2. Having to face a situation that I knew no matter what I said or did, there were going to be people who thought badly of me. Probably my most defining moment. Changed everything for me. Ultimately the most painful, yet freeing experience in my life.
whos isnt
birth
graduation
marriage
kids
Holy ghost?
besides those....
The night I had a conversation with the Lord and got the very clear word that there was no place for me in my home church. Almost killed me. but God is in control.
the day i spent in the floor of a back office room in a church in South America begging God to give me strengh to make it. I was a 23 year old kid in a country that was as unlike the USA as possible, with not a soul I knew, among a people whos culture was daylight and dark from my own, and facing 3 months of it....in the middle of a power struggle among the native pastors over control of the organization.
the night the Doctor told my wife and I that our son had a dangerous heart condition that uncontroled could kill him.
The day my father told me we had lost everything and were going to have to move 380 miles from home. i was 15.
The first time we were a hundred dollars short of making rent because we were too poor and a card came in the mail THAT DAY from one of my mom and dads aquaintences.... note, not close friend.... that said "Just thinking about you here is a hundred dollars.
and a second time
and a third time all in 6 months.
The first time I preached in that south American country and this lady recieved the Holy Ghost. I preached under a house that was on stilts, and we had no electricity.
that lady envited me and a fellow pastor to her house to bless it. When we got there, the inside was exactly 4 feet by 6 feet, it also had a covered part that was the same size, open on 3 sides where she cooked in a mud stove. she and her son lived there, and she was so THANKFUL. God had blessed her with a beautiful home and the Holy Ghost!
the day God laid it on my heart to pray for my parents to recieve a home. they were getting up in years and didnt own a home and would have no way to pay a mortgage after retirement.... and the day God answered that prayer. (I started praying in South America see above) God came thru in 3 years later.
The day I helped carry my mom into the church. She couldnt walk. her right leg was un-usable. 3 years before she had back surgery and the steele rod they put in her back was pulling away from the spine. Not only did she walk out of that church that night, but she walked out after she stopped running around the building. God healed her....even thou she was mad at God because instead of a great service, there was a missionary with a slide show... Brother Miller (Missionary to Great Britian) came by while she was fussing at God, laid a hand on her head, and all the sudden she didnt hurt anymore. (God doesnt do it your way by the way)
rambling.... But the siminal events in my life have been the ones that make me know who my God is.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
whos isnt
birth
graduation
marriage
kids
Holy ghost?
besides those....
The night I had a conversation with the Lord and got the very clear word that there was no place for me in my home church. Almost killed me. but God is in control.
the day i spent in the floor of a back office room in a church in South America begging God to give me strengh to make it. I was a 23 year old kid in a country that was as unlike the USA as possible, with not a soul I knew, among a people whos culture was daylight and dark from my own, and facing 3 months of it....in the middle of a power struggle among the native pastors over control of the organization.
the night the Doctor told my wife and I that our son had a dangerous heart condition that uncontroled could kill him.
The day my father told me we had lost everything and were going to have to move 380 miles from home. i was 15.
The first time we were a hundred dollars short of making rent because we were too poor and a card came in the mail THAT DAY from one of my mom and dads aquaintences.... note, not close friend.... that said "Just thinking about you here is a hundred dollars.
and a second time
and a third time all in 6 months.
The first time I preached in that south American country and this lady recieved the Holy Ghost. I preached under a house that was on stilts, and we had no electricity.
that lady envited me and a fellow pastor to her house to bless it. When we got there, the inside was exactly 4 feet by 6 feet, it also had a covered part that was the same size, open on 3 sides where she cooked in a mud stove. she and her son lived there, and she was so THANKFUL. God had blessed her with a beautiful home and the Holy Ghost!
the day God laid it on my heart to pray for my parents to recieve a home. they were getting up in years and didnt own a home and would have no way to pay a mortgage after retirement.... and the day God answered that prayer. (I started praying in South America see above) God came thru in 3 years later.
The day I helped carry my mom into the church. She couldnt walk. her right leg was un-usable. 3 years before she had back surgery and the steele rod they put in her back was pulling away from the spine. Not only did she walk out of that church that night, but she walked out after she stopped running around the building. God healed her....even thou she was mad at God because instead of a great service, there was a missionary with a slide show... Brother Miller (Missionary to Great Britian) came by while she was fussing at God, laid a hand on her head, and all the sudden she didnt hurt anymore. (God doesnt do it your way by the way)
rambling.... But the siminal events in my life have been the ones that make me know who my God is.
Not rambling at all, and the bolded portion is because it's like you were listening in on a conversation this morning about faith...awesome!!
whos isnt
birth
graduation
marriage
kids
Holy ghost?
besides those....
The night I had a conversation with the Lord and got the very clear word that there was no place for me in my home church. Almost killed me. but God is in control.
the day i spent in the floor of a back office room in a church in South America begging God to give me strengh to make it. I was a 23 year old kid in a country that was as unlike the USA as possible, with not a soul I knew, among a people whos culture was daylight and dark from my own, and facing 3 months of it....in the middle of a power struggle among the native pastors over control of the organization.
the night the Doctor told my wife and I that our son had a dangerous heart condition that uncontroled could kill him.
The day my father told me we had lost everything and were going to have to move 380 miles from home. i was 15.
The first time we were a hundred dollars short of making rent because we were too poor and a card came in the mail THAT DAY from one of my mom and dads aquaintences.... note, not close friend.... that said "Just thinking about you here is a hundred dollars.
and a second time
and a third time all in 6 months.
The first time I preached in that south American country and this lady recieved the Holy Ghost. I preached under a house that was on stilts, and we had no electricity.
that lady envited me and a fellow pastor to her house to bless it. When we got there, the inside was exactly 4 feet by 6 feet, it also had a covered part that was the same size, open on 3 sides where she cooked in a mud stove. she and her son lived there, and she was so THANKFUL. God had blessed her with a beautiful home and the Holy Ghost!
the day God laid it on my heart to pray for my parents to recieve a home. they were getting up in years and didnt own a home and would have no way to pay a mortgage after retirement.... and the day God answered that prayer. (I started praying in South America see above) God came thru in 3 years later.
The day I helped carry my mom into the church. She couldnt walk. her right leg was un-usable. 3 years before she had back surgery and the steele rod they put in her back was pulling away from the spine. Not only did she walk out of that church that night, but she walked out after she stopped running around the building. God healed her....even thou she was mad at God because instead of a great service, there was a missionary with a slide show... Brother Miller (Missionary to Great Britian) came by while she was fussing at God, laid a hand on her head, and all the sudden she didnt hurt anymore. (God doesnt do it your way by the way)
rambling.... But the siminal events in my life have been the ones that make me know who my God is.
Defined by Jesus
from My Testimony http://www.ninetyandnine.com/Archive.../testimony.htm
It was while I was Mennonite, at age 16, that I first remember getting transparent and serious with God concerning my salvation.
I was given some cassette tapes by someone who knew I was hiding a cassette player. They were tapes from “Because of the Times,” with speakers like G. A. and Vesta Mangun, and Jeff Arnold. I listened to some of the sermons, but what I found most interesting was the way they all prayed together—out loud.
While listening to them pray, I felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to pray with them, and I cried and repented of my sins.
While I continued to rebel against the Mennonite way of life and soon left our home and the church, I believe it was this experience with God that kept me from going too far.
Within a few months after leaving home I joined a Pentecostal church.
My encounter with Christ did not result with me embracing the Ordnung as it did my mother, but it did provide direction and stability in my life as a young, rebellious teenager, and anchored me to the God of the Ordnung.
-------
I left home at age 16 - This was a difficult decision that cost me some intimacy with my family and of course the former church, but defined what I was to be in the future.
--------
Newspaper clipping...
Stephen Hoover was born August 5th 1968 in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. The Hoover family bought a farm East of Versailles and moved in 1970.
Raised a conservative Mennonite, Steve’s first language was Pennsylvania Dutch (a German dialect), and the family’s mode of transportation was horse and buggy.
Steve married Kristin (Bentley) Hoover in 1992 and they have three daughters, Emily Nikole 5, Grace Marie 3, and Alivia Joy 1.
A defining moment in Steve’s life was the destruction of the cherished family home in the mid 1980’s. It was apparent that faulty construction of the chimney serving the wood stove, and a chimney fire had ignited the structure inside the wall resulting in a total loss.
When Steve had the opportunity to purchase some chimney cleaning tools shortly thereafter, he recalled the tragedy of the fire and became a “Chimney Sweep”. What started as a part time novelty for Steve became a fulltime business. Steve is owner of Lucky Sweep Chimney Service & Sales. He is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute and the National Fireplace Institute. The CSIA and the NFI are dedicated to public safety. Those who are credentialed with certifications have demonstrated a working knowledge of applicable NFPA 211 and 54.
Steve was invited to join the Versailles City Fire Department in 2002 and has thoroughly enjoyed being a part of a vital community volunteer group. He has trained at Fire School and is a First Responder. Steve is currently in an EMT course to further his knowledge and provide continued volunteerism through the City of Versailles Fire Department.
Steve states, “As a Firefighter and a First Responder I know there are those who excel beyond my contribution. However, I am available and willing to learn, and hope that as a volunteer I can make a difference in someones life.”
-----
Beyond that, my wife and children have and are still defining me and I willingly give all I have for them.
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
whos isnt
birth
graduation
marriage
kids
Holy ghost?
besides those....
The night I had a conversation with the Lord and got the very clear word that there was no place for me in my home church. Almost killed me. but God is in control.
the day i spent in the floor of a back office room in a church in South America begging God to give me strengh to make it. I was a 23 year old kid in a country that was as unlike the USA as possible, with not a soul I knew, among a people whos culture was daylight and dark from my own, and facing 3 months of it....in the middle of a power struggle among the native pastors over control of the organization.
the night the Doctor told my wife and I that our son had a dangerous heart condition that uncontroled could kill him.
The day my father told me we had lost everything and were going to have to move 380 miles from home. i was 15.
The first time we were a hundred dollars short of making rent because we were too poor and a card came in the mail THAT DAY from one of my mom and dads aquaintences.... note, not close friend.... that said "Just thinking about you here is a hundred dollars.
and a second time
and a third time all in 6 months.
The first time I preached in that south American country and this lady recieved the Holy Ghost. I preached under a house that was on stilts, and we had no electricity.
that lady envited me and a fellow pastor to her house to bless it. When we got there, the inside was exactly 4 feet by 6 feet, it also had a covered part that was the same size, open on 3 sides where she cooked in a mud stove. she and her son lived there, and she was so THANKFUL. God had blessed her with a beautiful home and the Holy Ghost!
the day God laid it on my heart to pray for my parents to recieve a home. they were getting up in years and didnt own a home and would have no way to pay a mortgage after retirement.... and the day God answered that prayer. (I started praying in South America see above) God came thru in 3 years later.
The day I helped carry my mom into the church. She couldnt walk. her right leg was un-usable. 3 years before she had back surgery and the steele rod they put in her back was pulling away from the spine. Not only did she walk out of that church that night, but she walked out after she stopped running around the building. God healed her....even thou she was mad at God because instead of a great service, there was a missionary with a slide show... Brother Miller (Missionary to Great Britian) came by while she was fussing at God, laid a hand on her head, and all the sudden she didnt hurt anymore. (God doesnt do it your way by the way)
rambling.... But the siminal events in my life have been the ones that make me know who my God is.
how many of you were in tears when you read this??
what a testimony
how many of you were in tears when you read this??
what a testimony
Indeed! What a testimony unto the Lord!
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
The day my dad moved us to Michigan. I was very upset about leaving my big sister. (I'm the youngest of 8, my sister is 18 years older than me)
The day I realized something was wrong between my parents. My father had my mom by the throat choking her and the younger of my two sisters also. (this is directly following church where he preached about adultery, my mom asked him how he could preach that when he was guilty himself) I was 11 and I picked up a butcher knife from the counter and held it to him and threatened to push it in if he did not let go of them. He let go of them to smack me.
The day my father left when I was 12.
When I was molested by a family friend.
When I realized that my brother who had become my pastor when my dad left did not believe me and told others about what I had told him in private.
The night I lay on my mom's bed, she was at work, and screamed at God and argued with Him. I was very angry and upset and scared. I remember having not felt anything other than fear and hatered for so long that I needed something drastic to happen and I needed it immediately. I had come from church and threw myself in the only place I felt like I was safe, across my mom's bed. I yelled at God and screamed at Him and blamed Him for all this pain. I remember after about 25 minutes I laid there sobbing and this feeling came over me of the deepest love. He wrapped me up in His arms and craddled me. I fell asleep there and mom woke me the next morning so she could go to bed. I have never felt so alone since. I know He is with me and always will be.
The day I knew I had to leave my home church and move on. My brother was so angry at me and called me horrible names for telling him I could not stay there any longer. That is all the past now and my brother has grown as have I.
The day I sat at our dinning room table with two small boys ready to eat and God gave me an answer to a question that had been on my mind. I started speaking in tongues without any preamble. No prayer leading up to it. totally started out in tongues. My wife did the same and our food sat for 20 minutes while we prayed and our boys did not cry or disturb us they sat in the high chairs just waiting. When we stopped and started to eat our food was still hot.
When I realized I was not following God the way he wanted me to. Boy that was an eye opener. I realized all my goodness did me no good. It wasn't about what I did but about what I allowed Him to do through me.
Of course the my marriage, birth of all four sons, seeing all four of them filled with the Holy Ghost. Three of them within months of each other.
It is amazing how God has kept and sustained through it all.
__________________ "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity." Dave Barry 2005
I am a firm believer in the Old Paths
Articles on such subjects as "The New Birth," will be accepted, whether they teach that the new birth takes place before baptism in water and Spirit, or that the new birth consists of baptism of water and Spirit. - THE PENTECOSTAL HERALD Dec. 1945
"It is doubtful if any Trinitarian Pentecostals have ever professed to believe in three gods, and Oneness Pentecostals should not claim that they do." - Daniel Segraves
The defining moment for me has to do with God, who I denied existed for years to my own hurt. But who heard a selfish prayer and put aside the judgement I deserved to have mercy on me.
__________________
His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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