In Court | core-discipleship

Following Jesus During a Court Case

Preface

In August 2016 after only seeing my boys once since mid June of that year, my ex wife filed false charges against me in order to effectively gain sole custody of my boys and move them away from me. I guess desprate times call for desprate matters. She had spent the past nine years hopping from one rental, to section 8 housing unit, to friends house over and over and bouncing from one job to the next. I had always hoped that some day after she left me in August of 2007 that she would just grow up and take responsibility for her life, but that never happened.

Now she wants to go back home and live with mommy and daddy, but they moved away from here many years ago to avoid having to deal with the constant mess their daughter made of her life. The only problem is a new law on the books, Section 609.2 of the IMDMA, which was supposed to protect fathers from irresponsible mothers who think moving their children around indiscriminately and without regard for their education, church attendance, housing or even the ability to maintain a job.

No father should have to endure the lies of an unscrupulous ex-wife for the sole purpose of getting a leg up in court for the real case that they are planning on fileing later.

So what am I up against? My babies momma has decided to lie to the courts and tell them that "I go into the bathroom and remove my clothing while my sons are in the shower". No father should have to endure the lies of an unscrupulous ex-wife for the sole purpose of getting a leg up in court for the real case that they are planning on fileing later.

The only way to circumvent the new laws established is to create an environment of fear even if it is an artificial environment of fear. As we all know, our current legal system is not about truth and justice, but rather a system of deals, deciet and dollars. That a man can be unjustly accused and the courts take the side of a filthy liar without one question being asked is an attrocity and makes the judiciary an active party to violation as well.

The Chief End Of Man

The first question of the Westminster Catechism asks "What is the chief end of man?", and for many in fundamental Christianity we already know the answer is "...to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever". The real question however is how can I bring glory to God and feel the joy that is only in Him when everything around me looks like it's falling apart.

Growing up I thought that if I just went to work every day, came home and tried to help around the house, told the truth and went to church that everything would be fine. Not only was that expectation unrealistic, it was also unbiblical. In one of Jesus last conversations with his disciples, he told them

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Jesus never promised that if we follow him that there would never be any trouble that comes our way. In fact, this is a promise to the exact opposite which ensures that if we are truely followers of him that we would most certainly have many troubles. The promise is in that he has already overcome the world and in following him, we know that some day we will enjoy that victory with him.

Family Vacation To The Cayman Islands June 2016

Again I ask, how can I bring glory to God and enjoy him in the middle of this? By remembering that at one time not very long ago, I was dead in my sin and an enemy of God and he lifted me from that position, gave me new life and called me his friend. Each day, I remember that I deserve eternal damnation, but God spared me out of his compassion. That is the joy that we are called to have in Phillippians 3:1, 4:4 and 1st Thessalonians 5:16 and the hope that Peter talked about in 1st Peter 1:3-12

I do not know what the end of this devious plot by my ex wife, to tear my boys away from their school, their church and their father, will be. What I do know is that God has never been off his throne, was not taken by suprise by her scheming, and already knows the outcome of this situation and has the future of my boys in his hands righ now. In that I can take comfort no matter what happens.

What if the Worst Happens

This is a republish from Desiring God website contributing author Vaneetha Rendall Risner

September 15, 2014

I found myself growing fearful. Not a heart-stopping, all-encompassing fear, but the kind of constant gnawing that occurs when you look at the discouraging trends of the present and assume things will never change. When you think about the future and wonder, “What if the worst happens?”

What if.

Wedding Day July 2010

I’ve spent a lifetime considering the “what ifs.” Those questions have a way of unsettling me, destroying my peace, leaving me insecure.

People in the Bible were uneasy about “what if” questions, too. When told to lead the Israelites, Moses asked God, “What if they don’t believe me?” Abraham’s servant asked about Isaac’s future wife, “What if the young woman refuses to come with me?” Joseph’s brothers asked, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us?” All of them wondered what would happen if circumstances went awry. Just like we do.

We all face a staggering array of “what ifs.” Some are minor issues while others have life-altering repercussions. What if my child dies? What if I get cancer? What if my spouse leaves me?

The uncomfortable truth is, any of those things could happen. No one is free from tragedy or pain. There are no guarantees of an easy life. For any of us. Ever.

I was considering this sobering reality a few months ago. Over the course of several days, I had brought numerous longings and requests before the Lord. I wanted them fulfilled. But the unthinkable question haunted me: What if my inmost longings are never met and my nightmares come true?

Is God Enough?

As I sat poring over my Bible, I was reminded of the questions I had wrestled with for decades. “Is God enough? If my deepest fears are realized, will he still be sufficient?” Each time those questions had come up in the past, I’d pushed them out of my mind. But this time, I knew I needed to face them.

I wondered: If my health spirals downward and I end up in an institution, will God be enough? If my children rebel and never walk closely with the Lord, will God be enough? If I never remarry and never feel loved by a man again, will God be enough? If my ministry doesn’t flourish and I never see fruit from it, will God be enough? If my suffering continues and I never see the purpose in it, will God be enough? I wish I could have automatically said, “Yes, of course God will be sufficient.” But I struggled. I didn’t want to give up my dreams, surrender those things that were dear to me, relinquish what I felt entitled to.

I reflected on my unilateral unwritten contract with God, where I promise to do my part if he fulfills my longings. I reluctantly admitted that part of my desire to be faithful was rooted in my expectation of a payback. Didn’t God owe me something?

Reluctantly, I opened my hands, filled with my dreams, and surrendered them to him. I didn’t want to love God for what he could do for me. I wanted to love God for who he is. To worship him because he is worthy.

God’s presence overwhelmed me as I relinquished my expectations. He reminded me that I have something far better than a reassurance that my dreaded “what ifs” won’t happen. I have the assurance that even if they do happen, he will be there in the midst of them. He will carry me. He will comfort me. He will tenderly care for me. God doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life. But he does promise that he will be there in the midst of our sorrows.

Even If

In the Bible, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not guaranteed deliverance. Just before Nebuchadnezzar delivered them to the fire, they offered some of the most courageous words ever spoken. “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it . . . Buteven if he does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods . . . ” (Daniel 3:17–18).

Even if.

Even if the worst happens, God’s grace is sufficient. Those three young men faced the fire without fear because they knew that whatever the outcome, it would ultimately be for their good and for God’s glory. They did not ask “what if” the worst happened. They were satisfied knowing that “even if” the worst happened, God would take care of them.

Even if.

Those two simple words have taken the fear out of life. Replacing “what if” with “even if” is one of the most liberating exchanges we can ever make. We trade our irrational fears of an uncertain future for the loving assurance of an unchanging God.We see that even if the worst happens, God will carry us. He will still be good. And he will never leave us.

Habakkuk models this exchange beautifully. Though he had pleaded with God to save his people, he closes his book with this exquisite “even if”...

Even if the fig tree does not bloom and the vines have no grapes,
even if the olive tree fails to produce
and the fields yield no food,
even if the sheep pen is empty
and the stalls have no cattle—

Even then,

I will be happy with the Lord.
I will truly find joy in God, who saves me. (Habakkuk 3:17–18)

How Should I Pray?

I've been struggeling with my ex wife for almost the entirety of our marriage and ever since she left me in August 2007, just weeks after my youngest son was born.

I've dealt with the alcohol abuse, as well as the misuse of OTC drugs. I've dealt with the lying, and stealing. I've even endured the original lie that I have a history of gun violence which led the court to award her custody of the boys.

In my flesh I've had enough and I've been praying that God just strike her dead so my boys will finally be safe and we no longer have to endure this blight on our family.

In my flesh I've had enough and I've been praying that God just strike her dead

DeYoung Boys 2013

But the real question is what would God have me ask for?

If our chief end is to bring glory to God, would striking someone dead who by all indications has not been redeemed bring him any glory? Not according to God's word.

Ezekiel 18:23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

We are able to come to God with confidence knowing He will give us whatever we ask of Him as long as it is to bring glory to Him.

1st John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

While this is not a promise that God will give us exactly what we've asked for in the way we expect it in our timing, it is a clear indication of how we should pray and by inference how we should not pray.

Giving up the futility of anxiousness and all the stress is also a key to prayer.

Philippians 4:5-7 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplicationwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God is at hand!

Nothing that is facing us is outside of his control.

The biggest question is how much do I believe that?

I trust God with my eternal existance, but can I trust Him with my children?

What are some of the things that can bring God glory that I can pray for in the middle of this court case?

That my boys are safe
That the truth will come out
That justice will prevail
That my ex wife finds salvation
That my ex wife finds help for her substance abuse
That my boys will get past the lies they've been told or are participating in
That the presence of God will be known to everyone involved
That my faith be stregnthened even more

These are things that bring glory to God.

These are my prayers.

Who Brings Comfort To My Little Boy?

As a dad, one of my upmost concerns is to comfort my children and direct their focus toward God and away from temporary hurts. It's not easy, but it is my joy to wrap my arms around my sons when they are hurting.

The hardest part of this immoral seperation brought about by the lies of my ex wife is hearing that my little boy is having a hard time, and there is nothing I can do to help him.

My boys are quite different. Chase is quiet, keeps to himself, is easy to manage, but has a hard heart towards family and church. Drake is loud, energetic, gets himself into a little trouble, but is quick to ask forgiveness, and has a soft heart.

I want to help them both, but I've been cut off from them at the time they need me most.

Who comforts my little boy when he cries at night? Who knows his pain when his mom and brother yell at him? Who knows his longing to be in church with his friends? Who encourages him to rise above the pain to be all that God designed him to be?

As much as I love my son, I know my Heavenly father loves him even more and has a plan for him in His kingdom.

Psalms 56:8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

If I could have just one moment to comfort my son I would tell him that God sees his heart, knows his hurts, and loves him enough to send his son to die for him. Better days will come, but they may take a while to get here.

Be Anxious For Nothing

Today is another court date. I don't expect anything will happen though, but instead it will probably get continued on to another court date, but part of me still wants to worry.

It's like falling, there's nothing we can do about it once events are placed in motion, but now that we aren't in control we are upset and we worry and we are tense.

Phillipians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Does this mean that I don't do anything regarding the situation? No, of course not, but when you've done everything reasonable within your abilities to prepare, at some point you have to realize that God is in control, He knows the immediate outcome and He knows the eternal outcome.

Chase & Drake 2009

How though can we have peace in the middle of trials like this? By knowing that at one point I was an enemy of God, and I was dead in my sins unable to do anything about them, and it was at this point that God in His sovereign will chose me to be separated from this world to be one of His chosen followers and an ambassador for Him.

For the wishy washy religious, these may sound like strong words, but when you open the Bible and find out who the true God is, you realize that being a follower of Jesus takes preeminence over everything else in life.

Either you are a follower of the Lord that is described in the Bible on the terms that He has asked for, or we are deceiving ourselves.

What I want comes second to the glory of God.
My opinion takes second place to the truth of God.
My pride takes second place to the worship of God.
My pain takes second place to the sacrifice of God.
My justice takes second place to God's vengeance.

Mark 8:34-38 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

When your eternal soul is on the line, there is no room for being half committed to the Lord. Either you are a follower of the Lord that is described in the Bible on the terms that He has asked for, or we are deceiving ourselves.

Round One Is Over

So our court case was actually a go yesterday when I thought it would just be a status update and a continuance. Without my youngest son present, my ex-wife and oldest son presented their well crafted stories to the Judge and he believed them.

But despite all of that, the judge has refused to deny visitation with me. This was the worst part of the whole case because denying my visitation was the heart of the matter. This pre-emptive strike against me was to pave the way for their easy move to Georgia with her parents. This was never about what was best for two boys becoming God fearing men. This was never about bringing glory to God. This was all about a spoiled lying brat who wants to go home to mommy and daddy and re-capture her teenage years.

The problem with liars is that as they rehearse their lies long enough, they can't remember the truth anymore. This story they've made up in their head becomes their new history. Unfortunately, my oldest son is just like his mother in his laziness, his inability to take responsibility for his actions, his desire to run away from problems, and his lying.

What do I do now? How do I try to help my older son correct the errors of his ways when his mom and grandparents are bolstering the lies and trying to bring their pseudo-christianity and re-imagined god into the picture to justify themselves? If I take a hard line confrontation against him, the root of bitterness he's planted in his heart grows. If I ignore the problem, it never gets addressed and he believes he can get away with it.

This was all about a spoiled, lying, brat who wants to go home to mommy and daddy and re-capture her teenage years.

We are protecting ourselves from future false accusations by installing a camera security system in the house to record key areas where alleged abuse takes place. While they fuss and cry because they want what they want, they don't see that their lies could cause me to be indited for a crime. If I have to turn my home into a prison just to make it through the next four years, then so be it.

Now we wait for round two. I fully expect, within the next two weeks, my retarded ex-wife, her lawyer and her Harbor-House sponsor to file a case for removal so they can still move to Georgia.

Knowing God vs. Imagining God

One of the saddest things I experienced in court yesterday was the appalling lack of reverence for God. My former in-laws who were supporting the lies told about me were utterly devastated by a minor loss in court.

I sat nonplused by the things I heard such has misinterpreted scriptures like "if God is for us, who can be against us?" and "those that wait upon the Lord will mount us like eagles". Interestingly however, I didn't hear them quote "Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies"

With religiosity phrases like "he'll have to answer to god some day" and "his sins will find him out", they continued to spit their vitriolic venom towards me.

How disgusting I found them to be that the sins of perjury, immorality, sorcery (in the sense of drug abuse), drunkenness, and laziness are easily forgiven towards their daughter. The Bible, to them, isn't so much the divine word of God so much as a canvas to paint their own opinions on top of. The worst I suppose is their idolatry in creating a new "god" that serves there whims and who gives grace to their clan and destroys everyone else.

I don't know how the next series of court cases will go, but I do know that no matter what I will continue to follow Jesus and glorify God to the best of my abilities.

However, if my adversaries win, there will be much howling with joy and gorging on fried chicken.

What difference does it make to me? I am not the defender of God's name. God does not need my help in making sure His sovereign will remains intact. God also doesn't require my help in making sure His elect come to Him outside of my following the great command, and this extends to my boys as well.

I didn't hear them quote "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies"

If my oldest son continues to be cold, hard, and bitter towards God and His people, I will not be able to soften or mold his heart towards repentance whether he is with me or not. In the same way, if my youngest son continues to have a soft heart and seeks after God, no one will be able to stop him from following Jesus whether he is with me or not.

However, it would be much easier in my way of thinking, if they are exposed to the truth of scripture instead of the tainted portrayal of who God really is.

Parental Alienation

The hardest part of this battle is that the people I'm fighting for are being brainwashed in a system of parental alienation that glorifies their mom but demonizes me. This happens every summer because I have been to relaxed on parenting time. Since the boys grandparents chose to move, away from their daughter six years ago, to Georgia, I've allowed longer summer visits other than the two uninterrupted weeks agreed upon. Her parents are very religious as I've mentioned before, but their god is the god of deceit, pride, hatred, enviousness, greed and self-indulgence. In short they are practicing idolatry because they have replaced God of truth with a new god of lies that is satisfactory with them.

How To Recognize Parental Alienation

Alienating Parent:

Shows increasing posesivness over children
Children becomes the messenger
Shows little or no regard for your time with the children
May enlist family and friends on their mission to minimize time with the alienated parent
Insist that the children are autonomous regarding their decisions regarding your rules or parenting plan

How To Respond:

Start talking openly about issues
Make a point of reminiscing about memories you've shared together
Don't let go

Alienated Children:

Show no gratitude towards alienated parent
Shows an uncommon concern for the alienating parent but total disregard for the alienated parent
Children start parroting adult language because they are constantly being told these things by the alienating parent
Children are afraid or anxious about spending time with the alienated parent
Children show disrespect to the alienated parents family
Child views the alienating parent as perfect
Children prefesses their decisions are their own (ie. not wanting to spend time with alienated parent)

The Gift Of No

The next step has already begun. I've received a letter from my ex-wife's attorney asking me to sign their request to move the boys to Georgia. Just like that, without any bait on the hook, false promises of regular visits, nothing at all. Just a request to give up on my boys and let them be marched off in to exile to loony land with their mother.

No! That is my gift to my sons. That is my gift to my former wife and current adversary.

You may ask, "what kind of gift is no?". It is the gift that says, "stand up and fight" and "grow where you're planted"

I've watched my ex-wife bounce from job to job over the past nine years because she can not get along with co-workers, take constructive criticism from supervisors,show up on time, or request the appropriate time off to take care of her children. In direct correlation to her work ethic, I've seen her move from house to house, abusing her friends, dishonoring contracts with landlords, and sometimes squatting in living spaces where the owners weren't even aware of her presence.

Part of being a man is wearing your scars openly for others to see. It's a sign that this man has lived life and known pain and continues to go on. Adversity is no stranger to this man but look how he continues to fight for what he believes in.

Running away at the moment of pressure is for cowards. The problem with a coward is that he doesn't know that his major enemy is himself. The problems he runs away from is the problems that he is running towards.

Instead, learn to grow where you're planted. In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he urges us to grow with God in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. It doesn't matter if you're in the jungles of Asia, the savanna of Africa, the desserts of the Middle East, or the streets of Kankakee, you can grow with God if you want to. If you can't grow with God right where you're at, you can't grow with God anywhere. Don't be like Jonah who refused to be used by God until God had to oppress him. Decide today that you'll follow Jesus no matter where you're at and no matter what happens, and God will always be by your side to see you through anything and everything. You'll have joy and peace, instead of running from thing to thing trying to find happiness.

As for those who have dedicated themselves towards being a tool for Satan in this unwarranted attach against my family, it isn't going to work for you. You can spend money, receive money, you can have a party, you can slander my name on Facebook, you may even win these court cases and take my boys in captivity to your next set of misadventures. When it's all said and done, the the whores that run harbor house will still be bitter feminists, my ex wife will still be dependent on drugs and alcohol to try to get a halfway decent nights sleep, and the attorney who has given up on justice and now pimps himself to the highest bidder will still have to listen to another set of whiny bitches and their made up problems and bring their stories to court day after day for the rest of his miserable existence.

As for me, no matter what happens, in this case or otherwise, and no matter what my adversaries say about me, they can not make me stop following Jesus. They can not steal my joy. They can not destroy my family. They can not destroy my ministries. I'm one of God's chosen and when you attack God's chosen ones, you attack God.

The Stories Told

If you ask me today what is the hardest part of being in the middle of a court case where you are defending yourself against lies, it's that the lies told to children shape their opinions negatively and there is no recourse.

The Oven Story

One of the most recent stories was called into question by my youngest son when he asked "did you really push my mom into the oven?"

I asked him how likely does that story sound. Like the story of Hansel and Gretel, I pushed the wicked witch into the oven. I told Drake to look inside the oven and try to figure out how his mom would ever fit in there. She'd be the biggest turkey for sure, but she just can't fit in the oven no matter how hard I pushed.

Doing "it" In Front Of The Children

Another fabulous tale that my oldest son is convinced of is that their mom walked in on me and the neighbor while we were having sex in front of my oldest son.

While I freely admit to having one sexual encounter outside of marriage back then, it was before my son was ever born, and never with a neighbor. This disgraceful action was actually my ex wife who was carrying on with a married man and his wife who lived a few doors down. I just hope it wasn't in front of the children.

Don't Have Permission

The best of their mom's lies are the assertion that we have to get her permission for anything let alone everything.

For example, the boys grandparents can't visit them at lunch, without her permission.

We can't talk about the court case, without her permission.

They can't go to any church functions where I may be present on a day not specified for visitation, without her permission.

Well guess what princess? You have tried to foster a system of non-thought this Summer to push your anti-Christian agenda based on lies. The problem with lies are that when you're found out, the people you lie to tend to distrust you afterwards.

The Thief and The Liar

Last week my oldest boy was caught on camera stealing at school. This doesn't surprise me at all but does disappoint me greatly. The school had accused him a couple weeks before of stealing, but they didn't have any evidence. I was pretty sure he was stealing so I asked the school to move a surveillance camera to that area so we would have some evidence to confront him with.

Of course his mother, instead of kicking his butt and grounding him, let him go to some Satan worshiping rock concert featuring some freaks called "Five Finger Death Punch". Sounds like just the place for me and Jesus to hang out.

Last year, we had some money stolen in our house and we knew my son had stolen it, but we didn't have proof.

My youngest son also confessed that he saw his brother and one of his friends stealing from a local dollar store.

Now my youngest is no angel either. With all the crap his mother has pumped into his head, his stories change as often and are as ludicrous as his mothers. I was warned by two pastors, at the time I married the boys mother, that she was a liar and a manipulator, but love is blind. Well my eyes are opened now.

I saw the following post on Facebook this morning and I'm hoping that my boys have time to turn their lives around.

Maintaining Perspective

This past week was admittedly disappointing for me. I was sure that regular visitation with my boys would be restored, but with one feeble objection based on supposed conversations about the court case, we are now set back till March of next year.

I guess the other hard part is that the boys mother, in a wicked plan to continue her system of parental alienation has convinced them that it's "illegal" for them to talk to me except on days when we have official visitations. They have had so much crap pumped into their heads, they don't know who to believe or what is the truth of the matter anymore.

One small victory though is that I was able to talk to my oldest son about what happens at the end of this war against me that was started by their mom and grandparents.

If their mom wins, they all move to Georgia and I will probably get to see them once or twice a year at the most. They will not have a father to learn how to be a man from. They will not be going to church, just like they aren't going to church with their mom now. There will be nobody to pick up the pieces when their mom fails to provide housing, pay utilities, has food on the table, or a reliable vehicle.

If I win, I will work to try to put things back together as they have been for the past 9 years. Even though I have every reason to believe that their grandparents are as trustworthy as a poisonous viper in tall grass, I will not deny them the opportunity to visit them, and knowing full well that their mom will continue to be a failure at life in general, the boys may be able to learn something from her as well even though nothing comes to mind at the moment.

I guess the hardest part wasn't knowing that the enemy is getting the victory in this world, but that I thought common sense would take hold of the court case and it would be done now with everything restored back to the way it was before.

I was so sure everything was ok that I forgot about God's role in this case. I thought that life would be normal again. I forgot that God had promised that life is never normal when you decide to follow Jesus.

1st Peter 3:13-17 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

Somehow in the business of life and this court case, I tried to take my life back, but it doesn't belong to me anymore. When I decided to follow Jesus no matter what I didn't think that my first wife was going to leave me, I didn't think that I would lose my house, I didn't think I would lose my job, I didn't think I'd have to watch my children be used and manipulated and disappointed and confused on a daily basis.

God has been faithful to me through it all, but there are many moments when I wonder how all of this is possibly going to work for my ultimate good.

I hold on to God's sovereignty for myself. I can can even trust God's sovereignty for my wonderful wife who puts up with all this craziness. But somehow trusting God's sovereignty over my kids is so hard. Can God shape them and draw them to himself without me being with them? What pain and hardships will they go through needlessly because I might be torn away from them?

There is nothing that can be guaranteed in this life other than pain and disappointment, and my mission can not be stopped by remaining entangled in the affairs of this world. I have to let go of things like vindicating myself, or basing my joy in the spiritual condition of my children and my ex wife.

I have to get back to the place where I know that no matter what happens in this life, I am chosen by God the Father, I am justified by God the Son, and I am motivated by God the Holy Spirit. There is a Kingdom to represent and Gods greatness to proclaim, and whether or not my family remains intact or not, the good news of the gospel is on a timetable that is ticking away.

Help Comes From Unusual Sources

Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

It is still too early to know what use may come of this, but last night I got a text from a very unusual source... the boyfriend.

It's amazing how people can be thick as thieves one minute and stabbing each other in the back the next moment.

I don't know if the information given will help or be disregarded, but I know one thing... God has not failed to take notice of anything that has been done, or said, and I am assured that vengeance is for God to dish out.

The information will be given to my attorney and we will see if justice can be served now, but if not, I can wait for God's timing because while He is seldom early, He's always right on time.

Why would a guy who had an adulterous affair with another mans wife tell him that his ex-wife is "out of control" with alcohol and pills?

Because he had just found out that she was cheating on him as well. This was August 16th of 2017, and in January she would surprisingly give birth to a baby that wasn't his. If I had to guess the honeymoon is officially over.