Dorothea K. Barwick
Dorothea K. Barwick
I was born and raised in Astoria, Long Island, New York, an only child of John and Ruth Kissh, and I longed to have brothers and sisters. I made a foolish mistake (eloped) and thought I was married when I was 18; found out he was still married to another, and rather than swallow my pride and admit it, I stayed with him as a "common law" wife while he tried to get a divorce. Wrong choice. We had 3 beautiful children while he was in and out of trouble with the military, and when he was stationed in Germany he deserted his family and his country. He never got to see his son who was born while he was over there. Cut off from all income, I tried working outside the home but couldn't stand to leave my young children so opened a day care in my home (we were living in South Carolina) S.C. has become my permanent home and this "transplanted Yankee" loves it down south despite the 100 degree weather!
We finally married 3 years later while he was in Germany and I was in the states. Married by proxy, over the telephone!!! Although our family had not ever had a divorce in it, I couldn't help but file for it when we finally located my him after he'd deserted us living with another woman who he had married without divorcing me.
I was then a single mother with 3 children to raise when our Lord sent Bill into our lives. He had 3 precious children. His wife had abused them and he had filed for divorce after she tried to drown Lynda, their oldest daughter,in the bathtub. I fell in love with Lynda while they were in my day care facility, before I ever fell in love with Bill. We will celebrate our 37th anniversary in October of 2002.
Needless to say, we received custody of the children and raised them as brothers and sisters, not step-brothers and step-sisters. We tried to have one from our union, but two tubular (ectopic) pregnancies later in which I came close to death the second time, we knew that God had another direction for us. We were privileged to have foster children for several years before Bill had to go to Korea (military). Had our 6 children and 8 foster children under the age of 3 and had to give up the foster children when he left the states. Several years later we were blessed with the adoption of Michael.
We have 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, including 2 that were adopted from Romania, and one that is a special needs granddaughter, Beth Anne, who has Rett syndrome, diabetes, seizures, reflux, cortical blindness, etc.. She cannot talk or walk and still can only eat baby food even though she is now 7. She is one of our greatest blessings...that God would choose our daughter and son in law to raise one of His special children. I have a poem about this too and about her blindness.
God gave me the joy of seeing both my parents accept Christ as their Savior (we had come to the Lord when we were stationed over in Ethiopia). My Dad made a complete turn around from an alcoholic to working on the building of the church they were attending. There is a plaque in the Sunday School wing dedicated to him...he'd had his final heart attack while putting the finishing touches on the door to the building.
Then I had the privilege of taking care of my Mom the last few years of her life. The poem, Strength to Go On, was penned during this difficult time...heart attack, cancer, stroke...all in a 6 month period to time. Have had several articles published in books and newspapers about Mom. She had 9 years to live since the first heart attack and when Alzheimer's set it's ugly claws into her, we moved her in with me. Handmaiden Creations was birthed during this time too.
Many sympathy-type and encouragement poems came out of my taking care of Mom. My heart was vulnerable, tender, and pliable, and God reached down and stirred up the compassion for others...and I reached out to touch them for Him. Mom passed over to glory on June 9, 1997 while I held her hand and prayed (she was in my home...not a hospital, just as she wished!)
I've had over 60 published poems and articles in various newspapers, Christian magazines and books in a 3 year period of time and then opened my ministry of reaching people through my poetry. My store used to have the sign: "Special Poems for Special People" and God sent many special people into the store. In a short period of time, this formed into a ministry where I could reach out to them and pray with them. New customers often would be raising their hands to heaven and praising the Lord before they ever left. After a small stroke, I closed the store and opened it behind my house, phasing out the "commercial" items like angels, bears, lamps, and focusing mainly on the 8x10 and 11x14 poems that reach out to bless others.
Then the Lord led me into creating and selling cards (Handmaiden Creations) and/or donating them to churches. Now, I have many friends around the country who order through my emails.
I'm on three prayer-groups and spend many nights sitting up until 2 or 3 a.m. praying for the needs of others. My husband and I are very active in our church work, serving our Lord wherever and whenever He chooses to use us. I do not have a web site only because I do not know how to make a commercial site...but many wonderful people have asked me to let them use my poems on theirs. If one poem reaches one person and draws that person closer to God, or gives them inspiration to live, lifting them from depression, or gives them hope of a better day tomorrow...then I'm accomplishing what Jesus puts in my heart when I write the poems. It is to God that I give the glory...I am only the handmaiden that He uses to pen His words of encouragement.
I pray that as you read the poems and articles, that you will feel the touch of God upon your life, and give Him all the praise and glory.
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