Breaking Down and Rebuilding

Just a short add-on today for anyone out there caring at all...Here's hoping that everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! We did and we now give thanks because God graciously provided us with the loan we needed to purchase another vehicle and to pay the major portion of our debts. We close on it Monday November 28th. We have so much to be thankful for in spite of the things that I personally consider hindrances to happiness. Obviously God considers the same to be training (or conditioning) tools. Trust me, he knows how and when to use them and they do work. I am much more patient and understanding in dealing with the situations that are beyond my control...believe me there are many! The boyz seem to be maturing a little more each day and they too seem more understanding of those same situations. I recall what a doctor once told me when I had come to see him about possible depression. The appointment had been at the request of my lawyer when my conditions had forced me to apply for my Social Security Disability. My lawyer had stated that my physical ill health must surely be accompanied with a good bit of depression. After my examination the doctor said that my outlook on my situation and the world was unique and depression didn't seem to be a major factor in my life. It goes back to my distaste for things in my life that appear to be out of my control. God had to allow many things to be sent my way to break down that stamina I had and reduce me to the point of admitting that I had reached my limits. You see, God wants you on your knees...to build someone you must break down all the garbage accumulated and rebuild with the basic structure. It's comparable to remodeling a house. It's also the same way the US Marine Corps has of building good marines. It works the same way with kids in a way. You have to make children understand that they always have more to learn but at the same time you have to build them up by making them feel proud of what they have learned. To put it in a more "mountain" way..."Ya gotta let them know that their knowledge is next to nothing but ya gotta make them feel like something special and make them want to know it all." You could compare it to flowers...if you don't plant them correctly, don't water and feed them properly, and just allow them to grow unsupervised then you end up with flowers with defects engulfed by weeds or dead flowers! So let's all work at building something decent...Love to all...Jeff