About thirty years ago, as I researched the location for a story that began in the schools where I worked. To be exact, it started in the 4th grade hallways where the “Wall” begins. In this search, I fell in love with North Carolina… Wilmington… Thailian Hall… the Cape Fear River… and the “bridge.” Not the structure made of steel and concrete, the God-created, flesh and blood bridges. I want to take you on that journey and share what I discovered. I have often wondered why North Carolina found a place in my heart. Recently, I discovered the DNA connection. But that’s for the end of the story. In the next few weeks, I hope to show you.
Since its construction in 1855-1858, the City Hall/Thalian Hall building has had the unusual distinction of serving as both the area’s political and cultural center. Listed on the National Register for Historic Places, Thalian Hall is the only surviving theatre designed by John Montague Trimble, one of America’s foremost 19th-century theatre architects. It was built at a time when Wilmington was the largest city in the state. The new building housed the town government, the library, as well as an “Opera House”, seating 1,000 people, which was 10% of the population of the Town.
Wilmington had been a center of theatrical activity since the end of the 18th century. With the building of Thalian Hall, Wilmington became a major stop for national touring artists. During the Civil War, Thalian Hall was in almost constant use as a place of amusement. The theatre was under the control of the 4th Thalian Association for the first two years of its operation until financial difficulties forced their dissolution.
I needed a location for the story I wanted to tell. The place had to have survived the War Between the States. Some people call it the Civil War. Others call it the War of Northern Aggression. I call it the War Congress Could Have Stopped–if they would have done their job. The location had to be somewhat unchanged. Thailian Hall for me was one of those “magical spots” in life where I felt at home and had skills of excitement at the same time. It not only survived… it thrived. It entertained, educated, and helped people block the fear of a war raging around them. Wilmington 1861, the largest city in North Carolina, a city of commerce, a port deep enough for cargo ships, and in the middle of a war it remained untouched until almost the end.
You will want to if you haven’t seen this architectural treasure, Thailain Hall.
Do you need a miracle? When crises come crashing into our lives, leaving us hopeless, we all long for divine intervention. We cry, beg, and negotiate.
Do you need a miracle? When crises come crashing into our lives, leaving us hopeless, we all long for divine intervention. We cry, beg, and negotiate.
Dr. Mark Forrest brings his down-to-earth teaching style, sprinkled with a touch of Louisiana humor to reveal a powerful picture of who Jesus is, and how He answers our prayers of desperation.
What do people do to receive a miracle? Who has the power and the authority to grant miracles? Who can we trust and rely on to save us? Didn’t God perform miracles and wondrous signs? God certainly can and will answer our needs, however He yearns for us to look beyond.
The book Miracles highlights stories of real people in crises from the Old and New Testaments to show examples of how God used miraculous events throughout time. Using the eyewitness testimony found in the Book of John, Dr. Forrest shares the signs behind seven of the thirty-seven miracles recorded in all four Gospels.
From the big picture of God seeking a relationship with us to the detailed promises of a “zoe” life, abundant and eternal, Dr. Forrest weaves a tapestry of God’s love. This study takes the reader beyond the miracle to discover the Miracle Maker and the greatest miracle—healing for the soul, and the “life” we desire.
About the Author Mark Forrest grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, with little exposure to Christianity. But when he was a teenager, a friend told him about Jesus and he trusted in Christ. In college, he sensed a call to vocational ministry and pursued a degree at Southwestern Seminary. He and his wife Gina began their ministry in Malawi, Africa. Returning to Texas, he served at three churches and is Pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas. Mark and Gina spend their spare time enjoying their six children and three grandchildren.
“It’s my prayer as you read and think about Jesus’ miracles in the Gospel of John, you will discover The Jesus, The I AM, Miracle Maker, who hears your cry and gives life abundantly.” – Mark Forrest
Endorsement “Mark Forrest has gifted the Church with yet another excellent work of theological interpretation crafted for the edification of every believer. Forrest argues the miracles worked by Jesus point us beyond those truly amazing events considered merely on their own. Instead, they function as signs calling us to have faith in the One who is truly God come in human flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, take up and read, then believe and be blessed!” – Malcolm B. Yarnell III, Research Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Author of Theology for Every Person, Special Revelation and Scripture, and The Formation of Christian Doctrine.
In this miracle where Jesus walks on water, we discover thatJesus gets into the boat with us.
In this miracle where Jesus walks on water, we discover thatJesus gets into the boat with us.
Miracles by Mark Forrest Do you need a miracle? When crises come crashing into our lives, leaving us hopeless, we all long for divine intervention. We cry, beg, and negotiate.
What do people do to receive a miracle? Who has the power and the authority to grant miracles? Who can we trust and rely on to save us? Didn’t God perform miracles and wondrous signs? God certainly can and will answer our needs, however He yearns for us to look beyond.
Dr. Mark Forrest brings his down-to-earth teaching style, sprinkled with a touch of Louisiana humor to reveal a powerful picture of who Jesus is, and how He answers our prayers of desperation.
The book Miracles highlights stories of real people in crises from the Old and New Testaments to show examples of how God used miraculous events throughout time. Using the eyewitness testimony found in the Book of John, Dr. Forrest shares the signs behind seven of the thirty-seven miracles recorded in all four Gospels.
From the big picture of God seeking a relationship with us to the detailed promises of a “zoe” life, abundant and eternal, Dr. Forrest weaves a tapestry of God’s love. This study takes the reader beyond the miracle to discover the Miracle Maker and the greatest miracle—healing for the soul, and the “life” we desire.
About the Author Mark Forrest grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, with little exposure to Christianity. But when he was a teenager, a friend told him about Jesus and he trusted in Christ. In college, he sensed a call to vocational ministry and pursued a degree at Southwestern Seminary. He and his wife Gina began their ministry in Malawi, Africa. Returning to Texas, he served at three churches and is Pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas. Mark and Gina spend their spare time enjoying their six children and three grandchildren.
“It’s my prayer as you read and think about Jesus’ miracles in the Gospel of John, you will discover The Jesus, The I AM, Miracle Maker, who hears your cry and gives life abundantly.” – Mark Forrest
Endorsement “Mark Forrest has gifted the Church with yet another excellent work of theological interpretation crafted for the edification of every believer. Forrest argues the miracles worked by Jesus point us beyond those truly amazing events considered merely on their own. Instead, they function as signs calling us to have faith in the One who is truly God come in human flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, take up and read, then believe and be blessed!” – Malcolm B. Yarnell III, Research Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Author of Theology for Every Person, Special Revelation and Scripture, and The Formation of Christian Doctrine.
God’s Call As I read this book, I asked myself, “Does God really give us the desires of our heart, not matter how old we are.“
Peggy Purser freeman
This is my favorite book in this series. These characters find their happy-ever-after at an age I call middle-of-the-day age– not the twilight of life age. I know so many people marrying in their 70s and 80s. Love is Ageless. So are God’s promises. Connie Lewis Lenord is good at sharing the promises of God. In this book, she shares the Promise that God will give us the desires of our hearts.
Deidre Andrews fell in love with Roberto Cordova as a teenager, following him on her family’s ranch and at school. He taught her about honesty, character, and integrity, making her believe in herself and showering her with true, unconditional, unselfish love. However, he never wrote back to her letters. After Roberto returned from serving in the Vietnam War, he attempted to reconnect with Deidre and find out why she never responded, only to discover that she had gotten married and started a family. Roberto also got married and had children, but now that his wife has passed away and his children are grown, he is free to pursue his long-lost love.
Deidre, who had two failed marriages, is determined to fight for her dream. She plans a reunion and invites Roberto, who is now a successful rancher. At seventy, Deidre realizes that most of her life has passed, but she wants to spend the rest of it with Roberto. They are both old enough to make their own decisions, and nobody can stop them. Or can they? Roberto Cordova had loved Deidre Andrews, the ranch owner’s daughter since they were young, but their passion could have overwhelmed them. Roberto had joined the Army and went to Vietnam, planning to marry Deidre once they were old enough to make their own decisions, without her parents’ approval.
Delight yourself in the Lord, And He will give you thedesiresand petitions of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (AMP)
God Whispers
This is the best in Connie Leonard Lewis’s In Texas series. Roberto is such a lovable character. The plot is solid in this book and full of action in a clean story that lifts up God’s grace. In this story of God giving his children the desires of their hearts, the reader is reminded of the conditions.
3 “Trust [rely on and have confidence] in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and feed [securely] on His faithfulness.”
Your Action – Trust… rely… Do good… Dwell in the place where you can stay close…
“Delight yourself in the Lord, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.”
Your Action – Delight…
“Commit your way to the Lord; Trust in Him also and He will do it.”
More Action:Commit … Trust in Him
Where to Start? Prayer: ASK. TRUST IN HIM AND HE WILL DO IT.
This is one of my very favorite power passages. Another is “I think I can, I think I can… ” from The Little Engine that Could.
“…suddenly Aslan came bounding into it.”
~ C.S.Lewis
God Calls
There are many books that symbolize the ultimate romance, the love of God for humanity. In our relationship with others, we experience good and evil. God uses both to bring us closer to him. Does the book you’re reading speak to you in a special way? Leave me a comment or a prayer request.
The following devotionals are based on the parables in some of my favorite books, and stories of people like me. In an English ballroom or chained to a burning ship deck surrounded by pirates, these characters help build my faith. Conflicting problems stand between them and their dreams. Like me, they need God-sized solutions. Like me, they need to know more about the Creator of the universe and how to serve Him better.
“When we read for escape or entertainment, if we listen, we will see beyond the story to the parable beneath”
Peggy Purser Freeman
In these well-crafted books, God pulls me closer. If I lean in and listen, He whispers to me. Sometimes He laughs with me. Always He reminds me of His love and carries me down the path where joy waits. Reading Christian fiction doesn’t replace my Bible study. Nothing can replace God’s Word. It’s amazing how often a Sunday School lesson or a study offers the same truth as the book I’m reading. When this type of coincidence happens, I thank God for the author and ask God to bless them.
To my readers, my prayer is that you have asked Jesus into your heart, and you are filled with His peace.
For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (AMP)
Power Passages
I challenge you to find your favorite power passage quoted in this devotional book. Post it on my website, (http://PeggyPurserFreeman.com), telling how it empowered your life. Include a link to your review of this book on Amazon or on Good Reads (https://www.goodreads.com) and you will be entered in our Power Passage Prize drawing.
Those who had respect for the Lord talked with one another. And the Lord heard them. A list of people and what they did was written in a book in front of him. It included the names of those who respected the Lord and honored him. Malachi 3:16
