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WestBow Press - Billeace Bloom

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162 pages

English

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The true story of a former atheist who found the reality of God, experienced Him in remarkable ways, and affirmed that the Bible is the holy word.

Billeace Bloom was once an atheist driven by toxic fears to learn if God was real and to find Him if possible. As a result of that search, her life now provides credible evidence that God

is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

In a fascinating autobiography, Billeace begins by revealing how her views of Christianity as a mundane existence fueled her internal struggle to either remain an atheist or release her entire life to God. After detailing how the Lord told her there is no room in the abundant life for boredom, Billeace discloses how she never dreamed how true those words would become when she surrendered her will for His will. As she describes her journey to the truth, Billeace becomes whole when she fills in each piece of her spiritual puzzle. She reminds us that with God as our constant companion, life overflows with miracles, transformations, lessons, laughter, mysteries to solve, and victories.

Missing Pieces of the Puzzle is the true story of a former atheist who found the reality of God, experienced Him in remarkable ways, and affirmed the Bible is God’s own words that can dramatically change lives.

Sujets

Religion

Christianisme

Philosophie et théologie

Inspirational

Christian Living

Informations

Publié par	WestBow Press
Date de parution	14 octobre 2021
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781664245365
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0300€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Missing Pieces of the Puzzle
A Remarkable Journey to Find Reality

Billeace Bloom

Copyright © 2021 Billeace Bloom.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless specified by reference, all scripture quotations are taken from The New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Notations added within the body of a scripture ( in italic font and/or parenthesis ) are added for clarity or subject emphasis and they are not part of the copyrighted original quoted scripture.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-4537-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-4538-9 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-4536-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021919633

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/28/2022

Although they are in Heaven, this book is primarily dedicated to my four parents (explained in the book), who God used to create the “puzzle” that is me. My life has been filled with love, thanks to them.
My knight in shining armor is my beloved husband of more than fifty-five years. He is the rock of our family, a man of great wisdom, and I have learned to care for others through observing him. He is the greatest servant of God I have ever known.
My children, their spouses, and my grandchildren are the legacy I will leave behind. Every single one of them has made me feel loved and proud. A special thanks to my daughter, who helped me recall details of events we experienced together.
My cousin/brother, Duke, is the sibling the Lord gave me when I had none. I can’t imagine that I would ever love a “real” brother more. His wife, Dell, became my sister. They both played a significant role in my journey.
My spiritual sister, Lily, has been a critical part of my life. She appears in many places of this book. I thank her for always being there, and I can continually count on her wisdom, prayers, and support. Her voice remains calm through any storm.
Although I have fictionalized names in this book, I want to thank those who took the time to read my first feeble draft of this autobiography. You know who you are, and your time and effort are a cherished gift.
Finally, I want to thank my friend Elizabeth for being like a sister and always making me laugh!
Contents
Puzzle Pieces
Author’s Note
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1Path of Fear
Chapter 2River of Life
Chapter 3Rocky Road
Chapter 4Butterflies and Wasps
Chapter 5Pile of Clay
Chapter 6Blossoms and Fruit
Chapter 7Buried Treasure
Chapter 8Sunset
Chapter 9Quicksand
Epilogue
Tribute to Mama
Tribute to Daddy
Puzzle Pieces
Billeace B loom
I listened for You in the thunder,
But it was only air.
I looked for You in the lightning,
But it was only frightening.
You told me if I searched for You,
I would find You are somewhere.
I finally discovered You are everywhere.
That didn’t mean I knew You,
But I really sensed You care.
One day I came to understand
If I reach out, You’ll take my hand.
With hand stretched out, I grabbed Yours tight.
I gave You me with all my might!
I found You hold me very tight.
The greatest search that we can do,
Is find the One Whose love is true!

Author’s Note
Upon completion of this book’s first draft, I asked a few ladies to read it and provide feedback. My husband suggested I add at least a couple of male reviewers, and I took his advice. I gave written instructions for all reviewers to be honest and assured them I would not let my feelings be hurt, no matter how negative the opinions might be. The input received back has certainly been interesting, because it seems to be divided upon gender lines. The ladies were very encouraging and expressed minimal need for changes. The first female input I received told me to rush the book to a publisher. A second reviewer proposed to change only one word in the entire document, but that one word was of highest value and identified a critical need for clarification. A third lady said the following:
Well, Billeace, you certainly have had an interesting life! I found out many things about you that I had no idea were pieces of your puzzle. I know this must have been a very long and painful process to relive, think through, and express. You did a wonderful job. I found you to be a very good writer and a very good Bible study teacher. I loved the way you incorporated scripture into every situation and every phase of your story! Scripture is God’s word to us and the only thing we can base our faith and beliefs on. You do that beautifully! I got caught up in your story and enjoyed it and cried with you and rejoiced with you at times.
Although I did not give the book draft to the first man who provided feedback, he started reading his wife’s copy and made her return it to me. He wanted the wicked thing out of his house! He said it should be on a shelf in a bookstore in the cult section and accused me of spreading false doctrine. As a result, I asked a respected pastor to review what I had written that upset the first man. The pastor affirmed my understanding of scripture and said my interpretation was exactly as he has taught for many years. However, the first man’s reaction was valuable preparation for what is surely to come. I realized I must be prepared and expect some hearty opposition to my writing. People are passionate about their beliefs and doctrinal stands. There will be those who say my story doesn’t agree with their interpretation of scripture or their belief system. My response is found in the Bible. In the book of Acts, chapter 4, verse 20 (Acts 4:20), it says, “For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” I simply must tell others what I saw, what I heard, and what I experienced as my life was transformed.
Another male reviewer’s comments are sincerely appreciated. His review was detailed and it became apparent that he took a lot of time. His input also provided some valuable ideas. However, he said he had “mixed emotions” about the manuscript and “would rather that you had left much of the ‘preaching’ out of it.” He said he enjoyed reading about my life and suggested I leave out the theology.
As of this writing, after months waiting for the third male reviewer’s input, he never provided it. One might conclude men may not like this book, but the fact is that only one man actually reviewed the entire first draft. My husband has read portions (at my request) and provided wisdom where I needed it. However, he says he already experienced most of it with me and it is too difficult to relive! I frankly don’t know if he will ever read the completed manuscript, and I completely understand.
The first lady who provided me with feedback told me there was a certain section of the book she felt was just for her. She said she had struggled with a particular problem and found direction through reading my book.
I have lived long, made mistakes, learned a lot, and experienced God Almighty and His power. I make no apologies for writing about anything that might challenge, encourage, teach, exhort, or bless another life. I had a pastor who often said, “Anyone who chooses to be offended will.” It is not my intention to offend. I can’t tolerate Christians who come across as arrogant know-it-alls and look down their pious noses at others. If my story or lessons I have learned convict a reader to examine their own life, I believe that is a worthy ambition. If the book has no discernable connection for your particular life, there is one thing I hope will happen: that you will believe all things are possible!
After the reviewers’ input, I attended the beautiful movie Little Women. I was amazed to see on screen exactly what I was going through. I felt strong empathy for Louisa May Alcott, if her experience was accurately portrayed in the beginning of the film. She was a young writer hoping to have a story bought and printed. The publisher arrogantly took his pen and struck through parts of her story that Miss Alcott thought were spiritually important. He, just like my male reviewer, thought she was being too preachy and told her to just tell the story and leave the sermonizing out. I have not been gifted with Miss Alcott’s talent, but my own life demonstrates the amazing power of God to change a life. If I come across as “preachy,” that is not my intention. However, I would be negligent if I failed to share the lessons I have learned, how relevant bib