When I started to go to church, I was 4 years old. It was a small Southern Baptist Church off of Hatcher and Central. It has since become a Spanish church but I don't know the religion. My mom, brother and I would attend Sunday mornings and Sunday night church. Sunday mornings you would dress in your Sunday best clothes. We would sometimes have pot-lucks and enjoy some delicious food while visiting with the church members. Sunday morning church was Sunday School and then Big Church. Big Church, as I called it, was sometimes long and boring. I mean who wouldn't have a hard time understanding when you were only 4 years old. I remember all of the stories in the Bible being taught to us but never knew there was so much more to the Bible then the stories. When in High school we attended Sunday morning, night and Wednesday night church. I started going to the youth group in High school.
We had a very small youth group, maybe 15 of us, more or less through out the years. I went to church camp and on one of those visits I accepted Christ into my heart. I was afraid to make this commitment because I had asked my parents if I could be baptised and my dad told me no. So going against my dad's wishes, when they had the alter call, I went to the front of the congregation and confessed I was a sinner and asked Jesus to live in my heart. Someone prayed with me and I had the most spiritual experience after making that choice.
What I didn't know, they sent the pastor of your church information on your commitment and then he sent a letter to your parents about that commitment and wanted to make arrangements for you to be baptised. I was so scared when my mom came in with that letter. You see I didn't go against my parents in most things so that was a huge thing when she came in with that letter. My mom talked to my dad and I was later baptized.
After making my commitment to Christ I was on fire and wanted everyone to know how much God loved them. Unfortunately, I had no guidance on reading my Bible, prayer and your walk with Christ. I went to church faithfully, sang in the choir and made church my whole life, until I turned 18. I thought the church was too small and not enough young people so I wanted to find a different church to hopefully bond with a group my age. I remember singing to the congregation, Friends by Michael W. Smith the last Sunday that I attended Central Heights.
When I left Central Heights, I started to church hop. I started to work at Berean Christian Bookstores around 20, it was at the time located off of 35th Ave. and Bethany Home. There was a church right by it called First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix. It was a big church and lots of young people attended. I joined the choir and went to the services, but never really made connections with anyone. I also joined a church called Palmcroft Baptist Church. When attending there, I had a boyfriend who died and just couldn't attend Palmcroft anymore because of his not being there.
I stopped going to church when I married my first husband. He was Catholic and I being Southern Baptist, well let's say it was not a good mix. I remember our going to North Phoenix Baptist Church, but we didn't attend for that long nor were we praying together as a couple or trying to live the life as a Christian.
I had my daughter in 1992. My husband and I were not doing well in our marriage and started to do counseling with the Pastor who married us in 1989. We went to a couple of sessions together but after talking to the Pastor, he felt I needed counseling on my own. When our daughter turned 14 months old, my husband came home and told me he wanted a divorce. I continued to go to church on my own so I could still receive the counselling.
A year after my divorce I met a man at work. He seemed to be a Godly man and he introduced me to another church closer to my new home. It was a non-denominational church, I don't remember the name right now but it was off of 27th Ave. between Peoria and Cactus in a business center. I had Veronica dedicated to the Lord there. I stopped dating my friend and left that church to start attending Royal Palms Baptist Church. My daughter and I attended that church for awhile, she was even Baptised at that church.
I met my now husband at work. He never attended church but said he believed in God. I stopped going to church because of our dating and his not going to church, I put him first before God. When I quit my job at Ping and started to work at the school, one of my teachers invited me to Bible Study. I went to her Bible Study for a year and then started to attend CCV. I asked my husband to visit with me and he did! I've been attending for 9 years now. There has been some months that we didn't attend at all. It's hard when your husband isn't a Christian to keep dedicated in going every weekend.
Since attending CCV, I've grown in the Lord. It's sad to say I didn't really read my Bible until about 7 years ago. I did the read the Bible in a year and I have to say that was the best year of my life. I was dedicated to prayer and reading my Bible. I also read the Purpose Driven Life that challenged me to dig deeper in my relationship with Christ.
I've learned something in the church service a couple of weeks ago. God will not give you something big until you take care of the small thing that he has given you charge of. My call has been to pray and I hope that I'll be trusted to have something bigger to make a change in people's lives.
I'm at most peace with the Lord when I experience the outdoors. I love to pray when the sun is first rising and how calm and quite it is. I can feel a slight breeze and feel it's God joining me in our conversation together as I pray to him. The birds are singing and it's so calming.
I feel the Spirit of God when I'm around people. There is this feeling that comes over me and sometimes, I'm almost blown over by the Spirit. I've prayed that I would be sensitive to the Spirit but never new that what I was praying for would be so intense. My daughter V had a Bible Study in our home for a year. The group leader came in one night and I felt God's Spirit so strongly that I wanted to cry and I was shacking. When I'm in my small group and we are interpreting what we read and I feel that I need to say something, it's sometimes hard because I want to cry.
But there are also times I don't feel God. And at those times, it's so lonely. I have to dig deeper in my relationship with Him. I know that there are trials and during those times, I know there will be blessings. My heart wants everyone to know God's love. We are in the end times and Jesus' return is approaching.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
I'm Not Perfect
I've had a number of occasions when I was put into bad situations. When I first started to wear a bra, a boy down the street from me followed me with a group of boys, tackled me and lifted my shirt up to show everyone my bra. My friend's brother and his friend had a fort and they wanted me to pull down my pants.
The brothers sister said I was afraidy cat because she would pull her pants down why wouldn't I? I did have them go out of the fort, look through a hose while I showed them my belly button. A man in a truck with a camper shell would follow me home, open his door to invite me in for a ride and continue to drive, prompting me to get in. I never took that ride. A new boy moved into the house next to us. When I would be outside he would ask me to the side of the house. He then would twist my arm and threaten that if I didn't kiss him he would tell everyone something bad about me. The man across the street would stand outside at the same time every night when I was in my bedroom changing. I finally asked my mom if I could have a shade for my window. I felt alone because I never told anyone what I was going through.
All of that was nothing compared to what I would experience when I turned 18. I had low self esteem. I really don't know how it happened but when I was working at Wendy's a few frequent diners would come in. This guy who worked next door kept coming in and talking to me. He started to bring me gifts and then eventually asked me out. Because my dad was prejudice, I was afraid to tell them of this guy. Since I could drive, I would sneak to meet with him. I would lie about where I was going, so nobody even knew what was going on. On one of these meetings he raped me. I was in a cheap hotel, thinking we were going out, and he raped me. I was in shock, took a shower in the hotel and cryed. I went home and didn't tell.
He had taken my virginity. The one thing that I wanted to save for marriage, to give to my husband. I felt guilty and thought that God would only forgive me if I married him. So I had to decide to introduce him to my family. I had him meet me at my home introduced him to my family and we went to the mall. He looked at rings and told me he wanted to marry me without my having to ask him to marry me.
My dad had a lot of connections. While we were at the mall, my dad looked through this guys car. He gave that information to his police friends. My dad's friends told them things to look for, like if I was being drugged and to keep tabs on me.
I went to lunch with this guy and we met up with one of his friends. They were both of the same ethnic group so they spoke in their language. I heard money mentioned and could understand a few things, because they would throw in English here and there, but not much. He also had me talk to someone on the phone that was his "sister". After that meeting, we had made arrangements to meet at his hotel. I was at my friends house and called the guy. Someone else answered, the guy was being raided and arrested. The police had answered and told me to not come to the hotel.
I told my parents about the rape. My mom took me to the doctor and I was given what I believe to now be the "day after pill". I did have my period eventually but for a bit, thought I could be pregnant. When I talked to my parents, it was the first time my dad told me he loved me. We never talked about what happened again.
I did meet with the detective who had been on my case. I had found out the man who raped me was here illegally. They had found a lacing of drugs on the pop he had been giving me to drink. He was also involved with a slavery ring. He was deported but before he left, he wrote to me from prison to tell me how much he loved me. I didn't respond to that letter, but I did hold onto that letter from him, for a long time. I have of course since thrown that letter away.
I thank God. Although I had made some really dumb decisions and had placed myself in a scary situation, God watched over me. He used my dad to talk to the right people so they could take me out of this nightmare.
I don't know why I experienced all that I did. I'm lucky to not be dead, or out on the street high on drugs. God spared me from a life of hell. I'm thankful for His love and protection.
The brothers sister said I was afraidy cat because she would pull her pants down why wouldn't I? I did have them go out of the fort, look through a hose while I showed them my belly button. A man in a truck with a camper shell would follow me home, open his door to invite me in for a ride and continue to drive, prompting me to get in. I never took that ride. A new boy moved into the house next to us. When I would be outside he would ask me to the side of the house. He then would twist my arm and threaten that if I didn't kiss him he would tell everyone something bad about me. The man across the street would stand outside at the same time every night when I was in my bedroom changing. I finally asked my mom if I could have a shade for my window. I felt alone because I never told anyone what I was going through.
All of that was nothing compared to what I would experience when I turned 18. I had low self esteem. I really don't know how it happened but when I was working at Wendy's a few frequent diners would come in. This guy who worked next door kept coming in and talking to me. He started to bring me gifts and then eventually asked me out. Because my dad was prejudice, I was afraid to tell them of this guy. Since I could drive, I would sneak to meet with him. I would lie about where I was going, so nobody even knew what was going on. On one of these meetings he raped me. I was in a cheap hotel, thinking we were going out, and he raped me. I was in shock, took a shower in the hotel and cryed. I went home and didn't tell.
He had taken my virginity. The one thing that I wanted to save for marriage, to give to my husband. I felt guilty and thought that God would only forgive me if I married him. So I had to decide to introduce him to my family. I had him meet me at my home introduced him to my family and we went to the mall. He looked at rings and told me he wanted to marry me without my having to ask him to marry me.
My dad had a lot of connections. While we were at the mall, my dad looked through this guys car. He gave that information to his police friends. My dad's friends told them things to look for, like if I was being drugged and to keep tabs on me.
I went to lunch with this guy and we met up with one of his friends. They were both of the same ethnic group so they spoke in their language. I heard money mentioned and could understand a few things, because they would throw in English here and there, but not much. He also had me talk to someone on the phone that was his "sister". After that meeting, we had made arrangements to meet at his hotel. I was at my friends house and called the guy. Someone else answered, the guy was being raided and arrested. The police had answered and told me to not come to the hotel.
I told my parents about the rape. My mom took me to the doctor and I was given what I believe to now be the "day after pill". I did have my period eventually but for a bit, thought I could be pregnant. When I talked to my parents, it was the first time my dad told me he loved me. We never talked about what happened again.
I did meet with the detective who had been on my case. I had found out the man who raped me was here illegally. They had found a lacing of drugs on the pop he had been giving me to drink. He was also involved with a slavery ring. He was deported but before he left, he wrote to me from prison to tell me how much he loved me. I didn't respond to that letter, but I did hold onto that letter from him, for a long time. I have of course since thrown that letter away.
I thank God. Although I had made some really dumb decisions and had placed myself in a scary situation, God watched over me. He used my dad to talk to the right people so they could take me out of this nightmare.
I don't know why I experienced all that I did. I'm lucky to not be dead, or out on the street high on drugs. God spared me from a life of hell. I'm thankful for His love and protection.
My Secret
I pray at school...That's right, the one place that we are not allowed to mix church and state, I pray. I've gone on a weekend and prayed. I don't always know what to pray for, but God puts words on my tongue and I pray. Sometimes I even cry for those that I'm praying for. I've prayed for our buildings and all that enter. I pray for our students and their parents. And I pray for our staff. Many times I have prayed with someone when I feel led to pray for them. They may come to me with a problem and we sneak to a room that we will not be interrupted and I pray. I've taken breaks and prayed with a group of teacher's in a room that nobody will be using at that time. I've formed a prayer group with a few woman and we have brought our prayer requests and prayed together.
My heart breaks for out students, God's children. I've not always followed Gods command to "Pray for my children". I believe that I have heard his voice telling me just that, "Pray for my children". I was praying to God and begging him to show me what I was good for and what I could do for Him. In a loud voice I heard, "Pray for my children".
I've learned of so many situations that our children are placed in. Sweet, innocent children, living in difficult times, that I pray. I believe in prayer so, God wants me to pray and He places information in front of me so I can pray.
When I'm at home, I visualize my school. I visually go from one room to the other and pray for that teacher, their classroom of children, and anything that I feel led to pray about.
I feel vunurable to tell my secret, but there it is, I pray.
My heart breaks for out students, God's children. I've not always followed Gods command to "Pray for my children". I believe that I have heard his voice telling me just that, "Pray for my children". I was praying to God and begging him to show me what I was good for and what I could do for Him. In a loud voice I heard, "Pray for my children".
I've learned of so many situations that our children are placed in. Sweet, innocent children, living in difficult times, that I pray. I believe in prayer so, God wants me to pray and He places information in front of me so I can pray.
When I'm at home, I visualize my school. I visually go from one room to the other and pray for that teacher, their classroom of children, and anything that I feel led to pray about.
I feel vunurable to tell my secret, but there it is, I pray.
Being a Single Mom
I had never planned to be a single mom but that is what I had become. When my daughter turned 14 months old, I was looking at divorce. Our relationship was at a difficult place when I gave birth to our daughter and after months of counseling, my husband came home and told me we should get a divorce. He told me he would live with us until the house sold and we would then go through the process of divorce. That only lasted two days, it was too difficult with me crying and begging for us to not divorce, so he chose to move to a friends home. I told him if he left I would never take him back.
Here I was living in a home that I didn't feel safe at, with all the responsibilities, to be both mom and dad, provider, spiritual leader, teacher and so much more. My mom and dad helped me to find a lawyer, placed the house up for sale and showed their support in all the decisions I was making. By July, I was divorced and in October, I was in a new home.
I totally believe that all things through God are possible. Sometimes we may not see what He is doing in our lives, but if we take time to be silent, to look and listen, God can reveal to us the works He does in our lives. I'm not saying it's always easy but, God always provides and allows us to have free will.
God gave me parents that helped me through a really difficult time. When I returned to work, six weeks after having my daughter, my mom took care of her so I wouldn't have to worry about child care. She babysat V until she went to Kindergarten. When my mom went grocery shopping and they had buy one get one free, she would give me the extra item that she had received. They would buy V clothes and toys when I was not able to. My dad became a father figure to her, when he had not always been there for me when I was growing up. We tried to make family life as normal as possible for my daughter as she grew up.
I was working in a stable job that although I had to be there at 5:30 am, I would pick V up by 2:00 pm. Eventually, I decided to have her go a couple of days in day care so she would be exposed to other children. It was hard to not have her full time at my mom's, but I felt it was important for V to have social skills with other children plus, I didn't know if I would have any more children so she really needed that interaction with other kids.
I made decisions that went against how I was brought up. When V was sick, it was tiring on me because there was not that tag team to switch off who would get up with her this time. So, I started to have V sleep with me. Although it helped at the time, when V was older and I remarried, it was a hard habit to break.
GUILT...it's a nasty word and plays a huge roll when you're a single parent. Was I right in my decision to never take her dad back? Am I giving her what she needs? Am I giving her too much? I made my life revolve around her, and her alone. And now that she is 18, I have to adjust to her moving on and how to readjust my world without her in it 24/7.
Remarriage, bringing two families together, changes, challenges, tears all rolled into a decision to bring someone else into the fold. For the most part, V has adjusted and accepted what roll my husband has played in her life. Before we married I was so impressed with the relationship he had with his daughter, that I thought he would be the same for my daughter. Instead, he has been there for her but not like a dad. He never wanted to replace her dad even thought her relationship with her father is not a good one. I expected more but received less. But really is that fair to have another person fill the shoes of someone who should be a better person then what they are?
Over all, I feel I've done the best that I could, could have done some things different, but have a wonderful daughter that I'm proud of and has done well in her life. She has had to live with the consequences of my decisions. But that just gives us another opportunity to see God's work in our lives.
Here I was living in a home that I didn't feel safe at, with all the responsibilities, to be both mom and dad, provider, spiritual leader, teacher and so much more. My mom and dad helped me to find a lawyer, placed the house up for sale and showed their support in all the decisions I was making. By July, I was divorced and in October, I was in a new home.
I totally believe that all things through God are possible. Sometimes we may not see what He is doing in our lives, but if we take time to be silent, to look and listen, God can reveal to us the works He does in our lives. I'm not saying it's always easy but, God always provides and allows us to have free will.
God gave me parents that helped me through a really difficult time. When I returned to work, six weeks after having my daughter, my mom took care of her so I wouldn't have to worry about child care. She babysat V until she went to Kindergarten. When my mom went grocery shopping and they had buy one get one free, she would give me the extra item that she had received. They would buy V clothes and toys when I was not able to. My dad became a father figure to her, when he had not always been there for me when I was growing up. We tried to make family life as normal as possible for my daughter as she grew up.
I was working in a stable job that although I had to be there at 5:30 am, I would pick V up by 2:00 pm. Eventually, I decided to have her go a couple of days in day care so she would be exposed to other children. It was hard to not have her full time at my mom's, but I felt it was important for V to have social skills with other children plus, I didn't know if I would have any more children so she really needed that interaction with other kids.
I made decisions that went against how I was brought up. When V was sick, it was tiring on me because there was not that tag team to switch off who would get up with her this time. So, I started to have V sleep with me. Although it helped at the time, when V was older and I remarried, it was a hard habit to break.
GUILT...it's a nasty word and plays a huge roll when you're a single parent. Was I right in my decision to never take her dad back? Am I giving her what she needs? Am I giving her too much? I made my life revolve around her, and her alone. And now that she is 18, I have to adjust to her moving on and how to readjust my world without her in it 24/7.
Remarriage, bringing two families together, changes, challenges, tears all rolled into a decision to bring someone else into the fold. For the most part, V has adjusted and accepted what roll my husband has played in her life. Before we married I was so impressed with the relationship he had with his daughter, that I thought he would be the same for my daughter. Instead, he has been there for her but not like a dad. He never wanted to replace her dad even thought her relationship with her father is not a good one. I expected more but received less. But really is that fair to have another person fill the shoes of someone who should be a better person then what they are?
Over all, I feel I've done the best that I could, could have done some things different, but have a wonderful daughter that I'm proud of and has done well in her life. She has had to live with the consequences of my decisions. But that just gives us another opportunity to see God's work in our lives.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Guardian Angels
Angels watching over me every step I take, Angels watching over me. I love this song by Amy Grant. I have had an interest in Angels and believe in Angels. I believe that I've had encounters with Angels. I'll share my stories and you can decide, Angel or not.
My first husband and I lived right on Bethany Home Road. We lived on a corner lot and there was always loud traffic on the road. This first story may not have been an Angel but I want to share with you anyway what happened one day while we were away.
JA and I were at work when he received a phone call from the police there had been an attempted break-in. Apparently the neighbor who lived on the other side of an ally behind us heard breaking of glass. The burglar wasn't able to get into the house because he had been scared away. I truly can't believe how he had heard the glass break with all the traffic in the middle of the day but he did. We had to replace our bedroom window and clean up glass but had nothing stolen. I had prayed before we moved in and continually after living there that God would have Guardian Angels protecting us and our home.
Shortly after JA moved out I had shared with our two neighbors I was alone. My neighbor next door had given me his phone number in case I needed anything when I was home. Our neighborhood was not as safe as it had once been. A woman had been found dead after being dumped in the ally across the street from me so we were all on edge.
One night I awoke to an orange glow in my bedroom. I looked out the window to see my neighbors oleanders on fire. The oleanders were like a fence between us and very tall. He had a shed in the corner that had paint in it. I called him on the phone and awoke him and his wife. There was static on the line so I could only tell him his house was on fire when the phone went dead. I was worried about what to do when my door bell rang interrupting my thoughts. A man was at my door and I was afraid to open it to him. He yelled at me he was driving by on his motorcycle and there was a fire. I cracked the door open and asked him if he would help me. I told him I had a baby and the grass was dry would he help me. He said he would go in the backyard and water down the grass. I went to my bedroom to get dressed and peaked out my window to see what he was doing. He was watering down the grass for me so I felt safe to go in the front yard to water down the lawn out front. People were out front and soon the fire department arrived. I went to tell the man thank-you for his help but couldn't find him. I never did see his motorcycle nor did I hear him drive off.
Another time I thought to have seen an Angel could be true or not. I was going to dinner by myself at a Mexican Restaurant that was in a strip mall. After I parked and was walking to the restaurant I saw a homeless man. I knew he would ask me for money but honestly knew I had no cash to give him. He did indeed stop me and asked for change but I had nothing to give to him. I went inside and while I was being seated, I thought what would it hurt if I asked to buy his dinner? I felt scared but thought I would be safe enough to offer him dinner. I went outside to find him, but he was no where to be found. Now, could he have been an Angel? I really don't know because not a lot of time passed by from my going inside that I wouldn't have seen him walking when I went to look for him. But, maybe it was just a man, I will never know.
My third experience was here recently. I was driving home after a busy day at work. I was analyzing in my head everything that had happened that day. The traffic was a bit heavy on the road opposite of me. I pulled into the middle lane to wait to turn across traffic. I glanced to the sidewalk, didn't see anything so I turned into the neighborhood. When I turned what I didn't see was a young man on his bicycle going across the street that I was turning on. He quickly swerved from hitting the front of my truck. Not only did an Angel protect him, but I was kept from being hit on the back end of my truck. I quickly thanked God for his protecting that young man because he really would have been hurt if I had hit him.
My first husband and I lived right on Bethany Home Road. We lived on a corner lot and there was always loud traffic on the road. This first story may not have been an Angel but I want to share with you anyway what happened one day while we were away.
JA and I were at work when he received a phone call from the police there had been an attempted break-in. Apparently the neighbor who lived on the other side of an ally behind us heard breaking of glass. The burglar wasn't able to get into the house because he had been scared away. I truly can't believe how he had heard the glass break with all the traffic in the middle of the day but he did. We had to replace our bedroom window and clean up glass but had nothing stolen. I had prayed before we moved in and continually after living there that God would have Guardian Angels protecting us and our home.
Shortly after JA moved out I had shared with our two neighbors I was alone. My neighbor next door had given me his phone number in case I needed anything when I was home. Our neighborhood was not as safe as it had once been. A woman had been found dead after being dumped in the ally across the street from me so we were all on edge.
One night I awoke to an orange glow in my bedroom. I looked out the window to see my neighbors oleanders on fire. The oleanders were like a fence between us and very tall. He had a shed in the corner that had paint in it. I called him on the phone and awoke him and his wife. There was static on the line so I could only tell him his house was on fire when the phone went dead. I was worried about what to do when my door bell rang interrupting my thoughts. A man was at my door and I was afraid to open it to him. He yelled at me he was driving by on his motorcycle and there was a fire. I cracked the door open and asked him if he would help me. I told him I had a baby and the grass was dry would he help me. He said he would go in the backyard and water down the grass. I went to my bedroom to get dressed and peaked out my window to see what he was doing. He was watering down the grass for me so I felt safe to go in the front yard to water down the lawn out front. People were out front and soon the fire department arrived. I went to tell the man thank-you for his help but couldn't find him. I never did see his motorcycle nor did I hear him drive off.
Another time I thought to have seen an Angel could be true or not. I was going to dinner by myself at a Mexican Restaurant that was in a strip mall. After I parked and was walking to the restaurant I saw a homeless man. I knew he would ask me for money but honestly knew I had no cash to give him. He did indeed stop me and asked for change but I had nothing to give to him. I went inside and while I was being seated, I thought what would it hurt if I asked to buy his dinner? I felt scared but thought I would be safe enough to offer him dinner. I went outside to find him, but he was no where to be found. Now, could he have been an Angel? I really don't know because not a lot of time passed by from my going inside that I wouldn't have seen him walking when I went to look for him. But, maybe it was just a man, I will never know.
My third experience was here recently. I was driving home after a busy day at work. I was analyzing in my head everything that had happened that day. The traffic was a bit heavy on the road opposite of me. I pulled into the middle lane to wait to turn across traffic. I glanced to the sidewalk, didn't see anything so I turned into the neighborhood. When I turned what I didn't see was a young man on his bicycle going across the street that I was turning on. He quickly swerved from hitting the front of my truck. Not only did an Angel protect him, but I was kept from being hit on the back end of my truck. I quickly thanked God for his protecting that young man because he really would have been hurt if I had hit him.
God can you hear me?
Have you ever wonder if God really hears you? I've wondered more than once in my life, but as I get older, I'm learning to see how God hears me. Sometimes it's an aha moment and sometimes it's awhile before I realize what He's done.
While going through my divorce, I needed to find a home in a safer location and also something that I could afford on my own. I petitioned God and actually gave him a list of what I wanted in a home. Now, I didn't give Him this list every time I prayed but I had asked Him on multiple occasions to help me find a home.
My prayer went something like this: Please God give me a home with a big tree in the front yard, three bed rooms, a living and family room, a big back yard, air conditioning and a swamp cooler. Let me have good neighbors and let it be a safe place for us to live and also let there not be a lot of things for me to fix in the home.
My realtor also had a list of what I did and didn't want in a home. If you've never bought a home before you tell your realtor what type of home and the locations you would like to live in. I was willing to live in a block home, three bed rooms and close to my parents. My realtor had three homes for me to look at that fit what I was looking for.
The first home I was shown was a bit older but had the things that I wanted. I thought I could do better. The second home was in the same neighborhood and the first house. It was nice but only had one bathroom and only a living room and really small kitchen. The third home I was shown was not the best of neighborhoods, but it sure was nice inside. The owner had put in a lot of upgrades so it looked brand new inside. It needed work on the outside, broken fence and the roof needed an upgrade. But despite the money and work I would have to put into the house, I wanted to make a bid on the house.
The owner of the third house wouldn't budge on his price so I had to walk away. I went to look at the second house but had a lot of reservations about the resale of the home later with it only having one bathroom. So I went to give the first house a second look and to not dismiss it as quickly as I did the first time.
The first home had three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a living room and family room, and a swamp cooler. There was a large backyard and even a bonus storage area and laundry room. In the front yard was a big tree. While I was there the owner came home. I met the wife and started to share with her about my situation. I found out that her children had gone to the same high school as I did and that one of her children worked at the same place as me that was only blocks away from her home. Her family was the first owners of the home. We learned a lot about each other in her kitchen that day.
I placed a bid on the house and found out along with my bid there was also two more on the table. I can only say that even though I had thought I had wanted one house, God closed that door. He then gave me reservations on another home and finally put me in the first house at the right time to meet the owner. They chose my bid, I want to say if my memory is correct, my bid was lower than the other two but we didn't go into a bid war, they chose my bid.
Not only had God heard my prayer he also new my heart. The house had really ugly carpet, I mean ugly and old fashioned. I opened the door to my new home and guess what? I had new updated carpet! I had nothing to repair or fix outside or in. Even though the house had no air conditioning, God had established a working relationship between myself the air/heating guy at work. He was able to find me a used unit, installed that unit for next to nothing.
And that big tree in the front yard, that tree housed Woody and Woodetta. They had a family of woodpeckers that returned to that nest for the 5 years that I lived in that home. I had wonderful neighbor's that introduced themselves to me within that first week of moving in. V and neighborhood kids played together and shared made wonderful memories together.
I found a new church home that V was dedicated in and was located in the neighborhood. God gave us a bird for V's birthday when she was 4 years old. She really thought that He gave her that bird for her birthday. Colors stayed with us until a few years after we moved into our current house. Colors got sick and died but is buried in our backyard. We planted an apple tree that my grandma gave to V for her birthday. We only saw apples on it for one year but I hope it remains at that house today.
I wish I could say I new right away what God had done. But truthfully it wasn't until a couple years after buying the home that I realized how God gave me everything I had asked for, and more. I can say I've not forgotten and I have tried to stop, listen, and see how God works in my life.
While going through my divorce, I needed to find a home in a safer location and also something that I could afford on my own. I petitioned God and actually gave him a list of what I wanted in a home. Now, I didn't give Him this list every time I prayed but I had asked Him on multiple occasions to help me find a home.
My prayer went something like this: Please God give me a home with a big tree in the front yard, three bed rooms, a living and family room, a big back yard, air conditioning and a swamp cooler. Let me have good neighbors and let it be a safe place for us to live and also let there not be a lot of things for me to fix in the home.
My realtor also had a list of what I did and didn't want in a home. If you've never bought a home before you tell your realtor what type of home and the locations you would like to live in. I was willing to live in a block home, three bed rooms and close to my parents. My realtor had three homes for me to look at that fit what I was looking for.
The first home I was shown was a bit older but had the things that I wanted. I thought I could do better. The second home was in the same neighborhood and the first house. It was nice but only had one bathroom and only a living room and really small kitchen. The third home I was shown was not the best of neighborhoods, but it sure was nice inside. The owner had put in a lot of upgrades so it looked brand new inside. It needed work on the outside, broken fence and the roof needed an upgrade. But despite the money and work I would have to put into the house, I wanted to make a bid on the house.
The owner of the third house wouldn't budge on his price so I had to walk away. I went to look at the second house but had a lot of reservations about the resale of the home later with it only having one bathroom. So I went to give the first house a second look and to not dismiss it as quickly as I did the first time.
The first home had three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a living room and family room, and a swamp cooler. There was a large backyard and even a bonus storage area and laundry room. In the front yard was a big tree. While I was there the owner came home. I met the wife and started to share with her about my situation. I found out that her children had gone to the same high school as I did and that one of her children worked at the same place as me that was only blocks away from her home. Her family was the first owners of the home. We learned a lot about each other in her kitchen that day.
I placed a bid on the house and found out along with my bid there was also two more on the table. I can only say that even though I had thought I had wanted one house, God closed that door. He then gave me reservations on another home and finally put me in the first house at the right time to meet the owner. They chose my bid, I want to say if my memory is correct, my bid was lower than the other two but we didn't go into a bid war, they chose my bid.
Not only had God heard my prayer he also new my heart. The house had really ugly carpet, I mean ugly and old fashioned. I opened the door to my new home and guess what? I had new updated carpet! I had nothing to repair or fix outside or in. Even though the house had no air conditioning, God had established a working relationship between myself the air/heating guy at work. He was able to find me a used unit, installed that unit for next to nothing.
And that big tree in the front yard, that tree housed Woody and Woodetta. They had a family of woodpeckers that returned to that nest for the 5 years that I lived in that home. I had wonderful neighbor's that introduced themselves to me within that first week of moving in. V and neighborhood kids played together and shared made wonderful memories together.
I found a new church home that V was dedicated in and was located in the neighborhood. God gave us a bird for V's birthday when she was 4 years old. She really thought that He gave her that bird for her birthday. Colors stayed with us until a few years after we moved into our current house. Colors got sick and died but is buried in our backyard. We planted an apple tree that my grandma gave to V for her birthday. We only saw apples on it for one year but I hope it remains at that house today.
I wish I could say I new right away what God had done. But truthfully it wasn't until a couple years after buying the home that I realized how God gave me everything I had asked for, and more. I can say I've not forgotten and I have tried to stop, listen, and see how God works in my life.
What's in a name
My church offers 3 classes for you to take after you have decided to join the church. The first class helps you to come to a decision to accept Christ if you have not already, to have understanding of having a personal relationship with Christ and to help answer questions you have about the church.
The second class studies on building your relationship with Christ and how to grow as a Christian.
The third class goes over your strengths as a Christian. You take a test of your likes/dislikes to find out where your interests are in outreach and what fields your would be best at to volunteer.
The following is what my name means. With this information I created my blog name.
English/Scottish/Welsh, French
Joyful song
gracious, full of grace, and mercy
The second class studies on building your relationship with Christ and how to grow as a Christian.
The third class goes over your strengths as a Christian. You take a test of your likes/dislikes to find out where your interests are in outreach and what fields your would be best at to volunteer.
The following is what my name means. With this information I created my blog name.
English/Scottish/Welsh, French
Joyful song
gracious, full of grace, and mercy
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