Please Pray for Me and My Family

[allenr74]

We lived in the same home for 10 years. My wife and I got friendly with the next door neighbors. They had 3 children. We had none when we moved into the house. My wife, as is her custom, was extremely nice to them all.

One day, my wife called next door andne of the kids answered the phone and my wife was talking to him. He was in 8th grade and just took an entrance exam for high school. My wife was innocently asking him about the test.

The woman berated my wife for asking questions and hung up the phone.

One day after that, my young son skated by their home. The next door wife was out and called my wife "Satan" and my son "little Satan". My wife splashed her with water from a water bottle and said "how do you say that about a child"?

After that, the next door neighbors' kids were playing baseball in their driveway. My wife was throwing out the garbage when the next door neighbor (the wife) made a crude comment to her. My wife said something back and the neighbor's high school son proceeded to swing the bat at our PVC fence and put a hole in it.

We got an estimate for the repair and asked that they pay for it. They refused repeatedly. We consulted our attorney. We did what he suggested - we sent a certified letter asking for payment. Again, they refused to pay.

We won in small claims court They ignored the judgement. We put a lien on their house (the amount was under $200). Finally, they paid.

They were verbally abusive to us. They used their cars as obstacles so we could not park in front of our home.

We finally moved to a new state. Some neighbors down the street became good friends. Our daughters are the same age. It was great.

One day my daughter was playing with another neighbor's daughter and their friend.

My wife got a call from our friend (Sandy). Sandy told my wife that her husband (Ralph) was dealing with their crying daughter (Mindy). Mindy said the girls, including my daughter, were mean and told her to go home. Sandy was not home and said her husband saw one of the girls from his window walk Mindy home.

I heard this and asked my daughter to go down the block and call for Mindy and ask her to play with everyone. I did not scold my daughter because I was not there and, if it did happen I told her, be nice and play with everyone.

We've witnessed this "exclusionary behavior" from all the little girls at times, even our daughter, and we just tell them "let's play nice with everyone".

I watched my daughter go down the block. She went up the stairs and I could not see anything else.

Then she came back and burst into tears. I asked what happened and she said Ralph slammed the door in her face.

A few minutes later, Ralph rang my door bell and explained he was dealing with Mindy crying and told my daughter she could not come out and "closed the door". He claimed he did not slam the door in her face. Since I was not there, I tried to placate everyone and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

We had my daughter's birthday party at Monkey Joe's. It is a big place with large "bouncy houses". At my daughter's birthday party, Ralph was on the phone the whole time. He was holding Mindy's hand. I commented to my wife that it seemed odd he was not talking to me.

We came to find out he was on the phone with his wife complaining that my daughter was not playing with Mindy. Meanwhile, the place was large and all the kids were running around doing there own thing.

Fast forward a few weeks..... My next door neighbors (my in-laws) were having a pool put in. The contractors were there everyday working primarily with sand.

One morning, my wife got a text from Ralph that there was a stain and some gritty substance in front of their house. Now, their house is on a corner down the hill from us. There was no trail from the worker's trucks to the area. The area, by the way, where the stain was happened to be in front of a sewer in the street in front of their home.

Ralph wanted to know if the stain was from the work being done next door. My wife replied that she did not know anything about it but she would ask the contractor that her father hired and also let her father know. In the meanwhile, Ralph and his wife, Sandy, called the contractor and left a voicemail full of curses and threats to call the BBB (my father-in-law heard it).

The contractor sat down with us the next day and also explained to my father-in-law that he called all his subcontractors and they stated they had no issues with any equipment leaving stains.

Now, this contractor is well respected and is also doing work at other homes in the area. There is also much construction on new homes taking place just around the corner.

Ralph and Sandy called their handyman to ask what they should do. They explained the stain issue. The handyman asked where it was. They said near the sewer in the street in front of their home. He was somewhat incredulous that they would make an issue about this since it was in the street.

The handyman asked who the contractor was. When they told him, his reply was "Charlie Plunk? I know Charlie for years. I did work in his house. If Charlie said he didn't do it or his subs didn't do it then I believe him. If Charlie did do something like that he would have cleaned it up". We know this because the handyman was doing work in our home and told us.

Charlie also agreed to re-sod my in-laws lawn. One of his sub-contractors placed bundles of pavers on the lawn and would not move them. So, we know Charlie corrects any errors.

Ralph and Sandy persisted. Even though the contractor said he did not do it, their handyman believed the contractor, and we said that we did not see anything they called us and became very nasty. Basically they said "we value your friendship but...." and they believed we were taking the contractors side over theirs.

We explained that we just don't have proof so we are not taking any sides. We don't believe in accusing someone especially if there is no proof and especially if it threatens someone's livelihood.

They called the HOA and stated there was a stain in the street in front of their house that needed to be cleaned. The HOA told them to call the Fire Dept so they could determine what it was and clean it.

Ralph and Sandy called the Fire Department and had the stain cleaned. Then it rained heavily the following 2 afternoons.

After all this, they apologized to the neighbor down the street who was having different work done by the same contractor. They apologized to my neighbor (in-law). My father in-law accepted the apology and explained that he was disappointed that they did not come to him first. He also said that all would be fine and that their daughter and my daughter should play outside and not be in each other's houses (more on that later).

They called my wife and I and left voicemails (why they chose not to visit us in person like everyone else I do not know).

My wife and I had visitors and could not call back for a few days. Then, the visitors left. I was in my front yard and Sandy was in her driveway about 75 yards away on the other side of the street. She yelled to me "What, you can't give us a f***ing call?".

Well, I do not use that language and choose not to associate with people that do - especially when it is directed at me. I went into my home and told my wife what happened.

We had a few boys sleep over that night for my son. Sandy called my wife's cell phone and left a message apologizing but blamed her behavior on the fact that her daughter was crying everyday because she was not playing with our daughter (while this was going on, the pool was completed. My children were in it, behind the houses, everyday with their friends. We, however, did not keep our daughter from playing with anyone. We did, however, not want Mindy in the pool as we were concerned how they might react should even the slightest incident happen). So, Sandy lashed out.

I called Ralph the next day and left a VM stating that I accepted the apology but was not sure where it would go from there. I explained that we were having more visitors but we would talk when we could.

A week or so went by and Mindy and our daughter did play outside with the other kids. Last night, while I was not home, our daughter wound up at Mindy's swing set. Our daughter did this even though we told her we did not want her to play on their property right now.

My wife went to get our daughter and, in the process, asked Sandy if she could talk to her. There was no yelling but there was a heated conversation. My wife told me later that Sandy said she would get to the bottom of why we had a problem with our previous neighbor and tell all the neighbors in our current location. Sandy also said she was going to "ruin" my wife in the area because her child has been hurt by all of this.

Alarmed by Sandy's vindictiveness, I called Ralph and let him know that, if Sandy does anything like that I will be sure to have a defamation suit against them. He began cursing and acting completely immature going so far as to even "baby babble" while I was trying to talk (the equivalent of a child putting their hands over their ears and screaming "I can't hear you).

Ralph also insulted my wife and claimed that he had to walk my 9 year-old son across the street because he was crying due to embarrassment. I asked my son if that was the case. He said no - he came across to our house on his own to use the bathroom.

So, once again, they speak mistruths.

I am so sorry to ramble.

Please, please pray for my family. Pray that the truth will prevail with no further altercation or damage to anyone's reputation. We feel like we are having a repeat of our previous situation. We are questioning if it is us and just need strength that the Lord will allow truth to prevail.

Thank you.

[LB_in_TX]

Originally Posted by allenr74

Please, please pray for my family. Pray that the truth will prevail with no further altercation or damage to anyone's reputation. We feel like we are having a repeat of our previous situation. We are questioning if it is us and just need strength that the Lord will allow truth to prevail.

Thank you.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

[acadiANNA]

(*.*) As long as you conduct yourselves as pleasing to God, God will take care of the neighbor. Sometimes situations grow legs and escalate into something else when the best thing to do would be to handle the first situation and end it there with clear thinking and kindness. On bickering: “I think it's odd that grown-ups quarrel so easily and so often and about such petty matters. Up to now I always thought bickering was just something children did and that they outgrew it.” ― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl Myself, I always use the Golden Rule, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' If that doesn't work, I let it go and let God. It's the way of peace for me. I may not have given you an answer you wanted, but wishing things will improve for you. I will pray for you that the Holy Spirit will touch you and help you to understand how to deal with people you find difficult to befriend and bring you peace of mind and heart. And I will pray for your neighbors that they will have patience and understanding. God bless!

[Clarissa51]

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you Matthew 5:44

Dear Father, help us to see people in the same way that you see them, through the eyes of love. Remove any ill-feelings and replace them with love. Help us to prioritize are activities so that we take care of the important things in our life first. Please bless allenr74 and his family and guide them to do your will, to pray for their enemies, and protect them from all evil. Forgive us our sins. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN

[UpUpAndAway]

Remembering you and your family in my daily prayers, but also your neighbors, past and present. God bless.

[allenr74]

Thank you, all, for your prayers and advice. I have definitely felt the power of your prayers as my spirit is not weighted down by this anymore!

May God bless you all!

[slaveofjesus]

Merciful Father,

Confusion is nothing but another attack of the enemy. For it is written, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 Lord let your truth prevail in this situation in Jesus Name! We pray against all attacks of the enemy of this family. We ask that all attacks be consumed in the fire of the Holy Ghost. Cover them all with the precious blood of your loving son Jesus. And we plead the blood upon their lives.

In Jesus Name we pray!
Amen!

[ProVobis]

Orans pro omnibus (praying for all)

PATER NOSTER,
qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

[MS_SURVEYOR]

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.

Amen

[RedDuke50]

May God help you and your family. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, Memorare...