[mattslope]

I miss and respect you, Donnie. Trust that when we meet in Heaven, I'll have some fresh song material ready for you.

__________________

Dear Mattslope,
I am abusing my mod powers and hijacking your post because I did not get to say goodbye.
Sincerely,
Mara

BYE DONNIE/E-DAD. You have been an awesome friend, and it has been absolutely wonderful knowing you. So, until your son and I get married, or at least until Heaven, I will be praying for you and your family. I will also check up on your purevolume so you'd better keep the music coming so I don't get too bored (you know me and my short attention span).
Your e-daughter/little sister in Christ,
Mara Tenille

[walkwjc]

Thank you all.

I end this blog with the funny that started it all, a strikethrough:

Later, homeboyspersons. Keep it real, yo.

[walkwjc]

Update. Long Update.


Last November, I quit my job on the rigs and went into full time ministry. I had been working on real estate investments on the side, so basically, I was a free volunteer at my church, while I sought out where God wanted me, and what my true calling is...because basically, I want to do it all! So, some focus was in order.

Well, I quit November 1st, 2007. That was my exact 10 year anniversary with that company, they were shocked. I was leaving them anyway, I had interviewed with a couple different companies in October and was ready to make a change, but the company I really wanted to go with wanted me to wait 3 months and they would call me...i thought I had gotten the blow off, because I didn't hear back from them. Anyway, I quit.

I worked on selling all my properties throughout the next few months. And was set to start 'work' at church in January. We were tested.

While riding 4 wheelers at my Dad's place, Amy had some abdominal cramps that felt a lot like gas and bloating, so we went home. I went to the store and picked up some gas and cramping meds and got Amy comfy on the couch, and she was in some pain, but not too much. She probably could have fallen asleep right then and slept it off. She had to go to the bathroom, probably the thing that saved her life. After getting up and going and walking back to the living room, she became light headed and fell down. Meanwhile, I freaked out.

So, While i loaded her up, I called a friend to come get the kids and we were off to the hospital. We got there (Fortunately for us, we decided to waste the extra 15 minutes and go to the big Spohn Hospital in Corpus instead of our local emergency room) and the nurse called it as severe cramping, but the doctor (who was excellent by the way) called an ectopic (or tubal) pregnancy and said it had burst, and she needed emergency surgery. So, after waiting forever for PAPERWORK, we were wisked in an ambulance to Spohn Memorial (trauma center) and when we got out of the ambulance it was just like in the movies...5 people in scrubs and masks met us at the door and wisked her away, and I was locked out, watching them go through the little window in the door. A nurse finally told me I had to wait in the waiting room.

I had just quit my job, so I had to give back my cell phone. We were just using Amy's cell, so she didn't have any numbers stored in it. My dad was in New York. My Pastor was on the way. Amy's family didn't think it was as bad as it was, and basically I was by myself with out the ability to call any of my friends. I was really freaking out. Oh, and the staff at the previous hospital had terrible bedside manner telling us things like "I hope she makes it" and "would you like to talk to a priest?" I guess it was just the best they could come up with in a situation that they could not help.

So, it's 2:00am and i am by myself, in the waiting room. Christus-Spohn is a Catholic Hospital, so there is a chapel on every floor, so I go into the chapel, and decide to read some scripture, and pray and seek peace. EVERYTHING IN THE ROOM WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH! And I don't read Spanish. I looked at every scrap of paper, and every book, track, tissue paper laying around for some thing to read, I was freaking out, I couldn't pray. I was reading through an apparent fund raising flyer (also written in Spanish) and at the very bottom (I believe the only thing on the entire 2nd floor written in English) was Psalm 46:10 Be still and KNOW that I am God. Wow. I was blown away. I stopped freaking, and calmed down. I prayed. Pastor arrived with his wife.

Shortly there after, the doctor arrived, sat me down and told me she made it.

He said it was nothing short of a miracle, she had lost so much blood that she shouldn't have made it. I would then have to wait another 4 hrs to see her in recovery.

When I did get to see her she told me her side: She was taken from me, and she heard them complaining about why it took so long for Spohn-Shoreline to release her, they had so little time. The finally got the anesthesia going and she was drifting off, and she heard them say, we can't operate, her blood pressure is dropping like a rock...she's not going to make it...and then she was out.

The next thing she remembers was waking in the recovery room, and three doctors walking in, one of them was crying. They said she shouldn't have made it, they thought they lost her on the table. They removed 3 liters?Qts? I don't know, alot of blood from her abdomen and she is a miracle. The doctor that was crying couldn't say anything, he just put his hands together like he was praying, and pointed up to the sky. She said the last thing she remembered when she went under was saying "God...I will serve you with all my heart".

Our faith was tested that day. Later the paper work nazi came by and asked me if I would like to give her a check for $7430 I owed Spohn ( I quit my job...no insurance). I was really worried for a few hours, and I just remembered my scripture...Psalm 46:10. The next day, my employer contacted me and asked if I had received my COBRA insurance enrollment form, and I found out that I was still covered under my old insurance!

So, Amy recovered and we stared ministering at our church. I sold all my property just in time for real estate to go down the tubes, which was a God-send and I spent the last year or so, working with our youth group, starting a young adults group, leading the evangelism group, leading the praise and worship band, meeting with my pastor every week and helping shape our church. It was awesome. But...I was running out of money, and our church can't afford to pay me.

So, I decided to go back to the oilfield. I questioned my path at first, because I have always been of the opinion that if God wanted me to be in full time ministry, He would provide the open doors. So going back to the rig was not exactly the prize, in my mind.

I called my old company, and they were more than willing to take me back into my old position, and previous salary and I almost took it. Then I called the company that I had interviewed with and they told me they had been trying to reach me for 6 months, but since I quit, they had no contacts. So I went to work for ( of all places) Spirit Drilling Fluids. Spirit...get it...haha. I am inline to become the next South Texas Supervisor, sometime in January, and the jop pays well over what I made before. I still wondered what God had in mind for me because, I didn't think it involved me being gone from home, weeks at a time. Then later I read 1 Cor 7:20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

One of the guys I relieve is a strong Christian, and he lives close to me. He came to Spirit the same time I did, and the rig he left, he left a large bible study (www.oilfieldchurch.com) with a large following. He has really taught me about witnessing out on the rig and we have become pretty good friends in a short period of time.

So, in conclusion...I still have no idea where God want's me. But I can see from the evidence in my life, that He has a good idea where He wants me. So, I leave it up to Him, and I'll just follow along for the ride.

Amy and I have started a young adults class 18-28, and we already have 6 people. Our church has never had a young adults focus...in 33 years of ministry. So that is awesome. And so much fun.

Kids are growing up way too fast...we bought a new house...I am looking into some college next year so I can grow up and be a Pastor...whatever that means.

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Wow, lotta stuff going on in your life! How is Amy doing post the surgery?

[walkwjc]

She has recovered fully sans one fallopian tube. But the other is still good, and we can still try for another baby if she is up to it. Hernias were her biggest problem. The pretty much sliced right through her abs with no time to move muscle, so that took a long time to heal.

[Art]

The EMT in me is screaming, "WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE", but the rest of me is just saying "hallelujah". You were in the right place at the right time. I know that much.

[gg7]

Hey hey. I just noticed the link in your sig pointing to here as I was replying in another thread to you.

Wow, that is truly amazing stuff up there. You've been on quite the journey. I'm really glad to hear things are working out well though, even if not quite as you might've planned. If I've learned one thing for sure, it's that my plans and God's look entirely different a lot of times. That's hard to deal with sometimes, it's hard to let go.
Anyways, It's good to see you back around here some.

[luvinjesus]

Wow, Donnie. God is good. I'm glad to hear that everything is okay now with your wife and with you!

Keep us updated!!!1

(if you do, I promise to keep my blog updated. )

[jthomas1600]

Here's hoping you're home for Christmas and if not that you soon will be. I got lucky and got off the boat last night. Merry Christmas. If you're stuck on the rig I hope you at least get some down time.

[MtlMom]

It's good to see you journaling again, Donnie. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[Mara's Mom]

Praise God! I don't know what else to say. It is so good, good, good to see you on here! *smile*



Myoldestbabyisturning18tomorrow.

[walkwjc]

Originally Posted by Art

The EMT in me is screaming, "WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE", but the rest of me is just saying "hallelujah". You were in the right place at the right time. I know that much.

Dude. The ambulances around here can't even find my house. I was going to call one, but I was more likely to see the Papa Johns Delivery driver before an actual ambulance. The 911 system is seriously screwed up on my street. Aside from all that, you are right. I should have called one.

Originally Posted by gg7

Hey hey. I just noticed the link in your sig pointing to here as I was replying in another thread to you.

Wow, that is truly amazing stuff up there. You've been on quite the journey. I'm really glad to hear things are working out well though, even if not quite as you might've planned. If I've learned one thing for sure, it's that my plans and God's look entirely different a lot of times. That's hard to deal with sometimes, it's hard to let go.
Anyways, It's good to see you back around here some.

Yeah, it's good to be back, thanks.

Originally Posted by luvinjesus

Wow, Donnie. God is good. I'm glad to hear that everything is okay now with your wife and with you!

Keep us updated!!!1

(if you do, I promise to keep my blog updated. )

All I have to say to you is...HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Actually I have more to say, that was just the first thing!

Originally Posted by MtlMom

It's good to see you journaling again, Donnie. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Thanks! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...belated of course.

Originally Posted by Mara's Mom

Praise God! I don't know what else to say. It is so good, good, good to see you on here! *smile*

Myoldestbabyisturning18tomorrow
.

*smile* I know...I can 't believe it!


In other news. I did make it home for Christmas. I had three weeks off. I am currently in Shreveport Louisiana. I'll be working 14 days on and 7 days off...minus two days of travel, so like 5 days off. But I still have a job, so that is good. Amy and the kids are doing great! Christmas was a blast, I got food poisoning by some bad chicken over New Years and was sick for three days, and the three weeks off was much needed.

[bravesfan007]

Well I don't think I've ever met you, but hey, I'm Matthew or Matt and live in Virginia.

Where are you from?

[MtlMom]

Is the Louisiana stint just a one time thing, or is that where you will be spending your work hours? That's a long way to commute to work!

So glad you got to be home for Christmas. My goodness - it was almost a month ago!

[Leboman]

Glad to have you back bro. Here's to a drama-free 2009.