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[__ Prayer __] Things Sure Can Change Fast...

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Edward

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The last 6 to 8 weeks has been very challenging for me and also, brought a lot of changes for me. I am 99% sure that I just went through a season of testing of my faith. I think I passed them all this time, by the grace of God!

So it started about 2 months ago, my attorney contacted me and said that the socil security people gave me what they call a, partially favorable decision (in my disability case). That I was I tentatively approved now, but that my present employment activities may reduce my payments, stop my payments and eligibility altogether...or not affect it at all. I guess at this job, I am making too much money for them to like it, and have been with them longer than any probationary period lasts. So from their perspective, maybe I am not disabled at all...

I applied in Oct of 2010 and they just keep denying me. Now if I had went down and got on food stamps and public assistance then I guess they would like that. But my problem with that is that, I have worked my entire life and am not a public assistance type of person. I do not need a handout. There are others who need that help much more than I do. I have been trying to hang in there until my SS case was approved. I did work for that money and since being hurt, I need it. But they routinely deny the American people their own money. So what's a guy to do, in the meantime until the case is decided? Go get a job. Try to work. Tell them about my limitations for a full days work, and hope it lasts long enough for something to happen with my case, so I can retire now. But I am a typical man. I like to eat and have lights on at home so I did go get a job...and it was a blessing from the Lord where I got a job at. Some Brothers in Christ own this company and walk in it. Very good people, God bless them. But I digress...

So if I wasn't working, then I suppose my case would be approved with no caveats. But I am. I had figured, if they eventually approve my disability case, then I quit my job and retire on my SS money. But now, oh no Ed, we are going to put your case back at hearing level and decide if you are even disabled at all...and at this point, I...am used to them taking the hard route with me and trying to deny me the money that I worked for. So I figured that, they probably will find a way to not give me my money and I will have to continue working myself anyway. So I sort of just went, Praise the Lord! Whatever happens happens and must be the will of the Lord because He is in control and what He want to come to pass, will come to pass. So I will not worry about it, become angry, stressed, shake my fist at God or any other stupid things. I will be content and look to the Lord for His will to come to pass...

Then, about a week later, I go into work on Monday...Ed, we're letting you go...now waitaminute, this job is my blessing from the Lord...how can this be? Everything was going ok between us. But it's for real! But even though it is a shock to me, I do not despair and I praise the Lord. God does not close one door, without opening another door. And then, it starts consistently. Every day some new bad thing crops up. I try to keep my sense of humor, praise the Lord...and do not worry. Then, 5 minutes or 15 minutes later something weird happens that seemingly magically makes the difficulty go away and be ok. Just like that. Praise the Lord!

Then tomorrow, something new and bad happens to me...A praise of the Lord, a prayer and contentment, but no worries...then, everything is ok again somehow...and just, over and over this has been happening. I refuse to stress about any of this though. The Lord does take care of me. I do not know what He is doing...but I go along, praising Him, praying and casting my cares at His feet. I have never been hit with so many bad things in such a short period of time in my life before! Then when I do not lose my faith, everything clicks into place again.

I keep reminding myself (or the Lord reminds me!) that, I am to be content, to just 'know' that He is moving in my life, and trust Him. So it has been a very long and strange series of events which has came to pass in my life lately. But they must be a series of tests of my faith, so I think I have passed them all or at least most of them. ...and it feels like this season is over now, of this testing. But things sure did change fast! Now I am unemployed, drawing unemployment which my old boss said go get it that he wont fight it and it should last until my ss checks start...but they said lets do another hearing since you were employed so long and made so much money...so I might not even get that after all that. But being unemployed should help my case, right? So Whatever God is doing...I trust Him...

So the SS people call my Atty the other day with an offer for me. They will cancel the hearing and approve my disability for full benefits...IF I waive all back payments. (I already had ideas for that $ if it did come). I could not agree, schedule a hearing, plead my case and win and get my back payments...or perhaps lose everything altogether. So I took the deal. The security of the monthly checks is prolly more important than back payments. So I guess I am sort of officially retired now. Just like that.

...and the Lord is being silent to me about this. I can see that He freed up a lot of my time now. I don't know what's coming next...but I do know that it will be fine because I trust Him. \

All those things that happened so fast...I didn't write about them because there are so many and was so fast. But I got maybe half dozen more new testimonies out of all this. I'm still piecing this all together what all has been happening and it is a lot. Praise our Lord!!! :sohappy





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Thanks for sharing Edward
In some places in life all we can do is trust the Lord that he's working things out. I think its great that you are open to seeing what he has in store for you.

And sorry you lost your job with the good employer. Any chance you can still fellowship with them? Maybe there is still some kind of open door there?
 
Thanks for sharing Edward
In some places in life all we can do is trust the Lord that he's working things out. I think its great that you are open to seeing what he has in store for you.

And sorry you lost your job with the good employer. Any chance you can still fellowship with them? Maybe there is still some kind of open door there?

There is! He felt bad about letting me go and was very concerned...and I actually wonder if the Lord just told him to let me go? I haven't asked him about that yet, but I do still talk to him fairly regularly. I can't believe how much he is helping me through this transition.

He doesn't even really know everything that is going on with me and the Lord! We have both been too busy to sit down and chat. But geez, about a week to ten days before he let me go, he had said to me, Ed I hope you are working for us a long time, until you retire when you get to the age since they havent given it to you as a disability yet...

And then 10 days later, boom, I'm gone. But I can perceive that he didn't lie about anything, it's just the Lord is doing something and will not be stopped, lol. I thought the job was a blessing to me, and it was, but I hadn't considered that it might only be a stepping stone on the way to wherever God is taking me to! I still don't know. I'm going to change my screen name to Abraham soon!

It's funny, awhile back, I prayed and me and the Lord was talking and I was asking forgiveness for backsliding all those years between when I got saved at about 13-14 yrs old to about the time my wife was divorcing me after 26 yrs...and all that time that I had wasted....and I wondered where I would be right now if I had not back slid and wasted all that time, so I asked the Lord, and He answered immediately, exactly where you are right now, He said.

That blew my mind! But it's also encouraging to my faith and every little bit helps. So I understand that we are not to fear anything on earth and not to worry about what we will eat drink or wear tomorrow. It will work out to the Lord's will. If I was predestined and chosen (like all the others too!) before the foundation of the world...then His word will not return to Him void. Right? It can not. So I just pray Psalm 51 over my life, Psalm 91 over my life...and be still and know He is God and walk with Him.

That has been my attitude through this, and then boom, everything changes within 15 minutes, and not in a way that is common or a explainable way. Like Sid says, It's Supernatural! :)
 
The last 6 to 8 weeks has been very challenging for me and also, brought a lot of changes for me. I am 99% sure that I just went through a season of testing of my faith. I think I passed them all this time, by the grace of God!

So it started about 2 months ago, my attorney contacted me and said that the socil security people gave me what they call a, partially favorable decision (in my disability case). That I was I tentatively approved now, but that my present employment activities may reduce my payments, stop my payments and eligibility altogether...or not affect it at all. I guess at this job, I am making too much money for them to like it, and have been with them longer than any probationary period lasts. So from their perspective, maybe I am not disabled at all...

I applied in Oct of 2010 and they just keep denying me. Now if I had went down and got on food stamps and public assistance then I guess they would like that. But my problem with that is that, I have worked my entire life and am not a public assistance type of person. I do not need a handout. There are others who need that help much more than I do. I have been trying to hang in there until my SS case was approved. I did work for that money and since being hurt, I need it. But they routinely deny the American people their own money. So what's a guy to do, in the meantime until the case is decided? Go get a job. Try to work. Tell them about my limitations for a full days work, and hope it lasts long enough for something to happen with my case, so I can retire now. But I am a typical man. I like to eat and have lights on at home so I did go get a job...and it was a blessing from the Lord where I got a job at. Some Brothers in Christ own this company and walk in it. Very good people, God bless them. But I digress...

So if I wasn't working, then I suppose my case would be approved with no caveats. But I am. I had figured, if they eventually approve my disability case, then I quit my job and retire on my SS money. But now, oh no Ed, we are going to put your case back at hearing level and decide if you are even disabled at all...and at this point, I...am used to them taking the hard route with me and trying to deny me the money that I worked for. So I figured that, they probably will find a way to not give me my money and I will have to continue working myself anyway. So I sort of just went, Praise the Lord! Whatever happens happens and must be the will of the Lord because He is in control and what He want to come to pass, will come to pass. So I will not worry about it, become angry, stressed, shake my fist at God or any other stupid things. I will be content and look to the Lord for His will to come to pass...

Then, about a week later, I go into work on Monday...Ed, we're letting you go...now waitaminute, this job is my blessing from the Lord...how can this be? Everything was going ok between us. But it's for real! But even though it is a shock to me, I do not despair and I praise the Lord. God does not close one door, without opening another door. And then, it starts consistently. Every day some new bad thing crops up. I try to keep my sense of humor, praise the Lord...and do not worry. Then, 5 minutes or 15 minutes later something weird happens that seemingly magically makes the difficulty go away and be ok. Just like that. Praise the Lord!

Then tomorrow, something new and bad happens to me...A praise of the Lord, a prayer and contentment, but no worries...then, everything is ok again somehow...and just, over and over this has been happening. I refuse to stress about any of this though. The Lord does take care of me. I do not know what He is doing...but I go along, praising Him, praying and casting my cares at His feet. I have never been hit with so many bad things in such a short period of time in my life before! Then when I do not lose my faith, everything clicks into place again.

I keep reminding myself (or the Lord reminds me!) that, I am to be content, to just 'know' that He is moving in my life, and trust Him. So it has been a very long and strange series of events which has came to pass in my life lately. But they must be a series of tests of my faith, so I think I have passed them all or at least most of them. ...and it feels like this season is over now, of this testing. But things sure did change fast! Now I am unemployed, drawing unemployment which my old boss said go get it that he wont fight it and it should last until my ss checks start...but they said lets do another hearing since you were employed so long and made so much money...so I might not even get that after all that. But being unemployed should help my case, right? So Whatever God is doing...I trust Him...

So the SS people call my Atty the other day with an offer for me. They will cancel the hearing and approve my disability for full benefits...IF I waive all back payments. (I already had ideas for that $ if it did come). I could not agree, schedule a hearing, plead my case and win and get my back payments...or perhaps lose everything altogether. So I took the deal. The security of the monthly checks is prolly more important than back payments. So I guess I am sort of officially retired now. Just like that.

...and the Lord is being silent to me about this. I can see that He freed up a lot of my time now. I don't know what's coming next...but I do know that it will be fine because I trust Him. \

All those things that happened so fast...I didn't write about them because there are so many and was so fast. But I got maybe half dozen more new testimonies out of all this. I'm still piecing this all together what all has been happening and it is a lot. Praise our Lord!!! :sohappy





-
Wow, what an amazing testimony! Your faith and attitude are an inspiration!
I'm going to Cleveland in August. We need to hook up for lunch!
 
Wow. 9 year wait on your SSDI claim. I wonder what's up with that? People usually get Medicare in 2 years, once they are approved for SSDI. Are you getting insurance through the ACA exchange until then?
 
Edward, you have the greatest testimonies that shows your faith in God no matter what tries to come against you and I commend you on your faith :clap

It took me three years to get my SSD 17 years agao as they kept denying me as I had no doctor to back me up. I ended up getting a lawyer who fought for me and finally got it, but no back pay. After being accepted that day the lawyer and I entered the elevator to leave and he said he has never seen anyone win a case like how I won it. I turned to him and pointed up to heaven and said it only came by God's grace for without my getting SSD my husband and I would still be struggling today to make ends meet.

I can't work in any capacity anymore since I had both knees and both hips replaced and problems with my back after rolling over my ATV last year, but if I could I would be allowed to make a certain amount while still keeping my SSD. This is something you could check into. I do believe it might have been God intervening for you when your boss had to let you go. Maybe you could work part time for him and still keep your SSD.
 
Wow, what an amazing testimony! Your faith and attitude are an inspiration!
I'm going to Cleveland in August. We need to hook up for lunch!



Hey cool so you're coming to the good old Buckeye state! :biggrin2 What for exactly if you don't mind me asking you? Also if I was allowed I might schedule to publically meet up with you,.. but unfortunately I'm not. :sad
 
Btw, for the record I'm not actually from Cleveland (and I have never and will never give out the name of my city) but I have been there multiple times before. :)
 
The last 6 to 8 weeks has been very challenging for me and also, brought a lot of changes for me. I am 99% sure that I just went through a season of testing of my faith. I think I passed them all this time, by the grace of God!

So it started about 2 months ago, my attorney contacted me and said that the socil security people gave me what they call a, partially favorable decision (in my disability case). That I was I tentatively approved now, but that my present employment activities may reduce my payments, stop my payments and eligibility altogether...or not affect it at all. I guess at this job, I am making too much money for them to like it, and have been with them longer than any probationary period lasts. So from their perspective, maybe I am not disabled at all...

I applied in Oct of 2010 and they just keep denying me. Now if I had went down and got on food stamps and public assistance then I guess they would like that. But my problem with that is that, I have worked my entire life and am not a public assistance type of person. I do not need a handout. There are others who need that help much more than I do. I have been trying to hang in there until my SS case was approved. I did work for that money and since being hurt, I need it. But they routinely deny the American people their own money. So what's a guy to do, in the meantime until the case is decided? Go get a job. Try to work. Tell them about my limitations for a full days work, and hope it lasts long enough for something to happen with my case, so I can retire now. But I am a typical man. I like to eat and have lights on at home so I did go get a job...and it was a blessing from the Lord where I got a job at. Some Brothers in Christ own this company and walk in it. Very good people, God bless them. But I digress...

So if I wasn't working, then I suppose my case would be approved with no caveats. But I am. I had figured, if they eventually approve my disability case, then I quit my job and retire on my SS money. But now, oh no Ed, we are going to put your case back at hearing level and decide if you are even disabled at all...and at this point, I...am used to them taking the hard route with me and trying to deny me the money that I worked for. So I figured that, they probably will find a way to not give me my money and I will have to continue working myself anyway. So I sort of just went, Praise the Lord! Whatever happens happens and must be the will of the Lord because He is in control and what He want to come to pass, will come to pass. So I will not worry about it, become angry, stressed, shake my fist at God or any other stupid things. I will be content and look to the Lord for His will to come to pass...

Then, about a week later, I go into work on Monday...Ed, we're letting you go...now waitaminute, this job is my blessing from the Lord...how can this be? Everything was going ok between us. But it's for real! But even though it is a shock to me, I do not despair and I praise the Lord. God does not close one door, without opening another door. And then, it starts consistently. Every day some new bad thing crops up. I try to keep my sense of humor, praise the Lord...and do not worry. Then, 5 minutes or 15 minutes later something weird happens that seemingly magically makes the difficulty go away and be ok. Just like that. Praise the Lord!

Then tomorrow, something new and bad happens to me...A praise of the Lord, a prayer and contentment, but no worries...then, everything is ok again somehow...and just, over and over this has been happening. I refuse to stress about any of this though. The Lord does take care of me. I do not know what He is doing...but I go along, praising Him, praying and casting my cares at His feet. I have never been hit with so many bad things in such a short period of time in my life before! Then when I do not lose my faith, everything clicks into place again.

I keep reminding myself (or the Lord reminds me!) that, I am to be content, to just 'know' that He is moving in my life, and trust Him. So it has been a very long and strange series of events which has came to pass in my life lately. But they must be a series of tests of my faith, so I think I have passed them all or at least most of them. ...and it feels like this season is over now, of this testing. But things sure did change fast! Now I am unemployed, drawing unemployment which my old boss said go get it that he wont fight it and it should last until my ss checks start...but they said lets do another hearing since you were employed so long and made so much money...so I might not even get that after all that. But being unemployed should help my case, right? So Whatever God is doing...I trust Him...

So the SS people call my Atty the other day with an offer for me. They will cancel the hearing and approve my disability for full benefits...IF I waive all back payments. (I already had ideas for that $ if it did come). I could not agree, schedule a hearing, plead my case and win and get my back payments...or perhaps lose everything altogether. So I took the deal. The security of the monthly checks is prolly more important than back payments. So I guess I am sort of officially retired now. Just like that.

...and the Lord is being silent to me about this. I can see that He freed up a lot of my time now. I don't know what's coming next...but I do know that it will be fine because I trust Him. \

All those things that happened so fast...I didn't write about them because there are so many and was so fast. But I got maybe half dozen more new testimonies out of all this. I'm still piecing this all together what all has been happening and it is a lot. Praise our Lord!!! :sohappy





-
There is! He felt bad about letting me go and was very concerned...and I actually wonder if the Lord just told him to let me go? I haven't asked him about that yet, but I do still talk to him fairly regularly. I can't believe how much he is helping me through this transition.

He doesn't even really know everything that is going on with me and the Lord! We have both been too busy to sit down and chat. But geez, about a week to ten days before he let me go, he had said to me, Ed I hope you are working for us a long time, until you retire when you get to the age since they havent given it to you as a disability yet...

And then 10 days later, boom, I'm gone. But I can perceive that he didn't lie about anything, it's just the Lord is doing something and will not be stopped, lol. I thought the job was a blessing to me, and it was, but I hadn't considered that it might only be a stepping stone on the way to wherever God is taking me to! I still don't know. I'm going to change my screen name to Abraham soon!

It's funny, awhile back, I prayed and me and the Lord was talking and I was asking forgiveness for backsliding all those years between when I got saved at about 13-14 yrs old to about the time my wife was divorcing me after 26 yrs...and all that time that I had wasted....and I wondered where I would be right now if I had not back slid and wasted all that time, so I asked the Lord, and He answered immediately, exactly where you are right now, He said.

That blew my mind! But it's also encouraging to my faith and every little bit helps. So I understand that we are not to fear anything on earth and not to worry about what we will eat drink or wear tomorrow. It will work out to the Lord's will. If I was predestined and chosen (like all the others too!) before the foundation of the world...then His word will not return to Him void. Right? It can not. So I just pray Psalm 51 over my life, Psalm 91 over my life...and be still and know He is God and walk with Him.

That has been my attitude through this, and then boom, everything changes within 15 minutes, and not in a way that is common or a explainable way. Like Sid says, It's Supernatural! :)
praying in support of God's continued blessings and favor in your life as you continue to walk with God and bless us with your testimonies
 
Edward, you have the greatest testimonies that shows your faith in God no matter what tries to come against you and I commend you on your faith :clap

It took me three years to get my SSD 17 years agao as they kept denying me as I had no doctor to back me up. I ended up getting a lawyer who fought for me and finally got it, but no back pay. After being accepted that day the lawyer and I entered the elevator to leave and he said he has never seen anyone win a case like how I won it. I turned to him and pointed up to heaven and said it only came by God's grace for without my getting SSD my husband and I would still be struggling today to make ends meet.

I can't work in any capacity anymore since I had both knees and both hips replaced and problems with my back after rolling over my ATV last year, but if I could I would be allowed to make a certain amount while still keeping my SSD. This is something you could check into. I do believe it might have been God intervening for you when your boss had to let you go. Maybe you could work part time for him and still keep your SSD.

I doubt it. I was making too much money there, plus He has everyone in a lettered up truck so part time is not going to work. But! I do already have a couple signs up outside, lol. S'posed to take a look at my neighbors a-c this weekend. It does feel good to not have to be at work 5 or 6 days a week anymore. I could get used to this, lol.
 
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