goes to my husband, Jay, and our four amazing children, Brittney, Nick, Josh and Tyler. I would also like to thank my mom and sisters for all of their support and prayers during and after our experience.

INTRODUCTION It all started back in the summer of 2002… planning a wedding and joining two families together. Penelope and Richard had been married before and have three children between the two of them, Cassandra eight, Casey six, and Richard’s son, Michael, who is also six. Much to their surprise, the challenge wasn’t blending two families together, but what they were to discover within their home. They were not alone…

Psalm 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

May my father receive his wings…

COURTSHIP Five long years had passed since Penelope had become a single mom of two. She owned an adorable Cape Cod home, white with green trim and located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Outdoors, it featured an enclosed backyard and play structure. At this point in her life, she’d begun missing a partner and a good father for her children. As it was, her children only saw their dad during the summer months and occasionally throughout the year for holidays. Penelope mused as she dried the last dish. God, I need a good husband…a soul mate for myself and a father for Cassandra and Casey. She promised God to give up dating and let him decide who would be the right person in their lives. It seemed as if dating didn’t work well, anyway, without God’s hand involved. Penelope did not want to give any commitment or accept it from anyone until she knew without a doubt that God had picked the right man for herself and her children. One year after relinquishing her love life over to God… the story begins. Penelope woke up one morning just thinking about life and feeling the need to stay in bed and relax. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, which is rare in the Pacific Northwest in November. I think the kids and I will stay home and not go to church. Yeah, we can just have church here today. God started speaking to Penelope through her inner spirit… “You need to go to church today,” the voice said. Accompanying the voice was a vision: she saw a man who she knew, though she couldn’t remember his name. He was a tall man built like a football player, blue eyes, and a dirty blonde spiky haircut. She thought to herself, Man, is he cute! Hey, he’s the one who used to be married to Crystal, the girl I met at the athletic club. We raced in Triathlons. The voice continued, “You need to go to church. Go to the early service, and you will see why.” That was the end of the vision and message. Penelope turned quickly to look at the clock located across the room. It read 8:00 a.m. Church started at 9:00 a.m.! Her heart started racing as she hurried to get dressed. I need to get the kids up and ready! This is why I didn’t want to go; we rush all week long. Sheesh! I just wanted one day to chill out.” Oh, here they come down the stairs now. “Good morning guys! How did you sleep?” Wiping her eyes, Cassandra said, “Pretty good, mom.” Bright eyed and bushy tailed, Casey said, “Mom, can we go to church today?” “Yes, we are going, mister. So you guys need to get dressed while I make breakfast.” God is amazing how he works! Penelope got the kids dressed, fed and out the door by 8:50 a.m., just enough time to get to church and walk in while the singing started. Penelope leaned down toward Cassandra and said, “Since Casey has a hard time sitting still, let’s drop him off at his Sunday school class first, and then we’ll go find a seat.” She and Cassandra walked Casey to his class and as she was signing him in, she thought she would try and locate the name of the man in her vision on the Sunday school check-in list. She skimmed through the list and saw there was a Michael McCallister! She knew that was the child, but his dad’s name wasn’t signed next to it. Penelope looked over at Casey and said, “Have fun, sweetheart! See you after church.” Casey waved goodbye to his mom and began playing with a dump truck. She and Cassandra walked into the sanctuary. It was crowded. “Cassandra, let’s go over to the left side and see if there are any seats.” Cassandra tugged on her mom’s dress and said, “No mommy, let’s go over this way.”