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lovestructionworld · 7 years

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Ashes to Beauty...Literally LFM #29 June 5, 2016

“Ashes to Beauty...Literally”

These are a few pertinent scriptures to the testimony below:

-Malachi 4:6 "He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction."

-Luke 1:17 "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord".

-Isaiah 61:1-4 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." Emphasis Added

ASHES TO BEAUTY...LITERALLY

When I was four years old my father left my mother and our home. From that time on, until he died, he lived four hundred plus miles away in South Bend, Indiana.

I can still remember spending that first night away form my father at my Grandmother's house, which became our home for several years, until my mother was able to get on her financial feet. I don't remember crying over my Dad leaving the first time. So, I must have awakened the next morning to the first of thousands of days with no man in my life.

I was too young to understand "divorce", "single parent family", and "broken home". I wouldn't be aware of the chasm of fatherlessness I had endured for at least twenty more years, because being without a father became my almost daily normal. I wasn't aware of what I missed.

Early on, my father would only visit, irregularly, every three or four months. At the time, I absolutely adored my father. When he would come, it would be all I could think about for the week prior to his arrival. And as soon as he walked through the door, I struggled having fun with him, because I so dreaded Sunday afternoon, which was his regular departure time. As he was leaving, I would cry and beg him to stay until I couldn't see his license plate. And for that night into the next day, I would be racked with depression. The pain of it was torture and created deep, hidden wounds within my soul.

When in town visiting, my Dad would stay with my mom and me. I would sleep with him just to be as close as possible for those short few days. In the mornings, I would sit on the edge of the tub to watch him shave and comb his hair. He would tickle me all the time and was very affectionate, always hugging and kissing my cheeks. He loved to fish, which eventually became a love of mine, because that's what we would do during many of his visits. And I always felt safe when Daddy was around. I was a true Daddy's Boy.

By the time I was a teenager, my father's issues became more and more apparent, and my tears dammed up as I learned to block the pain of the emptiness and of his leaving. I can remember starting to enjoy my friends more and really not wanting to be around him. Many, many times I commented to myself inwardly, as well as verbally to others, "I'm never going to be like my Dad".

Passively sowing judgment in my heart toward my Father's and his flaws became the norm. I reaped a harvest of trouble from this judgment of him, even though he "seemingly" had the more apparent issues. I'm thinking Jesus' vision corrective teaching on the 'specks' and "planks" would be appropriate here.

When I became an adult, he wanted me to visit him to go fishing and pushed me hard for this, but I always found a reason for not making the four hundred mile drive. Even though I was a Christian, I figured he wasn't good to me, so why should I be good to him, completely bypassing "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Little about me was golden with so much pain. I eventually cut off relationship with him and within a year, he passed away. It was the second worst decision of my life.

I barely shed a tear at the news of my Father's passing in 2001. Matter of fact, I know it sounds terrible, but I was relieved. Ouch! It’s true!

I took the trip up to attend to his body. He had wanted to be cremated, and the Funeral Director said it was illegal for me to transport his ashes across state lines. They had to send them to me via U.S. Mail. And when his ashes arrived at the Franklin, Tennessee Post Office, it was like I was picking up a used car part from a junk yard. I had zero emotion. I even saw a friend at the Post Office and made a joke about my Dad's ashes to his horror.

My Dad's ashes stayed in my utility vehicle for over 30 days. I would only think of them as I would turn a corner and hear them bang off of the opposite wall in the storage area. I eventually forgot that they were in the back until a friend asked me where I had scattered his ashes. He rebuked me strongly, when he found out his ashes were still in my vehicle. I laughed at Bob that day.

So, I made a quick plan to take and spread his ashes over some body of water on my way to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for a business meeting. I didn't care which one...lake, pond, puddle, whatever. It was what he wanted, but a pain to me. And I knew I was wearing a suit to a business meeting that day, making it convenient for me to gitterdone funeral style and to get Bob off my back.

I found a small public lake and removed his box of ashes from my vehicle. It was an extremely windy day, which was a little scary with me scattering ashes. But, I could tell the wind was straight-line and blowing out of the north in one direction making an easier aim of it.

As I walked out to the edge of the water, a thought (Holy Spirit's Voice) occurred to me to ask God for my Dad's "anointings". I wasn't real sure what anointings were at the time. I had heard of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob each giving their sons their 'blessings'. But what I heard was "anointings". So, I held the box of ashes, and maybe with a little tear in my eye, I said a prayer to God on behalf of my Dad. Arrogantly, I thanked God for the "little" bit my Dad had and I might get...anointing wise.

I had angled myself in such a way that his ashes would easily fly out across the water away from me. I drew the box back as one would draw back a Frisbee to fling, and then I fffllluung his ashes up into the wind.

Now two days prior, I had bought a brand new pair of $175, black, Johnson and Murphy, cap-toed shoes. I was so proud of those shoes and the first scuffs on the bottom of the soles happened that day. As soon as I sent my Dad's ashes flying, the wind made a strong and abrupt change of direction sending the ashes directly down and backwards. You guessed it! My brand new pair of Johnson and Murphy’s were covered in the grayish white ash of my father. My suit was relatively free of ash, but my shoes looked as though I had been walking in snow. So much ash had blown back onto my shoes that small bone fragments of my father's were even inside and along the crevices of my shoes making my walking prickly.

My immediate reaction was panic and to throw out multiple expletives, because I was so grossed out. Sadly, I was crying more about my shoe condition, than the loss of my Dad. I bounced around kangaroo-like and in panic for several minutes as I attempted to bang the dust off of my shoes to know avail. So, I started using my hands to try and brush off the ash. I realized, "now my hands had my Father's ashes on them". I finally gave up. My shoes were so dusty and there was no way to clean them except with a faucet and paper towels, which were no where in site. OMG...the moment…was absolutely surreal!

I dejectedly started slowly walking back to my Ford Explorer and suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke to me within my spirit and said, "I've given you your father's anointings". There was a pause, only for a few seconds, and then the dam of my pain broke. I began crying harder than I had ever cried up until that point in my life. This was an event generated out of heaven. My shoes weren’t the real target. God had blown his breath...His life giving Word...into the ashiest part of me, my wounded soul, and He began a process of beautification (healing and deliverance) in me toward my Dad. I could even feel a measure of healing within my vehicle as I pondered what had happened to me.

And as I sat there, God began impressing up me that no man's life is a complete waste and that even though my Dad had severe issues, he was still valuable to God and had been gifted by Him.

I remembered that my Dad's passions were as a writer and speaker. He constantly wrote about everything for which he cared, and his desk was covered with yellow legal pads inked with his ideas. He loved to speak and prepared for his great moment by attending Toastmasters speaking club meetings for years. He always dreamed of changing society with pen to paper and great speeches. Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan and Bush Sr. all had an opportunity at reading my Dad's mail because he would boldly send his thoughts directly to the White House. I'm surprised the Secret Service didn't pick him up for questioning. Ha!

I tired of hearing him talk about all "that world changing stuff" when he was alive. On this windy day, all I knew was, I had my Dad's anointing and it felt good to me.

This was a new feeling, given that my high school and collegiate experience was filled with dread of creative writing, grammar and public speaking. But, could I really have a heart, like my Dad, for writing, speaking and changing the world for the better? It seemed impossible, but I knew what had happened was a miracle. The Holy Spirit had sealed it with his obvious power move. He assured me of what he was going to do, even in all my fear. The enemy came to steal the passing of this anointing to me from my Dad. But Holy Spirit swooped in with His powerful love to take back what the enemy had stolen...So awesome is our God!!!

The moral of the story is this as you soon celebrate Father's Day 2016, you have all been given different kinds of fathers. Some of your fathers have been the kinds of men they should have been and other haven't. If the latter, honor your Father for whatever good attribute you can find. Instead of being bitter at your father and his issues, repent by finding something positive. Embrace it, even if it is just one thing.

Never stop taking care of you father no matter how poor of a Dad he's been. I absolutely regret cutting off my Dad, even though I had every worldly right to do it. Remember, your children are watching and so is your God.

Give to your Dad even when he hasn't given to you. This will help stop the sowing and reaping cycle of judgment that might be keeping the spirit of misery empowered within your family. To do this you must allow the Holy Spirit to restore your heart to your Dad as written in Malachi 4:6. Ask the Holy Spirit for this restoration with tears and watch Him begin to move.

And be for your children who you would have wanted as a child. If you have recurring issues affecting your children negatively, do something about it right now. Don't wait! Get some inner healing. Rejoin a church and begin serving. Make solid men friends at church who know how to raise children and ask to be mentored by them. Humble yourself. Start pursuing God more deeply and your kids will start drafting off of your pursuit. If you are refusing this, Google "Scripture", "Millstone" and "little ones".

Also, repent to your wife and children for your past failings as a husband and father...all of them! Change!...for the good. "Set your face like flint" to reach your spiritual destiny here on this earth for you and your children's sake. Be a true patriarch, unshakable, strong, a wing of protection and shade under which your wife and children can be at rest and peace no matter how hard marriage or life gets, like our God is to us. And when you fail…let Jesus wash you in His blood and forgive yourself.

If you are a Dad, who presently lives far away from your young children because of marital separation or divorce, find a way to move within a few miles, even if it costs your 50% of your salary. There isn't ever any excuse not to continue being a close by, active and nurturing parent. Two weeks out of the year on summer visits isn't enough. Every other weekend is difficult on your children, as well. There isn't an expectation of young children to sacrifice themselves for their parents in scripture. But, the opposite can be said of the parents of young children. There is a huge difference between a biological sperm donor and devoted father. Geographic distance creates the former and is the beginning of the disconnect between Father's and their children.

I've heard it often and flippantly said, "the kids will be better off if we divorce or if they divorce". These kinds of statements are what leads to the situations I've just mentioned above. What really makes children better off is having their fathers willing to honor their marriage vows no matter what severe issues arise with their wives. Children need Dads to find Jesus and humble themselves. Children always, always get the short end of the stick within their parents broken marriage. They pay the heaviest price for their parents new found, so called "freedom". I've experienced this and I've witnessed it among my friends and family. I'm concrete on the subject and am immovable from giving up these positions. Holy Spirit could have me bring to bear one hundred scriptures right now to prove this point. But so often the desire to alleviate pain overrides scripture in a believers mind.

All of what I've just said is achievable only by the breaking of one's self-will and the bending of both knees to the Trinity...God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit...the perfect Father/Son relationship. Just because you have said, "I believe in Jesus", doesn't mean this has happened. Christianity is a process and journey more than a one time event...per the "work out your salvation" scripture (Philippians 2:12).

Today, I still have the shoes as you can see below. They've been resoled at least six or seven times and I'll NEVER throw them away. They'll always be covered with the memories and anointings of my Fathers.

I really do miss my Dad. The loving feelings I had for him as a child have fully been given back to me, through healing and deliverance of the Holy Spirit. I wish Dad was still here. I would show him off to all my friends, and I'd drive 400 miles to take him to some fishin' hole on the water he loved so much.

Brian

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itsworn · 8 years

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The Week to Wicked C10 Presented by Classic Performance Products: Done!

Though it wasn’t the first of its kind to unfold beneath the roof of TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s Santa Ana Tech Center, our (Classic Trucks’) inaugural Week to Wicked Presented by Classic Performance Products was in nearly every single aspect a complete success: deadlines were met (save for a few impatient onliners waiting for that anticipated Friday-night burnout), the C10 was completed in a week’s time, including the goal of driving it straight to SEMA fresh from its build and subsequent tuning session at Westech in Ontario, California.

In short, any perceived “smoke and mirrors” that some associate with various magazine projects were immediately put to rest, thanks to the continual “real time” coverage via Facebook Live, including the truck’s maiden voyage across the desert from SoCal to Las Vegas … without ever having to pull out the AAA card or call in for roadside help! Following the 2016 SEMA Show, the C10 was driven straight to Memphis, Tennessee, where our friends at the COMP Cams group have had it, to test and have some fun with, ever since. (As this is being written, we’re gearing up for another Week to Wicked build—a 1952 Chevy with Speedway Motors—and we’d barely gotten the tools cleaned up and put away, let alone had any time to really enjoy the first one!)

But for many of us, that’s what it’s about—the build process. And quite a process this one was, as many of you witnessed if you followed the series online or via the daily Facebook Live feeds. Granted, a week’s deadline is not something the average guy and a few of his buddies regularly submit themselves to—but with all the right components lined up, the right people on deck committed to long, labor-intensive days with little incentive other than doughnuts and pizza, and of course, a solid truck in which to build off of, it can be accomplished. And that’s exactly what it took to see the C20 long-wheelbase hay hauler through to the shorty C10, uh, “hind-end” hauler we wound up with in the course of five days.

“The first Week to Wicked was a bit nerve racking and exciting, but I really didn’t know what to expect. The overall build was a success … there were some roadblocks and a little drama, but overall it went pretty smooth, mainly because of the team of people we had working on it. Working along the different personalities was fun and the accomplishment of the end product was great—but we weren’t done until the burnout, and that was fun!”

–Jason Scudellari, Tech Center Manager

Last month we broke it down for you in a day-by-day format documenting the Week to Wicked build from start to finish, from the shortening of the frame to the installation of the chassis and drivetrain components, the intensive wiring chores, to the final day of thrashing, getting the interior in place as the brakes were being bled and the engine management computer programmed prior to that first burnout that broke loose the asphalt in our back lot just before the clock hit midnight on the fifth day. But with so much material devoted to that, it was kind of hard to really illustrate the Week to Wicked C10 in all its completed glory … so this month, we’re blowing things up, visually speaking.

We’d once again like to thank Jim Ries and everyone from CPP on hand the entire week, giving us the help needed to “gitterdone;” Brothers Trucks for their support with the shortbed conversion; Jeff from Painless for his “tireless” marathon wiring job; the folks from MAST Motorsports for final-day engine prep and tuning; and all of our in-house video and social media crew for testing the build team’s patience levels and still managing to produce some outstanding content. We’d also like to thank all of sponsors who came on board with product (and the support to back it up) needed to create the good-looking and even better performing C10 we envisioned transforming the old farm truck into in the first place.

–Jason Scudellari, Tech Center Manager

Week to Wicked Presented by Classic Performance Products

1970 Chevy C10

Facts & Figures

CHASSIS Frame: stock, shortened longbed C20 3/4-ton, CPP drop center drive loop crossmember, CPP Tubular rear shock crossmember and relocators, CPP transmission crossmember with Polyplus mounts (included in CPP’s Deluxe Chassis Upgrade Kit) Rearend / Ratio: CPP 9-inch Ford crate rear, 31-spline axles / 3.70:1 Rear suspension: CPP drop coil springs with dual adjustable shocks, CPP 1 1/8-inch sway bar with billet aluminum mounts, CPP Deluxe Trac Bar kit, CPP lowering blocks and U-bolt kit, CPP C-notch kit (included in CPP’s Deluxe Chassis Upgrade Kit) Rear brakes: CPP 12-inch disc Front suspension: CPP front drop springs with dual adjustable shocks, CPP Totally Tubular control arms, CPP 2 1/2-inch Modular Drop Spindles, CPP 1 1/4-inch sway bar kit with billet aluminum mounts (included in CPP’s Deluxe Chassis Upgrade Kit) Front brakes: CPP 13-inch Big Brake kit Master Cylinder: CPP Hydrastop Hydraulic Assist Street Beast System Steering box: CPP 500 Series power steering box, CPP steering linkage kit Front wheels: American Legend Cruiser, 18x8s Rear wheels: American Legend Cruiser, 18x9s Front tires: Falken 275/40ZR18 Rear tires: Falken 275/40ZR18 Gas tank: CPP Aluminum EFI-compatible 20-gallon tank under bed with Holley In-Tank RetroFit Fuel Module

DRIVETRAIN Engine: Mast Motorsports LS7 427 HO 703HP / 603 lb.ft. Torque Heads: Mast Motorsports Black Label Valve covers: Mast Motorsports Manifold / Induction: FAST LSX RT 102mm Big Mouth throttle body / FAST XFI Sportsman Accessories: Eddie Motorsports S-Drive Ignition: FAST EZ-LS ignition controller Plumbing: Earl’s stainless braided hose, AN fittings Regulator: Holley HP Billet EFI 15-65 psi Fuel Filter: Holley 100 micron Headers: Hooker Cast Iron Gray Ceramic Finish Exhaust / Mufflers: Hooker Header Back kit in stainless steel / Hooker VR304 stainless steel Radiator: Frostbite Performance Cooling four-row aluminum Transmission: Performance Automatic 4L80E with Smart Shift Package Shifter: CPP Universal Linkage Kit

BODY Fenders front / rear: stock / Brothers Trucks Hood: stock / Eddie Motorsports billet aluminum hinges Grille: Brothers Trucks Bodywork and paint: Superstition Restoration Paint type / Color: Axalta / Ochre Glass: Brothers Trucks Headlights / Taillights: Eddie Motorsports LED Bumpers: Brothers Trucks

INTERIOR Dashboard: stock, Brothers Trucks Gauges: Dakota Digital HDX Series Steering wheel: CPP Leather Rim Steering Wheel Kit Steering column: CPP Classic Fit tilt/shift Seats: Classic Lowback PROCAR by SCAT Ent. Center Console: Brothers Trucks Upholstery by: Brothers Trucks Carpet: black loop Brothers Trucks Wiring: Painless Performance 28-Circuit Classic-Plus Customizable

–Jason Scudellari, Tech Center Manager

Week to Wicked Presented by Classic Performance Products

1970 Chevy C10

Facts & Figures

2016 Week to Wicked, Presented by CPP, C10 Sponsor List

American Legend Wheels (714) 524-3100 www.americanlegendwheels.com -Cruiser Wheels, 18x8s and 18x9s

Brothers Trucks (800) 977-2767 www.brotherstrucks.com -Brightwork, interior components, restoration parts, Blazer center console, glass, rubber, shortbed conversion kit

Classic Performance Products (CPP) (800) 522-5004 www.classicperform.comt -front and rear suspension, disc brakes, Hydra-Stop system, power steering box, steering column, 9-inch Ford rearend

Dakota Digital (800) 593-4160 www.dakotadigital.com -HDX series instrument cluster

Eddie Motorsports (888) 813-1293 www.eddiemotorsports.com -billet hood hinges, LED side marker lights, LED taillights, S-Drive front accessory drive

Hooker Blackheart Headers/Holley Performance (866) 464-6553 www.holley.com -exhaust manifolds, mufflers, and exhaust kit

Earl’s Performance Plumbing/Holley Performance (866) 464-6553 www.holley.com -stainless braided fuel line, fittings, filter, fuel pump, and regulator

Frostbite Performance Cooling/Holley Performance (866) 464-6553 www.holley.com -radiator

Mast Motorsports (936) 560-2218 www.mastmotorsports.com -LS7 engine

Painless Performance (817) 244-6212 www.painlessperformance.com -wiring harness

Performance Automatic (240) 439-4650 www.performanceautomatic.com -4L80E transmission and Smart Shift Package

Procar by Scat (310) 370-5501 www.procarbyscat.comt -bucket seats

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