Brad and Ned,

Gretchen is freaked out over Brook.  this is because Brook's mind has been
fried and she is a little more than weird at times.  So them living together
may end up not working.  By the way, over two years ago, when Gretchen was
on the street, sort of speak, Gretchen screwed everything that moved.  This
included married men, Brook's own boy friend, and if someone would had held
its head, as the old cowboy used to say, she would have screwed even a
snake.  A little street talk there but when dealing with druggies, felons, x
cons, and butt heads in general, they have trouble even understanding normal
Christian communications.  Frankly, Brook seems to want to do what is right
more than my daughter.  Brook still goes to work, no matter what, every day
and right now, she has two jobs.  Gretchen will skip work, come home, say
she is going to pick something up for the shop and be gone for 90 minutes
when the store is just down the street, and a whole lot of other things
along these lines.  Brook calls me and tells me where she is, when she is
coming home, how she is getting home, never misses sunday services, has
already prayed with me three times more than my own daughter, sits and talks
and tells me about her fears, and literally tries to do what is right.  Yes,
she is a little goofy at times when the panic and anxiety are off the wall.
You should have seen me four years ago when I was even hearing voices.
Brook isn't at that stage yet so thank God for that.  Gretchen is freaked
about Brook for probably more reasons than one.  One being spiritual in
nature, I think, but also Gretchen knows she could have easily ended up this
way and still might.  with all that alcohol and drugs, and so called friends
who screw you literally, using your body for their own enjoyment, your mom
dying suddenly, your dumb butt dad leaving you and is no where to be found,
and your own brothers and sisters missing, a car wreck that not only just
about took your life but put you in the hospital for weeks and where someone
was killed, by the way, the criminal boys in the van?  They weren't hurt and
bailed out and ran before the cops got there.  Great friends, leaving you
there to die and all.  So, ad some burn brain cells on top of all this,
Brook has problems.  she may end up in a hospital and on medications.  In
fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that did happen.  I learned something over
the last three years of ministry that I never realized before.  I was
praying about someone I was praying with at the time.  I told the Lord, this
person may never be normal.  The Holy Spirit clearly said back to me, That
isn't your responsibility.  You do your job and I'll do mine.  The truth is,
the Lord said, this person does not need to be as they are now and the part
you are involved in is all your responsibility.  The truth almost made me
cry.  Why?  Because I realized that we don't have to do everything, we just
have to do what the Lord has told us to do.  For once I realized God runs
the show if we stay out of His way.  He just gives us the honor of watching
Him do His work.

Phil.

Learning Jesus
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