Since my last post about our son, much has happened.

For those who may have missed it, in a nutshell, last Friday [8/28/09] (it seems like much more than a week ago) he came to me and told me he felt that God wanted him to go to Bible school. This didn't shock me, but where he picked surely did. The school he was selecting is one that he has repeatedly commented to us about what is wrong, doctrinally, with the place. It made very little sense to me as a mom and as a Christian. When he told me I was physically ill. Then he went to Daddy and told him. Then it becomes a blur of bad attitude and grudges on my sons part. At the end of the day, he was on his way to a bible school without our blessing (not that that is necessary), and against his own assessment of the place.

Now to bring you up to date from Friday....

Sat. we talked to him for a long time on the phone. He stood his ground. That also made me wonder if my "gut" was wrong about where he'd chosen to go. He is normally very sensitve to the LORD and is well grounded in what he believes, so I had to ask and reask myself, am I upset because my son is leaving home unexpectedly, or is it truly an unrest in my heart and soul put there by the LORD. The last thing we want to do is impose our will on our child over Gods, but at the same time, if we see a danger sign flashing and he misses it, isn't it a good idea for us to at least say, hey, did you see that sign back there?

Sunday night we talked for several hours again, voicing our concerns, and reminding him of his own statements=hypocrisy and how we believed he needed to come home, even if it was not a permanent return home, to make things right between us. He really didn't answer.

Monday morning we talked and I literally begged him to come home and make things right with us. NOT to keep him home, but to at least embark on the next step of his life's journey in pursuit of God's will and ministry to do it without any hard feelings between us. He agreed to come home.

In between that phone call, he spoke to the head of the bible school who compelled him to linger there while he called us. During the 2 1/2 hour phone call, being accused and having our privacy invaded, bringing up past "crimes", my son still hadn't left for home. We thought he was well on his way during that time. Even after the phone call, he still didn't leave right away, because he wanted to talk to him more. Finally, around 6pm he headed back to us, arriving around 11pm. He looked horrible, and it was painfully obvious that he hadn't slept in many days, and prior to his leaving us he complained to me that he hadnt been sleeping. That night he slept though.

In the time between his coming home, we sought the counsel of other pastors whom we respect, who would be able to look at things neutrally, and show us if we were way off base, or not. They had nothing to gain or lose. What we were told from these brethren only reinforced our position on the matter. None of the counselors spoke against the pastor/church specifically, but none were in full agreement with the handling of the matter. And all found the 20 yr. old is a man doctrine odd, laughable, and lacking wisdom and discretion. That doctrine is the hinge used to justify all that went on behind the scenes that we only learned of AFTER what I will share with you a little later on.

The next morning, we gathered him to us with his sister present and discussed at length many things, including the phone call that shredded us as parents, made us feel violated, betrayed, judged etc. Hours later, with a calmness upon from the LORD, he still stood his ground. Bob decided to contact those pastors who we'd spoken to the day before. Then after hearing them, our son stated he was going into the woods to pray.

Many things went on during this time, but I felt as though we were literally fighting for our son, and for his life. We felt as though this other person was determined to steal our son from us any way he could.

Not too much later, our son returned to our room, and the second he walked into the room I knew the LORD had done something wondrous. The relief in his gait and face proved it. When he announced he was going back to pick up his stuff and come back etc, he decided to tell us the whole truth of the mess he'd made.

With the help of 2 other people, one of them the head of the bible school, they, the 3 of them, lied to us, snuck around, and hid from us that he was planning to leave home and come to that school. He told us he threw things in our face, so he could make his father mad to throw him out of the house. Then he told us that he had chosen "that school" because it was the path of least resistance, and that God had already been leading him to another school, but he was refusing to go for too many reasons to tell.

The head of "that school" had conspired to get him to come there, and to keep him, by conveniently agreeing to let him leave his belonging in his house. Hence, the trip back to get his stuff.

After full confession was made, we rang up another pastor we respect, who has a bible school in his church, and gave him the scenario of what went on. His suggestion was simple and wise-pick 3 schools or 5 or... parents and adult child pray together about which one and the one they all agree on is the one you go to. Simple. By the end of the phone call we all knew that he was going to PBI in Pensacola, FL. That was Tuesday night.

Wed. morning my son and I hit the road early-5am headed back to the pastors house to get his stuff. With the timing of all this, our schedule was tight. PBI orientation is on Monday, and it is a long drive from here to there. The trip, though tiring, was so fun in the sense that we talked and talked and just had a ball together. See the sneakiness broke fellowship. Once he'd gotten that out and stopped running from what he already knew was God's leading, the peace came in. On the drive he called the pastor and told him he was coming to get his stuff and when we'd arrive. We got there as planned timewise but he was not home, only his children. We quietly and quickly packed his belongings, he said goodbye and we drove off. We did stop to fellowhsip with some beloved ones before heading home.

The trip home was through some beautiful countryside we'd never seen before. And we got home here in PA around 11 PM.

Long tiring day. Our son slept soundly that night and last night. Yesterday he sorted clothes and stuff, packed all he could manage, and we geared up for his departure.

Unlike his leaving last Friday, my crying was not tears of gut-wretching grief but joy and sorrow. Another phase of life is beginning. He is leaving his twin after 20 yrs. He is embarking on adulthood on his own, but with God he is sure to be successful.

Shortly after 11am he drove away, teary-eyed but so joyful, and without any doubt or secrets about what he is doing or where he is going.

There are hundreds of details I've left out for the sake of time. . I am torn between feeling that I should tell the world about who and where, and yet I do not want to destroy anything either. I will say that the handling of this was shocking. We cannot imagine wanting a godly young person to come to your Bible school in such an underhanded manner. It would bother us. It did bother us. For anyone who knows of whom I speak, please know that we are not bitter.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray for our son, traveling on faith and fumes--he needs God to provide for his needs. He is truly going out by faith-no job, no savings, just a few dollars. Praise the LORD that Stacey and her husband are gracious enough to let him stay with them until he can get settled. Please pray for God to enable our son, and all our children to serve Him above and beyond what we think or ask.