Do As I Say, Not As I Do

 DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO by: Michael D. Tobin

My Italian Mom and fam always said, "do as I say, not as I do". "Children are to be seen and not heard." "Speak when you're spoken to." My God they just wanted us kids to shut up! I've got all the broken home credentials one wants, for justification of being public enemy number 1. So what did we do? We disapeared all day every day and hung out with friends we can talk with who were also alowed to stay away all day with nothing said. Parents were so happy we were out of their way, but we were getting high and getting laid. Some of us were violent, but others, like my friends and I, were all about sex, drugs and rock&roll. Here and there I slipped in some dangerous activities, saw the worst of the worst of criminal lifestyle and things got worse until I saw it was like if I don't get some heart and learn to fly, I would drop off the cliff ahead of me. That's when God got ahold of me in 1989, and it's been a very interesting ride I would not trade for the whole world. My children were 3, 2 and 9 months old when my marriage ended in 1988 and a year later it was do or die with me and I decided to give myself to God and my children and I have suffered greatly because of my bad marriage and life but recouperation took a while and the important thing is that it did not get as bad as it could have. Now, I am very choosy who I speak with and discuss things with because in reality, not too many people really care, and that's the hard truth that hurts, but God cares and that's what's important. But whether or not in my head, or anyone elses, for that matter, are focussed on what others care or don't care about, God is to be our number one focus, and I knew I would end up nowhere, without that persistence and determination to not turn back to the old things of my past life. By now I am extremely weary of hearing Christians complaints and their justifications for their bitterness and stagnation. No way am I going to turn this into a "job resume" or a "bio", to back up what persistency pays off. I'll just say that all the benefits the world promises for having a higher self esteem, positive outlooks, claiming success, we are masters of our destiny and all that jazz, is what God rewards us with, for doing things HIS way, which is not our way. Read the Bible and grow. Growth hurts, pruning hurts, storms blow, floods come, the earth shakes, etc..., but God sustains us.

The Good The Bad and The Ugly (ME)

Not too shabby 22 yrs after coming back to Jesus.