2nd Chance 5.25.12

Matthew 26:27-28

²⁷ Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Giving a Second Chance

I was a department manager at Avon and hired a bright young St.John’s graduate to work in my group. She was bright and very New York, no make that Long Island  in her approach. She had worked for me about a year when she came  into my office, and told me, ”you are stupid”.  I do not recall what prompted that remark. However, God was with me, as I actually did not get mad, pretty rare for a 26 year old male.  I simply said “yeah you are brighter than me, but telling your boss that he is stupid is not real bright either.”  She calmed down, apologized, and we had a pretty good relationship from there on.  I left Avon and stayed in touch with Susan for several years and she was doing well. Fast forward to about 1992 and in the business section was the headline: ”Avon appoints new President”.  Yep it was Susan.

Honestly, I felt pride in that news. I, truly with God’s help, gave a second chance to a person, and it seemed that it paid off. 

 

God gives us lots of second chances, so let Him enter your life and help you give second chances to others. Sometimes that is very difficult and other times it is a God thing and it seems easy. 

 

-John Hise

 

send your Second Chance story to: secondchances@theparkchurch.com

 

 

2nd Chance 5.23.12

Psalm 103: 1-6

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

God Thought Otherwise
 
I’m all for second chances in life, but I must admit the one second chance that I avoided like the plague was a second chance at love. You see, my first go around in the love department didn’t turn out so well. I was a young, angry high school teenager in love with a young, angry college drop out. Not a very good foundation to start a friendship, let alone build a lifelong relationship.  After twelve years (six years of dating, six years of marriage), I finally broke down and admitted that I was never going to be able to change him and that we shouldn’t be married.  As angry as I was, I was even more afraid of starting over at the age of 30. Even though I was older and wiser, I wasn’t sure I would ever allow myself to fall in love with someone, but God thought otherwise.
 
Fast forward eight years: I’m strolling along at Kroger when I run into an old classmate of mine. He asks how I am doing and where I am teaching. I explain that I have taken some time off to take care of my mother since my father had just passed away. He offers his sympathy and we go our separate ways. Two weeks later, I see an obituary for this same classmate’s father. With the memory of my own father and our recent conversation fresh in my memory, I sent him a sympathy card.
 
We’ve been dating for four years now.  We have both had a lot of responsibilities as caregivers for our mothers, if fact we buried each of our mothers within two months of each other.  We work totally different schedules. Most people, including myself at one point, would’ve checked out a long time ago. Some might argue that it’s too much drama for one person to handle. I agree, but God tells me time and again real love is about sacrifice and perseverance. God is love, and  because he loves us, he gives us second chances.
 
-Deanna Bishop

2nd Chance 5.22.12

Psalm 130

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
²     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.

God Has A Plan

January 31, 1999is a day that will forever be ingrained in my mind.  It was a day that changed my life.  I was 16 years old and my boyfriend of a year and a half committed suicide.  I was a junior in high school and he was a freshman in college. I was completely devastated.  He was my first love and he was taken away from me in the blink of an eye.  I never got to say goodbye or have any kind of closure.

Four months later, I am lying on my bathroom floor crying and asking God, why he did this and so angry at Him. I wanted to die so I didn’t have to feel the hurt and pain any longer but knowing in my mind that is not the answer.  I felt like and I could see myself in a deep, dark hole trying to get out but not knowing how to overcome the despair, guilt, and the emptiness in my heart.  I was putting on a happy face for my mom and at school but I was so broken inside.  I was so tired of just going through the motions and I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I was admitted to an inpatient children’s psychiatric hospital for one week. 

When I was in that dark hole, I truly believe I could see the hands of God reaching for me wanting me to have a second chance at life.  Although, I still do not understand, God has a plan.  He forms us and shapes us through our pain and sorrow to become who we are today.  Thirteen years later and I still think of Jake but God blessed me with Jason.  He is an amazing husband, who is there when I need a shoulder to cry on, loves me for who I am, and accepts my past.

-Andrea Mullins

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2nd Chance 5.21.12

Hebrews 9:21-22

²¹ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The Choice to Forgive

 

It seems to me that everyday is another opportunity (or second chance) for us to do better.  Second chances are surrounding us all the time. But, there are just a few pivotal moments in my life that I wonder where I would be now if I hadn’t made the choices that I made. 

 

Exactly 14 years ago I met the man who is now my husband.  Making the choice to date him was easy.  Making the choice to break up with him 6 months later was also easy.  Making the choice to forgive him was not easy.  Making the choice to allow him back into my life and give him a second chance was not easy.  I think I had decided that I wasn’t going to make the choice.  I was just hoping the right answer would come to me.  In my head I felt like the right choice was moving on with my life without him in it.  But, for some reason things were pointing me in the other direction. 

 

I was taking a college Management class on Leadership at the time.  And the book that we were reading at this point in the class (although made no mention of God) I felt was just pushing me to forgive.  It was the complete opposite of what I presumed would or should happen.  Smart intellectual people aren’t sappy pushovers, they don’t just sit back and let people walk all over them.  Why was I feeling the urge to forgive?  I wanted to be one of those smart intellectual successful people.  Eventually, I made the choice to give our relationship a second chance.  And, ironically, he was faced with making that same choice (to give me a second chance) a few months later. 

 

I can’t say that giving a second chance or being given a second chance has been all bright and sunny and filled with rainbows.  But, we’ve chosen to travel down this bumpy road – together.  And our children are 3 constant wonderful reminders of what can come from second chances.

-Lesetta Gastrich

2nd Chance 5.19.12

Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seekme and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

He Has Plans

I am going through what seems to be my 500th second chance now. I ended my 4 year relationship last March, lost my sweet dad to cancer in September and was laid off from a job I loved in February. Looking back on this past year, I truly see how far from God I truly was. I put my relationship over everything else, my family, friends and my job. I thought when I ended it, it showed my strength, but what it actually showed was Gods grace.

Would I have spent the time with my parents if I would have been still involved, I don’t think so. He truly gave me a second chance with my family: to actually spend what was left of my sweet dads life with him and loving him with no distractions. Gods patience to show me that He was still there waiting when and if I decided I needed Him again is an amazing gift,that I know I’m not worthy of but am so incredibly  grateful  for. My life still has a lot of unsure areas right now, but the one thing I hold true in my heart: He has plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.

-Dawn McCrossen

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2nd Chance 5.18.12

Matt 18: 21-22

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Take a Chance on Me

Take a chance on me… That is what Dottie and I both did.  You see, I had two previous unsuccessful marriages and Dottie had one.  She had been single for about 15 years when we met at her work – General Electric.  I was just divorced and did not have a great track record when it came to picking women.  She did not trust me, based upon my past; I had to earn that trust.  Time has proven that this time was different.  We have been virtually inseparable for the past 17 years, as I convinced Dottie to leave GE and come to run my company.  I have often joked that when we met, I was doing computer support work for her organization and she told me what to do — and she has not stopped since! 

We even gave The Park Church a second chance.  We visited once or twice in 2008, while our house was being built.  Then we tried a couple of other churches.  I came from a Lutheran church (previous marriage) and Dottie’s relatives were all Church of God.  After ‘shopping’ around for a year, we decided we both felt more at home right here at The Park.  And feeling at home, I guess, was not enough for us – we’ve been attending regularly ever since and stay “plugged in”. 

-Tim Keppler

Send your Second Chance story to: secondchances@theparkchurch.com

 

 

2nd Chance 5.17.12

Colossians 1:13 – 14

¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Honest Forgiveness

My second chance started in April of 2000.  I remember how beautiful the day was when 4 friends and me decided to drive to Miami University to enjoy the day and have fun.  We borrowed another fraternity brother’s jeep took the top off and went on our way.  It was a great day drinking and having fun, until I made the stupid decision to get behind the wheel and try to drive.  Not only did I get a DUI but I also caused an accident that affected not only my friends but also a family that was visiting their daughter during little sibs weekend.  Thankfully no one was seriously injured but my careless act started a process of forgiveness that still carries on today.
 
The forgiveness that poured out after that day from my friends who were in the car, the brother who’s car I wrecked, the family involved in the accident, and my parents has allowed me to also forgive myself.  It is so hard sometimes to take the honest forgiveness from someone and truly accept it in your heart.  My forgiveness in my own action has come through my faith journey and has taken me a long time to realize.  I have now been able to see that God forgives me for all of the stupid things I do big and small and knowing that helps me to also forgive others.

-Paul Russo

Send your Second Chance story to secondchances@theparkchurch.com