What's up yall!

                 Long time no see! Lot's of things have been happening, like having a baby, not having a car, having a really cool job, lot's of teaching ministry opportunities, and cool friends to chill with, but missing my peeps from school. So shout outs to...drum roll please....by the way don't feel bad if you're not on the list, i have altzeimers (jk)....i still love ya though....Shout out's to...Rory & Daneisha, J.J. & Moriah, Jason & Kamla, Pat, Christie, Matt & Steph, Donnie, Anthony, Don S. , Dr. Snyder, The Parkers, The Key's, The Engfer's, Jose, Christian, Natalie, Chewy, Bob & Jodi, Marlon & Kristin, Paul & Margarita, J. Waller, D. Walton, Mark & Ariann, James, Abbey, Emnet, and last but definitely not least my baby girls Katie & Karizma. I'll send pics sometime.

Remember God has, is, and always will be doing AMAZING things, so give Him the praise!

Wuz Up Peeps,

                 I'm not too into sharing personal stuff online but then again sharing my pain is a way to let my light shine (I guess). Anyway yesterday really sucked. I mean, I'm really trying to walk by faith through this whole lay-off situation, but it's still frustrating when I get to thinking about everything we have to pay for. I mean it's crazy, my school loan payments are going to almost $500/month and car insurance which will be almost $300 (bi-annual) will both be due right after Christmas, which is when nobody has money. So I guess nobody will be getting anything from us. This is particularly hard for Katie because she's so family oriented. It's hard for me because Karizma going to be born soon. So anyway thinking about all of that in light of me getting layed-off got me feeling really discouraged and depressed. I'm really frustrated because my heart is in the ministry. And I know that minstry can be done no matter what your job is, but I want my job to be planning, organizing, and being actively involved in the ministry, to be teaching, studying and shepherding.

So (as if I wasn't depressed enough) I was searching for videos of these two songs- "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera and "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson. Both of these songs are about broken relationships with the character's father's. So that started regurgitating a lot of pain about my father. I haven't cried about him in years. So I started writing down my thoughts about him (maybe to compose a song about it someday), but I just found my thoughts getting angrier and angrier. I began dwelling on the mistakes I've made as a husband, and wondering what kind of father I'll turn out to be. My thoughts were just getting worse and worse! I remember writing down that " I hate my self because I'm just like him". That's when I realized that Satan was trying to use my broken realationship with my father to dismantle everything that God has established in my life, and the growth that He has produced in my walk. God has also taught me through this attack on my mind and emotions that there is more reconciliation that needs to take place with my father and I. I guess in my efforts of reconciling things with my father I've tried to leave my unanswered quesions and pain in the past. I've just tried to only move forward. Maybe it's like the game of soccer where sometimes the only way to move forward is to back up a little. We serve an awesome God who is good all the time, all the time He is good! Praise be to the Lord of Host!

Wuz up! Wus up! WUZ UP!!,

               I'm getting better at this, it's only eight months later (give me props). Things are pretty chill right now. I'm playing soccer with Overlea FC in the Maryland Majors men's soccer league. I did pretty well today despite not having run at all since I played at Davis, which was a year ago (see davisny.edu). I played midfield (right and left wing). It's a blast being able to play. I remember being so depressed after my last season at Davis because I thought I would never play again. So anyway we loss big time (4-0) to a bunch of African guys who played long ball all day. These guys were great with their ball skills, and always won the ball (especially in the air). Anyway that was my first game with this team. I don't know how it's going to work out with them and all. I'm still answering request from other teams who are looking for players. 

              I'm starting to get really involved at Bridgeway. Right now I'm interning with the church which is the process that the pastor's usually go through before they come on staff. Lord willing I'll be serving there on staff, which would be a dream come true in some ways. It's kind of funny, I remember hearing this sermon at church, cautioning those are considering occupational ministry, and the pastor said that if there is anything else that you can see yourself doing, that you love to do, then God probablly isn't calling you to the ministry. Now the pastor nor I dogmatically depend on that as the end all indicator, but it's a good indicator. Anyway so after hearing that I was like-well I can see myself doing carpentry, and landscaping, maybe even start my own business. Well, God I guess I'm not called to the ministry. Well since then I've worked doing both carpentry and landscaping, and I have completely lost my love of both of them. There are only three things I love to do now (other than being with Katie) is playing soccer, fishing and devoting my time to the ministry of others (sharing the word, encouraging people, teaching, praising, learning). Although I love soccer, it's not realistic to think of playing professionally. And I'm just  not hick enough to even think of fishing professionally. I do know that I would love to be able to spend the time that I'm at work doing something in the church.

                So that's the scoop with me (I'm getting tired of writing too). Peace out my peeps!