Miracle of the briars

[Jo Smith]

From: Freeborn551 (Original Message) Sent: 4/6/2008 10:38 PM
I looked for this as I thought maybe I had already written it up, but cannot find it. So I guess I did not write it. I really need to go to bed, but I know if I put this off, I will probably forget it and not write it. I truly do wish to tell this testimony of a mighty deliverance, by using the name of JESUS.


Several years ago God gave me a dream. In the dream I was walking in a field. I touched a bush and all at once, as if they had a life of their own, briars just wrapped around me, from head to toe. I could not move and had no hope of getting free.


The next day I went for a walk behind the place where I had once lived, just below where Larry lives now. I came to place which seemed to be over-run with bushes. As I touched a bush, briars did exactly as I had dreamed. All in one single move they had me wrapped up from head to toe. It was horrifying and terrifying. I could not move. There was no one for miles around. It would have been impossible for anyone to hear me or find me. No one knew where I was.


As I began to try to loosen some of them, they just wrapped around me more. The more I tried to move and loosen some of them the tighter they wrapped around me. I was truly terrified.


In the dream I had called out to Jesus and the briars just fell off me. I remembered this now and knew this is exactly that dream, come true. So I called out to Jesus…just his name. I said, Jesus, please help me.


As God is my witness, those briars just fell off me, all at once, as if they had a life and mind of their own. They turned me loose just as suddenly as they had imprisoned me. It was a very astonishing miracle and mighty deliverance, by the mighty power of Jesus Christ.


No other power on earth could have done this miracle. It had to be a miracle of the Mighty God. I was so trilled by this miracle that I was just rejoicing and praising my God all day.


I just wanted to give this mighty testimony tonight, while I have it on my mind. I truly wish to hear some other testimonies of the delivering power of God in your lives.


Jo Smith

[Jo Smith]

~~ Our very strange experience ~~

From: Freeborn551 (Original Message) Sent: 8/16/2008 7:43 PM
~~ Our Very Strange Experience ~~


I have wanted to tell you about this for a very long time. Lately it has been on mine and Wanna’s mind a lot, so I have decided to finally write this. This happened to Wanna and me several years ago, not sure just how long.


Now in order to fully understand how strange this thing really is, you need to know a little something about Wanna and me. We are both very, very sensible, down-to-earth people, never given to hysteria, wild imaginations, or suspicions. We are just plain people who never jump to wild conclusions or out-of-the-way things. If ever anyone was sensible, right thinking people, it is Wanna and me.


But several years ago when we were on one of our many birding trips, we went over to Russell Dam on the Georgia-South Carolina line. We had birded on the Georgia side for a good while, then we decided to go over to the SC side and look around. We crossed the River, which joins GA and SC, into SC. We went up the highway a ways until we came to a dirt road which turned off to the right. It went back down toward the river. It was just a back-road of not much value. It was a rough little road which goes nowhere, with nothing on it but trees and bushes, no houses, nothing.


In just a short distance we saw one of those small State Park houses, on the right side of the road. It was not a park there, just a small parking lot with some nice bushes and that little brown house, which the State builds at the Parks. It seemed strange that it would be out here in this nothing-place. But we saw it as we went down the road. We decided to go on down to the river first, to see if any birds were there, then to come back up and get some water and use the bathroom.


This little road did not go all the way down to the river, but ended at nothing. So we turned around and decided to go on back up to the building for refreshments. The little parking area was sandy, with some bushes around it, and a little rock retaining wall, in a circular shape, which led up to a slightly higher level, where the house was. There were two other vehicles there, possible three, but I distinctly remember two. We pulled in between them and parked. There were four young people, two boys and two girls, walking back down from the house, toward their car. They had a drink can and something to eat in their hands. So we thought perhaps they had bought something in the Park Office. We thought we would also go up there and get something to eat and drink, for we were on the hungry-thirsty side.


There was a small path which led from the parking lot up to the house. We walked up the path to the house. The path continued down the side of the house, so we walked on down to the back of the house to look off toward the river and dam. We stood there a little while, looking for birds and admiring the view. It was a good little drop off down toward the dam.


As we stood there, I turned and looked at the back of the cute little brown house. I admired the cute bushes they had planted in the back yard. It had a small porch and steps. I thought to myself, “this is such a cute place”. Wanna says she did the same thing.


Then we turned, looking directly toward the house, after having walked the full width of the house, within no more than three feet of the building, as we went toward the back. We had been facing the house all the while as we got out of our car and walked up the path to go to the house. Now we walked back the full width of the house, and turned and walked up the path which was in front of the building. It was a small paved walk just wide enough for the two of us to comfortably walk side by side. All this while, I am fully aware of the brown building there on the left of me. Wanna was also.


It had some little foundation bushes planted in front of the building. We were as close to the building as three feet, for the path was close to the house. The door was all the way to the other end of the house, so that we walked the full length of the house. The house was made of dark, rough wood, as all our state park buildings in Georgia are.


When we reached the small front porch, (it had two small steps going up to the porch, for it was not a tall one). The little porch was made of cement. There was a small extended room coming out a little beyond the porch on the far end. We both turned to go up onto the porch. Wanna was a little ahead of me. She was up on the porch, reaching out to take hold of the door knob--- then-- in a flash--- as God is my witness, -- I lie not--- this is the truth before the living God--- THAT HOUSE DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR. THERE WAS ABSOLUTLY NOTHING THERE!!


I was so shocked, there are no earthly words to describe it. It like took the breath out of me! My mind and soul was reeling and rocked to the very depth of my being. Wanna was exactly the same way. I truly wish everyone who reads this, could hear her describe this experience. We both saw everything exactly the same. We both describe it the very same. We both saw that brown house, walked the full width of it twice, then walked the full length of it, and saw it disappear before our very eyes!


I turned to her, so shocked I cannot describe it, and asked, “did you see that house? Was it there to you?” And of course she said yes, she saw it also. I asked, did you see a brown house sitting here? She said, yes of course. She then looked to see if there was any foundation left of the house. There was nothing, not even enough room here for a house to have existed! The cement walk and the foundation bushes had also disappeared. Nothing was there except wild bushes and rocks! No sign of any house ever having been there. As God is my witness, this is the solid truth.


We were too shocked to even think straight. We sadly walked back down to our car. All the other people were now gone, if they had indeed really been there to start with. Wanna says that the parking area now seemed to small too have had three cars in it. I still remember that cute little rounded parking lot as clearly as if I saw it yesterday.


We let this thing go for many years, but lately it has been much on my mind. A few weeks ago, we were both over at Rhonda’s house to have prayer meeting. I was telling Rhonda about this thing when Wanna came in. I asked her to tell it to Rhonda. She tells it exactly as I do. We both saw the same thing. She explained how shocked she was as she was reaching out to take the door knob, and wham! Everything disappears! She says it shocked and jarred my soul. There are no words to describe the feeling we both had and still have when we remember and speak about this.


Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, I told a friend of mine about this strange experience. That person, knows Wanna and me both real good. They said I know you are not imagining this and since it happened to both of you, it had to have happened. That person said they think we walked into another dimension . Today, Aug. 16, 2008, without knowing that I had told it Wed. Wanna told it to her two children, Brian and Rebecca. They both said, you must have entered into another dimension.


Wanna and I were talking about this on the phone today. We both said we want to go and try to find that place again. The person I told this to, said you need to go and try to find that place again. Her children said the same thing. For a few weeks I have been wanting to go and try to find it again. We plan to go tomorrow, Wanna, Rebecca, Rhonda and me.


It has been so long, I only hope we can find the right place. Also, much change could have taken place in all these years, to make it impossible for us to either find it or recognize it and be sure it is the same place. But we intend to try. I pray we can find this place. I am also praying that God will give us the understanding of what really did happen there and why. If anyone who ever reads this has had such an experience, or knows of others who may have had such a thing, and you have any idea what this could be, I would love to hear it.


By: Jo Smith ~~~ August 16, 2008

[Jo Smith]

From: joie (Original Message) Sent: 7/1/2005 6:57 PM
Eric’s Healing


Today is Friday, 7/1/05. I wish to give a praise testimony for the glory of God. For many years my little grandson, Eric, has had a bad case of Planters Warts between his toes. They have grown larger and much more troublesome for several years. I had prayed for his healing several times, to no avail. It had reached a point where it truly bothered him to walk. His toes were rubbing against each other as the warts grew larger, and had become quite painful.


His Dad had tried several things to heal the warts, to no avail. The doctor had tried to freeze them off, to no avail. I had tried a few natural healing remedies, to no avail. He was not with me long enough for any of it to ever do any good.


I was getting very worried about his condition and the misery he went through walking. I have read where these kinds of warts can turn into something much worse if they last too long.


Two weeks ago Eric was in Florida vacationing with his other grandparents. One night I felt led to sincerely seek God in prayer for his healing. I felt faith rise up that God would heal his feet.


Eric was here last week. I said to him that I wanted to try another natural healing substance on his feet. He said to me, they are gone. I thought he was teasing with me. But he continued to tell me that the warts were gone. He said he was not teasing. So I went to see and sure enough his feet and toes were perfectly healed. They were clean. I told him how I had sincerely prayed for his healing. I had thought that I had not been sincere enough before.


Then I asked him how they were healed and how long they had been gone. He said that as he walked along the beach in Florida, that something seemed to tell him to look down at his feet. When he did, he saw they were healed.


He showed his Dad that they were gone. His Dad has no faith in God, so he said the sand must have healed them. Of course the sand could not heal his feet. He has walked in the sand every year that he has had the warts.


My God answered my prayer for this child and healed his feet. I will give the glory only to my God. I know He healed Eric’s feet. Praise His Holy and Wonderful Name.


By: Jo Smith