Kids Will Be Kids but Oh... My God!: A Family's Dynamic

Kids will be Kids

BUT

Oh… My God!

A family’s dynamic

CY Collinsmiller

AuthorHouse™ LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

© 2013 by CY Collinsmiller. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/15/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5785-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5784-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-5783-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013909923

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Prologue

1. Out of the Fog

2. It Takes a Village

3. Youthful Personalities

4. Sparks Fly

5. Crash 1

6. Christmas Gone Wild

7. Sprinting Into Spring

8. A Daughter’s Cry

9. Dogs, Dogs, Dogs

10. Totally Out of Control

11. The Pain of the Innocent

12. Crash 2

13. Irreconcilable Differences

14. Where Is My Sister?

15. Crash 3, 4 & 5

16. Near-Fatal Attraction

17. From the Spirit

18. Family Therapy

19. The Tears Flow

20. Sermon of Hope

21. Finally Free

Afterword

Dedications

To my mother: Words can never fully express the thanks I owe for all your love and support. There are not enough gifts or hugs or kisses. There is not enough time or words. My prayers to God express my greatest desires: God, please bless my mother with peace, comfort and eternal life is always my heartfelt prayer for you.

To my children: The outcome could have been so different. So much could have gone wrong, but through God’s grace and mercy, here we stand. So give God the glory and stay encouraged. Prayer is what brought us all through the rough times, and prayer is what will take us on. There are many dangers and pitfalls in the world, but God is the way, the truth, and the light. You have to trust and believe that, and he will give you the strength, the wisdom, and the guidance you’ll need to live a happy and prosperous life.

To my brother: Thank you for all your love and support. I know I can always depend on you.

To my sister: Thank God for you and remember, You have the victory.

Special Dedication

To Mark Raines: Words cannot express the thanks I wish to extend to you. At a time when my child was struggling desperately to find his way after the loss of his father, God placed you in his life. People can’t always know what a person is going through—that’s why we should always be considerate of others. You, Mark, were kind and patient with my son and seeing a spark in his eyes again when he spoke of video photography and his new witty instructor gave me hope. That passion is still alive in him today, as he is diligently perusing his desire to become an instructor in the field. Mark, thank you, my friend; I wish you happiness and success in all you do. I am sure that because of you, my son and many others are finding their way.

To my supporters: You are all very special to me. When I first started this writing venture, you provided me with support and courage. When I expressed concerns and fears, you assured me that everything would be all right. You purchased my book, read it, and provided me with important feedback, and for that I thank you. Your kind words and honest opinions allowed me to move forward with confidence. You are a valuable fan base, and I hope and pray that as I continue to explore this writing adventure, you will continue to support me. Thank you for your support and God bless each of you.

Prologue

Hello;

I’m Carol Y. Collinsmiller and I’d like to tell you a little about my writing ventures.

My first two books are introduction into the life of my main character, Karah Woodard. Vengeance Is Mine: The Key to Peace and Freedom from Injustices described Karah’s life from the age of two, when her father was killed in a boating accident. Her father’s absence left Karah lonely and confused. Guided by spiritual experiences, Karah was determined to make the best of the life she had. The behavior of others, however, spun a web of confusion too wicked for Karah to untangle, and thereby encompassed the theme of vengeance throughout.

Victor, her stepfather, left the entire family in turmoil. Karah’s need for love led her to Willie, and they had three children before Karah turned twenty. Willie proved to be another negative force bringing Karah down; after strong resistance from Willie, she ended the relationship. As a single parent determined to find stability for her family, Karah joined the military, leaving the kids with her mother, Maxine. Karah found love again, but her inability to trust ended this romantic European love affair. Her next relationship offered her a more complete love, so while stationed in Hawaii, she married George and had one more child.

Unfortunately, back home in Alabama, her brother Tony was killed in a suspicious car and train collision, and her sister Dominique became addicted to drugs. While Karah was away in the Persian Gulf, Larry, her longtime friend and neighbor, took advantage of her thirteen-year-old daughter, Tynisha. During that time, Tynisha became pregnant, and Karah’s first grandson was born.

Struggling to leave all the misdeeds of others behind and gain some stability for her family, Karah attended one of the military’s top training academies. There, however, she was devastated by the unprofessional behavior of one of the instructors and was ultimately assaulted. Outraged by the incident, her brother Stan attended the graduation ceremony with the intention of confronting the man who assaulted his sister. Karah was shocked and disappointed by the behavior and the cover-up that took place at this prestigious training academy. She prayed for strength and guidance to move forward, and the words Vengeance is mine, thus saith the Lord resonated in her mind.

Soon after, Karah’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and died from the disease. A year later, her youngest daughter, Kimberly, had a car accident, and Kimberly’s eighteen-month old daughter was killed. The entire family was devastated, and Karah was about to tell that part of the story when Larry propositioned Karah’s thirteen-year-old granddaughter.

My second book, Kids Will Be Kids, but . . . Oh My God, continues with the story of Karah Woodard. The theme of this book is her children, because dealing with them has been one of the most difficult challenges she has had to face.

The book tells the story of a mother struggling to raise her rambunctious children. During their adolescence, as described in Vengeance Is Mine, the issues included fighting, skipping school, an ADHD diagnosis, teen pregnancy, coming of age, single parenting, the impact on the child who does not get into trouble, and more. However, this book takes kids a necessary step farther. It addresses what happens when the child reaches eighteen and still has not stopped acting out. In this book, the word kids is not defined by age, but by level of maturity.

Karah is determined to do everything she can to help her children become productive citizens. In the process, she will face many dangers. She is constantly breaking up fights and is actually dragged during one episode. She is always running to her children’s rescue, sometimes literally running. She even has to help the police handcuff her own daughter. None of her actions prove effective, but Karah cannot lose this battle: these are her children. Regardless of age, your child is always your child. The way your kids live their lives will always affect you. Karah will not to be satisfied as long as they are breaking the law and living reckless lives. But they are grown, and she knows she can’t continue to get involved, so she prays and prays. She gets down on her knees and prays.

Chapter 1

Out of the Fog

It had been almost two years since George, my husband of ten years, died of cancer. Every memory of him still brought tears to my eyes. The fun-loving, silly George turned cartwheels, literally and figuratively, to make his family happy. He loved us unconditionally and did everything he could to prove it. We were both soldiers, but George was a prankster, and his boyish behavior and youthful attitude were what stood out the most. Then, just like that, cancer came and robbed him of his youth, and left us all in total disbelief. My faith was strong, and I asked God what this was all about. He was only thirty-one, and I was his wife. What am I suppose to do? I asked God. Immediately, I heard what sounded like a knife tapping crystal during a toast. Then he spoke this to my spirit: I knew when I joined you two together that this day would come. I was startled by the revelation, but at that moment I knew that God had brought us together and I had a spiritual mission. So I put all my pain and fears aside and did what I had to do for my husband.

George was a strong man, and he always expressed his love for me. Fifty-plus years—that was always the way he signed his cards and letters to me; Fifty-plus years of marriage. To hear him say, I don’t want to die—I don’t want to leave my wife and my child still breaks my heart. But it gave me a crucial point to focus on as I ministered to him through his illness. Nothing comes before God, nothing or no one. We did everything we could medically, and we prayed. The doctors initially gave him six months to live and were amazed when he survived a year and a half. My husband fought a courageous battle with the disease, but he was tired. He told me he was tired and wanted to go home to God. I asked him to talk to God; tell God you want to come home I said with my heart aching. The next day, he went to heaven.

Despite the heartbreak and devastation we all felt, that conversation gave me spiritual peace with my husband’s death. I witnessed many things during those times and I learned that the devil was always busy. The acts of Satan often left me bewildered. People can be so unpredictable during times of illness and death, but God had revealed some things to me. There was no doubt in my mind: this was a spiritual battle. So I prayed and ministered to George. His relationship with God was the only thing that could give him the peace he needed to deal with his situation. I believe with all my heart that God makes no mistakes, but George had to learn to trust in him. I had never ministered to anyone this way before, but the words and prayers came naturally. I had no fear and I had no shame. From his bedside I prayed and read him bible verses. I stayed focused on what God wanted me to do; and in the end, George found peace. He said, I want to go home to God, and he did.

Losing my husband was devastating and many thoughts filled my head, but I trusted and believed that God was in control. I often sought peace in the first stanza of the Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Over time, I was sure my prayers would be answered, but I missed my husband. I no longer had my husband or the military, and over the past decade they both helped to