Please pray for me

[Originalist]

I am officially now no longer licensed with the UPCI. I have hardly given it a second thought.

I have other concerns for which I truly need direction from the Lord.

As I've shared in the past, we underwent a significant financial change in 2009, taking about a 40% loss in income. At the same time my mother became suddenly ill and passed away unexpectedly. Having inherited her 30 year old mobile home (in pretty good shape) and 5 acres in rural western Marion County, Fl, we opted to sell our beautiful home in DeLeon Springs (Volusia County) and move into my mom's place. We were leaving our church of 17 years and the community I had lived in since my family moved here in 1966 when I was just 10 months old. It seemed to make perfect sense at the time living rent and mortgage free and being where we could maintain the property and home we had inherited (my parents divorced in 1987 and both moved back to the Ocala area where they were originally from). We were living to live simpler and the drop in income did not seem so bad with no mortgage or car payment. But in late 2011 our 40% loss in income turned into an EIGHTY percent loss in income!

I'm thankful that we live somewhere where I can't be evicted from, but it is like we have been frozen in time since late 2011. Except for the short time I was a child protective case worker (6 months) we have subsisted on about a thousand dollars a month. Even with no mortgage and car payment it's tough to support a wife and 2 kids on that. We have one car that is 12 years old. We live in a mobile home that constantly needs repair. I'm working 25-30 hours a week for 10 bucks an hour substitute teaching. I drive 13 miles one way to work. On the days I don't work I have to come home and do that 26 mile round trip twice in one day. If I happen to not work on a Wednesday, then I make that trip THREE times IF we go to church on Wednesday night. Gasoline is better, but it was killing me there for awhile.

The truth is I never would have dreamed of moving to Ocala ,Fl if my mom had not died. It was meant to be a temporary move strictly out of convenience. We were at one church for 3 years here where we worked hard the first two years. Our 3rd year there I was forced to get a second part time job at Walgreens. Between that and my sub teaching job I was working 40 hours a week, seven days a week. I only made it to church one service a week during that time and was kicked to the curb by the pastor. I went from being his main preacher to no preaching at all the last year I was there. Not one person in that church ever offered to help me get a job where they were working. The church we are at now is OK enough but has had an average attendance of 25-30 for 10 years and truthfully my heart is not in it.

With all my heart I want to leave Florida. I've had enough. I feel like our family needs a fresh start. We see others who are blessed to have a large support structure from their families, help watching kids, etc. We have none of that. My dad is 81 but looks and acts like a 65 year old man. He seems to have zero concern for our plight. He only pays attention to his grandkids when my sister makes him. I've never borrowed money from him in my life, yet he is more than willing to give money to neighbors who aren't exactly deserving. His priorities are messed up to say the least.

I just do not see the wisdom in continuing to live on property I can no longer afford to maintain. But if I got a better job and housing close to that job, my property taxes here will rise significantly due to the loss of the homestead exemption. This past week the inevitable happened. The county noticed there was no agricultural activity going on here and threatened to take away my agriculture exemption if I did not have animals placed here by March. To top it off huge branches are now constantly falling from the many oak trees here. These branches would kill an adult, much less a child. We tell the kids to play in the field but we cannot watch them every moment and often times they wind up playing under those trees. So in light of all this my two sisters and I have decided to sell out. I do have one company interested in me, but I feel so strongly about leaving Florida that I don't feel good about working for them.

For a long time I was very depressed. I felt like I had let God and my family down. My prayers seemed to be bouncing off the ceiling. I felt like a loser and a failure. About two weeks ago God reached down and delivered me from all of that and I am FREE!! I have no doubt that God is moving behind the scenes in my situation! But I really have to believe that all that I've mentioned above are indicators that God wants me out of here.

I have no clear direction, but hopefully by the time we have this place sold that direction will be here. We are trying to let my oldest daughter finish the 4th grade before we leave. The only place I have in mind to move to is the State of Louisiana. I lived there from 1984-1988 and have always regretted leaving there. But more than anything I want what God wants. Please pray that God will give us HIS heart, mind and desire in this situation. Also, I am more than willing to email anyone a copy of my resume to pass on to anyone you think might be interested.

Let me close by saying how appreciative I am to those on AFF who have offered encouragement and assistance during this difficult time. We are not looking for or asking for help, but it is incredible when total strangers are there for you!

[BrotherEastman]

O, we love you. Question: Why not a full time teaching job? You have the experience?

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

O, we love you. Question: Why not a full time teaching job? You have the experience?

While I do have a Bach's degree, I have no certification to teach. I would have to go back to school to get that. Florida does offer a temporary three year certification for people with a bach degree, but there are so many certified teachers out of work in Florida right now it would be a miracle if anyone hired me.

[shazeep]

you're in my prayers, O...there's lots of people fed up with public schools, ever consider starting a home school?

[CC1]

Praying for you but as a unbiased reader of what you have written about your plight I have some questions. You talk about only working the 25-30 hours per week but don't mention what you have done to attain full time work or a second job. Even delivering pizza's at night could pretty much double your current income and there are other alternatives also. Why are you not able to use your college degree to get a decent paying job? As a preacher you must be articulate and most likely a person with good communication skills. I would think even a customer service job that doesn't require your degree would at least double the income you describe.

I understand your frustration and the temptation to believe that a geographic change will change things but if you are struggling to make it with no mortgage or car payment I can't imagine a different place where you will be paying rent or a mortgage wouldbe better unless you had a well paying job secured at the new location before you moved there.

If you don't secure a full time job bringing in more income even if you sell the mobile home and property you inherited you will end up just having to use that money to get by and in a year or two will be back in the same position you are now in.

I pray that you find the full time position that will bring you the income you need to support your family.

God Bless You!

[KeptByTheWord]

Will definitely be praying for you O! The Lord has a perfect plan and will for you, and many times (in my own experience) the Lord's way is usually not the way "we" would choose, yet in the end it is always best. So I will pray that the Lord give you peace, wisdom, and understanding to know and heed His voice when it comes time to make a decision. God Bless

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by CC1

Praying for you but as a unbiased reader of what you have written about your plight I have some questions. You talk about only working the 25-30 hours per week but don't mention what you have done to attain full time work or a second job. Even delivering pizza's at night could pretty much double your current income and there are other alternatives also. Why are you not able to use your college degree to get a decent paying job? As a preacher you must be articulate and most likely a person with good communication skills. I would think even a customer service job that doesn't require your degree would at least double the income you describe.

I understand your frustration and the temptation to believe that a geographic change will change things but if you are struggling to make it with no mortgage or car payment I can't imagine a different place where you will be paying rent or a mortgage wouldbe better unless you had a well paying job secured at the new location before you moved there.

If you don't secure a full time job bringing in more income even if you sell the mobile home and property you inherited you will end up just having to use that money to get by and in a year or two will be back in the same position you are now in.

I pray that you find the full time position that will bring you the income you need to support your family.

God Bless You!

A fair question.
I have filled out a zillion apps in the past three years. Anything that pays decent is an hour or more away. My degree is ministerial and the only job it seems to gave helped me get was as a social worker. That was a complete disaster. Besides spending 500 dollars a month in gas just for the commute, we were spending 300 dollars a month in after school care as well as having to pay 140 a month for auto insurance on a 12 year old car with no reimbursement. We tried to find someone who could give my daughter a ride home from school to no avail. I did have a night job at Walgreen's for about 5 months and literally had 2 days off of work in that time period. With one car my wife literally left the house only to go to church on Sunday morning during that whole 5 month time. I had not considered the pizza thing, but I will today!

From 1988 to 1999 I worked for one company full time. From 1999 to 2005 I worked for another company. I went part time with the second company from 2005 to 2009 as my self employment income exploded. In both jobs mentioned I had good contacts. Now
I have a great work history with no contacts. It was like pulling teeth get the night job at Walgreens. As far as the geographical move is concerned, I will not go without a door opening.

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Originalist

A fair question.
I have filled out a zillion apps in the past three years. Anything that pays decent is an hour or more away. My degree is ministerial and the only job it seems to gave helped me get was as a social worker. That was a complete disaster. Besides spending 500 dollars a month in gas just for the commute, we were spending 300 dollars a month in after school care as well as having to pay 140 a month for auto insurance on a 12 year old car with no reimbursement. We tried to find someone who could give my daughter a ride home from school to no avail. I did have a night job at Walgreen's for about 5 months and literally had 2 days off of work in that time period. With one car my wife literally left the house only to go to church on Sunday morning during that whole 5 month time. I had not considered the pizza thing, but I will today!

From 1988 to 1999 I worked for one company full time. From 1999 to 2005 I worked for another company. I went part time with the second company from 2005 to 2009 as my self employment income exploded. In both jobs mentioned I had good contacts. Now
I have a great work history with no contacts. It was like pulling teeth get the night job at Walgreens. As far as the geographical move is concerned, I will not go without a door opening.

I figured out your tax problem; get some chickens!!!!! They lay eggs too. lol

[Rudy]

Well I'm trying to move to Florida. Health issues and transportation problems I'm dealing with.

Hard to find a church as well which makes relocating even more difficult. Going to a new church one is always welcomed until the tithing issue is brought up.

It seems we all go through a time period when prayers seem not to even get off the ground.

Since you are called to the ministry ever thought about starting a work?

You mentioned moving---will the new church accept you if you don't tithe??

[MawMaw]

Praying for you and your family.
May God direct your path and
lead you where you need to be.