Lord, What Next?

By Ralph Andrea

This captures the true American Journey from adversity to achievement and the lessons learned along the way. The growth of Ralphs spiritual life through lifes lessons shows how recognition of personal failings, acknowledgement and acceptance of Christ not only helped him on his journey, but led him to help others achieve as well.
Joann Landry, Congressional Administrative Assistant

Ralph is a retired former entrepreneur and business owner who writes a down to earth daily blog which offers a wealth of wisdom on a variety of subjects including politics, management, religion and patriotism. I like what he teaches.
Reverend Jim Houchens, evangelist

I really felt like you were talking to me.
Joy McLaughlin, physical therapist, editor of Lord, What Next?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490824338

Ralph Andrea

Ralph was born to a poor family during the Depression without medical help. He was never expected to live into his teens. But God had other plans for this undernourished, sickly boy. At fourteen he suddenly became healthy, gained weight, and started on a life that most healthy young men don’t even dream about. He became an outstanding success in politics, Christian activities, and business, directly improving the lives and fortunes of thousands of people. Now at eighty-four he is still actively working for God and his country.

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Copyright © 2014 RALPH ANDREA.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2432-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2434-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2433-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014901562

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/23/2014

CONTENTS

Why Read This Book?

Chapter 1 My Youth – Hoping For A Future

Chapter 2 Instant Maturity – Moving Upwards

Chapter 3 Reaching Out – Business And Politics

Chapter 4 County Politics – Gaining Clout

Chapter 5 The End Of A Promising Career – Starting All Over

Chapter 6 Another Failure – Putting It Back Together

Chapter 7 Moving To The Gulf Coast – A Major Change

Chapter 8 I Finally Got My Life Under God

Chapter 9 Early Retirement – Putting My Wife First

Chapter 10 Moving To New Mexico – My Wife My Priority

Chapter 11 Back To Florida – Starting All Over

Chapter 12 Retired At Last - Move To Virginia With Family

WHY READ THIS BOOK?

It’s not entertaining, it’s not very exciting, and it’s probably boring, except possibly to me. However, if you do read it, I pray you get the messages hidden in the story of my life.

First Develop and use the gifts God gave you. He gave me the gift of discernment. It allowed me to be to be a successful counselor, business and financial consultant and a drug and alcohol counselor. The gifts served well most of my life, but I had a period early on when my sins popped up.

Next Admit your misdeeds, no alibis or excuses. That was emotionally painful for me, but it was the way for me to draw the line.

Last We are all forgiven sinners, get past your sins, and don’t repeat them. Once you earnestly draw the line, don’t go near it.

Looking back, it seems that my life has not always been one that would please the Lord. But then I ponder on David’s history. He, with God’s help, performed amazing feats that benefited God’s people. As a young lad he saved the Hebrew forces by killing Goliath when no one else had the courage. He was a brave and courageous warrior and eventually became King of Israel and Judah.

He also did some things that angered the Lord. I didn’t have Nathan to point a finger at me as he did to turn David around but the Lord did just that to me. I stopped my sinful ways early and never strayed for the rest of my life. As you read these pages, you will see the parallel. But like David; while God forgave him, he was not without punishment on earth. His sins were forgiven, but he paid the price for them. We are forgiven sinners, but there are penalties we endure for our former transgressions.

Jews all over the world honor David as a pioneer and hero of the faith. They wear remembrances of him; his misdeeds are forgotten, much the same as God has forgotten them. I have no pretense of being remembered by many, except for my family and a few friends. All that will fade with the passing years. But if one person reads this book and gets the motivation, responsibility and faith out of my brief story, then my life will not have been wasted.

May God Bless You

Chapter One

MY YOUTH – HOPING FOR A FUTURE

It all started, at least for me on June 11, 1929, born and named Ralph Warren Andrea, Jr. after my dad. The country was experiencing an uncertain economic mode. Conditions in the nation looked pretty much in the same foreboding situation as we have today, over 84 years later as I begin writing and attempting to make sense of life in general. In particular for me, initially to exist and eventually to survive and provide a reason for the Lord to give me some spiritual gifts that I seemed to squander at times as I tried to make a difference. At least that may have been God’s plan in allowing this premature baby that wasn’t given much hope to survive.

My beginning, in a house on 108 Summit Ave. in Garfield, New Jersey, assisted by Ms. Nemeth, a midwife; being born earlier than expected and so tiny that they really did not expect me to make it. Of course it happened without professional help, not to say that the midwife was not efficient and thorough. She also delivered my mother, a healthier baby, and some 20 years earlier in the same house. The house belonged to my grandmother. Back then, especially during the depression, families lived together.

Never being circumcised I guess I am one of the uncircumcised ones mentioned in the Old Testament. The uncircumcised were the folks that the Hebrew nation considered heathen. I’m still not circumcised. Could be I just never really got into the mainstream.

It was a large two story two family home. My uncle Steve, Aunt Helen, and their daughter Rose lived on the first floor. My Uncle Joe and Aunt Ann lived on the second floor. There were kitchens and baths on both floors. We lived on the first floor for a while. My family moved into a rented apartment further down the same street when Uncle Steve’s son Steve was born. Uncle Joe and Aunt Ann moved out when they started a family.

The house, in a middle class neighborhood, stood almost to the top of a hill. The peaceful neighborhood came alive every year when the large carnival came to a county park at the top of Summit Avenue.

I had a very loving and supportive family. Back then every relative lived within walking distance of my home. Today my family has grown and is spread all over the country. Every Christmas my Uncle Steve would put on his Santa suit and give out presents to all the members of our family that would gather there every year. Everyone would bring all their gifts for each family member.

It’s a tradition I kept every Christmas. It was, until I moved back to Fort Lauderdale in 1998. All the family would come. If some could not afford the airfare, and I was able, I provided the funds for them to come. Most spent at least one night. I made breakfast after we opened all the presents from everyone. Every year we celebrated Christmas as a family. I taped most of them. I recently converted a lot of them to DVD and sent them out to some of my family. They are precious memories.

The world seems to have gone a complete full circle to where it started. October 29, 1929 was the official start of the depression. It’s history repeating itself. In October 26 of 1926, the news stated that the economic expansion had peaked and the recession began. Then in November of 1927 the reports said that the economic contraction ended and the recovery was beginning.

In August of 1929 the news was that the economic expansion had peaked. Then on September 3rd stock market prices peaked, with the New York Times index of industrial stocks at 452.

By October 29, Black Tuesday, recorded sales of shares hit 16,410,000. New York Times index of industrial stocks dropped nearly forty points, the worst drop in Wall Street history to that point. Of course I was not aware of the financial conditions; I was fighting to stay alive. But I am aware today and God is letting me experience it, this time painfully cognizant of conditions.

I really cannot remember much of the years in my grandmother’s house, a little more in the rented apartment on Summit Avenue. I can’t remember seeing much of my dad. My mom was no doubt frustrated with my physical progress. Money was short, and my being underweight, no doubt I needed more nutrients and food supplements to bring my small body to normal. She could not afford to get professional medical advice. She did the best she was able with the resources at hand. At any rate, I survived.

God did keep me alive, against all odds that I was not going to make it. I really did a lot of good for the Lord later in life. But I also did some bad things. As a Calvinist now and a born again Christian I have an opinion. I believe in unconditional election. Later on in the book I will explain TULIP, the five points of Calvinism.

I’m sure my mind was functioning perfectly. I can remember being in my crib. Later on I remember my mother reading from a baby book. Probably, if nothing unusual happens, there really is no motivation to remember.

I remember vaguely a very overweight man, everybody called him Uncle Charlie. He was not related but must have been a close friend of my family. I can remember many years later seeing pictures of him riding a camel in the desert.

My brother Eugene Gene was born on December first a year and a half after me. He, unlike me, was healthy. This was a fact my dad reminded me of many times.

We received food from the relief programs in the city and Federal Government. My family somehow existed for several years, until 1935 when the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was created by FDR to help provide economic relief to the citizens of the United States who were suffering through the Great Depression. It eventually became the largest employer in the country. My dad finally had income. He was working on roads, laying cobblestones.

When I turned 4 we moved out of Garfield into the first story of a rented house in Saddle River Township. The address was 37 Third Street. My cousin Robert Markert lived with his mother Rose, his brother Fred and his sister Dorothy on the same street about a block away. I played with Bobby a lot. Aunt Rose used to give us Kool Aid, which was a special treat.

One thing I missed when we moved from Garfield was the large cherry tree that was in my grandmother’s yard. When the cherries were in season we enjoyed picking and eating them. The new home was about 3 miles from the cherry tree. I walked it more times than I could remember. The exercise must have had a positive benefit on my health. No effort was ever made to improve my well being. This was a benefit that built my weak body. I realize now, it helped build my health.

Soon after we moved to Third Street it was time for me to start school. The school was about four miles from our house. It was a rather large school, built in the middle of a vast area, mostly wooded, that had not been developed. I can remember the teachers, and Mr. Nixon, the principal. He was the first authority figure I had encountered. His teachers respected him and followed a really conservative ritual. There was no such thing as a school bus. After the first few days of my mom taking me to school, we all walked, and we even walked home for lunch, that is if we had food to eat. Sometimes we didn’t but we still went home at lunch time. We had to cross a busy state highway to get to the school. The walking, now that I reflect on it, helped my body to develop. It helped my heart to grow stronger.

The neighborhood had quite a few Italian and Polish naturalized citizens. Many of the kids I played with were second generation citizens. They all spoke perfect English. We played after school every day until we were called home for dinner. It was no problem to fit into the neighborhood. It was a friendly, safe area; it was a great place for a child to grow up.

I really had no spiritual development. Initially my family never went to church. My entire family was honest, kind, giving but I never was exposed to any religious environment. Growing up with second generation children of folks that came from many different countries in Europe, the culture reflected their gratitude for living in America. They were honest, hard working and were determined to make a good life