[__ Prayer __] Praise

[Christ_empowered]

Since I post often about my problems (especially how I'm a pariah round here), I thought I'd balance with some praise. My dad and I got to spend a little bit of time together this past week, because my mom was out of town. It went splendidly....I think he's forgiven me, and I can tell he really cares about me. I really care about him, too, and we get along better than ever before.

My mother is flying in today. She had work to do in another country. She goes there on a fairly regular basis. Anyway, I get nervous whenever she travels, but I get particularly nervous when she travels abroad. She hasn't come home yet, but it does appear that yet another long distance trip has been completed successfully (!!!!). My dad's picking her up in Atlanta shortly. I look forward to her return home.

And...personal progress. I care about other people. I'm engaging more in conversations, doing more to help my parents, getting "outside my head," all that. Still too introspective, but I don't feel near as trapped inside myself. I can count my blessings and Praise The Lord and mean it. I'm gaining more perspective and--wait for it, wait for it--growing up, at long last. God is good.

Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read the post and also (especially) for your prayers and encouragement.

 

[reba]

watching you grow in the Lord has been an interesting travel

 

[Angel]

It's good that you and your father are bonding.
Its nice to hear about the good stuff! :D

 

[Christ_empowered]

yeah...we're getting closer. I'm blessed. He actually cares about me, and I care about him, and...its all because of Christ, because before I became a Christian...actually, until fairly recently...this wasn't the case :-( .

People around here are still rough on me, lol. Its the south...I'm apparently still perceived as "uppity" and "trying to be something special," which is ridiculous. I mean, because I'm seen as a "mental patient," there are apparently all these rules I'm supposed to live by. Nobody ever told me the rules, and I don't much feel like following rules that aren't for my benefit, anyway. The way I'm (finally) beginning to see it...I do what I can with what God sees fit to give me.

 

[Mike S]

"And...personal progress. I care about other people. I'm engaging more in conversations, doing more to help my parents, getting "outside my head," all that. Still too introspective, but I don't feel near as trapped inside myself. I can count my blessings and Praise The Lord and mean it. I'm gaining more perspective and--wait for it, wait for it--growing up, at long last. God is good."


God is blessing you, CE, and this paragraph of yours is so encouraging. The more we become prefected in Christ's love, the more we put the concerns of others before our own. It's a very good sign.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Thanks, everyone.

I got to spend time with my dad today...it was our Sunday drive through the countryside. He's taken up Bird Watching. I'm in it for the ride and conversation.

"Die to self daily." I'm finally at the point where I can realize that I still have what the Pentecostals would call an "I" problem. I've been praying for God to show me my pride and self-love more, because I was kinda thinking..."hey, I'm not full fledged NPD, that's it!," whereas the Bible stresses the importance of actual humility, not just reigning in your self-love so its not malignant.

I've been praying for more discipline and the beginnings of a work ethic, and I'm getting there, at least with school work. I have a lot of work to do towards becoming normal and getting a j-o-b, being in mainstream society, all that...but The Lord's been good to me, and to my family, too. I can relate to my dad much, much, much better now that I'm...well...completely different. That helps. I'm not some hopelessly burned out wretch who evokes pity and contempt (contemptuous pity?). Jesus stepped in...I'm healthy, I'm intelligent enough for my goals, and increasingly normal in most respects (but mentally ill. Weird, huh?). Now my dad can love me, because...I'm not a living, breathing example of what too much (electroshock, drugs, cigarette smoking, hair dye) does to a person.

Thanks again.

 

[Mike S]

Thanks, everyone.

I got to spend time with my dad today...it was our Sunday drive through the countryside. He's taken up Bird Watching. I'm in it for the ride and conversation.

"Die to self daily." I'm finally at the point where I can realize that I still have what the Pentecostals would call an "I" problem. I've been praying for God to show me my pride and self-love more, because I was kinda thinking..."hey, I'm not full fledged NPD, that's it!," whereas the Bible stresses the importance of actual humility, not just reigning in your self-love so its not malignant.

I've been praying for more discipline and the beginnings of a work ethic, and I'm getting there, at least with school work. I have a lot of work to do towards becoming normal and getting a j-o-b, being in mainstream society, all that...but The Lord's been good to me, and to my family, too. I can relate to my dad much, much, much better now that I'm...well...completely different. That helps. I'm not some hopelessly burned out wretch who evokes pity and contempt (contemptuous pity?). Jesus stepped in...I'm healthy, I'm intelligent enough for my goals, and increasingly normal in most respects (but mentally ill. Weird, huh?). Now my dad can love me, because...I'm not a living, breathing example of what too much (electroshock, drugs, cigarette smoking, hair dye) does to a person.

Thanks again.

Your father loved you all along, CE.