November 11, 2010
It's been a little over a year since I've posted on this blog site and I'm sure I have suffered emotionally as a result of holding everything in...
If I can be so crude in my humor I might suggest that it is not unlike a bad case of blue balls...LOL!
This is going to take a little bit of thought and time to figure out where the best place to start might be to bring us all up to speed on that "Never Ending Story" on the TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF MICHAEL AND BETH BOWLING....AND THEIR TRIBULATION FORCE!!!
"CAB WARS PART 2"
Kay's Taxi is a non issue these days as she has largely disappeared from the Kalamazoo Taxi Cab Landscape.
She was offered a plea bargain agreement that Reduced her charges from a serious Felony Assault charge with a deadly weapon to a simple assault and battery as long as she quit harrassing and bothering us.
For the most part she has.
My biggest thorn in my side these days is well aware of who they are and what it is that they have done???
In fact are still doing,
... and I must say that in my flesh and within my own shortcomings and failures as a fallen human being I am sure that I am going to take way too much pleasure in their demise...
What do I mean???
God has promised me that no weapon formed against me shall prosper and that I am to pray for those that despitefully use me and abuse me...To kill them with kindness and in so doing that it will heap coals of fire upon their heads.
He said to Bless those that curse me and to forgive those that tresspass against me...
The forgiveness part is hard I must confess as it requires me to exchange my anger and bitterness (Fruits of The Flesh) for those more virtuous fruits of the Spirit...
The evidence that Jesus is truly Lord of my Life is manifested in the reality that I have not already opened up a serious can of Whoopass and passed out that good old fashioned country ass whooooopin that B so richly deserves!!!
The greatest consolation for me and mine is that no amount of retribution that I might be able to muster would even come close to the come uppance that God is going to deliver upon his house of cards.
Wow...That's way too intense...Way too much anger pouring out...Remember waht I said about it being too long since my last post?
Writing for me is very therapeutic and allows me to work out those Kinks in my spiritual muscles. Almost like a trip to the Chiropractor.
BTW Good stuff in Psalm chapter 1, 2, and 3!
THANK YOU FATHER...I NEEDED THAT...
PTL
I'LL TRY AND WRITE MORE LATER!
"GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!"
.........Even when it doesn't look like it or feel like it....
SHALOM
MICHAEL
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
CAB WARS??? Kay's Taxi in Kalamazoo!
October 13, 2009
Why am I seemingly at war with a fifty something year old lady named Karla Denise Kent???
...Karla is the owner of Kay's Taxi in Kalamazoo and back in August, while driving a Yellow Cab, or more correctly, Leasing a cab From Mr. Fred Jones...
...Kay Attacked me with a Tire Lug Wrench in the middle of Rose Street between the Transportation Center and McDonalds...
...Fortunately for me and my skull, she wasn't able to connect and I walked away with only emotional trauma and Injuries...
...I'm afraid I'll never understand how I got on her Radar in the first place, or why she has chosen to focus all of her rage towards me???
...Up until this moment, the sum total of my involvement with her had been fairly casual and cordial...except for all of the 411 info that Brian Lipsey (Owner of Central City Transportation) had been pissing in my ear about what a nut job she was...my personal experience with her had been conflict free...
...I did have a sense though that something bad was brewing in her mind towards me as she had chased me all over the city one Saturday night a few days after I had taken delivery of my Van...
...What am I talking about Pray Tell???
...I had taken a rare night off from driving Fred's Yellow Cab, and My wife and I had Initiated/Baptized/Christened,...If you get my drift...LOL...Our new RV/Van...soon to be our first vehicle in our Limo/Taxi Fleet...After all... we may be middle aged but we have always tried to keep the flames of Passion and adventure alive in our marraige...thus the reason hopefully for the 33yrs. of marraige we have mostly enjoyed...
...Back to the story, My wife dearly loves Egg McMuffins, and we live Downtown at the SkyRise...
...3:00AM McDonalds changes over to their breakfast menu so we decided to recharge our batteries so to speak with some Egg McMuffins...
...Enjoying our New vehicle, I drove thru the down town drive thru @ Mickey Dee's and noticed Kay's Van and a few others Parked across the street in the Taxi Stand's...
After we got our order I noticed Kay's Van in my rear view mirror and soon realized that she was actually following me or tailing me like they do in the movies...
...Now given all the info that Brian had provided me with in regards to her mental instability as well as the numerous other rumors that had been circulated by many of the other cab drivers...One being that she had threatened another Cab Driver with a hand gun in the past... I started to get a little suspicious as well as nervous about her intentions...
...I began to drive randomly just to establish whether or not she was in fact following me and I knew there was a problem when I pulled into an Apartment complex and then came back out several minutes later after I thought I had shaken her off my tail and she was standing out in the middle of the road at the Entrance/Exit hollering at me to stop and pull over...
...At that point, I had no idea what her intentions were!
...So I tried to lose her, and led her on a merry chase around the county as I drove west out Stadium to 131 south to I-94 East to Sprinkle Rd. Cork St exit, north on Sprinkle to 94 Penetrator towards downtown to Kings Hwy and she was glued to me all the way up until I turned off on Walnut and Mills St towards the Skyrise to head home...
... She broke off the chase at that point to my relief as I was Almost to the point of calling 911 for fear of her intentions...
...I know this all sounds a little nuts, and you are probably asking the same questions that everyone else including me is asking???
...What in the hell have you done to this old woman to piss her off so much...???
...In all honesty...I am clueless!!!
...Truth be told...Kay is the kind of woman that someone like myself has to admire...Rugged individualism, enterprising entrepeneurism and a go gettem get out of my way attitude and action plans are all values that I admire and cherish and try to exhibit in my own life...
...I had nothing but love and Respect for what I knew of her story and history up to that point until I somehow got on her bad side...
...I will admit that I was a little leary of her nutty behavioural past that Brian had done such a good job of informing me about...
...But I tend to with hold judgement about someones character based on what someone else has told me about that person and try to base my opinions soley on my own experiences and observations of their behavior...
...After all, I have suffered much in my life because of what others have said about me and false accusations from Haters and adversaries...So I refuse engage in those kind of negative behaviors and attitudes towards my fellow travelers in this life.
...I try to practice the "GOLDEN RULE" and admonitions of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount...
"...Do unto others what you would have them to do unto you!"...Treat people the way you would want to be treated!!!
...Sounds simple, huh?
...Try living by it and see what kind of opposition and adversity that will come your way...
...So the rest of the story, is that all the while, Kay is following me on that wild Goose Chase I led her on...She was on Her cell Phone, leaving Voice Mail messages on Fred Jones Phone, as well as calling the dispatcher, Todd Jones, @ Yellow Checker Cab, accusing me of being out on the street in my new van, my personal vehicle, picking up Cab Fares illegally and that she had proof because she was right behind me following me at that very moment witnessing it personally...
...That part of the story was unbeknownst to me at that point, but could have been cleared up immediately if Todd would of just keyed up the 2way, and asked me what was going on?...
...The next day on Sunday afternoon I showed up for my regular night shift and was informed by Missy the night Dispatcher that Todd had let my cab 39 out to Lee Klingman because as far as he was concerned, I was all done at Yellow Cab...
... Because of Kay's Phone calls on Saturday night...Todd totally believed her, without even giving me the benefit of doubt...
In essence...Todd was attempting to fire me, even though I had rarely taken a night off in the 6 or seven months that I had been leasing a Cab From His Father Fred...
...I always paid my $90.00 a day lease without fail, regardless of whether I had actually made enough from my fares or even if I had to dip into my own pocket to make up any shortfalls...
...all of that Drama on the strength of Kay's Accusations from the previous night when I led her on that merry goose chase around the county...
...Missy suggested I call Mr. Jones and inform him of what his son Todd was trying to do to me and I did just that and Fred informed me that Yellow Cab was his company and he would make the decisions on who he leased or didn't lease a car too, and he asked me to put Missy the dispatcher back on the phone and she was instructed to have Lee bring my cab back to the office so that I could start my shift per usual...She did just that!
...Needless to say, neither Todd Jones or Lee Klingman were very happy about that but a few days later Fred met me at the office and sat down in the front Passenger seat of Cab 39 next to me as I was starting my nightly shift and we had a heart to heart conversation whereby Fred assured me that He knew that I was an honest person and a man of integrity and that he appreciated the good job that I had done for Him and His company...
...He also informed me that I needed to be careful of Kay as it seemed that she had it in for me for some reason and that she was trying to start trouble for me, and to be careful because she seemed to be mentally unbalanced and a very emotional person, and he was not sure what all she was capable of but to watch my back because she may be potentially dangerous...
...He also informed me that he was aware that I would soon be one of his competitors and he offered to me some very wise advice about how I might want to conduct myself around the other drivers and to keep my plans and activities to myself as much as possible because of jealousy and envy...
...He advised me that some drivers may even try and sabotage and even block and interfere with my attempts to get my own company off the ground...
...We parted ways with Fred giving me his blessing and wishing me luck in the future...He assured me that I could call upon him at any time for advice or even any questions I might have...He even jokingly said he may need to call me from time to time for advice...
...Mr Jones continued to lease me a Cab at that point as I was not ready to open my own company quite yet as I was still waiting on my commercial insurance, D O T authority, inspections on my vehicle etc...
...I believe it was approximately 2 weeks later that I was attacked personally By Kay downtown and thereby confirming what Mr. Jones had warned me about in regards to her possible negative behaviour that I might expect to come my way by her hand personally...
A lot more to come because this drama
is still unfolding as I was in court today giving testimony in the criminal case of the people vs. Karla Denise Kent for a felony assault case that has arisen as a result of her crazy behaviour on that faithful day in early august...
I will return with the rest of the story tomorrow.
Michael
Why am I seemingly at war with a fifty something year old lady named Karla Denise Kent???
...Karla is the owner of Kay's Taxi in Kalamazoo and back in August, while driving a Yellow Cab, or more correctly, Leasing a cab From Mr. Fred Jones...
...Kay Attacked me with a Tire Lug Wrench in the middle of Rose Street between the Transportation Center and McDonalds...
...Fortunately for me and my skull, she wasn't able to connect and I walked away with only emotional trauma and Injuries...
...I'm afraid I'll never understand how I got on her Radar in the first place, or why she has chosen to focus all of her rage towards me???
...Up until this moment, the sum total of my involvement with her had been fairly casual and cordial...except for all of the 411 info that Brian Lipsey (Owner of Central City Transportation) had been pissing in my ear about what a nut job she was...my personal experience with her had been conflict free...
...I did have a sense though that something bad was brewing in her mind towards me as she had chased me all over the city one Saturday night a few days after I had taken delivery of my Van...
...What am I talking about Pray Tell???
...I had taken a rare night off from driving Fred's Yellow Cab, and My wife and I had Initiated/Baptized/Christened,...If you get my drift...LOL...Our new RV/Van...soon to be our first vehicle in our Limo/Taxi Fleet...After all... we may be middle aged but we have always tried to keep the flames of Passion and adventure alive in our marraige...thus the reason hopefully for the 33yrs. of marraige we have mostly enjoyed...
...Back to the story, My wife dearly loves Egg McMuffins, and we live Downtown at the SkyRise...
...3:00AM McDonalds changes over to their breakfast menu so we decided to recharge our batteries so to speak with some Egg McMuffins...
...Enjoying our New vehicle, I drove thru the down town drive thru @ Mickey Dee's and noticed Kay's Van and a few others Parked across the street in the Taxi Stand's...
After we got our order I noticed Kay's Van in my rear view mirror and soon realized that she was actually following me or tailing me like they do in the movies...
...Now given all the info that Brian had provided me with in regards to her mental instability as well as the numerous other rumors that had been circulated by many of the other cab drivers...One being that she had threatened another Cab Driver with a hand gun in the past... I started to get a little suspicious as well as nervous about her intentions...
...I began to drive randomly just to establish whether or not she was in fact following me and I knew there was a problem when I pulled into an Apartment complex and then came back out several minutes later after I thought I had shaken her off my tail and she was standing out in the middle of the road at the Entrance/Exit hollering at me to stop and pull over...
...At that point, I had no idea what her intentions were!
...So I tried to lose her, and led her on a merry chase around the county as I drove west out Stadium to 131 south to I-94 East to Sprinkle Rd. Cork St exit, north on Sprinkle to 94 Penetrator towards downtown to Kings Hwy and she was glued to me all the way up until I turned off on Walnut and Mills St towards the Skyrise to head home...
... She broke off the chase at that point to my relief as I was Almost to the point of calling 911 for fear of her intentions...
...I know this all sounds a little nuts, and you are probably asking the same questions that everyone else including me is asking???
...What in the hell have you done to this old woman to piss her off so much...???
...In all honesty...I am clueless!!!
...Truth be told...Kay is the kind of woman that someone like myself has to admire...Rugged individualism, enterprising entrepeneurism and a go gettem get out of my way attitude and action plans are all values that I admire and cherish and try to exhibit in my own life...
...I had nothing but love and Respect for what I knew of her story and history up to that point until I somehow got on her bad side...
...I will admit that I was a little leary of her nutty behavioural past that Brian had done such a good job of informing me about...
...But I tend to with hold judgement about someones character based on what someone else has told me about that person and try to base my opinions soley on my own experiences and observations of their behavior...
...After all, I have suffered much in my life because of what others have said about me and false accusations from Haters and adversaries...So I refuse engage in those kind of negative behaviors and attitudes towards my fellow travelers in this life.
...I try to practice the "GOLDEN RULE" and admonitions of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount...
"...Do unto others what you would have them to do unto you!"...Treat people the way you would want to be treated!!!
...Sounds simple, huh?
...Try living by it and see what kind of opposition and adversity that will come your way...
...So the rest of the story, is that all the while, Kay is following me on that wild Goose Chase I led her on...She was on Her cell Phone, leaving Voice Mail messages on Fred Jones Phone, as well as calling the dispatcher, Todd Jones, @ Yellow Checker Cab, accusing me of being out on the street in my new van, my personal vehicle, picking up Cab Fares illegally and that she had proof because she was right behind me following me at that very moment witnessing it personally...
...That part of the story was unbeknownst to me at that point, but could have been cleared up immediately if Todd would of just keyed up the 2way, and asked me what was going on?...
...The next day on Sunday afternoon I showed up for my regular night shift and was informed by Missy the night Dispatcher that Todd had let my cab 39 out to Lee Klingman because as far as he was concerned, I was all done at Yellow Cab...
... Because of Kay's Phone calls on Saturday night...Todd totally believed her, without even giving me the benefit of doubt...
In essence...Todd was attempting to fire me, even though I had rarely taken a night off in the 6 or seven months that I had been leasing a Cab From His Father Fred...
...I always paid my $90.00 a day lease without fail, regardless of whether I had actually made enough from my fares or even if I had to dip into my own pocket to make up any shortfalls...
...all of that Drama on the strength of Kay's Accusations from the previous night when I led her on that merry goose chase around the county...
...Missy suggested I call Mr. Jones and inform him of what his son Todd was trying to do to me and I did just that and Fred informed me that Yellow Cab was his company and he would make the decisions on who he leased or didn't lease a car too, and he asked me to put Missy the dispatcher back on the phone and she was instructed to have Lee bring my cab back to the office so that I could start my shift per usual...She did just that!
...Needless to say, neither Todd Jones or Lee Klingman were very happy about that but a few days later Fred met me at the office and sat down in the front Passenger seat of Cab 39 next to me as I was starting my nightly shift and we had a heart to heart conversation whereby Fred assured me that He knew that I was an honest person and a man of integrity and that he appreciated the good job that I had done for Him and His company...
...He also informed me that I needed to be careful of Kay as it seemed that she had it in for me for some reason and that she was trying to start trouble for me, and to be careful because she seemed to be mentally unbalanced and a very emotional person, and he was not sure what all she was capable of but to watch my back because she may be potentially dangerous...
...He also informed me that he was aware that I would soon be one of his competitors and he offered to me some very wise advice about how I might want to conduct myself around the other drivers and to keep my plans and activities to myself as much as possible because of jealousy and envy...
...He advised me that some drivers may even try and sabotage and even block and interfere with my attempts to get my own company off the ground...
...We parted ways with Fred giving me his blessing and wishing me luck in the future...He assured me that I could call upon him at any time for advice or even any questions I might have...He even jokingly said he may need to call me from time to time for advice...
...Mr Jones continued to lease me a Cab at that point as I was not ready to open my own company quite yet as I was still waiting on my commercial insurance, D O T authority, inspections on my vehicle etc...
...I believe it was approximately 2 weeks later that I was attacked personally By Kay downtown and thereby confirming what Mr. Jones had warned me about in regards to her possible negative behaviour that I might expect to come my way by her hand personally...
A lot more to come because this drama
is still unfolding as I was in court today giving testimony in the criminal case of the people vs. Karla Denise Kent for a felony assault case that has arisen as a result of her crazy behaviour on that faithful day in early august...
I will return with the rest of the story tomorrow.
Michael
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Taxi Tales...Dog Days Of Summer
"GODSPEED TRANSPORTATION"
"LIMOUSINES RIDES FOR THE GLORY OF GOD & THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM!"..."AND ALSO PAY A FEW BILLS ALONG THE WAY!!!.....PTL!"
"Seek ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You!"...
...It has been an incredible...and Most Excellent journey over the summer of 2009 and since my last post in April 09...
...I believe where we left off was...God had just placed my stubborn, hard headed, stiff necked "ASS"... back into the seat of a Yellow Taxi Cab as His way of answering our prayers for financial provisions and giving us immediate marching orders for that present moment and the near future!...
WOW!!! Does God have a sense of humor and and a Knack for Irony?...Or What???
I have been here and done that before, back in the day when Rex was a pup and I was just a young fresh faced Kid...
...A Brand new young Preacher Boy in the early 80's trying to figure out what my Ministry was going to be...How I was going to be a good Preacher, Husband, Dad, Etc. Etc. Etcetra...
...But That's part of that ongoing never-ending Story that I've been trying to tell Y'All forever now...We will get back to that story later...
For now, let's look at the "Awesome Journey" our Lord Jesus has us on now...
....So much has gone down these Past 6, 7 months, over the summer since I started leasing a Yellow Cab from Mr. Fred Jones, and I just fell right back into that world and profession like a Duck takes to water...
...What a wild ride it has been up to this very present moment...
...I have gone from just Leasing a Cab For $90 a 12Hr. Shift Plus Buying The Gas...{That means I have to generate at least $120 before I can begin to put any money into my pocket}... To starting and owning My own Cab/Limousine Company...
..."GodSpeed Transportation"...
...We currently have 2 Vehicles in our Fleet...A 1991 Dodge Ram Van 250... It is a plush extended conversion van that used to belong to Miss Betty Uthoven and her Late Husband...They used it as a camper, because it is set up like an RV...It has 4 Captain chairs, 2 closets and 2 couch type seats in the back that doubles as a seating area for a dinner table that snaps into place in the floor of the van in the rear and also can be converted into a double bed. it has a shore power cord that converts the 12 volt power system into 110 house current, it also has a kitchen cabinet with a half sized refrigerator and microwave oven that snaps in to place when you remove the Captains chair from behind the drivers seat. the interior is a blue crush velour that is like brand new...
The Van was a 1 owner vehicle with 203,000 highway miles used strictly for camping and recreating by Betty and her husband while he was still alive...they took excellent care of it keeping up all the regular scheduled maintenance and maintained all the maintenance records and owners manuals and wiring schematics for the life of the vehicle...
...It was a God thing, how I discovered, and bought it, as I was on my way to a local used car dealership to test drive a conversion van that I had looked at a few days previous to seeing this van sitting in Miss Betty's driveway with a For Sale sign in the front window...
...One look at the interior of this Van and her naming her asking price of $1900...When I realized That God had led me by her house to show me that this was to be the first vehicle in our future fleet and the beginning of our very own transportation company...I offered her $1700 and we settled at $1800.
God's Word says in Proverbs 3...
... "Lean not on your own understanding, but Trust in me, and acknowledge me in ALL your ways, and I will direct your Paths!"...
...The second vehicle in our fleet, a 1988 Lincoln Town Car Stretch Limousine with 72,000 original miles came to us in very much the same miraculous fashion...
...My Bride, Beth was looking at a local online auction web site "Bidergy.com" for a replacement Bicycle for her 15 speed that was stolen off the bike rack in front of our Sky Rise Apartment complex...when she hollered at me to come and look at this Stretch Limo they had listed in todays auction. It had one Bid of $115 for it, and after looking at the details on the vehicle, i thought that maybe I had better drive out by the airport to Bidergy's location and have a look at this car and see what was wrong or right with this car in case God was trying to lead us to our second vehicle...
...It was just what the doctor ordered...or God ordered, because in spite of the few things that were obviously needing attention on this car that if it could be bought at the right price, it would be perfect for our new company...
...I placed a $1000 maximum bid on it and if God intended for us to have it,...Then We should win the bidding war and we Did at the wonderful purchase price of $609... Another miracle...PRAISE GOD!...
"LIMOUSINES RIDES FOR THE GLORY OF GOD & THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM!"..."AND ALSO PAY A FEW BILLS ALONG THE WAY!!!.....PTL!"
"Seek ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You!"...
...It has been an incredible...and Most Excellent journey over the summer of 2009 and since my last post in April 09...
...I believe where we left off was...God had just placed my stubborn, hard headed, stiff necked "ASS"... back into the seat of a Yellow Taxi Cab as His way of answering our prayers for financial provisions and giving us immediate marching orders for that present moment and the near future!...
WOW!!! Does God have a sense of humor and and a Knack for Irony?...Or What???
I have been here and done that before, back in the day when Rex was a pup and I was just a young fresh faced Kid...
...A Brand new young Preacher Boy in the early 80's trying to figure out what my Ministry was going to be...How I was going to be a good Preacher, Husband, Dad, Etc. Etc. Etcetra...
...But That's part of that ongoing never-ending Story that I've been trying to tell Y'All forever now...We will get back to that story later...
For now, let's look at the "Awesome Journey" our Lord Jesus has us on now...
....So much has gone down these Past 6, 7 months, over the summer since I started leasing a Yellow Cab from Mr. Fred Jones, and I just fell right back into that world and profession like a Duck takes to water...
...What a wild ride it has been up to this very present moment...
...I have gone from just Leasing a Cab For $90 a 12Hr. Shift Plus Buying The Gas...{That means I have to generate at least $120 before I can begin to put any money into my pocket}... To starting and owning My own Cab/Limousine Company...
..."GodSpeed Transportation"...
...We currently have 2 Vehicles in our Fleet...A 1991 Dodge Ram Van 250... It is a plush extended conversion van that used to belong to Miss Betty Uthoven and her Late Husband...They used it as a camper, because it is set up like an RV...It has 4 Captain chairs, 2 closets and 2 couch type seats in the back that doubles as a seating area for a dinner table that snaps into place in the floor of the van in the rear and also can be converted into a double bed. it has a shore power cord that converts the 12 volt power system into 110 house current, it also has a kitchen cabinet with a half sized refrigerator and microwave oven that snaps in to place when you remove the Captains chair from behind the drivers seat. the interior is a blue crush velour that is like brand new...
The Van was a 1 owner vehicle with 203,000 highway miles used strictly for camping and recreating by Betty and her husband while he was still alive...they took excellent care of it keeping up all the regular scheduled maintenance and maintained all the maintenance records and owners manuals and wiring schematics for the life of the vehicle...
...It was a God thing, how I discovered, and bought it, as I was on my way to a local used car dealership to test drive a conversion van that I had looked at a few days previous to seeing this van sitting in Miss Betty's driveway with a For Sale sign in the front window...
...One look at the interior of this Van and her naming her asking price of $1900...When I realized That God had led me by her house to show me that this was to be the first vehicle in our future fleet and the beginning of our very own transportation company...I offered her $1700 and we settled at $1800.
God's Word says in Proverbs 3...
... "Lean not on your own understanding, but Trust in me, and acknowledge me in ALL your ways, and I will direct your Paths!"...
...The second vehicle in our fleet, a 1988 Lincoln Town Car Stretch Limousine with 72,000 original miles came to us in very much the same miraculous fashion...
...My Bride, Beth was looking at a local online auction web site "Bidergy.com" for a replacement Bicycle for her 15 speed that was stolen off the bike rack in front of our Sky Rise Apartment complex...when she hollered at me to come and look at this Stretch Limo they had listed in todays auction. It had one Bid of $115 for it, and after looking at the details on the vehicle, i thought that maybe I had better drive out by the airport to Bidergy's location and have a look at this car and see what was wrong or right with this car in case God was trying to lead us to our second vehicle...
...It was just what the doctor ordered...or God ordered, because in spite of the few things that were obviously needing attention on this car that if it could be bought at the right price, it would be perfect for our new company...
...I placed a $1000 maximum bid on it and if God intended for us to have it,...Then We should win the bidding war and we Did at the wonderful purchase price of $609... Another miracle...PRAISE GOD!...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I've Had Writer's Block
...I'm really not sure what's been up with me lately because as far as the never endingstory and ongoing saga of my sometimes tumultous life...I am just about to share one of the single most important events in my life!!!
...You would think I would be excited to spit it out and the words would literally be dripping off the page or ooooooozzzzzzinnnnnggggggggg out of the monitor screen, LOL...
...Probably another symptom of this manic depressive roller coaster ride I can't seem to get off of...
In the powerful wonderful beautiful precious eternal awesome NAME OF JESUS...I COMMAND AND DEMAND THE FORCES OF DARKNESS TO RELEASE ME AND MY MIND AND EMOTIONS.
...NO WEAPONS FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER BECAUSE I OVERCAME THEM THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WORDS OF MY TESTIMONY!!!!!
...HALLELUJAH JESUS I AM FREE AND FREE INDEED!!!
...NOW, THAT FEELS BETTER!
...Everybody knows I am nuts now for sure...As if there was ever any doubt...
...Let me see...The current news is that I am experiencing a lot of anxiety over my Brides health issues and before you even think it or say it, I am fully cognizant of what the scriptures has to say about it...
How does that go?
..."BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD, AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS!"
...I am certainly not perfect though and the human side of me wants to fret and conjure up all kinds of dark scenarios, while God's Spirit continally reminds me That...
..."GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT A SPIRIT OF POWER, OF LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND"...
...On the financial front, We are still under attack and being assaulted by the IRS...
...Recently I had a letter published on the OP/ED page of the KALAMAZOO GAZETTE, that may shed some light on that subject...
...Let me copy and paste the textual contents of that letter to shed some light on that subject......
Mailbox brings another round of bad news
My wife is the sole bread winner in our household. She receives a monthly stipend check from the state of Michigan for $320 and change for her services as a live-in chore provider and home nurse for my invalid widowed mother. This amount represents an annual income of less than $4,000.
On March 5, she went to the mailbox to retrieve her only income for the month and instead of a check she received a form letter from the IRS telling her they had seized her entire earnings and would continue to do so until a long-time disputed tax debt of somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,500 was satisfied.
A few months back they seized last years stimulus check for $600 for the same reason.
The original tax debt that the IRS contended we owed them was only $1,000 and change but now, after they have seized more than $900, they say we are still indebted for an amount that exceeds the original debt.
Everyday all we hear about is money, money, money, bailout, bailout, bailout.
Well, guess what? Who is bailing us out?
The government just seized every dime of what little income we have to survive on and, to add insult to injury, promised us that they intend to continue seizing our $320 a month for the next four months as well.
I'm not sure how much more of this kinder, gentler government my wife and I can stand.
We are not deadbeats or usurpers of the system and its resources.
This new century has not been kind to us. We lost our dream home in Louisville, have had to close two separate businesses, have both been put on the unemployment line and exhausted those benefits several times because of a bad economy and the companies we were working for closing their doors forever.
For two years now we have been promised new hope and better times ahead and how our president was going to change things for the better. It is now as bad as it can get.
No income, no health care, and no hope for bailouts from Uncle Sam here. Just a swift kick in the groin thank you very much.
Michael Bowling
Kalamazoo
...In Response to that letter being in the paper an Amazing thing happened...
...I like to call this...
..."PAYING IT FORWARD"...
...Flag this messageLetter to the EditorMonday, April 20, 2009 9:43 AMFrom: "Beth Bowling"
My husband, Michael and I being a family of faith are thanking God for our benefactor that blessed us with a much needed gift of $100.00 that was passed to us through the Kalamazoo Gazette Op/Ed staff Ms. Adrian Johnson in response to a recent Letter To The Editor that was published on Tuesday April 14th.
This blessed gift represents our only income for over 2 months now..
We have no other way to personally Thank this person for their generosity as it was done anonymously. But it sure came at an opportune time as our Spirits had been cruelly crushed just a few days prior when the mailbox brought us another round of bad news for the second month in a row.
Now morally, it doesn't seem right that our new and supposedly friendlier government under the New Obama Administration would condone such strong arm tactics against those who can least afford it???
Is it even legal to levy a families entire monthly income, or are they only allowed to collect a certain percentage it?
I'm sorry for getting off point here...
My real intent is to thank the lovely person in the only way we can at this point for their incredible act of generosity and compassion. It is a restoration of ones faith in humanity when a complete stranger so selflessly reaches out to a fellow traveler in their time of need. May our Heavenly Father richly reward and Bless you and yours for your act of kindness. Now we too, when able, will Pay It Forward
Mrs. Beth Bowling
105 East Walnut
Apt. 2313
Kalamazoo, Mi. 49007
(269)344-4952
...The next round of good financial news is...
...I am Starting back driving for Yellow Cab again which I have to assume is a good gift from God for now...
..."EACH AND EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMETH FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, FROM WHOM THERE IS NO VARIABLENESS NOR SHADOW OF TURNING"...
...I always said that every Minister of the Gospel should have to do at least one year of an internship driving a Taxi as an insight of sorts into the Humanities and a study of Urban Dynamics...
...The trick is to not get killed or crippled in the process...LOL...
...Well I guess This going to be about as good as it gets for now with this writers block and all. Hopefully I'll get back to telling the best parts of my story... A D...My life after Christ real soon!
...UNTIL THEN...
..."MAY THE PEACE AND POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY THROUGH CHRIST JESUS HIS SON RULE AND REIGN SUPREMELY IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT UNTIL HE RETURNS OR UNTIL WE SHED THIS MORTAL COIL!"
BARUCH HASHEM ADONAI
BROTHER MICHAEL
...You would think I would be excited to spit it out and the words would literally be dripping off the page or ooooooozzzzzzinnnnnggggggggg out of the monitor screen, LOL...
...Probably another symptom of this manic depressive roller coaster ride I can't seem to get off of...
In the powerful wonderful beautiful precious eternal awesome NAME OF JESUS...I COMMAND AND DEMAND THE FORCES OF DARKNESS TO RELEASE ME AND MY MIND AND EMOTIONS.
...NO WEAPONS FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER BECAUSE I OVERCAME THEM THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WORDS OF MY TESTIMONY!!!!!
...HALLELUJAH JESUS I AM FREE AND FREE INDEED!!!
...NOW, THAT FEELS BETTER!
...Everybody knows I am nuts now for sure...As if there was ever any doubt...
...Let me see...The current news is that I am experiencing a lot of anxiety over my Brides health issues and before you even think it or say it, I am fully cognizant of what the scriptures has to say about it...
How does that go?
..."BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD, AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS!"
...I am certainly not perfect though and the human side of me wants to fret and conjure up all kinds of dark scenarios, while God's Spirit continally reminds me That...
..."GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT A SPIRIT OF POWER, OF LOVE, AND A SOUND MIND"...
...On the financial front, We are still under attack and being assaulted by the IRS...
...Recently I had a letter published on the OP/ED page of the KALAMAZOO GAZETTE, that may shed some light on that subject...
...Let me copy and paste the textual contents of that letter to shed some light on that subject......
Mailbox brings another round of bad news
My wife is the sole bread winner in our household. She receives a monthly stipend check from the state of Michigan for $320 and change for her services as a live-in chore provider and home nurse for my invalid widowed mother. This amount represents an annual income of less than $4,000.
On March 5, she went to the mailbox to retrieve her only income for the month and instead of a check she received a form letter from the IRS telling her they had seized her entire earnings and would continue to do so until a long-time disputed tax debt of somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,500 was satisfied.
A few months back they seized last years stimulus check for $600 for the same reason.
The original tax debt that the IRS contended we owed them was only $1,000 and change but now, after they have seized more than $900, they say we are still indebted for an amount that exceeds the original debt.
Everyday all we hear about is money, money, money, bailout, bailout, bailout.
Well, guess what? Who is bailing us out?
The government just seized every dime of what little income we have to survive on and, to add insult to injury, promised us that they intend to continue seizing our $320 a month for the next four months as well.
I'm not sure how much more of this kinder, gentler government my wife and I can stand.
We are not deadbeats or usurpers of the system and its resources.
This new century has not been kind to us. We lost our dream home in Louisville, have had to close two separate businesses, have both been put on the unemployment line and exhausted those benefits several times because of a bad economy and the companies we were working for closing their doors forever.
For two years now we have been promised new hope and better times ahead and how our president was going to change things for the better. It is now as bad as it can get.
No income, no health care, and no hope for bailouts from Uncle Sam here. Just a swift kick in the groin thank you very much.
Michael Bowling
Kalamazoo
...In Response to that letter being in the paper an Amazing thing happened...
...I like to call this...
..."PAYING IT FORWARD"...
...Flag this messageLetter to the EditorMonday, April 20, 2009 9:43 AMFrom: "Beth Bowling"
My husband, Michael and I being a family of faith are thanking God for our benefactor that blessed us with a much needed gift of $100.00 that was passed to us through the Kalamazoo Gazette Op/Ed staff Ms. Adrian Johnson in response to a recent Letter To The Editor that was published on Tuesday April 14th.
This blessed gift represents our only income for over 2 months now..
We have no other way to personally Thank this person for their generosity as it was done anonymously. But it sure came at an opportune time as our Spirits had been cruelly crushed just a few days prior when the mailbox brought us another round of bad news for the second month in a row.
Now morally, it doesn't seem right that our new and supposedly friendlier government under the New Obama Administration would condone such strong arm tactics against those who can least afford it???
Is it even legal to levy a families entire monthly income, or are they only allowed to collect a certain percentage it?
I'm sorry for getting off point here...
My real intent is to thank the lovely person in the only way we can at this point for their incredible act of generosity and compassion. It is a restoration of ones faith in humanity when a complete stranger so selflessly reaches out to a fellow traveler in their time of need. May our Heavenly Father richly reward and Bless you and yours for your act of kindness. Now we too, when able, will Pay It Forward
Mrs. Beth Bowling
105 East Walnut
Apt. 2313
Kalamazoo, Mi. 49007
(269)344-4952
...The next round of good financial news is...
...I am Starting back driving for Yellow Cab again which I have to assume is a good gift from God for now...
..."EACH AND EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMETH FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, FROM WHOM THERE IS NO VARIABLENESS NOR SHADOW OF TURNING"...
...I always said that every Minister of the Gospel should have to do at least one year of an internship driving a Taxi as an insight of sorts into the Humanities and a study of Urban Dynamics...
...The trick is to not get killed or crippled in the process...LOL...
...Well I guess This going to be about as good as it gets for now with this writers block and all. Hopefully I'll get back to telling the best parts of my story... A D...My life after Christ real soon!
...UNTIL THEN...
..."MAY THE PEACE AND POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY THROUGH CHRIST JESUS HIS SON RULE AND REIGN SUPREMELY IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT UNTIL HE RETURNS OR UNTIL WE SHED THIS MORTAL COIL!"
BARUCH HASHEM ADONAI
BROTHER MICHAEL
Sunday, April 19, 2009
April is a Blessed month and our youngest's 1st Name
MANY OF GOD'S RICHEST BLESSINGS IN OUR FAMILY'S HISTORY CAME IN THE MONTH OF APRIL AND IS OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTERS FIRST NAME!
APRIL 16, 2009...
...HAPPY 32nd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MISS BETH!..
... There are so many great things that occurred in the month of April in mine and Beth's life as well as our entire family. The two greatest things that ever happened to me personally, happened in April! I Married my Soul Mate and I was Reconciled to my God and Creator...After That God Blessed us with A Family Of Our Own!!!
...1. I married the Bride of my youth, Beth Ellen Edmonds on April 16, 1977!..
...2. I was born again on April 12, 1981 @ 12:05 PM...
...3. I was Baptised April 26, 1981...
...4. Our First Child, and first Daughter, Aimee' Beth Bowling was born on April 5, 1979...She was most assuredly the Apple of her Mothers eye, and her Fathers Pride and Joy...God's Spirit and Anointing has always been apparent in her life, even up until this very day.
...5. Our second child, my first and only son Michael DeWayne Bowling the second {REPEAT} was born on April 9, 1986...{Take note that he was born 7 years after our first child. The number 7, God's number of perfection and of great Spiritual Significance}...He is Definitely Momma's Boy
and his Father's Son For Good and Bad But He Too will soon have to answer God's call on His life Just like His Father and become a Great and powerful Minister of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ...
...6. Our third and last child, second Daughter April Danielle Bowling was Born on March 9, 1988 by Ceaserien Section because of Pre-Natal Medical complications a month early...She would have most probably been born in April also if Birth would have have been natural and therefore because of all the special things that had occurred in our lives up until that point we decided to name her April...And She has proven herself to be an exceptional and very special Child. And all of heaven and Earth are holding their collective Breath awaiting for her to Become That awesome Angel on Earth for the Glory of God's Kingdom!...
All of our Children, their Soul Mates, and their children, and childrens children have been blanketed in prayer with a covering so wide and strong that their entire lives have been covered and set apart for a special anointing of God's Grace and Power...It is their destiny and History will declare it as it will be revealed in the fruition of the fullness of time...
Just wanted to tell you, my precious family, my children, their Soul Mates, and my grandbabies today that I love you very much and that you are never far from my thoughts and my heart...
...Enjoy your 30's they were the most healthiest physically out of my entire life...You are in your prime at that age if you keep yourself in good physical shape...
... Always be on guard that Satan doesn't use your good health and beauty to cause you to stray off of God's chosen path for your life...
...Satan's strategy will come in the form of causing disatisfaction with your relationship to your soulmate and will breed discontent towards your husband or wife...
...Oftentimes our own flesh, with the help of satan and his demonic hordes will try to get us to entertain thoughts of possibilities of secret encounters and rendevous and even entire new relationships with someone other than the one that we have covenanted with and vowed before God Family and friends to invest our entire life and future with...
... Do not fall for it or even entertain the possibility of it "EVER"!!!!
...IT IS A TRICK AND A LIE! AND YOU CAN NEVER TAKE IT BACK ONCE YOU CROSS THAT LINE! TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT I KNOW THIS UNFORTUNATELY BY EXPERIENCE.
Recognize it immediately when the lies of inappropriate flattery begin to find their way into your awareness...You will know or should know and recognize this demonic player when it appears...
...The test is when you feel that you have to hide or conceal this flattery from your beloved because you know that they would certainly take offense and consider the remarks to be out of bounds.
Many a family has been hurt and damaged and some never recover and are destroyed when these sneak thieves are introduced into the family dynamic!
This time in your life and in your marriage and with your young children can be the best years of everyones lives and that is why our enemy devotes so much time and energy to try and cause these feelings of dissatisfaction and discontent he trys to get us to focus on all of our struggles and the the things we feel that we dont have rather than the things we do have...
Family is one of God's greatest gifts and blessings that He bestows on us and instead we find ourselves focusing on all of the things that can never meet our needs and bring us true happiness and joy like Money and our lack of it or our insane pursuit of riches and wealth and the accumulation of all things material and Temporary...
Gods richest commandments and the ones that bring us the most joy and satisfaction are wrapped up in giving and how much we give not in the getting and how muich we keep and horde...
I am only sharing these wisdoms and beliefs as a matter of experience and observation and revelation that can only come with age and divine understanding tried and true through the crucible of pain, loss, and failure...
remember that old saying, "THAT IF I ONLY KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW"?
Please dear loved ones, learn from my mistakes and do not repeat them...
"EVERYDAY GOD GIVES US IS A GIFT...NOT A PROBLEM OR DILEMMNA THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED!
A HUMBLE AND UNDESERVING SERVANT OF THE ONE AND ONLY, TRUE AND LIVING GOD!
MICHAEL SR.
APRIL 16, 2009...
...HAPPY 32nd WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MISS BETH!..
... There are so many great things that occurred in the month of April in mine and Beth's life as well as our entire family. The two greatest things that ever happened to me personally, happened in April! I Married my Soul Mate and I was Reconciled to my God and Creator...After That God Blessed us with A Family Of Our Own!!!
...1. I married the Bride of my youth, Beth Ellen Edmonds on April 16, 1977!..
...2. I was born again on April 12, 1981 @ 12:05 PM...
...3. I was Baptised April 26, 1981...
...4. Our First Child, and first Daughter, Aimee' Beth Bowling was born on April 5, 1979...She was most assuredly the Apple of her Mothers eye, and her Fathers Pride and Joy...God's Spirit and Anointing has always been apparent in her life, even up until this very day.
...5. Our second child, my first and only son Michael DeWayne Bowling the second {REPEAT} was born on April 9, 1986...{Take note that he was born 7 years after our first child. The number 7, God's number of perfection and of great Spiritual Significance}...He is Definitely Momma's Boy
and his Father's Son For Good and Bad But He Too will soon have to answer God's call on His life Just like His Father and become a Great and powerful Minister of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ...
...6. Our third and last child, second Daughter April Danielle Bowling was Born on March 9, 1988 by Ceaserien Section because of Pre-Natal Medical complications a month early...She would have most probably been born in April also if Birth would have have been natural and therefore because of all the special things that had occurred in our lives up until that point we decided to name her April...And She has proven herself to be an exceptional and very special Child. And all of heaven and Earth are holding their collective Breath awaiting for her to Become That awesome Angel on Earth for the Glory of God's Kingdom!...
All of our Children, their Soul Mates, and their children, and childrens children have been blanketed in prayer with a covering so wide and strong that their entire lives have been covered and set apart for a special anointing of God's Grace and Power...It is their destiny and History will declare it as it will be revealed in the fruition of the fullness of time...
Just wanted to tell you, my precious family, my children, their Soul Mates, and my grandbabies today that I love you very much and that you are never far from my thoughts and my heart...
...Enjoy your 30's they were the most healthiest physically out of my entire life...You are in your prime at that age if you keep yourself in good physical shape...
... Always be on guard that Satan doesn't use your good health and beauty to cause you to stray off of God's chosen path for your life...
...Satan's strategy will come in the form of causing disatisfaction with your relationship to your soulmate and will breed discontent towards your husband or wife...
...Oftentimes our own flesh, with the help of satan and his demonic hordes will try to get us to entertain thoughts of possibilities of secret encounters and rendevous and even entire new relationships with someone other than the one that we have covenanted with and vowed before God Family and friends to invest our entire life and future with...
... Do not fall for it or even entertain the possibility of it "EVER"!!!!
...IT IS A TRICK AND A LIE! AND YOU CAN NEVER TAKE IT BACK ONCE YOU CROSS THAT LINE! TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT I KNOW THIS UNFORTUNATELY BY EXPERIENCE.
Recognize it immediately when the lies of inappropriate flattery begin to find their way into your awareness...You will know or should know and recognize this demonic player when it appears...
...The test is when you feel that you have to hide or conceal this flattery from your beloved because you know that they would certainly take offense and consider the remarks to be out of bounds.
Many a family has been hurt and damaged and some never recover and are destroyed when these sneak thieves are introduced into the family dynamic!
This time in your life and in your marriage and with your young children can be the best years of everyones lives and that is why our enemy devotes so much time and energy to try and cause these feelings of dissatisfaction and discontent he trys to get us to focus on all of our struggles and the the things we feel that we dont have rather than the things we do have...
Family is one of God's greatest gifts and blessings that He bestows on us and instead we find ourselves focusing on all of the things that can never meet our needs and bring us true happiness and joy like Money and our lack of it or our insane pursuit of riches and wealth and the accumulation of all things material and Temporary...
Gods richest commandments and the ones that bring us the most joy and satisfaction are wrapped up in giving and how much we give not in the getting and how muich we keep and horde...
I am only sharing these wisdoms and beliefs as a matter of experience and observation and revelation that can only come with age and divine understanding tried and true through the crucible of pain, loss, and failure...
remember that old saying, "THAT IF I ONLY KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW"?
Please dear loved ones, learn from my mistakes and do not repeat them...
"EVERYDAY GOD GIVES US IS A GIFT...NOT A PROBLEM OR DILEMMNA THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED!
A HUMBLE AND UNDESERVING SERVANT OF THE ONE AND ONLY, TRUE AND LIVING GOD!
MICHAEL SR.
Monday, March 23, 2009
"TRIUMPH"=The Rest of The Story! Part3 Doug
...The shock and the tragedy of Doug's death, 2 weeks before his 21st Birthday was such an assault on my sensibilities and emotions, that it struck me at the very core of my being...
...Neither was it lost on me how frail, our mortality is! Especially my own! As I later learned... I quite possibly drank from that same bitter cup that ushered my friend, and brother into the presence of the Almighty...
...Those days immediately following Doug's Death were filled with questions and speculation, most of them unsubstantiated, or unanswered...
...those memories are pretty cloudy in my mind today as they are filled for me personally with a whirlwind of emotions and personal introspection...
...I had just started my new job as a RoughNeck and I had to focus on that four days at a time...
... I do remember that Barry was out of the picture for a little while as he had traveled back to Ohio for Doug's Funeral and Burial...I am sure that He was emotionally overwhelmed, and I am sure he was bombarded with all the questions from Doug's family about what exactly happened?...
...I do remember having to talk to detectives locally in DeRidder who were naturally investigating a suspicious death of such a young and seemingly very healthy young man...
...It was certainly not a task that I was looking forward to...after all I really didn't know anything that I thought would be of any use, but I was what they referred to as a MATERIAL WITNESS, and I was the last person in our group that had talked with Doug or seen him up on his feet that night...
... I rescued him out of the front yard where he was running around drunk and naked, I got him dressed and back inside the house before I left for work...
...All I knew, was what I had been told...Most of that was second and third hand, I never seen that girl Lisa ever again, and it would be weeks before I got to see Barry and talk to him...
...As the story goes, Barry and some of the fellows stopped by the house the following day and Doug was laying on a pallet on the floor in my bedroom sleeping off his hangover, so everyone thought...
...They said that he was acting like he was having a nightmare or something because they could hear him moaning, kind of talking in his sleep, being restless...
...No one there had any idea that Doug was actually laying there, probably in a coma, struggling to live...
...After all they had came by the house to see if Doug wanted to go fishing with them and to get the fishing equipment, and after seeing Doug dealing with a massive hangover, seeing him Dog Drunk the night before, everybody just quietly left the house, deciding that Doug would be better off if they just let him finish sleeping it off...
...I guess that nobody else stopped by until the following day, and I heard that it was Barry that discovered Doug still lying on the floor in the bedroom the next day...
...He reached down to shake him awake and horribly realized that His best friend Doug Tuttle was no longer amongst the Living...
...I can't even imagine what that grizzly discovery must have done to Barry and his Psyche...
...The emotional scar, I'm sure still travels with him today. It's not something we talked about much other than the few times we talked after he came back to DeRidder following the funeral and his trip back to Ohio...
...The one thing that I do know for sure... Doug's Death was not for nothing...He did not die in vain...
...It changed my life forever!...
.....And consequently, the lives of an unknown number of people, that only God Himself knows...Because that number is still being added to up until this day... and beyond...
...Doug's life and His death are still impacting the lives of all the people whose lives my ministry impacts, and their ministry and lives impact compounded exponentially add infiniteum etc. etc. etc...
...I remember driving back and forth to work that following week...We were working on a new location, and it was close enough that they didn't suitcase us in a local motel...
...We just drove back and forth every day, and it was during that time I discovered a local Radio Station called Stereo Love...Kajn...Cajun country Christian Radio. I believe it was broadcast out of Crowley, Louisianna...
It was during those times of driving back and forth to work That God's presence and His Spirit, became very real to me, and I can remember driving for miles, grieving and weeping, sobbing so violently at times I had to pull over and gather myself to drive because I was blinded by my own tears...
...My thoughts would race and my emotions would run wild, and I find myself talking out loud with God praying and hollering at him all at the same time...Wrestling with a decision that God had been lovingly coaxingly been trying to get me to make for a long time now...
...Our house was only a block away from the Texas Avenue Baptist Church, and I remember my eye always being drawn to the sign out front...There was an invitation to come to their REVIVAL!...
...I had absolutely no Idea what a REVIVAL was but I had purposed in my heart that I was going to Church this next Sunday and was going to become a Christian...
That was one of the greatest decisions that I had ever made in my entire life and I wasn't sure what it all meant but I can tell you this much...
...Satan wasn't digging it and he wasn't about to let go of me without a fight and it was a battle that I almost didn't survive...
...But that's a whole other story...
...NEXT THE REST OF THAT STORY!
...IT TRULY IS A NEVER ENDING STORY...
SO PLEASE KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!!!
BROTHER MICHAEL
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Part2 DOUG TUTTLE Tribute! TESTIMONY CONT.
..."TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH!..A CONTRADICTION OF TERMS!"
"AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME!"
"I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I"M FOUND WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE!"
"...The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of corn falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces much fruit." {John 12:23-24}
...I have no idea what all went on after I went to bed?...I crashed hard and some how slept through any noise or commotion that continued amonst the celebrants...
...The next thing I know, Doug's Date Lisa, is waking me up all distraught...asking me to help her get Doug back inside the house, because he was outside in the front yard Buck ass Naked and she was afraid someone was going to see him and call the cops. She said she couldn't get him to listen to reason or anything she was trying to get him to do...
...This was a little after 3:00AM, right before my alarm was set to get me up for work...
...I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AM NOT A VERY PLEASANT KIND OF GUY WHEN SOMEONE WAKES ME...ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M SLEEP DEPRIVED, OR A LITTLE HUNG OVER...I REMEMBER THINKING, "WHAT THE HELL? I COULD HAVE SLEPT ANOTHER HALF HOUR"...
... I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO BE FOOLING AROUND WITH A SLOPPY DRUNK! I WALKED OUTSIDE AND SAW DOUG STAGGERING AROUND AND HANGING ONTO A SMALL TREE TRYING TO TAKE A LEAK...BTW HE REALLY WAS STARK NAKED, NOT A STITCH OF CLOTHES ON...
...I hollered at Lisa to run back in the bedroom and grab a pair of gym shorts or sweats or something for Doug to put on...I got a hold of him and started talking him back into the house...Lisa re-appeared with a pair of shorts and after getting him dressed I guided him back inside...He was coherant in the sense that he was able to talk and form sentences, but he was staggering all over the living room, falling onto the portable TV and knocking it off on the floor, not able to maintain his balance...
...All the time that I'm dealing with Doug, trying to get him settled down and sorted out before I had to leave, Lisa is recounting to me about how drunk Doug had gotten even to the point of violence, where he had picked a fight with somebody and something about him pulling a knife on some guy, anyways, she said that the fellows got it broke up and that had pretty much ended the festivities for the evening...The rest she didn't go into detail about but I got the sense that they had laid down together with Carnal intentions which led to him wandering around Naked...
...Finally, I got Doug settled down in the Bedroom that I had just vacated and admonished Lisa to look after him and make sure he didn't get into any more trouble...
...She assured me that she was going to stay the night with him, there was nobody else there in the house to give her a ride a home anyways...
...Feeling confident that she would keep an eye on him, as well as the fact that he now seemed to be fast asleep, I figured he would be fine...
... after all...He just needed to sleep it off...
...It really was not anything out of the ordinary...Just another friend that had too much to drink, we would all have a good laugh about it sometime later and embarass him by telling him what an idiot he was drunk ...
... Maybe I was a little distracted being under a time deadline, starting my new job and all, but I had to get going and that's what I did!
...I remember how excited I was heading out on my grand adventure of a new job and possibly a new career in the oilfield...
...I had only gone a few miles down the road and thought no more of the events that I had just left behind...
...Why should I?
... Situation normal in our world...
...Drink too much...Make a fool out of yourself...
...sleep it off...and start life all over again...
...We had all done it a million times...
...That first week in the oilfield was almost my last!
...As tough as I was, and as stubborn as I am, nothing in my life up to that point had properly prepared me for all of the challenges, both physically and emotionally that immediately assaulted me on every level of my existense...
...If you have ever watched one of those military style movies, where the new recruits are put through pure hell at boot camp...
...Constantly being bullied, yelled at, people screaming, hollering, insulting, humiliating you, swearing, cussing, cursing, and even threatening you...
...Your every sense is assaulted, by the noises and the smell of smoke and diesel fuel from the dozens of huge caterpillar and Detroit Diesel motors being pressed into service, exerting the forces of thousands of horsepower, to move and push and pull tons of iron pipe, tools, etc, etc...
Every thing was bigger and heavier than anything that I had ever had to work with in my life...It didn't take me too long to figure out what they were hollering about...
...They kept screaming at me to get the 48 or the 60...It was the size in inches of the largest, heaviest Pipe wrench I had ever seen...
...The job we were doing, required us to use these mammoth size tools repeatedly, as often and skillfully as a carpenter uses his hammer...
...It is no understatement when I tell you that it was pure hell in every sense of the word...
...The filth, of the Drilling fluids = Mud...
...The Pipe Dope = Buckets of Grease or Oil...
...Wet water dripping and splashing constantly all over you for your 12 hr. shift...
...Exposed to all of the Elements, Weather, Hot , Cold, Wind, Rain, Lightning, and you cant even imagine all of the huge bugs, insects, animals and creatures that crawl out of the bayous and swamps...
...You have no idea how relieved I was on that 4th day of our hitch, when we packed up and left that little Roach Motel they had us holed up in...
...I'll never forget the Phone conversation I had with Miss Beth after that 3rd night...
... I told her, "That I didn't think I was cut out for this roughneck crap and I just wanted to come home..."
"That was the turning point right there that was going to make me or break me...Because she said to me,..
... That I only had to survive for 12 more hours and I could crawl into my old rust bucket and head back Home to DeRidder...
...and make no mistake about it...DeRidder was now our home so I had better just suck it up, and do what I had to do to get through it...
"...Her and Aimee' was counting on me to move them down there as soon as possible, they wasn't going to live like we had been living any longer..."
...The Upshot of that conversation was, that if I quit my job and gave up, I essentially was giving up and quitting on our marriage...
...That was all the motivation and kick in the seat of my pants that I needed!
... I toughed it out, got through the last 12hr shift of my hitch, and headed towards DeRidder!..
...I could go on and on but I think your getting the idea of the kind of culture shock this young naive Damn Yankee was encountering...
...The strange thing is...
...As much as it hurt...
... as much as I hated it...
...I Loved it!..
...I was so relieved to pull into the driveway after the 3 hour drive to get back to the house...I was tired, hungry, and filthy dirty! I needed a shower bad.
It was spooky and quiet when I walked into our apartment...Nobody was around, so I decided to hurry up and shower, get into some clean clothes and go find the gang and see if anyone wanted to go get dinner somewhere...I couldn't wait to tell somebody about my experiences and my first week as a RoughNeck...
There was one thing that really struck me as being odd when I went to get me some clean clothes out of the dresser...
...Doug's glasses were sitting on top of the chester drawers and I remember how everybody kinda ribbed Doug over him being Blind as a bat without his glasses...
...It just seemed strange to me, but I didn't dwell on it very long, I just blew it off and took care of my business and headed up the street to Debbie and Koch's house, figuring to run into everybody up there...
...I'll never forget as long as I live the look on Smiley's face, when He opened the door for me and stepped out on the porch instead of inviting me inside...He was speaking in hushed tones, almost a whisper when He asked me the most ridiculous question???
..."YOU KNOW DOUG DON'T YOU?"
Of course, I said...Why?
...And at that very moment, I knew what he was about to tell me before the words ever came out of his mouth...
...THOSE GLASSES SITTING THERE ON TOP OF OUR DRESSER FLASHED ACROSS MY BRAIN, AND SOMEHOW I KNEW HE WAS ABOUT TO DROP A BOMBSHELL ON ME ABOUT SOMETHING VERY BAD HAPPENED TO DOUG!...
...I THEN REMEMBERED THE SCENE I HAD LEFT BEHIND 4 OR 5 DAYS AGO WHEN I WENT TO WORK AND LEFT DOUG IN LISA'S CARE...
...It was an unbelievable sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I remembar saying that Doug was about to turn 21 years old in two weeks...What the the Hell had happened?...
...Where was Barry and Page at?...
...I had a million questions all at once and the tears and my emotions were starting to run wild!
...How could this have happened??? What exactly did happen? What killed him? How did he die? Who found Him? When did they find him? Where did they find him? On and On and On...I kept firing the questions?
...I was sick and stunned and in disbelief, all at the same time...I was in shock!
"AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME!"
"I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I"M FOUND WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE!"
"...The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of corn falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces much fruit." {John 12:23-24}
...I have no idea what all went on after I went to bed?...I crashed hard and some how slept through any noise or commotion that continued amonst the celebrants...
...The next thing I know, Doug's Date Lisa, is waking me up all distraught...asking me to help her get Doug back inside the house, because he was outside in the front yard Buck ass Naked and she was afraid someone was going to see him and call the cops. She said she couldn't get him to listen to reason or anything she was trying to get him to do...
...This was a little after 3:00AM, right before my alarm was set to get me up for work...
...I HAVE TO ADMIT, I AM NOT A VERY PLEASANT KIND OF GUY WHEN SOMEONE WAKES ME...ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M SLEEP DEPRIVED, OR A LITTLE HUNG OVER...I REMEMBER THINKING, "WHAT THE HELL? I COULD HAVE SLEPT ANOTHER HALF HOUR"...
... I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO BE FOOLING AROUND WITH A SLOPPY DRUNK! I WALKED OUTSIDE AND SAW DOUG STAGGERING AROUND AND HANGING ONTO A SMALL TREE TRYING TO TAKE A LEAK...BTW HE REALLY WAS STARK NAKED, NOT A STITCH OF CLOTHES ON...
...I hollered at Lisa to run back in the bedroom and grab a pair of gym shorts or sweats or something for Doug to put on...I got a hold of him and started talking him back into the house...Lisa re-appeared with a pair of shorts and after getting him dressed I guided him back inside...He was coherant in the sense that he was able to talk and form sentences, but he was staggering all over the living room, falling onto the portable TV and knocking it off on the floor, not able to maintain his balance...
...All the time that I'm dealing with Doug, trying to get him settled down and sorted out before I had to leave, Lisa is recounting to me about how drunk Doug had gotten even to the point of violence, where he had picked a fight with somebody and something about him pulling a knife on some guy, anyways, she said that the fellows got it broke up and that had pretty much ended the festivities for the evening...The rest she didn't go into detail about but I got the sense that they had laid down together with Carnal intentions which led to him wandering around Naked...
...Finally, I got Doug settled down in the Bedroom that I had just vacated and admonished Lisa to look after him and make sure he didn't get into any more trouble...
...She assured me that she was going to stay the night with him, there was nobody else there in the house to give her a ride a home anyways...
...Feeling confident that she would keep an eye on him, as well as the fact that he now seemed to be fast asleep, I figured he would be fine...
... after all...He just needed to sleep it off...
...It really was not anything out of the ordinary...Just another friend that had too much to drink, we would all have a good laugh about it sometime later and embarass him by telling him what an idiot he was drunk ...
... Maybe I was a little distracted being under a time deadline, starting my new job and all, but I had to get going and that's what I did!
...I remember how excited I was heading out on my grand adventure of a new job and possibly a new career in the oilfield...
...I had only gone a few miles down the road and thought no more of the events that I had just left behind...
...Why should I?
... Situation normal in our world...
...Drink too much...Make a fool out of yourself...
...sleep it off...and start life all over again...
...We had all done it a million times...
...That first week in the oilfield was almost my last!
...As tough as I was, and as stubborn as I am, nothing in my life up to that point had properly prepared me for all of the challenges, both physically and emotionally that immediately assaulted me on every level of my existense...
...If you have ever watched one of those military style movies, where the new recruits are put through pure hell at boot camp...
...Constantly being bullied, yelled at, people screaming, hollering, insulting, humiliating you, swearing, cussing, cursing, and even threatening you...
...Your every sense is assaulted, by the noises and the smell of smoke and diesel fuel from the dozens of huge caterpillar and Detroit Diesel motors being pressed into service, exerting the forces of thousands of horsepower, to move and push and pull tons of iron pipe, tools, etc, etc...
Every thing was bigger and heavier than anything that I had ever had to work with in my life...It didn't take me too long to figure out what they were hollering about...
...They kept screaming at me to get the 48 or the 60...It was the size in inches of the largest, heaviest Pipe wrench I had ever seen...
...The job we were doing, required us to use these mammoth size tools repeatedly, as often and skillfully as a carpenter uses his hammer...
...It is no understatement when I tell you that it was pure hell in every sense of the word...
...The filth, of the Drilling fluids = Mud...
...The Pipe Dope = Buckets of Grease or Oil...
...Wet water dripping and splashing constantly all over you for your 12 hr. shift...
...Exposed to all of the Elements, Weather, Hot , Cold, Wind, Rain, Lightning, and you cant even imagine all of the huge bugs, insects, animals and creatures that crawl out of the bayous and swamps...
...You have no idea how relieved I was on that 4th day of our hitch, when we packed up and left that little Roach Motel they had us holed up in...
...I'll never forget the Phone conversation I had with Miss Beth after that 3rd night...
... I told her, "That I didn't think I was cut out for this roughneck crap and I just wanted to come home..."
"That was the turning point right there that was going to make me or break me...Because she said to me,..
... That I only had to survive for 12 more hours and I could crawl into my old rust bucket and head back Home to DeRidder...
...and make no mistake about it...DeRidder was now our home so I had better just suck it up, and do what I had to do to get through it...
"...Her and Aimee' was counting on me to move them down there as soon as possible, they wasn't going to live like we had been living any longer..."
...The Upshot of that conversation was, that if I quit my job and gave up, I essentially was giving up and quitting on our marriage...
...That was all the motivation and kick in the seat of my pants that I needed!
... I toughed it out, got through the last 12hr shift of my hitch, and headed towards DeRidder!..
...I could go on and on but I think your getting the idea of the kind of culture shock this young naive Damn Yankee was encountering...
...The strange thing is...
...As much as it hurt...
... as much as I hated it...
...I Loved it!..
...I was so relieved to pull into the driveway after the 3 hour drive to get back to the house...I was tired, hungry, and filthy dirty! I needed a shower bad.
It was spooky and quiet when I walked into our apartment...Nobody was around, so I decided to hurry up and shower, get into some clean clothes and go find the gang and see if anyone wanted to go get dinner somewhere...I couldn't wait to tell somebody about my experiences and my first week as a RoughNeck...
There was one thing that really struck me as being odd when I went to get me some clean clothes out of the dresser...
...Doug's glasses were sitting on top of the chester drawers and I remember how everybody kinda ribbed Doug over him being Blind as a bat without his glasses...
...It just seemed strange to me, but I didn't dwell on it very long, I just blew it off and took care of my business and headed up the street to Debbie and Koch's house, figuring to run into everybody up there...
...I'll never forget as long as I live the look on Smiley's face, when He opened the door for me and stepped out on the porch instead of inviting me inside...He was speaking in hushed tones, almost a whisper when He asked me the most ridiculous question???
..."YOU KNOW DOUG DON'T YOU?"
Of course, I said...Why?
...And at that very moment, I knew what he was about to tell me before the words ever came out of his mouth...
...THOSE GLASSES SITTING THERE ON TOP OF OUR DRESSER FLASHED ACROSS MY BRAIN, AND SOMEHOW I KNEW HE WAS ABOUT TO DROP A BOMBSHELL ON ME ABOUT SOMETHING VERY BAD HAPPENED TO DOUG!...
...I THEN REMEMBERED THE SCENE I HAD LEFT BEHIND 4 OR 5 DAYS AGO WHEN I WENT TO WORK AND LEFT DOUG IN LISA'S CARE...
...It was an unbelievable sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I remembar saying that Doug was about to turn 21 years old in two weeks...What the the Hell had happened?...
...Where was Barry and Page at?...
...I had a million questions all at once and the tears and my emotions were starting to run wild!
...How could this have happened??? What exactly did happen? What killed him? How did he die? Who found Him? When did they find him? Where did they find him? On and On and On...I kept firing the questions?
...I was sick and stunned and in disbelief, all at the same time...I was in shock!
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