• Chapter 1: The Beginning of It All


    It was a bright, crisp Sunday morning when Adrianne went crawling Into Illianna’s bed. “What do you need darling?” Illianna asked. “Mommy,” cried Adrianne “where is daddy?” why, what is wrong? “Where is my daddy?” she asked again but with a very shaky voice and a look of fear upon her face as well. “Your father is out getting our breakfast, babe, what is wrong with you?” she questioned again and this time she became a little impatient

    “Daddy, I want my daddy,” she cried “I had a very scary dream that daddy got shot, then he died in the parking lot or driveway I don’t really know where” she continued “ then when I comed in I didn’t see my daddy so I thinked that it really did happen to him, and it scared me really bad.” Shhh… my darling little girl you just had a bad dream, its ok and your daddy is just fine I promise nothing is going to happen to him,” she replied. Ok mommy. “And go get ready for your bath Adrianne,” her mother called back.

    “Can you pick out a pretty dress for me to wear for church today please mommy?” Adrianne called across the hall to her mother as she started his bath water and then got in the shower. “Of course I’ll pick something out for you to wear to church,” she replied in the distance. It was almost 7:30 and her father had not yet returned from the grocery store. Adrianne had become frightened by this time and wandered where her father could be. Then just as she finished putting on her pink and white ruffled dress with yellow flowers she thought that she heard the front door open then close.

    “Daddy!” she thought so as she peered around the door way as Illianna combed through her long black hair that shimmered in the sun. But to her surprise it was not her dad, but her sister who had come to visit for the day. Both Illianna and Adrianne were amazed to see Destini who was twenty-two years old and lived in her own apartment with her best friend Analisa. Destini was about six foot tall, slender, blonde hair that reached to her shoulders and flipped out on the ends, she had deep blue eyes which she inherited from her grandfather and the complexion of a vibrant red rose. She wore a black pinstripe pantsuit that accented her stiletto heels and added about two inches to her height.

    Then just as Illianna turned to go shower Jesse, Illianna’s husband walked in and greeted everyone in the room at once. Jesse is a six and a half foot tall muscular built man with sandy blonde hair and green eyes, and had dimples every time he smiled. “Illianna I’ve brought home some oatmeal, bread, milk, butter, and some extra cash for lunch out at Dominick’s Factory of Delights,” Jesse said. “Okay babe I’ll be out in twenty minutes, can you start breakfast for us, and I’ll be right down?” “Please and thank you” she replied from up the stairs. Yes dear, is Adrianne ready for her birthday celebration this afternoon? But before Illianna could respond to Jesse’s question Adrianne ran out of her room shouting “Daddy!!!”

    “Yes I am ready for my party and I misseded you a lot daddy!!” Adrianne exclaimed sounding really excited. “How old are you going to be again?” Jesse said jokingly. “Don’t be so silly daddy, I’m going to be five today. “How old are you daddy?” Adrianne questioned back. But before he could answer her, the doorbell rang and he went to answer it. And to his surprise as he opened the door he saw his oldest son standing on his doorstep and couldn’t hold back a smile. (Anthony was twenty-five and stood at 6’ 2” with black hair that had always been spiked and eyes than that of forest pine trees) and as they stood there they properly greeted one another with a handshake and then a hug. Then he entered only to greet his two sisters who he’d not seen for three years due to schooling, work, and traveling.

    “Hey Adrianne; how is my littlest sister doing? Oh, wait whose birthday is it today, I seem to have forgotten?” Anthony teased Adrianne. “It’s my birthday” she replied laughing. “Lets all go sit down” Jesse said “I was just about to prepare breakfast for us, do you two still like my oatmeal surprise?” “Of course!!” they both agreed in unison. “We love your oatmeal surprise.” So Destini who is your new boyfriend? “Daddy, you’ll meet him some other time and when you do I know you will all love him just the same.” she replied.

    Just as Jesse finished preparing breakfast Illianna walked out with a medium length black dress with a white blouse underneath. She wore black heels and her long wavy black hair flowing behind her with a smile on her face. By now it was time to eat their breakfast. Illianna looked down from the balcony just in time to see her son and daughter with a smile on their faces that reached from ear to ear. “Anthony, Destini, oh my goodness how have you two been?” she cried “It feels like I have not seen you two since just out of high school, but we all know it has only been a few years; I have missed you two dearly!”

    We have missed you as well mom. Then Illianna glanced up at the clock and realizing it was 8:35 ushered everyone into the dining room to eat so they could be on their way to church, which was set to start in twenty-five minutes. Then while Jesse was dressing for the occasion Illianna, Destini, and Anthony all cleaned up the mess. Meanwhile Adrianne was trying to figure out what she had received for her birthday but had little luck. Jesse walked out in a gray pantsuit with a black tie and his sandy blonde hair combed back nicely. When he appeared Adrianne ran up the flight of stairs and embraced her father giving him a huge hug.

    Illianna walked into the room where Jesse was holding Adrianne
    And was just about to holler for them both because it was 8:55 and church was just about to start. Then they all filled out of the house and walked down to the end of the street where their church sat on the corner of Hope Valley road and Pyrite way. Out side of the church was a large sign reading:
    “Welcome to Faith Christian Fellowship”
    Service times are:
    Sunday: 9-10:30 am
    And 11:30-1 p.m
    Wednesday: 6 pm
    Saturday: p.m


    By now they had entered the church, and taken their places in the pews while Illianna and Destini walked up on the stage and joined the other choir members.

    Pastor James Rickman walked up to the pulpit and began by quieting everyone in the room then began praying: “Father we come to you right now confessing our sins before you and the heavenly hosts before you; we ask father that you would heal sister Mary Daniels, Renay Orosco, and brothers Cliff Bettin, Charles Dempski, Matthew Diaz, and my son Joseph lord only you know father what needs fixing and we ask that you perform miraculous miracles here today. If it is your will father and in your timing lord Jesus. But if it is not your will then grant these families the strength that they will need to endure this hardships and comfort them we ask this in your name. Amen!

    Pastor Rickman concludes the prayer by asking everyone to stand and join him and the choir to turn their hymnbooks to page 819 that they will be singing “Blessed Be Your Name.” So everyone stood and as the music began to play the choir began to sing “Blessed be you name in the land that is plentiful; blessed be your name…” After they had finished that song everyone turned to page 32 and sang above all. As soon as they had finished worship they sat and Pastor Rickman began the message with a prayer.

    Then he spoke again saying “lets open our bibles to Luke 17:11-19, now lets begin by reading verse 11 and he read; “and now it happened as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, then he entered a certain village, there met him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off; and they lifted their voices and said “Jesus master have mercy on us!!” Then the pastor paused and said “now if you read into this you will find as Jesus traveled to Jerusalem he went through Samaria and Galilee he met with ten men who had leprosy and they asked Jesus to have mercy on them.”

    Then again he read “so when he saw them he said “go show yourself to the priests.” And so it was as they went they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed he returned and with a loud voice glorified God!!! Again he paused and said “why would a foreigner return to glorify God when it should be the “chosen people” not just this man who is a foreigner to God. Then Pastor Rickman continued “and fell down on his face at his feet, giving thanks to God. And was a Samaritan.” so he paused and said “if a Samaritan can give thanks to the lord for the miracles he performed for him, why can we not give thanks to our lord and savior, for no matter the miracle great nor small whether its making us smile or saving the life of a loved one, you should always pray and give thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord.”

    So he read on in verses 17-19 he goes on to say “so Jesus answered and said “were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to god except this foreigner?” And he said “arise and go your way your faith has made you well.” “In these three verses” Pastor Rickman said “we see that not only does the foreigner come back to glorify God for his miracles but to thank and worship him as well. But of the other ten none return and are suppose to be the chosen people of God.”

    “Then we see that Jesus questions the others motives and the decision to ask for Gods mercy on them. Why are we like the nine who did not return to praise God even though he has saved us as he saved the ten who had leprosy? Do we have an ulterior motive for coming to Christ then turning our backs on him as the nine did? What are our excuses for not thanking our father in heaven? We should never turn our backs on Christ “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son so that who ever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life…(John 3:16)”

    “So in closing” Pastor James Rickman concluded “I encourage you to pray and give thanks to Jesus Christ our father for the big, the small, and the in between. Let’s all stand and praise Jesus for his mighty works in our lives. Let’s also thank him for dying on the cross for our sins. Lastly they sang “Shout to the North” and at ten thirty the service had concluded and the congregation left the church. Shortly after the message had ended all of the parents who had their child in a Sunday school service had to wait another ten minutes and then they could pick them up. But as everyone left to pick up their children the lines had become rather large so they had to wait another ten minutes.