Oh Kathy, I'm praying for you and Greg in this situation, please know that
we are all here for you and that we love you a bunch.

Please keep us posted.

Love you,
Pat Ferguson



At 05:55 PM 10/27/2005, you wrote:
>Hi Guys,
>         Well, Chris turns 18 next Tuesday.  Where is he moving?  We don't
>know.  His girl friend's, father's, offer must have ben made while
>the man was, "in his cups," so to speak, because it hasn't been made
>again.  That would be a relief except that they did find someone who
>Chris could move in with.  This was a guy on government assistance
>who was going to make Chris chip in on expenses that he himself
>doesn't pay.  It's not the first time that I've breathed a prayer of
>thanks that Chris was on probation.  Chris has to receive his
>probation officers blessing before he can make good on any of his
>crazy schemes.   This time, it only took one call for the officer to
>learn that Chris was planning on moving in with a sex offender with a
>police record and a history of drug abuse.  Nice friends Nicki's
>parents have!  "NOT!"    AT least this time, it wasn't us who had to
>say "NO!"  It was the officer.  Yea!
>         Tomorrow, Chris is going to throw himself on the mercy of the city
>to see what they may hafve to offer.  To her credit, the probation
>officer has not tried to talk us in to backing down and keeping
>Chris.  Chris wants his freedom.  He thinks that once he moves out
>and gets rid of us all of is problems will be over.  He has no
>money.  He owes us, but can't pay us because the girl friend's
>parents keep borrowing and not paying back.  This weekend, his wallet
>turned up missing.  Chris  suspects Nicki's younger brother, why not,
>the older one has already served two years in juvanile detention, but
>he can't prove it.  Foolishly, what money Chris still had, he refused
>to put in the bank, enjoying the convenience  of having it with him
>when he needs cigarettes or condums, so we have no idea how much he lost.
>         I don't feel bad about letting Chris go.   I know that God is going
>with him and that is such a great comfort.  Strangely, however, I
>know that I will miss him.  Every day lately I've gone down into his
>room to straighten it, make his bed and wash his clothes.  I do this
>for two reasons.  One is to keep out the smell.  Chris doesn't bathe
>regularly, he smokes and he comes home smelling like McDonalds after
>having worked there.  The combination can be overpowering, but if I
>were to insist that he clean everything, it would just be another
>battle that I couldn't really win, so I deal with my anger by keeping
>things clean.  The other reason, however, is that doing this is the
>only way that I can love Chris right now, in secret, where he can't
>stop me.  I take the time while making his bed and folding his
>clothes to pray hard for him.  It's the only expression of love that
>I am allowed right now and so I take it.  In five days, it will be
>all over.    I am at peace with that.  Sometimes, it hurts when I
>here the other children express their desire that he leave sooner
>than later, but I can't blame them.  I had just always wanted a close
>knit, Walton type family I guess, but the reality is that I don't
>have that.  I do have three great kids who do enjoy our togetherness,
>however, and I know that some parents don't even have that, so I
>still have a lot to be thankful for.
>         Please keep Chris in your prayers.  He is off track now, but I still
>know, with certainty, that his dross will be consumed and his gold
>will be refined.  I still believe in him even though it looks
>hopeless right now.  I keep saying, "where there is life there is
>hope."  He was dedicated to the Lord at three months.  I've always
>seen my kids as, on loan from God.  Well, next week, I completely
>surrender him back to the father.  "Go with him, Lorrd.  I"m so glad
>to know that he will never be out of your sight.  Amen."
>Kathy