Re: The house that God built

[Guest guest]

,

That is the most touching story I have heard in a long time. Rob and I have

a 100 year old home we have lovingly restored and are now considering

leaving because of all the stairs and the constant upkeep. We are

heartbroken at the thought of selling our house, but your story makes me

realize how much home is where the heart is, not a building.

Thank you for sharing your story with us all.

Carol & Rob

Lexington, MA

The house that God built

> Dear ,

>

> Sometimes the parallels between your life and our lives are scary! Jeff

> and I were married in February 1998. His wedding present to me was a

house

> (2500 sq ft) that he designed and helped build. He laid over 900 sq ft of

> ceramic in the kitchen/dining, utility and bath areas. We moved in August

> 1998. A few months after the house was completed, he took the covered

> porch and enclosed it, and turned it in to a game room for the kids. We

> lived in the country on an acre and a half of land. Jeff was so proud of

> " his " accomplishment. In January 1999 Jeff started to have symptoms

> ranging from stomach disorders, disorientation, pain in the middle of the

> back, lightheadedness, stumbling. They would come and go, and the doctors

> were perplexed, to say the least. MSA was mentioned as far back as

> christmas 2000. He was hospitalized 4 times between Jan 2000 and July

> 2001. A trip to Mayo in Rochester in July 2001 ruled out internal diseases

> (cancer,etc,), and it took a while for the doctors to determine for sure

> that the condition was neurological in nature. Finally a diagnosis of

> probable MSA was made by Dr Jankovic in Houston Christmas of 2001.

>

> Due to Jeff's health problems, the mounting medical bills and our home's

> distance from the nearest medical facility, we put our house up for sale

in

> December 2000 and sold it March 2001. I was very sad to move, but it

> really broke Jeff's heart. He had put so much of his love in to that

> house. We moved in to a 3 bedroom apartment, exactly half the size of the

> house. And a very amazing thing began to happen. Jeff, who grew up

> thinking that " things " made the man, began to realize that things aren't

so

> important after all. We really have grown to love our home. It's a happy

> haven where Jeff can come and rest if he's tired (it's only a few minutes

> from work). He doesn't have to worry about a yard to upkeep, or

> maintenance. When life becomes a daily struggle just to get out of bed,

> appearances and material things just don't mean much.

>

> On Sunday, I came in the living room and Jeff was sitting on the couch

> sobbing. He made the mistake of watching the movie " Ghost " . It really

> tore him up inside, and for the first time he had what I would call a

" Job "

> moment, where he cried out to God and asked him WHY was this happening?

> Why was he being punished? He was a good man, he loved God, he loved his

> family, etc. It gave me a chance to remind him that God does not only

> afflict bad people but good ones as well. It gave me a chance to tell

Jeff

> that his affliction and his courage in dealing with it has touched

> countless lives. He goes to work every day, and every day people ask him

> " How do you do it? " That's making an impact. His physical therapist

wants

> to start a foundation. Who knows where that will lead? I told him that

> his children watch him and how he deals with this adversity, and who knows

> how that is going to mold their future? I know I will never be the same,

> or look at life the same as I did three years ago. I told him that when

he

> goes heaven there will be no more tears or sorrow or pain. It won't be

him

> that misses his family. In the accounting of eternity, we will be with

him

> in the blink of an eye. It's the ones left behind who will do the

missing.

> I think when he realized that he was not being punished, he felt alot

more

> at peace with himself and God. So you see, God is still working, he's

> still building our house.

>

> Hang in there, Pablito.

>

>

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

That is the most touching story I have heard in a long time. Rob and I have

a 100 year old home we have lovingly restored and are now considering

leaving because of all the stairs and the constant upkeep. We are

heartbroken at the thought of selling our house, but your story makes me

realize how much home is where the heart is, not a building.

Thank you for sharing your story with us all.

Carol & Rob

Lexington, MA

The house that God built

> Dear ,

>

> Sometimes the parallels between your life and our lives are scary! Jeff

> and I were married in February 1998. His wedding present to me was a

house

> (2500 sq ft) that he designed and helped build. He laid over 900 sq ft of

> ceramic in the kitchen/dining, utility and bath areas. We moved in August

> 1998. A few months after the house was completed, he took the covered

> porch and enclosed it, and turned it in to a game room for the kids. We

> lived in the country on an acre and a half of land. Jeff was so proud of

> " his " accomplishment. In January 1999 Jeff started to have symptoms

> ranging from stomach disorders, disorientation, pain in the middle of the

> back, lightheadedness, stumbling. They would come and go, and the doctors

> were perplexed, to say the least. MSA was mentioned as far back as

> christmas 2000. He was hospitalized 4 times between Jan 2000 and July

> 2001. A trip to Mayo in Rochester in July 2001 ruled out internal diseases

> (cancer,etc,), and it took a while for the doctors to determine for sure

> that the condition was neurological in nature. Finally a diagnosis of

> probable MSA was made by Dr Jankovic in Houston Christmas of 2001.

>

> Due to Jeff's health problems, the mounting medical bills and our home's

> distance from the nearest medical facility, we put our house up for sale

in

> December 2000 and sold it March 2001. I was very sad to move, but it

> really broke Jeff's heart. He had put so much of his love in to that

> house. We moved in to a 3 bedroom apartment, exactly half the size of the

> house. And a very amazing thing began to happen. Jeff, who grew up

> thinking that " things " made the man, began to realize that things aren't

so

> important after all. We really have grown to love our home. It's a happy

> haven where Jeff can come and rest if he's tired (it's only a few minutes

> from work). He doesn't have to worry about a yard to upkeep, or

> maintenance. When life becomes a daily struggle just to get out of bed,

> appearances and material things just don't mean much.

>

> On Sunday, I came in the living room and Jeff was sitting on the couch

> sobbing. He made the mistake of watching the movie " Ghost " . It really

> tore him up inside, and for the first time he had what I would call a

" Job "

> moment, where he cried out to God and asked him WHY was this happening?

> Why was he being punished? He was a good man, he loved God, he loved his

> family, etc. It gave me a chance to remind him that God does not only

> afflict bad people but good ones as well. It gave me a chance to tell

Jeff

> that his affliction and his courage in dealing with it has touched

> countless lives. He goes to work every day, and every day people ask him

> " How do you do it? " That's making an impact. His physical therapist

wants

> to start a foundation. Who knows where that will lead? I told him that

> his children watch him and how he deals with this adversity, and who knows

> how that is going to mold their future? I know I will never be the same,

> or look at life the same as I did three years ago. I told him that when

he

> goes heaven there will be no more tears or sorrow or pain. It won't be

him

> that misses his family. In the accounting of eternity, we will be with

him

> in the blink of an eye. It's the ones left behind who will do the

missing.

> I think when he realized that he was not being punished, he felt alot

more

> at peace with himself and God. So you see, God is still working, he's

> still building our house.

>

> Hang in there, Pablito.

>

>

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>