My house burned down Friday the 16th of January. ROFLOL!

[martincisneros]

I'm okay and so's my snowshoe cat, Leonardo.  I was at home at the time and when the fire started I just got up, put my coat on, stuffed Leonardo in his crate so he wouldn't go psycho-cat on me and walked out the door.  And about 6hrs, maybe 7hrs later the fire was out.  Damages to my stuff was minimal, although I lost a lot of George MacDonald books and perhaps some 18th century stuff.  Can't find "Union" by James Riley or "Restoration of all things" by Jeremiah White.  Same computer.  Basically, it happened while I was making my last post as of when I'm typing this one.  When I was typing this, my house was engulfing in flames:-)

I never lost my joy and just sang the night away, Ephesians 5 style, with all kinds of prophetic words just flowing like a river.  So, when I disappeared, I wasn't at the beach or the local vegan restaurant sipping margaritas.  I was salvaging my stuff and didn't have an internet connection.  Just laughing my head off and having the biggest time praising God and rejoicing in the abundance of all things, the integrity of the Written Word of God, the finished work of the Cross, and knowing that God's promoting me:-)  God is soooo gooood.  Even in philosophical terms, there's sooo many ways that things could have gone horribly wrong with either my not being home, being dead asleep, etc.  Isaiah 54's still true: No weapon formed against me will prosper:-)

[Molly]

wow! :mshock:

We missed you!

(not sure I would want to be your nextdoor neighbor, though.) :laughing7:


Psalm 104:4
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

[jabcat]

So I can stop checking the obits...whew!  Oh me of little faith.

Man, that's terrible on the surface, but God will bring something good from it.  Sounds like He already is.

And that Jeremiah Wright book?  You don't need that anyway...  Oh, White...it's Jeremiah White.  OK.

[Taffy]

Glad you well Martin ,   :icon_flower:     could have been far worse Bud.....

:icon_flower:

[martincisneros]

And that Jeremiah Wright book?  You don't need that anyway...  Oh, White...it's Jeremiah White.  OK.

I thought of that when I was typing it, that someone might not know who Jeremiah White was and might think that I was talking about President Obama's embarrassment.  Jeremiah White was Chaplain for Oliver Cromwell and apparently a Christian Universalist.  It's a really, really good book and it sucks that I'm not sure if I have my copy any more.  My copy of Charles Chauncy's "Mystery Hid From Ages And Generations" narrowly escaped and I've been drying it ever since in a cabinet where I change the page that it's open to every once in a while.  Still gotta negotiate the drying of many of my things, and particularly around a cat that thinks that everything's a toy unless it's something I've been really rude about, like an electrical cable.  He's in one of those moods where he thinks I just don't understand what it's like being a cat in the 21st century and the uniqueness of his needs, etc.  I may not understand elements of being a feline, but nobody needs to bite and scratch a phone cord for either their claws or their dental hygiene. :laughing7:

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: WOW.......thank God you're alright. Hope you have lots of insurance, and everything will be better than before.

Awww.....I love snowshoe cats. We've had several, all died one way or another, lost the last one 2 Christmas days ago, his name was Jackie Chan (my daughter named him). Glad Leonardo made it out too. Blessings to you and Leonardo....... :HeartThrob:

[Pierac]

Amen, and thank God 'Leonardo' is OK!  You too of course. :bigGrin:

Blessings, to you. So where are you staying ?


Paul

[firstborn888]

Wow!!! How'd it start??? Glad you were awake and got out!

Been there, done that Martin - during a nasty cold spell in '83. My family escaped as the doorbell started ringing by itself (shorted doorbell wires in the attic fire...? or....?).

It's a good feeling to get out.

The roughest part was when I went back in and got hit by the fire-hose spray in 20 degree weather (while trying to save my friend's vintage fender bass guitar from my home office)   :sigh:

My daughter was 1 mo. old so everyone from the church who got the call rushed up and asked "where's the baby???". Except for my pianist who rushed up and asked "where's the piano???"  :mshock: :mshock: :mshock: (I had a home studio with a real nice brand new Yamaha).

[WhiteWings]

So I can stop checking the obits...whew! 

:laughing7:

Martin,
Do you feel a little salty now? :laughing7:

[martincisneros]

(not sure I would want to be your nextdoor neighbor, though.) :laughing7:

Yeah, no kidding.  You wouldn't have slept all night.  I'm not kidding about how long it took them to put it out with those 10 fire trucks shooting at it from all sides.  The dang attick wouldn't go out.  They'd shoot water at it and it seemed like it was just food for the fire for a while.

Martin,
Do you feel a little salty now? :laughing7:

Only from the potato chips I was eating earlier.  To me, the whole experience was just a graduation experience to where it's no longer theory or I'd like to believe that I'd have a spiritual reaction to this or that coming about.  I now have an additional story for those that would say that my spiritual life is a dream world that hasn't been tested by reality, the facts of this hard life, etc. and that supposedly one of these days when I've really been tested then supposedly we'll see me coming back down to earth and cussing and punching the wall like everybody else.  I'm really happy to know that God's work in my life has been very deep thus far and that it's not a bunch of emotionalism on my better days when life hasn't made me roll with the punches, but that this is real in my life.  And if I had had a tantrum, which I didn't, but if I had, then it wouldn't have been like in my preteens and teens where I would have been mad for days.  But I've got enough of an anchor no matter what comes along and it keeps me stable as well as keeping me from sinking.

Wow!!! How'd it start??? Glad you were awake and got out!

Been there, done that Martin - during a nasty cold spell in '83. My family escaped as the doorbell started ringing by itself (shorted doorbell wires in the attic fire...? or....?).

It's a good feeling to get out.

Genuinely not sure how it got started.  Just heard that light crackling sound outside that sounded like sleet and looked out the window and the rest is history.  I've heard speculations and accusations but nothing solid about how it got started.

The roughest part was when I went back in and got hit by the fire-hose spray in 20 degree weather (while trying to save my friend's vintage fender bass guitar from my home office)   :sigh:

Wasn't half cold, eh?

Amen, and thank God 'Leonardo' is OK!  You too of course. :bigGrin:
Blessings, to you. So where are you staying ?
Paul

I'm at an apartment that's about 5 minutes away from where it happened.  Initially made it easier to move my stuff without spending any money.  Just used the dolly and got a good workout since I wasn't going to be keeping my dresser 'cause of water damage.  The fire didn't really tear any of my stuff up.  It was all of the thousands of gallons of water thrown at the fire that caused the ceiling to cave in and turned the whole place into a swimming pool that ruined a lot of books, a really great television, and some other stuff.

:cloud9: WOW.......thank God you're alright. Hope you have lots of insurance, and everything will be better than before.

Awww.....I love snowshoe cats. We've had several, all died one way or another, lost the last one 2 Christmas days ago, his name was Jackie Chan (my daughter named him). Glad Leonardo made it out too. Blessings to you and Leonardo....... :HeartThrob:

Nope.  Didn't have any insurance 'cause it was one of those things that couldn't possibly ever happen to me.  Everything will unquestionably be better than it was before 'cause I'm going to be building my own place on my own architectural plans and choice in materials to avoid this kind of thing in the future.  And I'll have insurance this next time for the "what if ya get hit by a meteor like in the movies and tabloids?"  Jackie Chan would be a really great name for either my cat or me since we're both total loons at times.

So I can stop checking the obits...whew!  Oh me of little faith.

I don't think it was being of little faith to have detected danger around me even if you didn't know what was going on.  God probably saves all of our lives a dozen times a year or more where we didn't even know that the kings of the east had gathered their armies on our front porches to make war against the Lamb and against those with Him that are called, chosen, and faithful.  There's probably a million moments in each of our lives, over the course of our lives, that for just a split second there's nothing to be sensed but Apollyon arising out of the pit.  It's not a lack of faith to have tuned in to one of those moments and have wondered about how it played out and to have been prayerful. 

It's when you live in worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, and sick to your stomach as though the Word of God's going to fail in this situation that you've wandered into the "Master, carest thou not that we perish?!!" while He's asleep in the back of your boat (Mark 4).  That's when the seed of the Word is in jeopardy of not reaching it's intended end for which the Son of Man planted it and you've got to take a step back and say "Wait a minute! The seed's already been sown for righteousness, deliverance, provision, sanctification, wisdom, and redemption in this situation.  I'm separating the pressure from the problem and realizing that the problem was already solved on the Cross and if I won't be moved by the circumstantial pressure, then I'm assured that I'll see the glory of God in this."

[aspiring son]

Glad to see your okay, Martin. God is good. God Bless

[ScarletWren]

You have a great attitude.  The smoke damage and water damage is as bad as fire damage usually.  I'm amazed that you have anything salvageable with the length of time it took to put the fire out.

Glad you're ok.

[Doc]

Glad to hear you're alright, Martin. We were wondering what had happened to you!   :thumbsup:

[Akira Takahashi]

Basically, it happened while I was making my last post as of when I'm typing this one.  When I was typing this, my house was engulfing in flames:-)

You're the only person I know who could sit there and right such a lenghty and insightful post while your house in on fire!

[jabcat]

He was probably also reading Ethan Winchester with one eye and Philemon with the other.

[WhiteWings]

Ethan who?
Can't remember Martin ever mentioned him.
Must be inside knowledge from the crew  :laughing7:

[jabcat]

Oh, no, you just missed it...I don't him either, but I've seen Martin mention him a couple of times.  I think he's an old school UR guy, maybe from the 1800's?  I don't know, I'm showing my ignorance...now I need to look it up...thanks a lot WW  :laughing7:.

[jabcat]

OK, I guess it's Elahan Winchester...oh well, I still thought it was kind'a funny  :mblush:.

[Nathan]

I like Ethan better anyway  . .. it sounds more like a name . .the other one sounds like you want to sneeze and yawn at the same time. :laughing7:

[WhiteWings]

Naa....aaa.....than

Time to wash my hands.  :happyclap:

[Nathan]

Naa....aaa.....than

Time to wash my hands.  :happyclap:

HEY!!!  It took a minute . .. but I just got that! :CryBaby:

[SPOKENFOR]

I'm okay and so's my snowshoe cat, Leonardo.  I was at home at the time and when the fire started I just got up, put my coat on, stuffed Leonardo in his crate so he wouldn't go psycho-cat on me and walked out the door.  And about 6hrs, maybe 7hrs later the fire was out.  Damages to my stuff was minimal, although I lost a lot of George MacDonald books and perhaps some 18th century stuff.  Can't find "Union" by James Riley or "Restoration of all things" by Jeremiah White.  Same computer.  Basically, it happened while I was making my last post as of when I'm typing this one.  When I was typing this, my house was engulfing in flames:-)

I never lost my joy and just sang the night away, Ephesians 5 style, with all kinds of prophetic words just flowing like a river.  So, when I disappeared, I wasn't at the beach or the local vegan restaurant sipping margaritas.  I was salvaging my stuff and didn't have an internet connection.  Just laughing my head off and having the biggest time praising God and rejoicing in the abundance of all things, the integrity of the Written Word of God, the finished work of the Cross, and knowing that God's promoting me:-)  God is soooo gooood.  Even in philosophical terms, there's sooo many ways that things could have gone horribly wrong with either my not being home, being dead asleep, etc.  Isaiah 54's still true: No weapon formed against me will prosper:-)

What a wonderful attitude to have about the situation..Very inspiring... :iagree:

[martincisneros]

So I can stop checking the obits...whew! Oh me of little faith.

Oh wow! Just happened to remember this a few days ago, but wasn't sure if I was remembering right and meant to have another look at this thread, but didn't get to it until now. Thanks. :cloud9:

[jabcat]

 :thumbsup: I really was checking (gulp) obits and area hospitals online...although probably wouldn't get any info from hospitals due to HIPPA guidelines...still was trying...man you had us wondering.

[Fang_Diachi]

At least it wasnt Friday 13th. Then you may have had some trouble. =p

Glad your alright man. Really inspiring how you just sat there and trusted God through it all! O.O