OUR STORY Part 73: UNCOMFORTABLE COINCIDENCES FROM AN ATTORNEY'S VIEW!

Just received this blog from our attorney. 10/7/2011 Judge Graham Quisenberry Refuses to Try Rees Atkins and Piper Pardue on Real Estate Fraud   By Evin G. Dugas, Esq.

10/7/2011
Judge Graham Quisenberry Refuses to Try Rees Atkins and Piper Pardue on Real Estate Fraud


Rees Atkins and Piper Pardue were hired to sell a property for a seller in Azle, Texas. The property address is 127 Rodeo Drive, Azle, Texas. During the listing, Rees Atkins determined that the house was in a flood zone and built on top of a county drainage easement dedicated to the County because an unnamed tributary literally ran through the property. The house was built directly on top of the unnamed tributary, the drainage easement and the flood zone.

Rees Atkins & Piper Pardue realized the property could not be sold if the house was on a drainage easement and in a flood zone. Consequently, Atkins sent an email to the title company and requested that they somehow change the legal designation of the house being in the flood zone and the drainage easement. This, of course could not be done just because it would slow down sales. Rees Atkins acknowledged in the email that the house could not sell until those matters were resolved. The email is listed below.

Along comes a buyer, Mike & Annette Daniel, who are represented by Deborah Moran. Atkins never discloses what he already knows and is trying to change about the flood zone and drainage easement. Instead, he asks his mortgage friend, Reid Mitchell, who is the son-in-law of the owner of Century 21 Lynch, the employer and broker for Pardue and Atkins, to get a flood certification. He does this because the one obtained by the mortgage company for the Daniels shows the house is in the flood zone. So Reid Mitchell says he is helping the seller on buying his next house and knows that his mortgage company financed the house. Instead of merely going into his own files where his mortgage company had a flood certification, Mitchell orders a new study and this one says that the house and property are not in the flood zone. This is given to the buyer's mortgage company and it proceeds to closing. The sale is back on track.

Then, Piper Pardue produces a so called Release of Drainage Easement. It was sent to the buyers to convince them that the house was not in a drainage easement. It was a lie and it did not apply to the private property where the house sat.

So the house is sold and Rees Atkins and Piper Pardue never acknowledge what they know and represent in the email. Later, they deny knowing any of it because they thought the email was destroyed.

A lawsuit is filed in Parker County, Texas and it lands in Judge Graham Quisenberry's court. The case is set for trial three times and the attorney for Pardue and Atkins files a Motion for Continuance claiming health reasons three times. The third time is denied and the case is called to trial. On the day of trial, the attorney for Pardue and Atkins again makes his fourth motion for continuance of the trial and then while in the Judge's office, the attorney "collapses". The quotes are because nothing really happened other than he acted like he was woozy. Judge Graham Quisenberry then indicated the case would be continued.

The plaintiffs elected to try the case against their own realtor, Deborah Moran, and dismiss the case against Pardue and Atkins and refile it against them later so that the case against Moran could proceed.

The case was tried against Moran, the buyer's realtor, and the jury found Deborah Moran committed statutory fraud or fraud in a real estate transaction in violation of Chapter 27 of the Texas Business & Commerce Code. The jury also found that Moran committed knowing violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The jury awarded $150,000 in punitive or exemplary damages and attorneys fees. The jury did not award actual damages. This meant the jury verdict was inconsistent with itself but Judge Graham Quisenberry refused to correct the matter.

A new suit was filed against Piper Pardue and Rees Atkins. They refused to answer based on their attorney, so successful in delays, advice. A default judgment was filed and at the hearing, Judge Graham Quisenberry went to his office before he signed the Default Judgment and called the attorney for Atkins and Pardue and told him to answer the lawsuit. The attorney refused based on his ignorance of the law. The judge signed the default judgment for $1.2 million dollars which represented the price of the house and additional damages allowed by the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. He then stated, "I'm probably not going to let you keep it."

He was true to his word. On that.

After the judgment was entered, Atkins and Pardue filed their answers and asked the Judge Quisenberry to overturn the default judgment. Eight months after the trial with Moran - the trial where the attorney became "woozy" in Judge Quisenberry's office - there was finally an answer. Another successful delay of justice.

Once the Default Judgment was thrown out by Judge Quisenberry, Pardue and Atkins were back before the Court. But this time they had no attorney. Their insurance carrier fired the law firm. What is interesting is how they would have known the law firm made any mistakes. It could have come from the law firm. Or even the clients. Not to mention the court.

At that point, the law firm for Pardue and Atkins withdrew or quit. Multiple requests were made to the Court to set the case for trial. All of the discovery had taken place. The case only needed a trial. But the court - Judge Quisenberry- refused. Even when there was no law firm or attorney of record, the Judge refused to grant a trial date, even though the lawyers for Pardue and Atkins had just wasted eight months and shunned their noses at the duty to answer a lawsuit.

Eventually, within about three weeks from the overturn of the Default Judgment, an attorney named Brent Lee in Dallas contacted Plaintiffs attorney and indicated he was reviewing the file and considering entering an appearance to represent Pardue and Atkins.

This was most unusual since law firms rarely turn down hourly business from an insurance company. There were obviously no conflicts of interest since he was reviewing the file. After he had reviewed the file, he indicated his firm was going to pass on representing Pardue and Atkins.

At that point, the Court - Judge Quisenberry- still refused to set the case for trial. It was now nine months later and the Court did nothing to penalize Pardue and Atkins' disdain for the rules of procedure by ignoring the duty to answer the suit.

And then a new lawyer entered the case. This lawyer was not a real estate attorney nor was he an insurance defense attorney. He was connected to Judge Quisenberry. He was close friends with the Judge's nephew and played in a band with the younger Quisenberry. How these defendants ended up with a law firm that did not normally do real estate defense or insurance defense is very odd.

So Judge Quisenberry's nephew's bandmate enters the case. The Court still won't give a trial date. Eventually, the Court sets the date in October.

The new attorney calls up Plaintiffs' counsel and advises him to take the sum of $20,000 or else the case will be dismissed. A lot of attorneys have confidence. This one spoke as if it was a foregone conclusion that the case against Pardue and Atkins would never see the light of day and he had only been on the case one day. This was puzzling since the facts in the case were devastating to Pardue and Atkins.

When a powerpoint presentation from the mediation in the earlier case was given to the attorney, he dismissed it as irrelevant. This was highly unusual behavior from any attorney and especially one who just entered a case and really knew nothing about witness demeanors, etc. He also seemed to know an inordinate amount about the trial.

He was aware of nuances that only the Plaintiff attorney, the attorney for Moran and the Judge would know.

The attorney for Moran claims he never spoke to the new attorney for Pardue and Atkins. Still, even if a few days into the case, he had a copy of the entire trial transcript, he would never understand the tenor of the case.

It was chalked up as just an overly cocky attorney that made his living by bluster and attempted intimidation.

A Motion for Summary Judgment was filed and set during the time counsel for Plaintiff had a driving trip to Washington State planned. A motion to continue the hearing was made and the Court summarily denied it. The Court, having granted three continuances and indulged every possible delay by the defendants Pardue and Atkins, could not even move the Summary Judgment hearing to accommodate the counsel for Plaintiffs.

In open court, Judge Quisenberry stated he would never make a lawyer attend a hearing while he had a vacation letter filed. This was not true. Refusing to move the date, the Court, Judge Quisenberry, then held the hearing.

The hearing was really only about one legal issue - Collateral Estoppel. This legal theory says that a court can not relitigate the same issues twice. The poorly written motion by Pardue's and Atkins' new attorneys claimed that the jury had already determined all of the fact issues in the case against Moran. Even a first year law student can understand that the fraud claims against Moran, the real estate agent for the buyers, were different from the fraud claims against Pardue and Atkins, the realtors for the sellers. They involve completely different facts and proof. There was no conspiracy claim only a fraud claim.

In a fraud case, the jury has to answer whether each person committed fraud. It can not be shared like the negligence in a car accident. Despite this fundamental legal premise, Judge Quisenberry granted the Motion for Summary Judgment and found that Pardue and Atkins were free to sell more property the way they sell property. Apparently, Judge Quisenberry could not see how the fraud committed by Atkins and Pardue was not the same issue the jury considered in the first trial. He saw both acts of fraud to be the same thing. Even Moran denied knowing about the email below. It was discovered in the Title company records and even after trying the case, Moran's attorney claimed he didn't know about it. So how could Judge Quisenberry even begin to think these were the same issues? How could he ignore the requirements that Moran's fraud be submitted differently from Atkins' fraud which had to be submitted separately from Pardue's fraud? It didn't make any legal sense for Judge Quisenberry to do this. Yet he did.

Shortly after Judge Quisenberry saved Pardue and Atkins and their employer, Century 21 Lynch, from a trial over the email and why they didn't disclose what they knew, the Daniels let the house on the drainage easement, in a flood zone, go. Chase Bank owns it now. Anyone who buys that house better hope they never have to go to court over the disclosures.

God Help them if they file suit in Judge Graham Quisenberry's court.

OUR STORY Part 72: NEW SEASON BEGINS~THE TAKING CAPTIVE OF EVERY THOUGHT

"Casting down imaginations, 

and every high thing that exalteth itself 

against the knowledge of God, 

and bringing into captivity every thought 

to the obedience of Christ;" 

II Corinthians 10:5

We apologize to those of you who have been patiently waiting for updates. This is the first opportunity we have had to blog; and what used to be taken for granted as a daily accommodation to the Internet is now considered a luxury as our access to WiFi is sporadic.

There are a few stories to share; beginning with another thank you to George at PepBoys in Lake Worth for taking the time to help us, once again. 

Once the trailer was loaded up we could see that the weight on the truck and hitch connection were not correct. The front end of the truck was lifting too high and the hitch connection too low. So I put a call into George explaining the situation and he graciously invited us to come back by the shop so that he could take a look.

When we arrived George could see right away that the hitch needed adjusting, so he removed the hitch, raised it and tightened up the chains on the stabilizing bars before lowering the trailer onto the hitch ball. We would never have known how to do this had it not been for his generosity and kindness.

Once again we were leveled out and ready to begin our journey. Not only did George's kindness and compassion prevent unnecessary damage to our vehicle and trailer, but it also gave us some sense of peace of mind; something that we desperately need at this time given the many stresses of unknowns in our lives.

“Thank you so very much George! May God richly bless you for your kindness and compassion.”

Once we were on the road we found an RV park and stayed their a couple of days in order to have some time to go through and organize the trailer. We lightened our load even more, having to say good bye to a library of books that have been very dear to us over the past couple of years, and a crucial part of our growth and sanctification in God. It was extremely painful to let them go in this manner; but difficult times call for difficult decisions and the weight of our books and some other personal belongings were just too much. Not to mention the clutter making it virtually impossible for us to maneuver and function in our little home.

The second day at the RV park I had the dogs in a little fenced dog run provided by the facility while Mike was working on the trailer. While I was in there I was watching a couple in their 70’s loading up their luxurious mammoth size RV. Within a matter of moments panic hit.

At one point the husband walked around to the driver’s side door of their truck to do some loading. The next thing I know he lets out a huge scream and slumps down into the driver’s side seat while standing outside the door. The wife immediately came bolting from around the far side of the RV frantically searching for her husband but couldn't see him. I hollered over to her “He’s at the driver’s seat!” She was at his side within seconds.

Within a couple of minutes Mike began walking towards me and the dogs.Once Mike was in hearing range I asked him to go see if the gentleman was okay, as I still had my hands full with our two dogs. Mike walked over and spoke with the couple for a few moments and then came on over to explain to me that the husband’s defibrillator implant had gone off on him for the very first time startling him.

The wife ended up driving in place of her husband; and Mike and I prayed as they drove off; asking for God’s grace and protection over their journey.

The experience really affected me; watching this wife in sheer panic as she is searching for her husband who clearly has a life threatening heart condition. Nothing else mattered to her at that point; not the packing or their next destination. Only that her husband was alive.

Life is so temporal, and with all the loss that we have suffered at the hands of others; we are just so very grateful that we still have the most important thing in our lives; our faith in God and the love and companionship of one another.

Living in less than 200 square feet is a challenge to say the least. Add to that the dynamic of strange neighbors that can change from one day to the next; and the fact that they live just feet away from your flimsy front door; well, it all just makes my head spin right now. Even the dogs spend most of their time hiding back by our bed in the trailer; their lives are so unsettled right now. If either one of us is out of site they go nuts.

With our eating habits challenged through this transitional period we have been forced to change our diet for the sake of convenience. As a result of this and the stresses of late my blood pressure has been a mess. My left foot and ankle are so swollen the past two days that I can barely walk on them without excruciating pain. Mike has taken on the brunt of the workload in hopes that the swelling will decrease.

Things have not been easy, but we are trusting that here on the other side of this surreal transition that a plan and purpose for everything we have been through will eventually be unveiled to us. Until that time we just continue to press on and hold fast.

Again, I feel as if I am failing God these past few days; I've been so discouraged and unsettled. Homeless isn't just about being without shelter; its about having no sense of belonging or nesting.

I know our real home lies in eternity; but there is something to be said for feeling some sense of familiarity and belonging. Perhaps this too shall pass as we continue to be broken down and refined through the fiery furnace of testing of our faith in God.

I keep wanting to wake up from this dream and to be back in my bed and in my home at Humble Acres; able to soak in my own bath tub and stretch out my legs as I read; but that chapter is closed.

Psalm 25:16-21

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁶Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
 ¹⁷The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
 ¹⁸Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
 ¹⁹Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
 ²⁰O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
 ²¹Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

OUR STORY Part 71: WHEN THINGS DON'T MEASURE UP

It has been difficult to describe the impact of the changes taking place in our lives right now.

Everyone has their daily routines and habits to which they become accustomed. This is especially true as we begin to approach and settle into middle-age, and on in to our senior years. We gravitate to a favorite chair we like to sit in while we read; or perhaps it's the firmness of a mattress necessary to facilitate a bad back.

For Mike, it's always been about accommodating his large stature. Standing at 6'4" and approximately 280lbs, Mike faces many challenges with regard to "fit"; whether it be leg room in a vehicle or desk or simply the height of a seat back. 

So now we find ourselves transitioning from the comfort and privacy of a 5 acre lot and 2,800 square foot home to an estimated 200 square foot travel trailer; and are doing so with two 50-60 pound dogs, a mini shower stall, and a bed measured at 4 inches shorter than Michael.

I lived for years in a 900 square foot home with a family of five, so I know what it is to live in a more humble environment; both of us have most of our lives. Humble Acres was an exception to the norm, using our entire savings acquired over many long years of hard work.

But that pipe dream has been stolen; and as such we are now forced to downsize to a living space approximately 1/14th of what we have had available to us over the past four years. This means that every single facet of our lives is being radically changed from cooking utensils to bathing and sleeping; to the simple needs of storage space for clothing, toiletries and personal files etc.

A couple of the most significant changes are the shower, bed and kitchen; which I guess in reality would be just about the entire contents of the trailer.

The shower stall in the trailer has a slightly raised dome, yet even that allowance barely fits Mike's height when he stands up. In fact, when he stands in the shower the dome presses down on his head like a snugly fit cap. His head is approximately 6 inches higher than the shower nozzle, which doesn't allow for much flexibility even with the nozzle being detachable. So this week we searched online and in stores for a small stool to set inside the micro shower so that Mike might perhaps be able to sit. All of the stools we found were too broad at the base. As a result we ended up purchasing a 30 quart Hefty trash can that will be turned on end for a make-shift stool; Hefty tough being a key factor in this decision! =/

We still have no remedy for how to deal with the fact that Michael's feet hang off the end of the mattress, but it is what it is and we feel blessed to have a roof over our head and one another.

Our meals have primarily been about eating healthy, especially since we have no health insurance. Probably 80 to 90% of our meals are oven baked; but that's not an option for us any longer. Propane being a bit costly, we are forced to change our cooking habits to an occasional use of a Smokey Joe barbecue; most meals being prepared on a small electric panini grill press.

OUR STORY Part 70: JASON'S BURDEN

Today began in an unusual way as Mike headed out to the trailer to begin doing some work and noticed a red truck pulled up and parked at the gate entrance. The truck then went up to the end of the road and Mike went into the barn.

Mike had opened the front gate in expectation of a scheduled UPS delivery which had been attempted yesterday. He then headed into the barn and when he came out the red truck was now pulled all the way into the property and parked at the house.

We have had our fill of drive byes, back fence oglers, estate sale visitors, and such. We just want our privacy as we finish up the loose ends of leaving Humble Acres. Thus, Mike was a bit taken back and maintained a stoic demeanor; while standing off at a distance as the gentleman attempted to to explain his purpose for being here.

Mike remained expressionless as the gentleman went on to introduce himself as Jason; explaining that he had been hired by Chase Home Finance to come out and take photographs of the property. Jason appeared to be unaware of the purpose for taking the photographs; asking Mike if we were selling the house. Mike informed him that the house was scheduled for foreclosure sale in less than two weeks, on October 4th, 2011 at 1:00pm on the steps of the Parker County courthouse.

That's when Jason said "The moment I saw you God put a burden on my heart for you. May I pray for you?" Mike agreed, and Jason proceeded to place his hand on Mike's shoulder and began to pray for God's peace and protection.

Over the past several years we have come across many professing Christians who have said they either are or will be lifting us and our circumstances up in prayer. We appreciate all those who have done so. But over this time only one young man in his mid twenties; a perfect stranger named Jason; had the boldness to initiate the biblical call of the laying on of hands and prayer while reaching out in humility and love, ministering into the  immediate need of my precious husband.

Dear Jason, should you ever read this blog I want you to know how very precious your visit was; and the blessing that you were in reaching out to my husband at a very difficult time. The morning you showed up was an exceptionally difficult one and a sovereign God used you mightily because of your faithful obedience to Him.

God bless you!

OUR STORY Part 69: IT ALL COMES OUT IN THE WASH

Last week we had an upright high efficiency washer and dryer set with which we were able to do our laundry in the comfort of our own home. But this week; well it's an entirely different story now. 

The washer and dryer were sold at the estate sale and the house is no longer a home but an empty echo chamber consisting of the very remnants of our lives, and many years of long hard work. The house is now nothing more than an empty fish bowl and constant painful reminder that the "house of healing" is now nothing more than a pipe dream; stolen from us at pen point.

Last night Mike and I made our first trip to a local laundromat to catch up on the wash. We had to wait until nighttime because it was just too hot outside and we didn't want to sit on the hard chairs listening to a room full of washers and dryers. So after it cooled down we loaded up two laundry bags, detergent, a roll of quarters; and a serving tray and portable Yahtzee game. The wash took two rounds of Yahtzee and the drying just a bit longer.

The whole experience was surreal for the both of us. It's not that we are above going to a laundromat; Mike and I have both lived much of our lives on tight budgets.

Mike grew up a latch key kid living in poverty, and constantly being moved from one apartment building to another. As far back as the age of 7 years old, he was responsible for caring for himself at home all alone while his mother worked as a minimum wage coffee shop waitress. Michael fended for himself until his mom came home; at which time she would toss a frozen dinner in the oven. She never cooked. In the evenings his mom would often go out dancing until all hours of the night leaving Michael home alone again.

There was an occasional abusive step-father in Michael's life; and at the age of seventeen he finally removed himself from an unhealthy environment; dropping out of high school and supporting himself. He worked very hard to pull himself up by his boot straps.

Mike's first real full time employment was in the waterbed industry from which he learned all facets of opening new retail store locations. At 23 years of age he opened his own store that ran successfully for two years and then sold it. Seeking his roots he relocated to Dallas as general sales manager to launch a new start up waterbed company and opened three locations all in malls, running ongoing sales training and motivational meetings until his transition in 1983 into full time marketing and media placement for his own television and radio advertising agency, Mutual Advantage.

So, here we are less than a week after having to sell our washer/dryer; sitting out in the parking lot of the local laundromat. Michael once again returns to his roots here in Texas not only to lose his biological father after just one meeting; but everything he has worked so hard for over the course of 30+ years. Years of honest hard work building towards the support of his family and our retirement; and it's all gone!

The upside to this is that; while our confidence in man has been somewhat obliterated, our faith and confidence in God has grown tremendously. And as I looked in through the windows of the laundromat I sensed the Holy Spirit minister into my heart these words: "In the end, it'll all come out in the wash!" 

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12

God is sovereign; and given such we are confident that He has had a divine plan in this for everyone involved. Perhaps our purpose was not simply that of the refining of our faith; but in the process to serve as an occasion for a kind of "spot removal" in these parts; God providing opportunity for each of those involved to experience conviction, repentance; and to turn from their unethical dealings, or not!

"But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy." II Chronicles 36:16

They may have slithered through the legal system unscathed; but none of those involved in this real estate fraud can ultimately escape the mighty hand of a just God. Who of us can? There but for the grace of God go we all!

Zephaniah 3

 ¹Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
 ²She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
 ³Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
 ⁴Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
 ⁵The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

It goes without saying that Michael and I have been damaged by these individuals. Nonetheless, we do not hate them; nor will we allow the seed of unforgiveness to take root in our hearts. Over the past several years we have remained faithful in praying for all of the defendants and their attorneys as the Holy Spirit puts it on our hearts; and we will continue to do so.

OUR STORY Part 68: RAMPS, CAMPS & GOOD OLD SAM

Lots of preparation work today. We are trying to think things through; researching online discussion forums, and RV maintenance information websites; basically increasing our knowledge bank on the do's and don'ts of living out of a trailer. They say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Mike and Netty Daniel are now officially members of the "Good Sam Club!"

We have been taking the dogs on some road trips, getting them used to traveling in the truck. They've just always been house dogs. In the process we are having a little trouble with getting them in and out of the truck.

The seats set fairly high off the ground to where they literally have to jump straight down a few feet and this concerns me. I know from experience that one of the easiest ways to cause injury to a dog is to have them run down stairs or jump down from a high area putting stress impact on their vertebrae. As a result of an injury to my service dog during field training; she had to have two vertebrae fused together.

They do sell dog ramps online and at pet stores, but they aren't cheap. So today Mike set me up with a hammer, some nails, an old area rug and a 2 x 12 board. Wallah! We now have a custom made dog ramp!

Mike got the leveling boards cut down, the spare tire cable locked, and the license plate attached to the bumper of the trailer. So many little things to take care of before we load up what little remains of our lives.

Yesterday when we came home there was a man pulling away from our property. I remembered him from the estate sale; acting very odd as he roamed through the house checking it out with no apparent interest in the items for sale. Slacks, collared shirt and short brown hair; a white collar business type. This just is par for the course of how our lives have been over the past couple of years. Oglers, and drive-byes along the front of our property and the back fence line as well. Sometimes getting out and starring with no consideration of our back yard privacy.

OUR STORY Part 67: THE IMPACT OF KINDNESS AND CASEY

Well, today was another day of non-stop running around. It was pretty hot and we both had to wear long sleeve heavy t-shirts since we are well past due for our first trip to the laundry mat.

The first stop was to the new Tarrant County Court building in Lake Worth in order to take care of the title and registration paperwork for the trailer. Once that was done it was a trip to Lowe's to get screws to drill into the bumper for the license plate, a longer piece of pipe to use as a breaker bar to release the round bars on the side of the equalizing hitch.

We also needed a 19mm socket for Mike to use with his drill to help with the trailer leveling jacks. Oh my, the torque on our arms with that manual bar is beyond belief. It takes me back to the days when we made homemade ice cream with a manual ice cream crank. Round and round and round...

We were told by Jeremy, the young man who sold us the trailer; a regular drill really wouldn't provide the torque necessary. He also informed us (with a little smile) that after a while we may want to invest in an impact drill to do the job. Mike asked how much one might cost and Jeremy told us he spent a couple hundred dollars on his. Mike said "Ah, no problem, I can handle it with the manual bar." Needless to say a two hundred dollar drill was not in our budget.

Well, after a couple of days of using the manual bar we considered the fun ahead of us with cranking these leveling jacks up and down.

We went to Lowe's and Mike found a young man and asked him where he might find a 19mm socket with a drill head attachment; explaining that we were using it for our trailer. With a smile the young man asked, "for your leveling jacks?"  I responded, "Yep, we're having way too much fun cranking them manually!" The young man began to lead us over to the area where the sockets were located when Mike asked about the price of an impact drill.

That's when the miracle blessing of God took place and the young man said "Ya know, if ya'll are interested I just had a man return an impact drill that is in perfect condition; and I'll give you a deal on it." Mike said "What kind of price are we looking at?" The young man, Casey, then grabbed the Hitachi 18-Volt Cordless Impact Driver in it's case from a locked cabinet under the register and scanned it on their system. He said "The drill lists at $199.00. How 'bout I sell it to you for $50.00? Will that work?" 

Of course, I am now crying and Mike is stunned. Mike then reaches out to shake Casey's hand and says "Thank you very much, what a blessing."

Still taken back by the situation; we turned to each other and said "Did we hear him right?" Sure enough the woman at the register hollers out "OVERRIDE!"; and a manager comes over to reduce the $199.00 rung up on the register to $50.00.

Two days of back to back experiences of young men reaching out to us in kindness; meeting our need to make it through this transition into the trailer. These young men have no idea how much their acts of kindness have impacted my husband and me. Mike is so physically and emotionally exhausted; and we have a much more difficult life ahead of us with life in a trailer, laundry mats, a much smaller frig and living quarters in which to function.

We are both so very grateful for God's grace being extended to us.

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
 ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
 ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
 ⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 ⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
 ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 ¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
 ¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 ¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 ¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

OUR STORY Part 66: A VERY KIND MAN NAMED GEORGE

Today was a long day for us. It was our first attempt at pulling the travel trailer and Michael did an excellent job!

We did some work at the house and then ran around for approximately seven hours dealing with the trailer in preparation to get the title and registration under our names.

We hauled it on over to Pep Boys in Lake Worth to get a new tire, the wheel bearings packed with grease, and the state inspection. The gentleman at Pep Boys who took care of us was the kindest man.

We made it clear from the start that we were novice and didn't have a clue what we were doing. I should state that the young man who sold us the trailer has been helpful as well regarding communication about the trailer; answering texts and phone calls. He even installed a replacement light assembly for us.

But today, George H. at Pep Boys went above and beyond the call to provide good customer service; extending kindness, patience and compassion in helping us to make sure we were safe and secure in our towing assembly before traveling any distance.

The first thing he noticed was that we didn't have a weight leveling equalizing hitch; and although it wasn't a must, he explained the importance of having one to distribute the weight of the trailer and ensure it was level with the truck receiver. They didn't sell this assembly at his shop, so we left the trailer at Pep Boys for them to take care of the wheels and we headed on over to Tractor Supply looking for the equalizing assembly which they didn't have in stock.

Next we contacted Jeremy, who sold us the trailer; and he suggested we make a call to Northern Tool & Equipment. We did, and after sifting through a new shipment they had just received; the guy over at Northern called us back and told us they had located the hitch assembly we were looking for and they were holding it for us until we could get there.

We picked up the assembly and headed back over to Pep Boys. George looked at the box and confirmed we had the right hitch assembly. But this is where George went from simply providing wonderful customer service to that of true human kindness and compassion. He looked at the box and knew more of what we were in for than we did. He then told us to back the truck into one of the mechanic's work stations while George grabbed a mechanic and had him put the little beast together for us with an impact wrench.

Once this was done George showed us how to properly hitch the truck to the travel trailer. He then had us walk back away from the setup to check out the level. When George wasn't happy with how the trailer was sitting in height behind the truck, he pulled the unit off and took it back over to the mechanic to have the height adjusted. Moments later he was back once again re-hitching the truck to the trailer going over everything carefully with Mike to ensure that he knew how to safely  unlatch the stabilizing bars without injuring himself.

Because of the kindness that George extended, we will be able to travel with a much greater sense of security. Moreover, George's kindness encouraged and warmed our hearts during a very difficult time. He cared about us.

George, if you are reading this blog, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. You have exhibited more Christ-likeness than many church goers who wear their Christianity on their sleeve. God bless!

Matthew 25:34-40

 ³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
 ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
 ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
 ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
 ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
 ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
 ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

We still don't know our tomorrows. The exhaustion is enough that we just get through our today's as best we can. It feels much different driving through the neighborhood lately; some of our neighbors already have begun to hang their head or conveniently turn the other way in what appears to be an effort to avoid us.

OUR STORY Part 65: REFLECTIONS OF AN EMPTY HOUSE

This morning, for the very first time since we arrived here in Texas; Mike and I awakened to an empty house. The feelings were pretty strong as I found myself reflecting back to one of the most exciting moments in my life some four years ago when set out to begin a new season in our lives.

We drove all the way from Southern California pulling an 18 foot long U-haul trailer with some of our personal belongings, as well as a box spring and mattress.

Over the course of a couple of days we covered as much mileage as we could. We were full of joy, excitement and anticipation over the prospect of our future here.

Little did we know what pain and loss we would begin to endure at the hands of real estate "unprofessionals." We weren't here but a week and barely unpacked before the impact of their negligence began to impact our lives.

We arrived approximately three days prior to the schedule of closing and stayed in the house during that time with the approval of the sellers. We were able to bring along a box spring and mattress which we tossed on the floor to sleep on; and our clothing and office items. Ginger Brown's was our kitchen away from home until our things arrived a few days later.

Prior to leaving California, Mike and I had spent over a week personally packing up all of our things. We then hired movers to come out and load everything into a large container that was scheduled to be picked up and delivered to our new home. Once the container arrived, a few young men from a local company here in Azle unloaded the container and our new house became home.

It wasn't but a week later when things began to happen.

On my birthday, November 16, 2007, and just one week after the close of escrow; Mike and I were scheduled to go out. At some point in the day we noticed a large collection of water developing around the back of the house near the kitchen area and it just kept growing.

We contacted a plumber to come out and dig up the area and locate the source of water. In the mean time Mike and I contacted our Realtor and the Escrow Officer in an effort to obtain information for the company handling our home warranty insurance policy. That was when the real fun started.

The Realtor and Escrow Officer immediately began pointing fingers at one another because someone had clearly forgotten to initiate our home warranty insurance policy. At one point the Escrow Officer began crying on the phone with my husband. Over the years I think it has become quite clear as to why she was so distraught over a water issue on our property just days after closing.


On our closing HUD settlement statement (page 1), Section #1300 "Additional Settlement Charges"; it notes on line item #1303 that we were charged $450.00 for a "Home Protection Plan" through "National Residential Service." And, although we had paid for the policy, it was never processed by those responsible for initiating the policy.

As a result of their negligence; to this day we have never been reimbursed the $668.00 plumbing invoice that was denied by the home warranty insurance company noted on our HUD statement. A claim simply denied because somebody dropped the ball during escrow!

Just a few months later, the flash flood hit and it all came tumbling down.

We are still preparing for our exit; and at the risk of being redundant; we are disoriented and so very, very tired. The estate sale wiped us out and now we find ourselves running back and forth between the trailer and the house trying to establish some small resemblance of our former life, pining a bit over the knowledge that others are now enjoying our belongings. Getting use to the emptiness that accompanies the complete absence of losing virtually every creature comfort is very hard; but watching Mike stare with longing at the place where his prayer chair used to sit is too painful to find words to convey.

OUR STORY Part 64: LETTING GO OF STUFF

Well, the estate sale is over and all went amazingly smooth; at least on our end it did; but I'm sure that's because everyone involved was working so diligently behind the scenes while at the same time shielding Mike and me from any unnecessary stress.

Duke and Dixie were delighted to get some stuff out of this estate sale event! =)

Duke would like to thank Uncle Joe & Aunt Lori for his new squeaky toy, "Snakey!" Dixie is also pretty happy with her new bag of raw hide chew sticks. What a treasure and precious new family we have found in Susan, Lori, Joe, Gabby & Jason of  "Lori's Estate Sales." We wouldn't have survived without their compassion and professionalism in the handling of our estate sale. We really do adore them all.

The crew really took the bull by the horns, handling every detail without a hitch; and much to our amazement, were as reliable on the last day as they were on the first day. After three exhausting days they hauled off trash and vacuumed the house leaving it looking as though no one was ever here! Thank you all so very, very much!

Monday afternoon was the first day for the crew to come in and begin their research and pricing of items for the sale which began very early Thursday morning. About 80% of the items, from large furniture to little knick knacks were successfully identified and tagged on the first day.

I didn't think we had that much stuff, but we did. Man, I don't think middle class America realizes just how much our lives center around the acquiring of "stuff." We hang it on our walls; perch it on shelves; decorate our fireplaces with it; carefully organize it in our hutches and entertainment centers; pose it on kitchen counters and guest bathrooms, including the back of the commode. Then there are those treasures scattered throughout our little gardens, back patios and front porches.

During this process I suddenly realized just how much waste has occurred in my life in the acquisition and maintaining of; not just stuff, but brand new stuff purchased at retail. This experience has certainly changed my life forever; and I expect if we ever have a home of sorts again that we will be looking for our "stuff" at an estate sale. Not only is it a wise investment, but it also serves to help those in need.

Well, the estate sale went very well and now someone else has all of our stuff. So many lovely people came through today and stopped to share words of encouragement and support with Mike and me. We are so thankful for their compassion and kindness. If you happen to be one of those individuals, or someone who purchased items from our estate sale; Mike and I would like to sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

There were some moments of painful tears over the past several days; but not so much about the loss of stuff, but the reality that this was no longer to be our home.

And then there was the unexpected walk-through by the sellers' son that took me back a bit. When I was notified that he was here I felt somewhat violated; having him walking through our home, looking through the very personal pieces of our lives tagged for sale. I headed down the stairs to find him and politely ask him to leave our home. Fortunately, the crew searched the property and informed me that he had driven off at that point.

These past several years have just been so surreal.

In the midst of it all the Holy Spirit reminds me through God's Word that we are never to allow ANYTHING of this world to have such a hold on our hearts that we can't let it go without causing damage to our soul. After all, we can't take any of this stuff with us when we depart from this world. Moreover, we should be of a selfless disposition in our hearts, finding greater pleasure in blessing those who are in true need!

"No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one, and love the other; 

or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 

Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 

Matthew 6:24

Everything is gone but the sofas and a bed that will go to Good Will. The refrigerator, washer and dryer are gone. We have some things out in the camper fridge and picked up some Woolite tonight so that we can hand-wash laundry in a sink or bathtub until we get some quarters and take a full laundry basket on over to the local laundry mat. 

Monday we will get the bearings packed with grease, a new tire and the state inspection done on the trailer and begin to organize and pack up our little home on wheels. The dogs are still with us; I just couldn't let them go. So, it will be a very snug little family of four surviving in a confined area until such time as God provides a means for us to have a porcelain commode again. =/

The next time you think about going shopping for something I hope you will find yourself an estate sale. Bless a family in need while doing yourself a favor; perhaps finding your treasure at a bargain price. And, you might find a few extra bargains at one of these estate sales that can be donated to a needy family, hospice, church or school.

God bless, Netty

IRONY

 

OUR STORY Part 63: FIRST DAY OF ESTATE SALE

Well, today was the first day of our three day estate sale. We are a little off the beaten path but did have a pretty good turn out considering. But what do we know? we've never had an estate sale before. We still have so much stuff for sale we are just praying for God's mercy with the weather and a good turnout over the next two days. People were encouraged to spread the word and apparently were willing to do so.

Susan and Joe of "Lori's Estate Sales" told us that everyone who came through was very compassionate regarding our circumstances. We actually spent a little time speaking with one woman today, but tried to stay out of the way so as not to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I don't know, perhaps we should be autographing bottles of flood water and passing them out with a tip jar on the table "Support Our Camper Fund!" =)

The transition of leaving this life behind and beginning a new one has officially begun; and as Mike put it, "we are just absolutely numb."

For the first time in years Mike and I didn't sleep in our bedroom, and this had me crying off and on (more on than off) all night long. Often ending up in my husbands comforting arms. Then to add to our fun, one of the cracked tiles on the floor (a result of settling issues) shot up a razor sharp blade of ceramic flooring that sliced my foot open with a pool of blood puddling everywhere. Mike, horrified at first, played doctor and fixed me up and we went on to finish moving ourselves upstairs; storing our personal items away in preparation for the sale. We took our coffee maker and creamer upstairs with us so that we didn't walk out in our pajamas in the morning and frighten away any of the estate sale visitors who showed up. We were up until 1:00a.m., absolutely exhausted!

In a couple of days we will make the next big transition (or should I say small transition) into our new home; a used 2000 Dutchman travel trailer that we located on Craigslist. We are a bit stressed at the prospect of shifting into such a small area, but what can we do? We have pursued and exhausted just about every avenue we can think of. The queen camper bed is a standard RV bed that is 6 feet long; Mike being 6"4" has added to the stress level of this difficult transition. He will have to create a make-shift temporary extension that doesn't block the breaker box but accommodates his length.

Our roasting pans won't fit in the camper oven so they are being added to the sale items; and the glass/ceramic dishes won't travel well either in the smaller cabinets and create an issue with shifting during travel. Our space has really become compacted now; so we will have to completely change the way we live and eat.

The sale items continue to grow, now we just need buyers so that we can clear out and raise enough funds to get us to our destination and keep us afloat as we enter the next phase of our surreal lives. The clock is ticking away.

The camper we finally found is an eleven year old Dutchman. I uploaded the photographs from the Craigslist ad to our Photobucket account (see below). We are nervous and hope that it holds together and serves are needs; short showers, a toilet, a bed, mini kitchen and a roof over our head. God forbid we find that this piece of "real estate" has issues. I pleaded with the guy and told him our story. He was real good about coming back over today and repairing a brake light that wasn't working.

The stress wouldn't be so great if this was simply a matter of looking for a used recreational vehicle; but this is our permanent home until we are able to get our feet back on the ground; which considering the economy and our ages, may take some time. But praise God for our little travel trailer, many others are in worse shape!

Right now Mike is wandering around the place looking for a wooden box that we think got sold with his prescription glasses inside. (sigh) We do so look for a day of rest, just one would be wonderful.

"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.  
The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 
Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling"
Psalm 116:5-8

P.S. If you are a blog follower and happen to see Mike or me walking around the estate sale taking care of things, please feel free to say hello; we don't want anyone to feel awkward. All we ask is that you do not approach us with a question about the pricing of items in the sale. We are under agreement with Lori's Estate Sales and have the utmost confidence in their professional experience in handling our situation. Besides, if we step on their toes then Mr. Joe might take back Duke's stuffed squeaky toy he bought for him today; and that would be very traumatizing for little Duke.

NOT A GOOD DAY!

OUR STORY Part 62: A DAY OF NUMB ANTICIPATION

Today seemed an unusually long and physically exhausting day; and one best described as a one of emotional numbness. The estate sale is approaching quickly and it is a surreal experience to say the least; in a couple of days our life as we have known it will cease to exist. The dogs are anxious as they can sense something major is going on in our home. Items being moved and boxes piling up. Dixie has needed a lot of extra TLC over the past few days.

This has been a particularly hard time for Mike since his priority, aside from that of serving his LORD has been to make every effort to provide me my first real home; that of peacefulness and safety. I observed him throughout the day and suddenly began to notice him frequently just stop what he was doing and gaze around; sometimes focusing on a piece of furniture, a clock hanging on the wall or a special picture that we purchased together. At one point he shared how special it was building a home together. But for the most part there was no conversation, just silent pause and reflection.

We finished clearing out the garage and setting aside things for the estate sale. Mike sat on the living room floor for a period of time going through his tools and garage knick knacks (screws, wires, drill bits etc.); trying to organize and segregate out what to take with us. And while he worked on his projects I spent the day dusting, vacuuming, washing sheets to be sold and setting things on shelves for the crew to begin pricing.

We have cleared out a closet; putting everything we are taking with us aside, which isn't much.We will be traveling very light, just some tools, our clothes and a few personal items (Bibles, hair dryer, toothbrushes, books, etc.). Everything else is being sold in order to generate enough money to live on until something breaks.

We still haven't worked out the details of what we are going to do with our lives; but not for lack of tenacity in searching out avenues of opportunity and much prayer.

Yesterday was a very awkward day. We found a 1994 travel trailer that we believe will meet our needs and have had some communication back and forth with the couple who own the trailer. Last evening I sat and listened as Mike spoke on the phone with the husband, brother in the LORD. Mike shared a little about our situation and went on to beseech the man for help, asking that he consider reducing the sale price of the trailer to number $500 below what it has been listed for on Craigslist. The gentleman said he would think about it and get back to us; but we haven't heard back as yet.

What the gentleman doesn't know is that; aside from the fact that we are clearly in a crisis financial situation, Mike is asking to purchase the trailer for the exact amount we received through the sale of my wedding ring.

A few nights after the ring was sold Mike had made a comment; "It sure would be easier dealing with you losing your ring if I could tell you that your ring at least provided us our home." I know he has really struggled with the fact the ring is gone. He never once asked or eluded to wanting to sell the ring; he just wouldn't ever do that. Michael Daniel is a very loving husband and a very hard working and selfless individual who cares dearly for me. My husband doesn't deserve what is happening to him, especially just weeks before his 60th birthday.

There is this little piece of hope we hang onto; perhaps some miracle where we will wake up from this nightmare to find the judge filing a Final Judgment overturning his earlier order. Mike just hugs me each day and says "Honey, I don't know how but God will restore our lives."

I love you Michael, you're my hero!

OUR STORY Part 61: THE WRESTLING AND THE BONDS THAT TIE

Throughout this blog we have purposed in our hearts to relate the events of "Our Story" as accurately as possible. And with the same conviction and level of diligence we have made every effort to truthfully relate our responses to these events; noting our personal challenges as we walk through the fire, our faith in God literally being tested on a daily basis.

Having said that; it goes without saying that I personally find myself feeling quite the hypocrite over these past two weeks with the vacillating of my emotions. As the milestone continues to drop we are faced with the increased intensity of time constraints and unknowns bearing down on us; forced to make decisions in a manner that is quite out of character.

I understand that the Word of God is true and that it never changes; but I still find that I have a much easier time standing in faith of God's provision being there for others than I do for myself. This issue becomes more convoluted when I feel that I am somehow failing God by reacting anxiously to the stress rather than resting in His promises. The 90% on and 10% off is still evidence of some measure of unbelief! (sigh) But thanks to a loving and merciful God, I am growing.

It truly has been a kind of Jacob at the well experience for me; and I expect that the breaking is still in progress.

²⁴And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
 ²⁵And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
 ²⁶And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
 ²⁷And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
 ²⁸And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
 ²⁹And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
 ³⁰And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Genesis 32:24-30)

We have had this very pressing issue of how we are going to transition out of here, and so far not much has panned out as we hoped. We've hit road blocks, hurdles, and the inconvenience of those ground traffic spikes that prevent you from backing up!

Deep down inside my spirit man knows that God is sovereign and there's a sense of peace. He is in complete control of our lives and the lives of those who are a part of this process. But this flesh wants to grab hold of the steering wheel!!! My emotions want to react to everything lately like a fresh bruise, hypersensitive to the touch.  And we both have been on this teeter totter kind of ride.

Mike said it best the other day; "God's grace is with us Netty, in that when I'm down you're up and when you're down I'm up." And that is exactly how the cycle has been for the past couple of months; more pronounced over the past two weeks.

I'll tell you what; if we had not been pressing into our relationship with God making sure our priorities are in order, we would never have survived this mess. It is clear to many that the escalating economic woes are taking out marriages like the cascading of falling Dominoes.

Daniels, of Florida List for Less Realty, said financial woes caused by variable mortgage rates "are really straining to a relationship. When times are good, people are happy. They love and laugh in unison. When the world is bad, they get ugly with each other. Human nature is funny that way." (MSN Online Article ~ Is Mortgage Crisis Causing Divorces?)

If Mike and I were not engaged in a fully committed relationship to God and one another; united in submission to God's Word and commandment to "love, patience, long-suffering and the bearing of one another's burdens" (I Corinthians 13) we would no be able to survive this nightmare in our own strength. On the contrary we would most likely be another statistical tragedy in these times of materialism, self-centeredness, and economic instability.

"Carry each other's burdens, 

and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Galatians 6:2

We humans always want to be busied and in control of our lives in pursuit of our national ethos"The American Dream." We have investments, insurance policies, retirement plans, busied schedules and these darn electronic gadgets clipped to our hips, dashboards and plugged into our heads in order to make sure we don't skip a beat as to what's going in the world or the lives of others; while at the same time absolutely clueless as to what is going on within the heart of the person we sleep with each night.

I praise God that Michael and I veered away from so many of those busied distractions that often serve to facilitate a breakdown in marriages. Usually by the time the damage is done it's too late and when a crisis such as our situation hits, it's more appealing to jump ship than it is to patiently love one another through the storm.

But for the grace of God neither of us has nudged the other to take a walk off the plank! =) Mike's taken the role of spiritual covering and headship very seriously, employing patience and long-suffering towards me. This commitment on Mike's part has, in turn, motivated me towards the same response. He has prayerfully set the tone for each and every conversation we have had to endure in an effort to ensure that instead of fighting each other we are united in love and focus fighting our circumstances together; doing so as best we know in line with God's will.

Mike and I are fully aware that there is a shark circling beneath this ship just hoping for one or both of us to fall into the waters of blame, bitterness, hopelessness and/or utter despair. With God before us...sharky is in for a good fight!

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

I was thinking that perhaps at the end of this we just might celebrate our new lives with a nice slab of broiled shark steak w/garlic butter!

OUR STORY Part 60: ADRIFT

¹⁸And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
 ¹⁹And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
 ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Acts 27:18-20

Over the past several weeks we have not wanted to respond in unbelief or fear of our circumstances. Yet at the same time we are not wanting to sit motionless in some paralysis of denial. So we have prayerfully been putting our hands to task planting seeds and waiting for the hand of God to prosper in whatever direction He wills. So far nothing has produced any fruit and we find ourselves in the precarious scenario of lightening our ship in the midst of the storm.

The estate sale is still scheduled for next week, selling all that we have with no real direction of where we are headed. We had some things in play that have since fallen through. Circulation of resumes, phone calls etc. have hit road blocks; and efforts to find a trailer have not been successful thus far; but we continue to seek and pray.

We occasionally find ourselves questioning things. Are we moving too fast? Is this His will or are we panicking? Or are we indeed on the right track and God is just not letting us see tomorrow because this is the ultimate test of our faith in His sovereignty and provision?

We can't seem to see two steps in front of us let alone tomorrow. Even when I was graduating from high school I had some sense of direction in dreams and aspirations I was chasing after; but at the age of 53 and 60 our priorities are more responsible and that of wanting to be in God's perfect will. Thus, we find ourselves to be on this unknown journey with no compass other than that of the Holy Spirit; and we are trying to remain quiet in our emotions as much as possible to ensure that we can hear Him; purposing to be in line with His perfect plan for our lives.

Are we showing a lack of faith by lightening the ship? Or does He want us to lighten the ship so that we have no tethers that bind us from moving forward?

I was Skype messaging with a sister in Christ last evening from under the bed sheets so that I didn't wake Mike from his precious hour of sleep. Mike has not been able to get any sleep and I didn't want to be up on my computer with lights on. As it is, he and I were up and down throughout most of the night...as the pattern has been for some time now.

So anyway, I was messaging with a sister and at one point she sensed the story of Lazarus drop into her heart. Mike and I got up this morning and read the story over and took note of a couple of important truths about this story; the first being that Jesus did not rush to stop Lazarus' death. Although those who loved Lazarus were grieved in despair, He knew that what was about to occur was for "the glory of God."

³Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
 ⁴When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
 ⁵Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
 ⁶When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Next, Martha knew that although Jesus could have prevented Lazarus' death, that whatever her LORD asked of God would be granted unto Him. She was not bitter or angry at Jesus but accepted that God knew best and was ultimately in control.

²¹Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
 ²²But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
 ²³Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

And in the midst of witnessing the personal pain and grief of those who loved Lazarus, Jesus being filled with compassion also grieved and wept even though He knew what was to occur; Lazarus being brought back to life and restored unto them.

³³When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
 ³⁴And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
 ³⁵Jesus wept.

John 11:1-44 (excerpts)

(Read entire section here.)

So, is Lazarus (our lives as we know them now) dying only that they shall be revived in such a manner as to give all glory and honor to God? I mean, we have always given glory to God for anything good that occurs in our lives...or so we believe. But is this the true test? Are we meant to hit roadblocks at every turn in order for all those who witness this time of transition to give praise and honor to God as they witness us unsuccessful in the strength of our own flesh to step off the cliff of nothingness; only to see the mighty hand of God appear to catch us and place us divinely in His will for our lives?

I must admit that Mike and I have often prayed the selfish prayer "Jesus come!" Desiring Him to pluck us out of this world of sin and pain so that we may be in the midst of our precious LORD Jesus. But again, we know that this is a selfish state of mind focusing on the ease of our circumstances when our focus should be on that of reaching out to others in serving the glory of our God.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Philippians 1:21-30

These days grow longer and the sleepless nights are really taking their toll on our physical bodies.We are so weary and in need of refreshing and direction. Sometimes all I can pray is "God have mercy on your servants. Give us the strength to make it through today. During this tedious uphill journey let us not lose our footing and fail you."

Today we continue to pray, listen, hope and trust.



“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30