Author Archive for Allen

A Child’s Christmas Wish

by Allen
December 5th, 2011

Christmas is a time for sharing with family and friends. It is a time to show our gratitude by sharing our blessings with others. For those who know Jesus Christ as Savior, it is a time to remember the “Reason for the Season,” and the gift that God gave. The Christmas Story comes alive! As we gather together, we reflect upon the importance of the meaning of that day so long ago.

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 – (KJV)

Skylar, an eight year old boy who was born blind, had a life long desire: he simply longed to read the Word of God!

Last December, Skylar and other visually impaired individuals were guests at a local Lions Club Meeting. There were informed of the various programs and services available to them. Skylar was particularly interested when the presentation was made for Audio Bibles for the Blind.

Skylar got really excited when he heard that Audio Bibles were available for people just like him! Skylar exclaimed, “That’s what I want for Christmas!”

His family, pleased that their son wanted to read the Word of God, inquired as to how they might get a free Children’s Audio Bible. Knowing the time was short, we assured them that Skylar’s gift would be on its way the next day.

What a joy it was for us when we heard it did arrive in time for Christmas!

A child with a Christmas wish is not unusual. When a child’s wish is for their own Audio Bible, it reminds us of why we celebrate this joyous season, and makes the work we do worthwhile.

Because of your generosity, many children and adults around the world have access to the Word of God. There are many out there like Skylar! Without help from friends like you, many won’t receive the gift of God’s Word for Christmas. That’s why I’m asking you to rush your most generous support to Audio Bibles for the Blind.

For boys and girls like Skylar, Christmas will come alive, because you cared enough to give. On their behalf, we thank you, and wish you a blessed Christmas Season.

Luke 2:1-14 (King James Version)

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)  5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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Categories Audio Bible Stories, Christmas, Special needs children, Story of the Month

The Healing Words of Scripture

by Allen
October 27th, 2011

“I prayed to die.”

Peggy shared with us recently that when her husband told her he had only married her because he felt sorry she was blind, the world around her crumbled. Born premature as a twin, Peggy was blinded when the oxygen in the incubator dried out her eyes. Her sister didn’t survive. Peggy had been a fighter since birth, but now she didn’t want to fight anymore.

Peggy’s crumbled marriage wasn’t her only struggle. She had accepted Christ into her life when she was 17 years old, but she had never found a Christian community where she felt she belonged. No matter how hard Peggy tried, it seemed like people couldn’t get past the fact that she was blind. They couldn’t see her for who she was.

It was in that moment of total despair that Peggy says she heard the Lord speak to her heart. “If I don’t heal your eyes, will you serve me? If I don’t restore your marriage, will you serve me?” Peggy answered, “Yes.”

Today, Peggy is nearing 60 years of age, and she’s been happily married to her husband, Robert, for 26 years. And every day since their wedding, Peggy prayed that Robert would join her in her walk with the Lord.

Still struggling to find a Christian community where she belonged, Peggy called us one day. We listened to her story and prayed with her. Because of the generous support of friends and partners like you, we were able to send Peggy an Audio Bible.

The healing words of scripture were now instantly available to her. And what was even more wonderful for Peggy was that when she listened to God’s Spoken Word, Robert joined her.For the first time in their marriage, they were hearing the Bible together.

Not long after they received the Audio Bible, Robert started going to church with Peggy. They finally found a community where they belonged. And they found it together. Recently, Robert and Peggy were both baptized in their church. Peggy couldn’t be happier.

That’s what happens when friends like you support our life-changing ministry at Audio Bibles for the Blind. Hearts are opened, lives are changed, and people are seen and loved for who they really are. It’s hard to believe a few recordings could do all this, but time and again, we hear stories just like Peggy’s.

In their new church home, Peggy and Robert have been able to minister to countless people who also feel pushed away and rejected by the world around them. Peggy wraps these fragile men and women in the love of Christ and acknowledges their beauty as sons and daughters of God. And it started with an Audio Bible.

Peggy no longer sees her blindness as something God is using to test her. Instead, she sees that she has a tremendous gift to offer others. Peggy doesn’t get caught up in disfigurements, skin color, or even fashion sense. She sees straight into people’s hearts, and she loves them for who they are.

When you send your support to Audio Bibles For The Blind, lives are changed. As homes are opened to healing words of scripture, hearts are transformed.

Please, send in your most generous support today so we can continue ministering to men and women like Peggy. Help us give God’s Spoken Word to those whose hearts are longing for healing words of love and encouragement.

We can’t make Peggy’s blindness go away, but we can help her and countless others like her to see themselves as God’s precious children, accepted and dearly loved as His own.

This is the miracle of the Audio Bible. And you make it happen every time you give to this ministry. Thank you!

Categories Story of the Month, Uncategorized

My Faith Calls for Hope Against Hope

by Allen
June 23rd, 2011

“If you want to see your son alive, you better get here.”

The words every parent prays they never hear became a reality for one mother. Her son, Josh, was comatose and barely clinging to life.

One night, when a party got out of hand, Josh fell from his friend’s balcony and hit the concrete 25 feet below. He should have died that night. At least, that’s what the doctors and nurses said.

Josh spent more than 3 months in a coma on life support. Time and again, the doctors tried to convince his mother to “pull the plug.” Josh was completely unresponsive, they said. There was no hope.

As Josh’s mother agonized over what to do, she heard, deep in her heart, the promises of scripture:

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed” (Romans 4:18, NIV).
“So, too, am I giving you hope,” was the whisper in her heart.

What happened next was the first in a series of miracles the Lord would use to save Josh. As a faithful friend to Audio Bibles for the Blind, you are a part of Josh’s miracle.

In the final hours before Josh would have to be removed from life support, the unthinkable happened: he opened his eyes. Hope against hope, Josh was alive. But surviving was only the beginning. He would need to learn to live again.

After the fall and the coma, Josh’s body had shut down completely. He’d suffered multiple strokes and heart attacks. His brain and body were severely damaged. From his ABC’s to taking his first steps, Josh would have to relearn everything.

When Josh was finally stable enough to go home with his mother, reality––and despair––set in. Yes, he was alive, he thought, but barely.

Josh’s left wrist was broken, his right arm was curled up from strokes, he was in a wheelchair, and his left eye had been removed.

“I was moping,” Josh said. “I said, ‘I’m nothing. I can do nothing. I can’t even feed myself. I can’t bathe myself. I’m nothing.”

But once again, Josh’s mother had faith beyond imagination. “First and foremost you’re God’s child. You’ve been redeemed by the blood,” she told Josh.” Secondly, you’re my son, you’re a brother, you’re an uncle, you’re a friend. Why don’t you just be the best that you can be?”

From that moment on, that’s exactly what Josh has done.

Before long, Josh contacted us at Audio Bibles for the Blind and requested a copy of God’s Spoken Word. The accident had taken away his left eye and most of his vision in his right eye. Holding a book was nearly impossible after the multiple strokes. And still, Josh longed to delve into scriptures and learn to be the best that he could be.

“It’s so much easier now,” Josh said of having his very own Audio Bible. “I’m so grateful.”

God miraculously saved Josh’s life after the tragic accident at his friend’s party. But the real miracle is how God restored life to Josh’s heart and soul. Through God’s Spoken Word, Josh has found “hope against hope.”

You are a part of that hope.

When you contribute to Audio Bibles For The Blind, you restore life to the hearts and souls of the blind and print handicapped. You give hope to those who have surrendered to despair.

Each and every day, we have more and more stories pouring in, stories just like Josh’s where young men and women suffer a tragic accident and have their whole world shattered. We need your help to meet their needs, and to mend their broken hearts with promises of God’s Spoken Word.

From the heartfelt cries of the Psalms to the eternal hope of the Gospel, every single Audio Bible holds the salve to soothe the deepest wounds.

Josh did lose everything the night he fell. But today, he is God’s beloved child, sealed as Christ’s own because you ministered to him through the gift of an Audio Bible.

You can do it again when you give today.

Thank you for your faithful giving, but most of all, thank you for the “hope against hope” that you make possible through your valuable support.

P.S. Please share this ministry with family, friends or even your local church. We cannot imagine having to turn away hundreds each week who need God’s Word, but we are reaching a critical time at Audio Bibles for the Blind. Please keep this ministry in your prayers during these tough economic times.

Download PDF: June 2011 Story of the Month

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Categories Audio Bible Stories, Story of the Month
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A Living Reality of the Easter Resurrection Story

by Allen
April 18th, 2011

“That night the Lord pulled me from the claws of the dead.”

Hugo was a young man who, like so many, was filled with a desire to enlist in the military and serve this great country. Trained by the Army as a Field Artillery Mechanic, he found himself performing infantry duties in Iraq.

On the night of June 21, 2004, Hugo’s life changed drastically. While Hugo’s convoy was searching for improvised explosive devices (IED) they were suddenly ambushed. Hugo and his Humvee took the full impact of a detonated IED and his world went dark. For days, his life hung by a thread. In his conscious moments, he wondered if he would ever see his lovely wife and family again, but that night God indeed snatched him from the “claws of the dead.”

A devastated Hugo was left with permanent vision loss in his right eye and shrapnel in his left eye. Many surgeries followed as the blast had also crushed his skull, requiring him to have a craniotomy to save his life; but at least he was alive and eventually reunited with his family.

As Hugo continued to receive medical attention and rehabilitation for his severe injuries, someone at the VA Medical Center gave him an Audio Bible, a gift you made possible through your generous and faithful support of Audio Bibles for the Blind. Though his physical world had grown darker, the spiritual darkness of his soul was pierced with the light of God’s Word. With renewed hope, Hugo said, “I began praying hard for the Lord to touch my soul and give me a new life.”

Once I started hearing the Bible, I realized that Jesus was very close to me, yet we were separated. That night I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior.

Having his own Audio Bible meant Hugo no longer had to labor to read using magnification equipment that limited him to seeing only half a word at a time, forcing him to piece together words and sentences. He would become exhausted and fatigued after just a paragraph or two and despaired thinking that this is how it would be for the rest of his life. Now, his Audio Bible “gives me the opportunity to have a better understanding and comprehension of the Word of the Lord.”

The story of Hugo is a living reality of the Easter Resurrection story, and what it means in the lives of people today. Not only did God deliver Hugo from the claws of physical death on the battlefield, but He raised him from the dead spiritually by giving him a new life and a new hope. This is the reason Audio Bibles for the Blind was founded!

You see, that’s what Audio Bibles for the Blind is really about––sharing the joyous story of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Over the nearly 40 years of serving the spiritual needs of the visually impaired through providing free Audio Bibles, stories like Hugo’s are a continual source of encouragement for us. We trust that they will be an encouragement for you, as well. While we always rejoice to hear of the benefit the Audio Bible is to someone who has no other means to study God’s Word, we are especially excited to hear how God is using Audio Bibles for the Blind to bring someone from the darkness of unbelief into the light of saving faith.

Hugo and others like him, stand as a testament to the impact of an Audio Bible that you helped put into their hands, hearts and minds. In order to continue to meet the demand of those needing to hear God’s Word, we must depend upon the generous support of all our ministry partners, like you. Your contribution of any amount can help put an Audio Bible in the hands of someone like Hugo and perhaps introduce them for the first time to God’s Word and the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Categories Story of the Month, troops
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Audio Bibles for Hospice

by Allen
March 16th, 2011

“Dying is a hard thing for many, but you are helping to make it better. Thanks for what you do.”

When I read those words from a hospice patient who is dying from cancer, it made me stop to think how often in this world we think only about saving lives, about changing people’s future. We can too easily forget about those who are passing from this life to the next. Their journey can’t be easy––not for them, and certainly not for those they leave behind. That’s why our hospice ministry is such a special part of what we do at Audio Bibles for the Blind.

As hospice patients near the end of their lives here on earth, the Spoken Word of God becomes very important to them and their loved ones. They long for the comfort and guidance found in the Scriptures, but are often too ill to read a print Bible.  Most hospice facilities have a chaplain on call, but one person must care for many patients. There are simply not enough hours in a day for them to sit and read God’s Word to each hospice patient. An Audio Bible by the bedsides of hospice patients allows them to be comforted by God’s Word any time, day or night.

“I listen to my Audio Bible every night. It helps with the pain, and I just feel more peaceful when I wake up,” one hospice patient told us.

The hospice Audio Bible program is about bringing peace and comfort at life’s end; it’s about making sure no one leaves this life alone. Through God’s Spoken Word, hospice patients can be surrounded by the Lord’s encouragement and assurance of the peace found only in Him.

Your gift is critical to our hospice ministry. Your generous support of any amount will help place an Audio Bible by the bedside of a dying man or woman. When you give to Audio Bibles for the Blind, you give a gift of peace––you help to “make it better.”

The wife of a hospice patient who had received one of our Audio Bibles was struggling so much with losing her husband that she had talked of suicide.  Together, they began listening to their Audio Bible, and it changed her outlook completely.  The circumstances didn’t change, but the weight from her heart was lifted.  She and her husband now had peace to face the days ahead.

Every day we receive new requests for Audio Bibles for hospice patients. These men and women need the message of God’s Spoken Word now more than ever. I cannot bear to turn away a single one of their requests, but without the support of friends like you, we simply can’t provide enough Audio Bibles to meet the growing need. Please, send in your support today and provide an Audio Bible to those who need it most.

As the hospice patients in our ministry near the end of their lives on this earth, they long to hear a message from God, to find closure for their journey. They find it in His Spoken Word.

Whether they turn to the comforting words about the Shepherd of our souls from Psalm 23 or the words of Jesus in John 14 about the place He prepared for his followers in Heaven, or Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 15 about life after death, those who are dying find peace and comfort in your gift of an Audio Bible.

Thank you for your generosity and faithfulness at this critical time in the lives of our hospice patients. Your support is a continual blessing, and we give thanks for you.

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Categories Home Care Association of Florida, Hospice, Uncategorized, home health nurses
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There’s only darkness – Mary

by Allen
February 22nd, 2011

Imagine that you are sitting in a beautiful theater with crystal chandeliers sparkling all around. Slowly, the lights begin to dim until you can’t even see the person seated next to you. You wait for the lights to appear on stage and the show to begin, but they never do. There’s only darkness.

That’s what it’s been like for Mary, who lives with macular degeneration. For years, the lights have been dimming around her as she loses her sight. Today, Mary is blind. Though she has learned how to continue living independently, Mary can no longer do many of the things she once loved.

“The thing I missed most when I lost my sight was being able to read my Bible,” Mary told me. “It was depressing… It is very frightening when you lose your sight.”

Ever since she was a little girl in Sunday school, Mary read her Bible faithfully. It had become a part of her daily life, something she looked forward to each morning. When Mary lost her sight and her ability to read, it was heartbreaking for her.

Through the generosity of people like you, Mary is once again able to turn to the Scriptures each and every day. Through the gift of an Audio Bible, Mary can find guidance, encouragement, and companionship in God’s Spoken Word.

“Now with my Audio Bible, I can again ‘read’ God’s Word.  It is so comforting to me,” Mary said.

For every happy ending like Mary’s, I have dozens of new requests for Audio Bibles requests that I can’t fill without your help.  My heart aches for all the Bills, Susans, Bobs and Nancys who spend many lonely hours locked in a world of darkness.

Every single day in this country, people lose their sight, whether at birth, in an accident, or through degenerative conditions. It doesn’t matter how it happens –– the consequences are the same.  You can help brighten their darkness and bring joy to their lonely hearts by making it possible for them to have their very own Audio Bibles.

With your gift, we can make the comfort and companionship of an Audio Bible available to someone like Mary.

Please, help us bring the same blessing of joy and encouragement to others like Mary. Many of us will never understand what it means to lose our sight, but we can all relate to the comfort, guidance, and love found in God’s Spoken Word, a faithful friend in times of rejoicing and times of need.

By giving an Audio Bible, you help provide a precious treasure to someone like Mary.

Mary wanted me to pass along a special message to you… “Thank you so much for what you do for people like me. You will never know what my Audio Bible means to me.”

www.AudioBiblesForTheBlind.org/donate

Categories Uncategorized
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A Mother’s Love

by Allen
October 7th, 2010

“My son can’t talk to me, but I place the Audio Bible by his bed and let God talk to him through His Word.”

Joe’s mother has lived through the pain and sorrow of watching her playful, active son go from a 16-year-old filled with dreams for his future to a young man in a coma who cannot speak or even respond to his mother’s love. He can’t squeeze her hand, laugh at her jokes or kiss her goodnight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. I want to share with you this special story about penetrating the darkness even when all hope seems lost. And I need your help to spread that hope to others like Joe.

Three years ago, a terrible car accident left Joe in a coma. After months in the hospital, he was able to return home where his mother lovingly cares for him day and night, but he remains in the coma.

One day, when it felt like all hope was lost, Joe’s mother spoke with someone who had awakened from a coma. He told her that though he was unresponsive, he could hear what others were saying. This encounter led Joe’s mom to realize that perhaps the isolation she had feared for her son could be broken.

That’s when Joe’s mom wrote to Audio Bibles For The Blind, requesting an Audio Bible for her son. Today, she continues to speak lovingly to her son, and when she isn’t in the room with him, she leaves the Audio Bible playing. Words of comfort and encouragement play constantly for Joe, reminding him that he is not forgotten or abandoned.

“For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.”
(Isaiah 49:13, NKJV)

Your most generous gift will help us bring comfort through an Audio Bible to the many young men and women like Joe who have had their dreams snatched from them in a tragic accident. You can break through the darkness and isolation that threatens to engulf them.

Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Joe is never alone or isolated. Through your gift of an Audio Bible, Joe’s mom has found hope for both herself and her son by using the Scriptures to fill the space that was once void and lonely.

That’s really what’s at the heart of this ministry. At Audio Bibles For The Blind, we do more than just give away a few tapes or MP3 CDs. By partnering with people like you, we are able to bring hope, comfort, and encouragement to those who need it most. We fill the silence with the spoken words of Scripture.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your help. In addition to the requests we receive in the mail, our phones are continually ringing with calls requesting Audio Bibles for those who are unable to read their Bible because of loss of vision.

To be honest, we’ve reached a critical moment in our ministry. Today, we’re receiving more requests for Audio Bibles than we can fill. Right now, I have more than 100 letters piled on my desk. Each one tells a story not unlike Joe’s––a story of loneliness, tragedy, or isolation.

I can’t stand to turn down a single request, and I don’t think you can either. It breaks my heart to think that I’ll have to tell someone like Joe’s mother that she can’t bring the hope and life of Scripture to her son lying in a coma.

Maybe I won’t have to.

With your support, we can continue to provide Audio Bibles––free of charge–– to those who need them most. Please, send in your gift today. Help us bring God’s Spoken Word to the blind, the injured, and the print handicapped.

Thank you for your faithful generosity. May the encouragement and hope that break through Joe’s isolation fill you with joy and blessings.

http://AudioBiblesForTheBlind.org/donate

Categories Audio Bible Stories
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