My Journey My Purpose: The True Story of a Young Woman’s Encounter with the Triune God, Creator of the Universe, and Their Continuing Relationship

By Antonia Childe

A young mother is left alone with her two young children for a week while a serial killer hunts in her community. In a near panic, she prays to God, whose existence she thinks questionable, issuing him an ultimatum: prove You exist. He does. This is her true story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385010769

Antonia Childe

Antonia Childe is not a preacher, pastor, or evangelist. She is a woman who was born into poverty, near the Appalachian coalfields. After entering college, she self-reliantly struggled with the time and funds needed to complete her education. She graduated with a strenuously sought after Bachelor of Science degree and a teaching credential. She went on to teach in private and public schools for over twenty years. While living in an agricultural area, she became the guide dog leader for the 4-H youth in her community raising guide dog pups. She also taught reading to women who were sheltered at a local battered women’s safe house, enabling them to get their driver’s licenses. Politics have always had a place in her life. She has volunteered for a candidate in every national election since she was old enough to vote. As a liaison between the Christian churches in the nearby city, she coalesced them into raising an important voice for women’s rights. Antonia volunteered for the Red Cross and served on its local board. She also ran marathons for the Leukemia Society of America. After spending many years in the mountains, she contracted a severe case of Lyme disease that would not respond to treatment. She found it necessary to move to a cooler climate and now lives Lyme free.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 Antonia Childe.

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.

The names of all individuals in the book have been changed 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.

All scripture quotations are taken from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Copyright © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1075-2 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1077-6 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1076-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023920285

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/05/2024

This effort is dedicated to

each and every person who has walked the path of life by my side—some for mere moments and others for the long haul. Teachers all who granted me the awareness of how to live this life or, just as importantly, how not to. My deepest gratitude goes to you.

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Fear Manifested

An Audacious Ultimatum

An Event That Appears Unexplainable by the Laws of Nature

Be Careful What You Pray For

But First, Some Backstory

God Doesn’t Lie

Run, Girl, Run

The Decision

My Secret

No Property for You

Betrayed

The Death of a Marriage

A Scourge Is Born

Court Dates

A Path Opens Before Me.

Graduate School and the NTE

Divine Providence

Trial by Fire

Never Say Never

Dwelling Time

Afterword

Foreword

Many times I have been told that if you can find your purpose, a life of meaning and fulfillment will be yours. This made sense to me, but I had no clue what my purpose was or how to go about finding it. After many years and forays into worthwhile employment and educational and volunteer efforts, nothing had set off the bells and whistles proclaiming to be my life’s purpose.

All of the energy that I devoted to finding this phantom of a purpose yielded only a sense of failure and remorse after each effort. However, during the final rewrite of my memoir, the light shined, the bells rang, and the angels sang. The phantom—my ever-elusive purpose—materialized within this book’s pages. My purpose is and always has been my life’s journey.

Introduction

The events in this book are real. I deliberately placed the chapter God Doesn’t Lie after my first meeting with Jesus to show that this book is not a work of fiction. It is my responsibility to drive home the fact that I am dealing with spiritual beings from another dimension—the dimension humans often refer to