Not My Own

 Your story started out as a testing of your faith. James 1:2-4 says..." Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I believe this is the reason for my story too. A test of faith.  What does that mean? How do you know when you pass? What does it mean to really keep the faith? Did you consider it pure joy when your whole life went to hell?!  Did it feel like God was helping your faith mature when your own wife and friends told you to curse God and die? Job, how did it feel when one crappy thing in your life kept happening after another? Did you have times of hope during those times and then BAM another horrible thing would happen?" Did you believe you would be blessed in the end? What kept you strong? Dear Job... what was it like?! Were you surprised when a

"One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to gooooooo!" My dad used to yell as he blasted me off his shoulders and into the water. He loved Lake George, a special place for the Ehlerts where our family cabin is. I never imagined at twenty five years old I would be dumping my dad's ashes into this same lake where so many good memories have taken place. Some of my earliest memories of my dad are being excited for him to come home from the army. I remember waiting outside on the steps of my grandparent's house and hugging him in his army uniform. One of my few memories before the divorce was my dad again in uniform sitting on the kitchen across from my mom and the both of them were arguing. My brother and I crawled back and forth on the floor switching between their laps. Since then I saw my dad every other weekend and every other Wednesday evening most of my childhood. In all honesty, we didn't have a close relationship. I had to over co