... fear is a lack of trust that my Father in Heaven knows all and will only allow those things in my life that will ultimately work out so that He receives the glory and praise, for He is good.
Amen. You answered a thought on my mind, without even realizing it.
Thank you. I know that if I recite the prayer as it is, my mind will wander but the bible quotes Jesus as teaching the disciples to use it as a model. So, my prayer is never the same but it touches on each of the points: God's position, who He is (and who I am not), submission to His will, seeking forgiveness and forgiving others etc. Just praying in that manner every morning starts my day correctly. Then, thanks to my 45 minute commute (which I am about to start) I have more opportunity to pray for those here and those in my life or just play music of worship. Even my So. Cal. Commute gives me time to stay centered on God.
DB,
Thanks for the congratulations. Bless you my friend!
Graduation day and the power of prayer
Graduation went of without a hitch and it was a wonderful experience for my son. No incidents happened between my dad, X or Mr. X. Thank you for your prayers! (I also had my closest brother praying during the ceremony)
My son attended this school since kindergarten and we have been connected to this school for thirteen years so it was very much like saying goodbye to family. There was a wonderful slide show showing each graduate with baby pictures through 8th grade (about 20 graduates in all). Having been closely connected to the school the last two years because I was working from home and having gone on the 8th grade trip to D.C., being team "mom" it was VERY touching to see these children leave the comfortable nest of the only school half of them have known.
I was also moved to write thank you cards to several of his teachers and the husband and wife who run the school, all of which were involved in my daughter's education as well. Because it is a Christian school, the teachers share the love they have for God and teach the children that our purpose in life is to have a relationship with God and live lives that would be pleasing to Him. The school is very much like home to the kids and it feels like a family. My cards included a gift card to each but more importantly, conveyed my deepest appreciation for their loving the children.
Pizza with X and Mr. X After the ceremony, the plan was go to X's house for pizza and to watch the Laker's game. As it turned out, only son and I watched the game while the others sat outside eating and socializing.
My X-brother in law and his family were there as were my X-inlaws. It was so good to see them and I know they felt the same. We have always had a good relationship and though I don't see them as often, our relationships are in tact. (X mother in law was actually my cub scout den mother and brother in law and I were in the cub scouts together.)
When I said my good byes to everyone, I reached out to shake Mr. X's hand last in front of X brother in law who had kind of a surprised look on his face.
Lessons Dwell in forgiveness I will have more of these kinds of encounters in the future, next year daughter will graduate H.S., even next week son will have his official (pool) party with all his friends and all of his mom’s friends. I am invited and will attend but I also have another event to go to so my appearance will be short.
Pray I need to pray and seek the prayers of others who take prayer seriously. God may not change the circumstances to the way I would hope but He always aligns my heart in the way it needs to be to deal with the circumstances.
Keep everyone focused on the children There have plenty of opportunities to lose sight of this. Even in anticipation of this event, the temptation was to lobby for a after graduation celebration with my family. Instead, we will get together on Father’s day. I will likely show a little of the video to my family who could not attend. Yesterday went off just fine. As a matter of fact, X had to leave right after the graduation to go get the house ready and to get the pizza. Son stayed with me and I were almost the last ones to leave the school, giving plenty of time for him to say good bye to all his friends, take more pictures and for me to spend some time with the teachers and the parents.
I love my life!
Committed2Him- "C2H" All Things (Back from Spain!)...18
Wheww C2, your a better man then me! and prob have a hairer chest lol- you done good. You do this for your children and I know it cant always be easy for you. You remind me of the incidents B tells me about w/ his ex and his girls w/ Mr. X in the past, and how he didnt care for Mr. X but wouldnt let anything stand in the way of being invovled w/ his D and the special events in their lives.
You can do it becase of the wonderful person you are and maybe I am prejudice, but the 'better' person IMHO you are!
Good for you!!
Be Happy for this Moment, This Moment is your Life
glad to hear the graduation and after party went well))))))) My stbx wouldnt' even show up to s10's bday for fear that my family would look at him weird, whatever.
Man, I dont' think I could do what you did (shake hands), I'm just done working on my gag reflex when I think of those two together.
hugs))))) you rock
Be not afraid...I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten Joel2
30something 2kids survivor of S, MLC, A, D I have peace in my heart, at last.
Thanks, YOU are the best! Man, if you weren't engaged already ... ok, gotta focus on the "single" women.
Quote:
Mr. X but wouldnt let anything stand in the way of being invovled w/ his D and the special events in their lives.
That has been my approach and I believe my kids are much healtier because of it.
Oh cat, I am so sad for all of the kids that are missing out because their dad's don't have the guts to do the right thing.
Just now I am reminded of a series by a pastor last week. His mom bounced around from man to man yet amazingly he eventually came into a relationship with the Lord and was even blessed to eventually reconnect with the man who was most like a father to him (before he and the pastor's mother went their separate ways due to the mom's lifestyle). My point is our kids, bathed in prayer, continuously, non stop, can experience lives that overcome these terrible things that happen to them. God loves the children as I shared above, Matthew 19:14 (just as He loves His bigger wayward ones).
I can't believe I have not committed to prayer for the children of this board but I do so now and, of course, will faithfully pray over yours. "Father God, Lord of all. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of salvation. Father, I humbly come before you, a repentant sinner who was lost for my adult life until 20 years ago when I accepted your Son's sacrifice to pay for my sins. I bow before you and cry out for these children, for each child represented by a LBS on this board, whether they post (anywhere on the board), lurk or are the friends who post to me.
Father, reach out to them all the days of their lives through friends, family or acquaintances who have your love overflowing from their hearts. Bless these children, draw them to you as the father who never walks away from His children, no matter if the child strays during the lifetime. Pour out your never ending mercy and grace on these precious little ones as well as the older children and even now the adult children who's lives will always be impacted by the end of their parent's marriage. Father Heal the parents here who suffer yet show them a life of peace and joy, hopefully through a closer relationship with you. Help those, such as myself, who still struggle with forgiveness from time to time or those who are (understandably) locked into bitterness and unforgiveness for it is a trap, instigated, provoked and stirred up by the liar of all liar, the great deceiver. Liberate any who are searchning to forgive, help them through the recognition that you have shown us the way to forgive, just as your Son cried from the cross, 'Father, forgive them for the known not what they do' even though we believe the WAS's knew what they were doing. They too need forgivenes from the LBS EVEN if they won't ask for it for we LBS's are liberated in granting such unilateral forgiveness. Help my friends.
Comfort, love, protect, embrace these ones so near and dear to your loving heart. Amen."
Committed2Him- "C2H" All Things (Back from Spain!)...18
Thank you for that powerful prayer, we need to pray more often for the children.
The last part of your prayer is just like a section of the book I was reading about forgiveness, how it is a release for the person who was injured. When Jesus said that prayer on the cross God ceased to hold the sin against those who put his son to death. That if we dont' forgive our WAS is like we are tied with a rope to them.
And then I realized that I still hadn't truly forgiven stbx for walking away on the children and me. He doesnt deserve my forgiveness, but I give it to release him and to be able to live without his having a hold on me.
ok , a bit more from the book: '[about a woman with a WAH]...her anger was not affecting him one way or the other. She was wasting her anger on him when she should be angry with herself for allowing him to control her life. The greatest insult was not the fact that he had left her. It was that she was still holding on to him with her anger long after he was gone.'
Be not afraid...I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten Joel2
30something 2kids survivor of S, MLC, A, D I have peace in my heart, at last.
anger was not affecting him one way or the other. She was wasting her anger on him
cat, good stuff. Hard to do but necessary if WE want to get healthy. As an aside, even though we SHOULD do this, people often will not do what they should do (just look at our diets or regular exercise). But for me, I MUST forgive because to neglect to do so is sin to me, disobedience to what I believe the bible teaches me to do. This is my choice as someone who claims to love God, someone who embraces Jesus as my Lord.
When I get into a mode where "I don't want to!," (visualizing a pouting child) then I am reminded of ALL I have been forgiven of. I know you know all this but I share it just to explain how I process my feelings about X and Mr. X.
Praise Report All of the prayer leading to graduation resulted in my mom speaking with X about my son's shchedule this week (mom is the "let bygones be bygones type"). The end result is my son is spending several days this week with my parents since he is done with the school for the year. My parents were SO involved in my kids lives and both they and the kids have suffered because of the D.
Prayer has resulted in an unanticipated blessing for my parents and my son and tonight, I will spend the evening with them and my son as we watch our Lakers get their backs from against the wall and finally win a game. Afterwards, I will take son back to his mom's.
Even through the challenges, I love my life!Mi vida es bueno!
and bball with my parents
Committed2Him- "C2H" All Things (Back from Spain!)...18
My parents were SO involved in my kids lives and both they and the kids have suffered because of the D.