ALOHA! All things work together for good...14

[Committed2Him]

Last week I started make plans with the kids for Memorial Day but then X indicated the kids wanted to get together for lunch. This affected the plans I was making with my parents who do not get to see the kids often enough. I changed plans I had started to make with my parent for a Monday gathering and then even had to alter my back up plans for Sunday because my son wanted to get together for a special occasion with my neighbor's son, a boy my son does not get to see very often because since his mom left my house.

Potential bitterness changed into Joy
Bitterness and resentment lurked again especially when my kids said the "lunch" was not their idea (surprise). I prayed and then came up with a different plan that allowed my parents to hang out with me, my daughter and my sister and her kids for lunch and a game night (but during the day). We had a blast and then needed to end the gathering so I could take daughter to a birthday party for a school friend. At that point, my parents and my sister also left but we all had a good time, even if it was not the way we had originally planned it to be.

Laker party and fellowship (party #2 at C2H's)
When I returned, my brothers from church started arriving to watch the Lakers game and to fellowship. My son arrived from his day with the neighbor to hand out with the guys, to eat and to yell at the TV as our team lost. Afterwards, the married guys had to leave and three of us single guys watch an extremely moving small budget movie based on a Christian message of honoring God with our lives and leaving the results to Him (the movie is "Fly Wheel," made by the people who later filmed "Facing the Giants").

The evening ended with one guy telling me how much he needed to see that movie and the three of us praying as our boys observed their fathers going before God for direction and the well being of the children. I took my son to his mom's house after that, came home, cleaned up some of the mess from back to back parties, and then slept like a baby.

What could have turned into a weekend of resentment segued into a weekend of great memories plus a day (today) to reflect, meditate and fellowship with God. My kids are with their mom today and I am fine with that. They know their dad loves them, works with the ups and downs created their mom's choices. They also know I very much love the life I am now living.

They know God handed me my job and has blessed me tremendously. They know I have friends who love the Lord and even call them "my gang." They have seen me forgive, pray for their mom and her husband and know that I am trusting God for everything.

Oh, by the way, the other two guys who stayed until the end and watched the movie with me are also praying about going to Spain so we are going to encourage each other to see what God has in mind for us. (6 months minus 5 days and counting)

Ahora, yo voy a cantar canciones de alavados a mi Slavador. Translation: and now, I am going to sing songs of praise to my Savior. (I believe that's what I wrote, either that or "I am now going to sing drunken sailor songs" I hope it is the former )

[Deliberate]

C2H, I have picked up bits and pieces of your sitch with regards to your house, I obviously do not know the whole thing, but I wanted to make sure that you are aware of the options that are available to you. There may be better resources available for you locally, but the following website provides a starting point: HUD Help for Homeowners Facing the Loss of Their Home Any lender that is being anywhere close to reasonable does *not* want to take your home from you if they can avoid it. With the economy and housing market being what they are, most lenders are waking up to the fact that bending over backwards to keep borrowers in their home helps their bottom line. Specifically you may want to look into the possibility of having your mortgage modified. Some times being rid of the house ends up being in your best interest, but even if that is the case for you go in with eyes open and understand your options and your rights in the process.

[Committed2Him]

Deliberate,

Thanks for the link. Checking out it and every other reasonable option. Without going into great detail boring everyone, I paid out my X by refinancing home and then the So Cal market sunk fster than the Titanic, taking with it all remaining equity I had.

I may be one of those who is better off without the home but at least I will go into with my eyes wide open. Thanks for the link

[Committed2Him]

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

While in Hawaii, we had a group of bible college students perform a drama to a song which had the above lyrics in it. Later, one of the pastors reiterated those lines (not knowing that the students had used that song to perform at an outreach for the homeless). The pastor shared that knowing God and having a relationship with Him should cause us to pause, regardless of how good or how bad circumstances are in our life, pause in the knowledge of that relationship and ask, "how could it be any better than this?"

This perspective, recognizing our blessings and seeking contentment in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves is something that I strive for even though attaining that contentment is often challenged by the reality of having to deal with X's and other trials of life.

Here is the drama they performed as done by another group of performers as some concert (I've shared it before but it moves me every time I see it and now it has even more special meaning after witnessing the bible college students perform their version, after serving with them for 9 days in Hawaii):

Lifehouse "Everything"

[lost-n-found]

WOW.... that made me bawl like a baby!!!

[Committed2Him]

The first 6 or so times I watched it, I broke down as well. Now, my eyes water or my chest does that stutter I child does when the calm down from crying and I involuntarily do these things with humble appreciation.

Even as I write about being "humbled," I fear that some will think I toss this word out flipantly or with some hidden pride.

When I think about the price God's son paid for my sins, when I think of the innumerable times I have willfully chosen to disobey God, even in the simplest matter, I desire to prostrate myself or lay face down on the ground and cry to God in appreciation that I was once blind but now I see. The price paid for me to be forgiven could never be measured and can never be repaid, so I serve Him in appreciation for what I don't deserve.

So, when I think about losing my house, think about my children living under another man's roof, think about the pain X's choices have caused me, my parents and my kids such pain, I pause and reflect on me decision to accept God's free gift of forgiveness, through His son. Then I wonder, previously using other words but now happily asking,

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

this kind of love and forgiveness helps me to deal with the resentment that seeks to rise towards my X.

It is a wonderful life...

Signed,

George "C2H" Bailey

[Committed2Him]

A friend sent a devotion to me today and the following story was at the end of it. It just stood out as something I would like to remember and also share with my imaginary friends.

At the end of her life, Henrietta Mears, the gifted Christian educator and mentor to Billy Graham and Bill Bright, was asked the question,

"If you had your life to live over again, what would you have done differently?"

Her response, "When things looked darkest, I would have trusted God quicker."

...and I thought, "WOW" if only I can start applying this to my life now!

[KarenMarieS]

Her response, "When things looked darkest, I would have trusted God quicker."

C2
This is great!! Something I am sure we could all say!
but def something to keep in the back of our minds for when things are not going how we planned in our lives.

Thanks C2!

[cat03]

I have that song committed to memory, how I love that skit.

Glad you turned a potentially messy weekend into a great time C2H, we must be like McGiver, able to make a hydrogen bomb out of paper clips and a can of tuna

My quarterly these months is about Jesus' life. One paragraph mentioned how we should have constant communion with the Father as Jesus did, who "at every moment" conversed with God. An ignoramous part of me said "but honestly, who does that? every moment? then when would you think of the other stuff you gotta do?"
Then it dawned on me, that the reason I despair sometimes is because I do NOT trust nor have constant communion with God, when I worry and spin my wheels and think of all sort of scenarios about what may/may not happen in my life. That I should be bringing those very problems to Him who has the power to solve them.
I noticed too, that doubt and fear clawed at me when I gave God the least of my time.

On our way to camping I was listening on CD Harry Potter, and something struck me powerfully. If you 've seen the movie (ok, so it's frowned on by my church) it mentions the Dementors, horrible beings who guard prisoners with no need of walls, they just suck all the goodness out of them, keep them prisoners in their minds by using their worst fears. The only way to defeat them is to conjure up good thoughts, powerful positive feelings. And I realize that's what happens to us all the time, we let the enemy suck the life and jot out of us by making us prisoners of our minds (specially if he has already messed us up financially or can't seem to get us any other way), by bringing despair to our souls and making us forget we have a God who has all our worries in His hands, we only need to cast our worries His way and trust Him wholeheartedly.

[cat03]

great spanish by the way! though "praise" in the sentence you used should be writen as "alabacion"

Buen trabajo