This Is A Serious Topic In Which I Have Experience In. Do Not Hold Anger Or Resentment Against Family Memebers Caught In The Contesting Of A Family Will/Estate. My Father's Initial Estate Was Valued @ $1.98 Million Dollars. We Contested It And Received A Minimal Amount. I Forgave Them All.

I have recently been sharing with you from one of my journals from 1999-2000. I apparently jotted notes down here and there in my journals. Probably was near by me when I needed to jot something down so I did. Glad I did for this that I found the other day. When my father died his estate was valued at $1.98 million dollars. Apparently I must have spoke to our attorney (we contested my father's will for the majority of it was to go to my father's brothers and a nephew.) I believe I shared with you before that a good portion we always knew would go to church organizations for my father always shared that with us. That was not a surprise to us at all. Maybe the large sums of money may have been a bit but that was ok. The main majority was going to his brothers and a nephew.
It really was like in the movies when the family goes to the office of the attorney for the reading of the will and boy we never expected to hear what we had just heard. We believed in faith up until the very last time frame allotted for one to contest a will that an uncle or two would have reached out to us and shared. Our one uncle actually got upset with us for contesting the will. Really, you had so much time to reach out to us and never did. Did you really plan on reaching out to us after the time limit lapsed in regard to contesting a will?
Oddly enough all 3 of the main recipients of the will are now deceased. That is sad for they are family relatives. I hope they all knew Jesus and are in heaven now. I actually reached out to my cousin's family a few times when I heard that the died. He had a wife and children so I went and visited them one afternoon after church and they shared family photos of them all together. I really felt sorry for them and another time I made an Easter basket for the children and left it at their house one day after church. If I remember correctly I may have left a gift card or two for them to get a lunch. Don't quote me on that one though it has been maybe 10 years ago. Now this cousin, I remember when we would go with our father to visit him and his mom and dad they had a very nice home with a built in pool and they even had a juke box also. This was a very nice home that you drove a winding driveway up to the home. So when we would be getting ready to leave from our visit this cousin would play the song on the juke box for us, "I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane." I think that is the title. He always was a funny child that I recall. Let me share with you that these uncles were not poor by any means, they did well for themselves and the one retired younger because they could.
So in my journal the notes I jotted down went something like this the amount after the taxes were paid, actually $750,000.00 was paid in taxes. $1.1 million was the estate that was left after taxes. This is what I think is the sad part of my notes the charities lose the most and my uncles get the most. Our attorney had copies of 8 previous wills my father had drawn up and signed. He would tell us if he was mad at a particular church the will would be changed. That is how he was. But the one thing we always knew about our father is that he was going to leave money to the church, in this case they are the one's that truly never got to see the fruition of my fathers heart.
So lesson learned, just because something is stated in a will does not mean in actuality that is what they will get. Taxes and I am sure attorney fees also came out of the remains of this will. At one point I actually had possession of the actual distribution of the money from the will but when I was going through deliverance in my life and forgiveness I think I either threw them away or burned the papers. I can say I hold nothing against any of these key players in this situation. I believe I write to share with you to not hold a grudge or let anger fester inside of you. Choose to forgive and release them to God and go forward in your life.
Remember I had a prophetic word spoken over my by Charlie Shamp not too long ago that the inheritance will be restored to our family. One day I will write about the restoration. Until then I write about the good and kind things I find in life and moments to bless others, and kindness is fun when it is shared with others.
Example of spreading kindness. The section in which I sit at work just inherited for I think a month is some Star Wars character maybe Yoda not sure of the spelling he has pointy ears though. It is actually a candy bowl that he holds and we take turns filling it with candy for the team to enjoy. Someone got the idea to dress him up for St. Patrick's Day. I was right on this one today. I found St. Patrick's Day glasses, a bow tie and even a hat or 2 in case they don't like one there is the other to choose from. Actually the one package has 5 hats in it so 2 will go to my daughter for her 2 bunnies and one to my son for his cat along with other treats for my children since they are both part Irish. I sure do hope they like it at work tomorrow. I found it all at Dirt Cheap 80% off and I also got the 10% senior discount today so each item was about  $0.18. See, there is so much fun and good you can do out there why let family finances bog you down. Remember this, you cannot take these riches with you to heaven or hell they remain here. Where will you chose to remain for all eternity? The choice really is yours and no one can make that very choice for you.

Peter, Paul and Mary - Leaving on a Jet Plane.

A tribute of fond memories of my cousin. The song, I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane.

Hopefully Yoda candy dish holder will be looking spiffy, all dressed up for St. Patrick's Day.