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| Athy |
I used my hard-earned money and lived in Ireland from May 1981 to February of 1982. I wrote a novella while I was living in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland during the summer of 1981. It took me around seven weeks to write the manuscript. The title of the novella was Athy-upon-Barrow. The manuscript came to 73 pages. I later printed up some copies of Athy-upon-Barrow and it sold in a couple of bookstores in Iowa City, Iowa (maybe a few copies were sold). One of the bookstores was Prairie Lights. There is a copy of the manuscript in the Library of Congress.
The most profound thing that I experienced while I was living in Athy happened in December of 1981. I had been very suicidal since I was fifteen. I remember that I had been reading this book and the author used this scripture: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4: 13) I sat there and repeated that scripture many times, then I went to bed.
I laid in bed and all I wanted to do was die. Finally, I went to sleep. Later that night, the Presence of God became very powerful. It was very intense light and love--Divine love. It lasted about an hour and a half. The intense light/love was so powerful it was painful. I began to plead for the light to leave because I couldn't bear the pain anymore.
[This is how Blaise Pascal describes his experience]
Since I have become a Christian, that rapture experience has happened to me many times. You could also describe that experience as "the Holy Ghost fell" or "the Holy Ghost became very heavy": it is Holy Fire. I believe that experience in December of 1981 was painful because I was not yet washed in the Blood of Jesus. In July of 1982, I finally surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I still experience the rapturous Presence of God from time to time, but it is not painful.
May 1981: Northern Ireland and Bob Jamieson of NBC News
Revival in Ireland
Athy Town, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Barge on River Barrow, Athy
Hitchhiking in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales
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| Map of County Kildare |
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| White's Castle on the River Barrow, Athy |
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| Duke Street, Athy |
