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Isaiah 30:1-2 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! The pandemic triggered many to re-evaluate every area of their life, including where they call home. From economic devastation to newfound freedom in remote work, home became less rooted. And the fantasized dream land of California is no exception. I have had the “should I stay or should I go” conversation with co-workers, friends, family, Christian and non-Christian. And depending on who you listen to or what news station you watch you might come to different conclusions. But what I had to stop and do numerous times myself because I forget too often, and I bet many Christians do too, is the following: Ask God what He wants you to do. There are those of you reading this that are thinking about leaving California. You have read the headlines about the California Exodus, the worsening homelessness crisis, bad schools, rising crime rates, insane cost of living and taxes along with all the lingering stereotypes of progressive, godless and liberal attitudes that might too many believers have deemed too unforgivable and hopelessly unchangeable. There are those of you reading this that are thinking about moving to California. For some who were raised outside the state, California is fantasized as the land of the rich and famous, where dreams come true, a home for those seeking to live their truth openly and freely, sunbathing on the beach year around one day and snowboarding in the mountains another or even the same day. And many raised here, they can’t image calling any other place home. But again I ask, what does God want you to do? I personally have been on the “it’s time to go” train a couple of time. And so have many others since the pandemic. According to the California Policy Lab, Entrances to California from other states have dropped 38% since March of last year, while the number of residents leaving to other states has increased 12%, the report from the nonpartisan California Policy Lab said. To be honest, if I had my way I would be living in Austin or Dallas. The overall vibe, people, food and affordability jives better with me. I often feel like a square in a circle hole. Check out my post Culture shock. I lived in Houston nearly 4 years and loved it. I have annoyed all my friends with my constant reminiscing of Texas. You can read about my culture shock I experienced since moving here from the Midwest. I have seriously contemplated moving back especially now that Im indefinitely a work from home employee and Austin is a city available to work from. I feel the pull to return more when I feel discouraged about what I haven’t achieved yet (marriage kids home etc) and how much easier it would be to do that there (greener grass and what not). Before the pandemic, around jan 2020, I received a DM from my old boss in Houston. She was in need of a marketing director for my old team, a massive jump in my career plans. She was willing to buy out my lease and essentially name my price to come back. After questioning my purpose being in San Diego, wondering if maybe only God wanted my parents to move without me joining them, I thought this was my answer and out. But I had enough sense to pray about it first. I was all in just waiting on God’s yes. The waiting and praying went on for days and the DMs from my boss asking for updates only added pressure. Then, like so many times before, I heard God’s still quiet voice in the shower while praying in the Spirit. “Focus on what I have called you to do and don’t waste time with distractions” was not the exact words but overwhelming feeling as all desire to take the job left. It was clear. God had spoken and the fear of the Lord sealed it. I replied with a final message to my old boss that I would have to decline the job and thanked her for even considering. It was so tempting and disappointing to say no but it was the right choice. It was only a couple of months later the pandemic was in full effect and the country shut down. One industry that has been most impacted by the pandemic is the restaurant and hospitality industry, the same industry I had just declined a few months ago. And when compared to the industry I was at the time and still am, I would have traded a secure and financially thriving industry in the pandemic era, biotech, for one that could have been financially and spiritually devastating. No one saw the pandemic coming. Hindsight is 20/20 but when we stop to ask God for His council and trust in His plan, not the temptation and deception to go where we ought not to go, foresight is 20/20. I was again reaffirmed that I need to stay put. I was visiting a church service a couple of weeks ago when one of the pastors strongly stated: Everyone is moving to Texas, but we are called to stay in California. This is where the fight is. God needs us here and we aren’t going anywhere. That message shot from the stage and slapped the sense back into me. Had I forgotten how may family prayed and fasted for God to confirm moving here and His promise that our reward was in San Diego? Had I forgotten how my whole family has been prospering like never before. How I have grown and come into my calling unlike any time in my life. The friendships I’ve never had. This blog He had me start. The many, many confirmations along the way. (Add revival references, Azusa, Four Square, Jesus Movement) I was questioning all of this because of some news reports. It would be more comfortable and easier to move to a place where I could do things my way in my own strength. Because on paper, it makes sense to move. But God’s ways our higher than our ways. And His thoughts higher than our thoughts. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength. We need to be positioned where God needs us. Not our will but His be done. We pray and read this but do we believe it? Are we willing to surrender our plans to obey God’s and follow Him to the ends of the Earth, in the valleys of the shadow of death or to the highest mountain tops? How many of us if we are honest with ourselves would upend our lives and move and leap into the unknown if it meant keeping our jobs or taking a new one with more pay for a company that would easily put you on the chopping block without explanation or notice? We are so much more that. There is God and mammon. We cannot serve both Every believer is called, with a gift, that is designed for maximum impact for the kingdom if we are in the right place at the right time God ordained for us. It is not only missed blessings on our part when we are not positioned where we need to be in God’s plan but there are those who will potentially miss out on salvation, blessing and/or encouragement because God’s chosen vessel for the task, that would be you, was not there. We must consult with God when making a move. Whether it is to stay, go and move here, only God knows what is best for you and what lies ahead. Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you that your word is a light to our feet. I repent and ask forgiveness in not coming to you first and listening to your voice in decision making. Open my ears to hear and confirm your will in my life on where I should move, if at all, in this new year. Take all desire that is not of You away and replace it with Your desires. Search my heart and root out all wrong motives, fears and doubts that could influence my actions. I surrender my life to you as my Lord and Savior and trust you have plans exceedingly and abundantly better than mine and the best intentions for my life. I ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Application: Set aside your pros and cons list and devote the next week in focused prayer and/or fasting and quiet time to consult the wisdom of God. Journal what God speaks to you. Ask for confirmation and check if it aligns with scripture.

How did I get here? Why do I feel so distant to God when I used to feel so close in the past? The past two years of the pandemic have been a once in a generation whirlwind, upheaving every area of our lives. A great shifting and sorting have shaken the world and settled us all into a new normal. And through all the disturbances of lost jobs, cancelled plans, dreams deferred, sickness and death, new perspectives, record levels of anxiety and substance abuse, therapy sessions, deep reflecting, broken relationships and political fission……you may have noticed or maybe not that you might have gotten off track, maybe a little bit or a lot. And the specific track I am referring to is God’s track for your life. The purposes, plans and calling God has for you may have gotten cloudy or lost completely. It certainly happened to me. Starting this blog is a God given assignment I received in 2020 during quarantine. But admittedly, I got distracted and got off track. Now, in the fresh new year of 2022, I am back ready to finish a list of things I startedAnd what I found so scary now looking back at how I drifted from what I knew was God in my heart is how easy and subtle the drift happens. Doom strolling replaced my devotional time and choked the word of God. Isolation released the thoughts I held captive and magnified the lies, doubts and fears. You turn to the ways and methods of the world because these are unprecedented times and is God even paying attention? For me, I am truly grateful for how God has positioned me and provide during the pandemic. I was able to work from home and being at a biotech firm, one I had never heard of until I started working there, had one of the most financially blessed years of my life so far with the numerous spot bonuses and promotion, more on that later. But because I was not intentional in my relationship with God, I did not put Him first, instead, placing it on autopilot. After series of events in the last quarter of the year, I received a revelation from the book of Ezra that confirmed how I got back on track with God, and you can too. 1. Fasting “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:21-23 NKJV In my experience, fasting brings spiritual clarity like no other and brings powerful revelations that empower answered prayers perfectly in the center of God’s will. That is what happened to me August 2021 when and the end of a 21 day fast it became abundantly clear that I had gotten off track. I was stubbornly fixated on getting my MBA after getting caught up in the rat race and comparing myself into a restless FOMO spiral that only more education and money could solve. So, most of the year I devoted hundreds of hours to GMAT prep and application prep, school rankings and virtual info sessions. Never did I ask God is taking two years out of my life to go to my dream school in NYC was the best path for me. To be honest, I never had peace about it and being even more honest, I didn’t ask because I already knew the answer. So, I labored on in my carnal pursuit without the favor the comes with following God’s plan all the while putting my faith and self-worth into getting a 700 score on a test. But then only a few days after the fast, I applied for another internal job at my company on a whim, something I never thought to do in five years working there. It was a position on a team with a former manager and the role was exactly the work I wanted to do and a promotion. I was fast tracked though the HR process an in the new role in 2 weeks with a pay increase 2xs the amount I was told was possible for an internal move. As much as I was excited for the new role and pay, I felt the biggest release lift off me. This was not coincidence. God provided the same income I would expect coming out of grad school after two years with no debt. I felt like I came out of a trance. I knew going back to school was wrong. I was given an out. The stress and pressure was gone. God made it clear to stay because He had other plans for me. 2. Find your Tribe “Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And all those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.” Ezra 1:5-6 NKJV Iron sharpens iron. When two or more are in agreement. A three-chord strand is not easily broken. Bad company corrupts good habits. Finding and walking with people who are headed in the same direction makes it a lot easier to stay on track to your destination. You can look out for each other, make sure no one gets lost, or takes a wrong exit. Encourage each other along the way. I’m reminded of cross-country road trips I have taken. You have a driver, someone in shotgun to help with navigation, someone else as DJ to keep the hits coming. Someone to manage the snacks. When the driver is tired, someone else can take over. And all the cost can be split making it cheaper for everyone. Plus, the conversation, laughs and good company to make the long journey feel short and way more enjoyable. The same is true in our walk with God. There are people God also wants to walk with on the specific path He has you on. 3. Prophetic Reminder “So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” Ezra 6:14 NKJV As I was reading Ezra, the section that stood out to me the most, and spawned the revelation that inspired me to write this post, was when the prophet Haggai had to prophesy to Israel how they still had their assignment to finish in rebuilding the wall and temple. Israel had stopped building the wall, something God had stirred their hearts to do, because enemy nations plead with the king to stop them because the enemy was afraid of Israel’s rise if the walls were rebuilt. And for a brief moment, the God given assignment to built the wall was halted. But when a new king came into power, Israel, under the prophetic words from Haggai, started rebuilding again. After the new king looked into the records and found the original decree allowing Israel to rebuild, he decreed and empowered Israel to finish what they started. The enemy will do everything in his power to distract, discourage or delay what he knows God is calling you to do. For me, I was called and stirred to start this blog in 2020 and to write books that I have yet finish. I have paused due to my own admitted laziness and stubbornness and excuses but I also know some of it has been spiritual attacks from the enemy. But after reading Ezra and looking back on how I know have the passion and drive to finish what I started, with the blog books and more God has called me to do, I am committed to staying on track in 2022 and seeing the completion of the works God has moved in my spirit to do.

Oh 2020, have you no shame? What more do you want from us? Name your price. The white flag has been raised. We can't take it anymore. In the long list of hopes and dreams that were dashed this year, the year of COVID, one of them was Comic Con. Comic Con, an annual pilgrimage of nerds, freaks and geeks to geek mecca, always seemed to be a lofty dream as a teen and young adult, longing from the far reaches of Indiana where I grew up. California seemed a world away, let alone this premier event of pop culture, art and entertainment that I desperately wanted to mingle with. Then I moved to San Diego. Literally, one of the first things I researched to do once in SD was how to get Comic Con tickets, even before looking for employment (yes, priorities). That is where I learned about the infamous lottery process for the chance to purchase tickets. First, you have to go to https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ and create a member ID if you have never been. You will need this to get alerts and info about attending, to participate in the lottery and to receive your badge. Then, in the fall of the year before the event, you have to enter THE LOTTERY. There are two lotteries: one for returning attendees you went the previous year only and one open lottery for everyone else who still doesn't have a badge after the first lottery. You are emailed a link with a time you have to be on a desktop computer, usually 9am PST, where you enter your member ID and at the stroke of 9:00, you enter a digital waiting room and....wait....and wait.......and wait to be selected by some comic con wizard to bestow the privilege of giving him money to attend his Grand Gala. It is nerve racking. Each passing minute is needle to the heart because badges always sell out within 40 minutes. In the 3 lotteries I've been in, the lottery never made it to 10am without selling out. There are only 100,000 badges given out, and you are competing in a world lottery. And if you are new, there are less badges to give out because the returners already claimed theirs in their lottery. Now, the following tip and story about what not to do brings up heated emotions in my family that I would recommend not bringing up at the next family reunion. The tip is to increase your chances of being picked, have other people WHO ARE NOT GOING to enter the lottery so if they get picked, they can put your name and ID on the badge, then you cashapp/venmo/paypal the money. One person can buy up to 3 badges, but everyone will need their own member ID to get a badge. Well, on our first go at the lottery, my brother Tommy and cousin Anysha, who lived in Indiana, planned extensively our Comic Con trip. Her brother Adryan never committed and was not involved in planning but was recruited to be a line filler to increase our chances. He was given explicit instructions on what to do in the chance he got picked, which was to put Tommy, Anysha and my name on the badges. (You may know where this is going.) So picture this. My brother and I sitting in the kitchen, bright and early, computers on and charging, credit cards and IDs ready and our phones on speaker as we talk to Anysha and Adryan, who were living together at the time. Giddy with excited, while knowing our chances are slim, we ran through scenarios, discussed who might be at the Con, what exclusive items we might grab, the places we'll eat......oh, just give us the badges already! The clock strikes 9. We enter the waiting room. Is everyone in? What are you seeing? Just a load bar and countdown to next refresh. There were a few false alarms. "You got it??!?!?!? Oh, I thought you said you did. You did????? Oh, you didn't?" The screen refreshes............................ ......................nothing. Still in the waiting room. Thirty minutes have passed and the soaring hope begins to recede into a gripping denial headed toward devastation. Fewer and fewer words were spoken. Contingency plans never discussed began formulating. We had to get picked. Why? Because. Because we had to. We wanted it too much. Then I hear whispers. My brother typing. "What is it?" I could tell something was going on. "Did Adryan get picked?" Silence. (He is sitting right next to me.) "Did Adryan get picked?" No response. I'm now angry. "What are you doing? What is happening?" Adryan has been selected Now it's pandemonium. Screams of joy. Everyone shouting over each other. Imaging my cousin running down the stairs to confirm with her brother. Member IDs and credit card numbers being shouted over the phone. "Did you get it right? Do you have it? WHAT IS HAPPENING? What are you seeing? TELL ME EVERYTHING." And that's when the truth came out. Adryan had made it to the payment page but Anysha's name was not on the list of badges. Why is Adryan's name on there? He said he wasn't going because he did not have money. But now, with the opportunity at hand, claims he planned to go all along. Devastation. There was never a scenario where this would happen. That he would get a badge and attend. My mother in the living room laughing at all of this: Comic Con, our excitement, the lottery, our incomprehensible determination and now this betrayal. I thought Anysha would murder him. He couldn’t go back to change name and ID. Our arguing and disbelief was futile. The timer to pay was close to ending and payment had to continue The badges were purchased for Tommy, me......and Adryan. I didn’t know what to say. I was just as devastated, by the injustice of it all. He stole her badge. Yes, he got picked but that was not the arrangement. Anysha surprisingly took it well (don't worry though, she would attend the following year. And will again in 2021 when our 2020 badges rollover from this year's cancellation.) Lesson: Be careful who you recruit to stand in line for you So Tommy, Adryan and I attended our first Comic Con. We only had badges for Friday and Saturday as the other days were sold out. We had no idea what we were doing and we were ill prepared for the heat and crowds. Luckily, my brother was able to score a night at one of the Gaslamp hotels, which is another, much more competitive lottery. Besides exploring the actual convention itself, which is basically the world's largest, most exclusive comic book store and geek man cave zapped with gamma rays, we really wanted to get into Hall H, the premier convention hall with the best panels of casts and celebrities of the biggest shows and movies, and hardest to get into. You have to get in line the day before, so early Friday morning around 7am, we got in line for an event that would start Saturday late morning. We thought we were early but the line was already hundreds of people long who got there at 5am. In line, we took shifts going into the convention and bringing back food and drinks. They did not start passing out the wristbands for Hall H till about 8pm. I was frantically checking Twitter to see if they had run out because even though we had been in line for over 12 hours, that did not mean we would get the wristband to enter Hall H. There are 4 groups of wristbands: A,B,C,D. Once D is gone, you are out of luck. Just wasted your whole day. Try again next year. So with each tweet of someone's lettered band, I could gage the chances of getting a band. At this point, the sun is down, and everyone is eagerly standing in anticipation, hypothesizing how close the volunteers passing out bands were and calculating the odds of making it to our part of the line. But then, we see flash lights. The bands made it to our part of the line. But would they run out before they get to us? The kept getting closer and closer. They could run out at any moment. Just short of reaching us. If we had only gotten up 30 minutes to get in line. They creep closer and closer. We got this. The devastation to get so close and not get in is too unbearable to contemplate. And then................. YES! WE GOT THEM. GROUP D. THE FINAL GROUP. After my heart rate returned to normal, we had to ask a very important question: What next? Originally, we were going to head home after getting our bands but after waiting all day, we were too afraid of leaving our spot in line and too unsure how it would work leaving and getting back in line in the morning. So, we joined the overnight slumber party in Embarcadero Park behind the convention center to hold our spot in line to get into the infamous Hall H. Again, we were woefully unprepared, not bringing enough snacks, water, seating, shade and something to sleep on outdoors on the incest covered grass of the marina behind the convention center. Side note: though getting into HALL H on our first Con and getting to see and hear from the cast and crew of Black Panther, Justice League, Stranger Things, Blade Runner, Ready Player One, Westworld, Thor Ragnarok and Atomic Blonde was a stellar achievement and great experience, the mental and physical lengths to get there are not worth repeating. I can say I did all that and now move on with my life. Year 2 was much better because we applied a lot of lessons from our year one, including getting a hotel room for every night in Mission Valley. We also won another lottery to attend the Conan O'Brien Comic Con taping. It would have been my third time this year to score tickets (thanks to my brother who has a gift of being selected in the lottery for tickets and hotels). But instead, I am sitting at home looking through pictures reminiscing about what could have been this year. I guess that's not so bad. Fingers crossed for 2021. Check out all things Comic Con at the link below: https://sdccblog.com/

May 16th commemorates my fourth year living in California. Man, it has gone by so fast. The entire move started with a phone call out of the blue from my mother. We were living in Houston, TX at the time. I was doing just fine. I had my own place, car, getting promotions at work, involved at church. Life was good. But when my mom called asking if I would be willing to move to San Diego, CA, I was caught off guard. If you knew my mother, you would know not to get too excited by such hypothetical questions as they usually didn’t manifest into anything. But she was serious. My mom and stepdad were experiencing difficult financial situations and spiritual warfare and while on a fast, my stepdad was given a job opportunity in San Diego and my mom received a word from God saying, “Your reward is in San Diego.” When she told me this, I had a decision to make. Did God also want me to go to San Diego? I had never been to California and none of us knew anyone there. The same was true about Houston before moving there. I went into prayer and thought seriously about it. After multiple conversations with my mother, I decided that moving to California was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I had no strong ties to Houston other than I loved being a Texan and still miss it greatly. I never received an audible or definitive word from God to move. But I also didn’t hear anything about staying put. I’ve never been a person to base life decisions around a job, so other than that, I really didn’t have a reason to stay. My brother was graduating from college so it worked out that we would pick him up from Indiana University, where I went to school too, come back to Houston to pack and then hit the road for golden coast. I never imagined actually living in California. I dreamt about it. Growing up I wanted to be a filmmaker. I actually got accepted into NYU Tisch School of Arts for filmmaking but it was too expensive, and I was offered a full ride at IU where I studied Marketing with a concentration in video production. Like most people, especially coming from the Midwest, California has this persona of being America’s paradise and the land of dreams. That dream was becoming a reality. What really confirmed that God was with us in the move was how He provided for us to get here. We had moved to Houston as an act of faith but the move tested us beyond what we were expecting (more on that in a future post.). The biggest hindrance of moving to California was the difficulty and struggle we had moving to Houston. We didn’t want to repeat that, especially not my mother. But by faith, we put in our two week notices. When I told my co-workers where I has going, they were shocked. Repeatedly, as if scripted, everyone told me how beautiful San Diego was and how expensive it was. That would lead to the question of "do you have a job lined up?" I answer was no. None of us had jobs lined up. My stepdad’s opportunity wasn’t even guaranteed. We were literally living off the promise of God’s word. I was too afraid to tell people that, to be honest, because telling non-believers your moving across the country to live in one of the most expensive states with no job, just God’s word, get you crazy stares and whispers. Heck, there are Christians we have told that look at us in disbelief when sharing the testimony. To avoid the awkwardness I would say "oh, I’m going with my parents and I’m looking into getting my MBA", which was true. I was seriously considering going to USC and still considering. Everyone would always respond in some form of "I wish I could move to San Diego." Which struck me as sad. I am sure many of them had legitimate reasons why they couldn't make the move they wanted. Many of these people surely had more opportunities and resources to move if they really wanted to, but something was holding them back. Many would consider our move reckless. But nothing is more secure and guaranteed than living on a prayer and God’s promises. There are so many people limiting themselves from experiencing the most in life because fear and putting their trust in something other than God. I need a job lined up first. I have to get my things in order first. I need to have money saved first. These are all wise things you should do when considering a big move. But sometimes when walking by faith, God wants you to make the first move in faith and obedience, and He will take care of the rest. It's exactly what happened with Abraham in the Bible. That is exactly what happened in our case. After putting in our notices at work and not renewing our leases at apartments, there was no looking back. My mom, in intense prayer for a specific type of apartment, by faith started calling apartments while still in Houston until she found one she liked. It was a three level townhome apartment. The blessing was that they were willing to let us move in with out any of us having a job or able to provide proof of income once moving there. Unprecedented. My mom later told me that when she was praying in the car, frustrated in not finding a place, God spoke to her to just call without considering the lack of requirements usually required for moving in. She obeyed, and we had a place to stay just like that. We got my brother, packed our stuff and hit the road for a cross country move. We took three cars and nothing else. No moving truck. We donated all of our furniture and anything that couldn’t fit in the car. Only a small amount of personal items were placed in a storage unit to be shipped later. It was a two day drive, 8 hours crossing just Texas on I-10 going through El Paso. I would have been faster but my stepdad’s car got two tire flats on separate occasions. After getting through the flat, desert plains of rolling tumbleweeds and sand tornadoes and the high wind, high altitude mountains of Arizona, where we stayed the night in Yuma, we began our entry into California. I was shocked to see sand dunes crossing the state border. I was even more surprised by the rolling hills and mountains of San Diego. We were stunned. We could not believe how beautiful it was. A far cry from the flat plains of Indiana and the Ohio River Valley. I am almost embarrassed that I did not know there were places that looked like this in America. I knew California had beaches and palm trees, but imagines of the French Riviera I always wanted to visit came to mind when I saw the homes and buildings along the hillsides. As our initial shock began to wear off, we finally came into our destination of Oceanside, CA. It was a Sunday. We were scheduled to get our keys to the apartment the next day. So we pulled into a nearby Motel 6 and decompressed. This was our new home. In our research of California before coming we had heard of a little burger place called In N Out. There was one by the Motel 6 so we went there to have our first meal in California. The double-double with grilled onions and chilis is now my go to order after visiting countless times and experimenting with variations. But the fries are lacking. I’ve had them in just about every variation and something is off. But I digress. Looking back over these 4 years I have to say I do not regret moving here. I am so glad we took a step of faith to get here. The first few months after moving here, we had enough savings to explore and enjoy without the pressure of looking for jobs. I was able to go to San Francisco, Orange county and numerous beaches before getting a digital marketing job where I am currently employed. All of us found jobs quickly, as soon as we started looking. God came through on His promise. Though there has been a significant culture shock that was felt later and the cost of living can present some problems, we are doing very well and are blessed. I personally have grown the most spiritually in my life since moving here, been more involved in the church than I have ever been, grown more professionally and created some of the most significant relationships I have ever had. My family often discusses what exactly the reward God was talking about when He called us here. There are many blessings that I can recall since moving here. But I would have to say that I believe that my reward from God has been a lifelong journey of bringing me to a place at the right time in my life with the people I was meant to meet and know so I could not only discover the truth, identity, purpose and legacy He destined me but live it out confidently. Truth. Identity. Purpose. Legacy. That is my pursuit. The last four years have been so impactful. And this is only the beginning. I believe there is so much more to come. So thank you God and thank you California. Here is to many more years of living by faith in the Golden State!

From Indiana to Texas to California, I have been to a lot of churches. I mean a lot a lot. I have seen the good, the bad and ugly. Churches of all sizes, all styles of worship, different denominations and a mix of all kinds of congregations. I've collected enough church swag, I should do unboxing videos and reviews. (*takes mental note*) With all that experience, I wanted to share some tips about finding the church God wants you at. To begin, there is no perfect church. And while we are at it, friendly reminder that church is not a building. Church is not a traditional activity we do on Sunday's. It is not something we do just because someone told us we needed to go. The church is the body of Christ. A group of believers coming together to worship God, grow in our faith and discipleship and be equipped to build His kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven. It has been said that the church is a hospital for the spiritually sick and there is some truth of that. Being a Christian is basically admitting we are broken, sinful messes in need of our Savior Jesus Christ. It has also been said that hurt people hurt other people. Which is why a level of humility, grace and mercy should be demonstrated towards God's people, understanding we are all made in the image of God. We are all in a sanctification process. We need to not be so dismissive of people and pray we see them the way God sees them. It will give you a whole new perspective. (Side note: with that said, there are situations that cross the line and even some churches can become toxic and detrimental to your spiritual growth. I am working on a post on red flags to know when it's time to leave a church, so stay posted.) Now moving on to some more advice: Get to know God and His word first But isn't church where you go to do that? Yes, but, how do you know if a particular church is teaching you the right things about God. I know many people will disagree, but I strongly recommend spending time reading the gospels, Psalms and Proverbs and learning how to pray and worship Him on your own first. This way, you have a spiritual detector to see past the cafe, and activities and production and all the superficial stuff to get to the real question: Is God even in the building or is this just some social club? John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things , and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. My upbringing in the church was mostly of the Assemblies of God and Pentecostal flavor. But my mother raised my brother and I to learn how to read the Bible on our own, get a word from God on our own, pray on our own. We couldn't rely on her relationship with God. We had to have our own. And that we shouldn't automatically accept what a pastor is saying is truth. Go home and test the spirits. Does it actually line up with the word of God? I often hear people quoting their pastor or denominational arguments more than the Bible, mostly because their foundation in faith was given to them by someone else's relationship with God and not their own. When I was in college, I was desperate to find a church and connect with fellow Christians. I began attending one church and their college men's group. Their services were meh, but I did enjoy the Bible studies and everyone was soooo friendly. Until they sat me down for "the talk." The talk that I wasn't saved because I was not water baptized. I explained that I was baptized at 17, and filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of tongues at 12. (Yes , it can happen in that order but that is for another post.) “No, that's not right“, they insisted. Because I didn't believe at the moment of my water baptism I received salvation, they believed I wasn't saved. So I would need to be water baptized again, in their church, in their way. Now if I had not had my own relationship and experiences with God that aligned with scripture, I might have fallen for it. Serious doubts about my salvation arose, and I went to more extensively study the topic on my own, avoiding commentaries and bias arguments. I was willing to admit I was wrong and be re-baptized if necessary. But first I wanted to know, "Holy Spirit, what do you say?" I returned concluding they were mistaken. I do believe they are saved Christians and I am too because of our faith, saved by grace, through no works on our own but by His on the cross. I laid out the experiences with God, went over all the scriptures with them and parted ways. I could not continue to be in an environment that constantly caused me to question my salvation. Pray God will place you where He needs you to be Friendly reminder: it's not all about you. Finding a church should not be about convenience. Questions that we ask that don't matter: How far is the church? How is the worship? Is the pastor funny? Is there a cafe? What kind of activities do they have for me and my family? Questions you should be asking: What are the opportunities for me to serve? Will my gifts and calling be utilized and developed for building His kingdom? Are the teachings convicting and anointed? Are the people there a part of the body of Christ God wants me to be connected with? Don't see something you would like at your church? Instead of thinking "that sucks, let's move one", think "maybe I can start that up at this church." When I moved to California, I prayed for 3 specific things when I decided on what church to attend: divinely connecting with the right people to mutually push each other into our God given purpose a place my gifts and callings would be utilized and developed a place I would find my wife After countless, meet and greets with the pastor, spiritual tests, new member classes and small group introductions, I finally found a church, despite my initial hesitation and criticisms (pray for me) that God wants me at. Though still waiting on that last thing, the last two years of attending my current home church has far exceeded my expectations and changed me for the better. I have grown so much spiritually, been involved more than I have ever been in a church and taken on multiple leadership roles. I started baptizing people and teaching in front of large groups. I am praying and leading people to salvation more than ever before. The favor of God has been strong on me in all the areas I am serving. And that is the key. I am serving more than I am consuming. Put God first and He will show up. But it all started with changing from a "what I can get from the church" mindst to "what does God want me to do for this church?" mindset. Quick Tips: Be Patient God wants you planted in His body more than you do. It can be exhausting; I know. But keep the faith. You will find home. Visit a Small Group The Sunday service should play a small role in your decision to join a church. It may be the main event but remember, we the people are the church. And if you are serious about planting roots in your new church home, you need to meet and know the people you are going to do life with. Visit a small group to sense the spiritual maturity of the congregation. Who are these people? I personally believe in diverse congregations because that is what Heaven will look like. What is flowing from the head should be flowing to the body. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the good preaching and example and how people are translating it in everyday life. You don't want to be unequally yoked to the wrong body. Check out their statement of belief This should be very easy to find on their website, if they have one. ( If they don't, see it as an opportunity to serve instead of judging them. ). Consider it a warning if this is hard to find or it is vague with little to no scriptural support. A church should not be afraid to state what they believe. Side note: I always check to see what they say about the Holy Spirit. That is the major differentiator for most churches. I'll leave it up to you to determine what it should say - hint, ask the Holy Spirit. What ministries do they have? A great way to learn about opportunities to serve or opportunities to step in and fill a gap. Are there online messages? This is an efficient way to check out multiple churches quickly, but does not at all replace the live experience. Don’t be distracted by the style of the preaching or the appearance of the pastor. Question to keep in mind: Are the messages Bible based? Are the messages anointed? With these tips, I pray you find your church home like I did. It will be sooner than you know.

This 7-day devotional series will reveal how to spend this time in quarantine reflecting and examining your life through God‘s eyes, so that you can redeem your thoughts towards your past, be present with Him and boldly enter the post-COVID world in the center of His perfect will in this season of our lives and the next. I didn’t realize I was a beach bum until I moved to California. I never grew up around the beach being from Indiana but as soon as I started going to the beach, I realized I could sit there all day doing nothing. I quickly bought a tent, beach chair and towel. I don’t go nearly enough. I plan to change that once I move closer. But sitting on the sand, watching the waves and staring over the horizon is mesmerizing. It seems infinite. The beach is the perfect place to reflect and do one of my favorite things: Dream. God sized dreams. About my future. Like I said before, a new normal is coming. Instead of fighting it, I want to be equipped and positioned to take advantage of the new opportunities that lie ahead. And how awesome that we serve a God who knows all things and can reveal the things to come. If only we were bold enough to ask and believing enough to listen for an answer. So many ideas have been birthed for me in this quarantine, including starting this blog. I am sure there will be all kinds of new technologies, businesses, practices and procedures developed from the pandemic. Wouldn’t you rather be an influencer of what becomes the new normal than have the new normal forced upon you? The world should be looking to God’s people for solutions and what’s next instead of the other way around, which has become common. Waiting on the world to change when, we the church, should be changing it. We have too much power and authority to sit back and wait to see what happens. Let's spend this time in reflection partnering with God on the future and our role in it. Wisdom is essential in navigating the weeks and months ahead. No one knows what is coming next, only God and maybe the creators of the Simpsons . I believe there is an ocean of creativity that has not been tapped by the body of Christ, rich in innovations that can change the course of your life and those around, all for His glory. Whom shall we fear when He goes before us, making our paths straight and lighting our way. Jesus calls us not to worry about tomorrow and we should not because if He is with us today, He will surely be with us tomorrow and the next day. He has a plan and hope and future for us that far exceeds our expectations and imagination. Your future is bright if it remains in Him. All we need to do is set our gaze upon Him, knowing as surely as the sunsets and rises again, so does God fulfill every promise He has for you, if you stay faithful. Scriptures to Read: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established. Application: Create a dream board, using scriptures, pictures, drawings, whatever to visually represents the promises and dreams God has for your life. Write the vision and make it plain to anyone who may see it. Post it somewhere you can see it every day. Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask for wisdom. Lead me into all truth and guide me in the direction I should go. You have a hope and future for me. Search my heart and remove all that may hinder me. Renew my mind that I may know your perfect will. Give me the desires of your heart Lord. Synchronize my heart, mind and spirit with yours so we are one. Let me dream your dreams without limitations. Give me faith to walk out the truth identity, purpose and legacy you have for me to bring glory and honor for your kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven. Amen

This 7-day devotional series will reveal how to spend this time in quarantine reflecting and examining your life through God‘s eyes, so that you can redeem your thoughts towards your past, be present with Him and boldly enter the post-COVID world in the center of His perfect will in this season of our lives and the next. Thank God for hot showers. They are laboratories of epiphany. I don’t know if it’s the hot water hitting the skin, the feeling of cleanliness or slight vulnerability that is freeing, calming…and present. The hyper self-awareness centers me, allowing me to feel every second going by. Its probably why it's in the shower I can hear God the most and clearest and further proves the value of taking the time to be present. Being present in a moment can be challenging. I, for one, am often dwelling in the past like I mentioned in previous posts or constantly dreaming about the future leaving little time to be productive in the moment. And then there is the addictive and mindless habit of checking my phone and needing to be constantly stimulated with updates and endless scrolling. All of this robs us of the richness of life that surrounds us at any given moment. It can blind us to things right in front of us that we might later regret for not appreciating once it's gone. Reflecting on the present is an activity of taking inventory. Emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally and every other area in your life. What are things you can be thankful for today, and what things do you feel are missing? There is a lot of talk about the new normal that is already here in some ways and on its way in others. One thing I have learned is working from home isn’t so bad. I also learned I wanted to start a blog and podcast and business and finally take advantage of this moment because with so many distractions gone, I can think clearly about where I am in life. I don’t want to go back to normal. God makes a way out of no way and is ready to do a new thing. I want to be ready for that. That means I need to be listening to what He is saying in my spirit now. So many Christians are still relying and doing things from an old season, that they are missing what God is doing now. God might have called you to that church but now He might need your gifts and talents for another. Maybe the job God blessed you with has reached its expiration date because He has a better opportunity for you now. We need the fresh manna of God daily. When God delivered manna to the children of Israel, he gave them enough for that day only. If they tried to save it for the next day, it rotted and was crawling with maggots. Manna represents God’s living, right now word or rhema, the spirit to spirit communication God uses to speak with us today that is always aligned with His written word or logos, in the Bible. That is why we don’t live on bread alone but every word that proceeds from His mouth and, why Jesus referred to himself as the bread of life. He is our spiritual manna today. Faith is NOW. We need to be hearing what He is saying daily. That way we are dependent on Him daily and not running off ahead without Him, a persistent problem I have. That is why God often gives us the whole vision of the promise for hope but then only gives us pieces of the instructions to get there, always having to be present with Him every step of the way. As you reflect on your present situation, think about some of the answers to these questions: Am I where I need or want to be? Am I in the center of His will presently? What moves or changes do I need to make today to get there if I’m not? How is my relationship with God currently? What can I begin doing today to improve it? God has so much He wants to share with you. God has all the answers. Carve out some time to be alone with God today. The past is gone and, tomorrow is not promised. Carpe diem – seize the day! Scriptures to Read: Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Matthew 6:33-35 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah Application: Take some time view God's creation. Either on a walk or sitting on porch or balcony during sunset or sunrise, pause for a moment to admire God's creation and what it reveals about His nature. Write down or record what is revealed. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for waking me up and breathing life into me to enjoy this wonderful day you have made. I rejoice and choose to be glad in it. I repent of not putting you first and giving you the scraps of my time and attention. I come boldly to your throne, grateful and humble, seeking You. Your voice. Your presence. I ask that you set the agenda and not me. Pour your heart out to Me God so that I may know your ways and thoughts. What are your concerns? What would you have me to do today? Open my ears to hear and give me a heart receptive to what you have to say. Thank you for the blood of Jesus that allows me to have a relationship with you and to know you. Amen

This 7-day devotional series will reveal how to spend this time in quarantine reflecting and examining your life through God‘s eyes, so that you can redeem your thoughts towards your past, be present with Him and boldly enter the post-COVID world in the center of His perfect will in this season of our lives and the next. In previous devotionals in this series, I have talked about mostly what not to do during your time of reflection - resisting from turning to old ways and reviewing your past from a negative perspective and not God’s perspective. But there are things in our past that are worth reflecting on and things God actually insists meditating and reflecting on: Testimonies I love testimonies. I love thinking about my own and love hearing about others even more. (Definitely expect testimonies in future blog posts). Testimonies are faith builders. They prophesy God’s will over our lives. They are the evidence of God’s existence, His power, His love. It also fulfills the checklist of qualifying thoughts the Bible says we should be meditating on. Testimonies can: Defeat the enemy Prophesy Win Souls Build your Faith Honestly, meditating on testimonies has pulled me back into faith in the face of overwhelming doubt and unbelief, which is kryptonite to our faith walk with God. The most difficult season of doubt I’ve ever had was my junior year in college. I began entertaining thoughts about whether Jesus was truly the way, the only way? Is my faith just a factor of me being born in a Christian home in a Christian nation? Wouldn’t I be just as devote and faithful to Islam if born and raised in an Islamic home and nation? And what if all religion is BS anyway? I would watch debates and listen to atheist arguments and seriously consider their point of view. I would question passages in the Bible and became increasingly angry at prayers that weren’t being answered. Was there a God even there to listen? I tried confiding in the few Christian friends I had, but to no fault of their own, were insufficient in aiding me. I had to do what David did. He encouraged himself in the Lord. I looked over my life and the experiences I had with God that I just could not deny. Hearing His voice, feeling His presence, seeing Him heal and deliver. Any truly intimate relationship will have experiences and encounters that are without question real. That is the type of relationship God wants with His children. My faith is strong today because it is built on His word coming alive in tangible ways and being experiential. As I reflected on the testimonies in my life, the doubt dissipated. I came out of that season of doubt stronger because I reflected on His testimonies in my life. I don’t think I can overstate how important testimonies are - for our spiritual wellness and as a tool to witness and win others to Christ. God even commands that we hold on to His testimonies to remember and to pass down to current and future generations. So in this time of reflection, as news continues to remind us of the worsening conditions of the outbreak, racial injustice and now killer bees, spending time on what God has done, what He can do and will do again is a perfect remedy for any situation but especially these days. Scriptures to Read: Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Psalm 119 2-3 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways! Joshua 4:5-7 ...and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” 1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. Application: Take a pen and paper (or digital device) and write down as many testimonies where God showed up and showed out that you absolutely can’t deny. Take time to reflect and relive the moments. Find someone who needs a breakthrough in one of the areas you have had breakthrough from your testimony list. Then reach out to them to share your testimony and prophesy over them what God did for you. Prayer: Thank you Jesus for being the author and finisher of my faith. Thank you for all that you have done for me. I have so much to be thankful for. Bring to remembrance the times you have been a blessing in my life that I might have forgotten. Renew my mind to think of your testimonies first before I have a chance to complain. Give me boldness to share my testimonies with others. Highlight to me those who need to hear the amazing wonders you have done in my life. I will pass along my testimonies to my children and grandchildren to strengthen their faith and serve you all of their lives. Your testimonies will always be before me and in my thoughts. Thank you for the greatest testimony of all: dying for me that I may have eternal life with you and all my sins washed away. Amen

Unpopular Opinion: Hiking is overrated I said it, and I don’t care who heard it. *somewhere a Californian just choked on some kombucha* I am not against the principle of hiking. It's a form of exercise and being one with nature and all that. I get it. The bigger issue I have with it is the pressure for me to like it. Everyone here says they love hiking. Everyone . And I’m not so sure people actually like hiking so much as the peer pressure to like it. It is a common observation I have noticed that the Californian has a particular mindset and view that is incapable of computing any dissenting opinion against the Californian way. "Don’t you love fresh air?", they’ll say. "Don’t you love the outdoors? What’s not to like?" No response will satisfy. I do enjoy nature….preferably from my air-conditioned apartment on my couch watching Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Hostile Planet and all the other Planet shows. There are many ways to enjoy nature. Hiking is just not my preferred way. I actually prefer city dwelling. Walking the streets of a major city at night and people watching. I loved doing that in New York. I'm weird. I know. If you move to California, I am warning you now that you will be asked to go on a hike numerous times. And you will do it. You won't have a choice. If you are to live in this land and get along with its people, you have to go on a hike. It’s the law! But rebellion is a continual thorn in my flesh (pray for me) so anyone or anything that remotely tries to force me to do or participate in something, my first instinct is to say "No" and fight it. That is not a recommended way to go about life. I’m working on it. That is why the first few times I was invited to go on hike I said, "Absolutely. Why not?" That has led me on a few hikes since living in San Diego county. Torrey Pines. Mission Hills. Potato Chip Rock. Double Peak Park. There are at least two I would recommend, but on this post I will speak on one: Potato Chip Rock: I went on this purely for the photo opportunity that awaits you at the top of a two hour hike at increasing elevation and steep inclines as a reward for your efforts. #ididitforthegram. It was the morning of my birthday, and I had only gotten 3 hours sleep because the night before I was in Tijuana with friends at a Toros baseball game. Side Note: Baseball in Mexico is waaaay more entertaining than American baseball. I would not hesitate to go back to another. $6 seats behind the plate. Two huge fish tacos and a coke for $4. Endless music and eclectic merchants and numerous mascots running around. Oh, and a game was also happening. But I digress. So after crossing the border and getting home at 2am, I slept and got up at 5am to meet my friends for the hike (not advisable). Tip: Always hike as early as possible. You will have the whole day ahead of you when done. You’ll feel good about yourself. And most importantly, you will avoid the crowds and the heat. Now here's the thing about the Potato Chip trails. There is an easier, flatter incline path and a harder path. I voted for easy but I’m believer in the path of least resistance, work smarter not harder mentality. And I’m only in it for the picture. My friends out voted me though because they were in it for the exercise and sense of accomplishment, which I’ll never understand. If I want to accomplish something that has impact on the world or lives and not in my ability to climb rocks but to each their own. So we hiked. And hiked. Stopped to caught breath. Hiked some more. And some more. Stopped to breath and conceal my regret for coming. More hiking. Be lapped by some elderly health freak. Passed through the clouds. Stopped to look at view as an excuse to take a break. And then more hiking. Finally, FINALLY. Two hours later there is was. Potato Chip Rock. And a line for pictures. Side Note: For you beginners and those new to working out, you may experience the following while on this hike: Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Sweats Muscle and body aches Headache Chest pain Basically the coronavirus symptoms. Tip: plenty of water and hiking boots are required. It can get hot and the paths slippery. It is actually dangerous climbing up on the rock, and coming down is even trickier. You’ll have to shimmy and slid down carefully. I’m surprised I don’t hear about more accidents up there. You are truly standing on the edge of a cliff. The view is stunning. But your time on the rock will be short as others are waiting for their "king of the world" moment. So after lounging around and taking our pictures, we headed back (1 hour to come down) and headed to the Broken Yolk Cafe for my birthday breakfast. Did I have a good time? Yes, i was with friends. Would I do it again? No, because why? I have my picture. If I were the hiking type....I guess. I can't deny hiking is in my future because when in Rome. And dating in California will make it inevitable. But my preference for exercise is CrossFit, strength training and swimming. I prefer the beach over the mountains 9 times out of 10. I do draw the line at anything over 2 hours for hiking. I have friends that go backpacking or have gone on eight hour hikes straight up a mountain in snow. That's insane. That is not fun at all. Hiking is just not for me. For those interested in hiking, and more information on Potato Chip Rock at Mt Woodson, I recommend the following site: https://www.alltrails.com/

I was born and raised in Indiana. I lived in Houston, Texas for nearly 4 years after college. For those considering moving to California, know that there will be a culture shock. You won't feel it at first. It will come slowly as you settle in. Many native Californians will not understand your confusion or shock because many have not lived outside or visited much outside the state. When I meet others who moved here from out of state, we instantly connect of the...let's call it...uniqueness of California.Texas has its pride. New York has its attitude. The South has its charm among other things. But they all feel like America. California is truly out on its own. Some of its good. Some of its just different. Here are just some of the things I didn't know and had to a just I didn't know how conservative I was until I moved to California. I didn’t know ordering soda was a sin or that people called “pop” or "coke" soda for that matter. I didn’t realize people would vote to increase gas prices. I couldn’t imagine paying for grocery bags, something people again voted for. I didn’t know straws were public enemy number one. I didn’t know Disneyland was better than Disney World, according to people have not been to Disney World. I didn’t know there were people who had never heard of or tasted chicken and waffles. Or chicken biscuits. I never imagined 90% of my friend group would be Mexican. I have never been mistaken for being Dominican or Puerto Rican ever in my life. I didn’t know how much I love bachata music and that it's basically R&B music in Spanish. I had never been mistaken for a Marine, apparently not many black men in San Diego that aren’t in the military. I didn’t realize how out of shape and unsightly my appearance and body was. I didn’t know celery water was a thing. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy dancing to bachata and salsa. I didn’t know how much I love BBQ until I moved to California and have yet to find any good BBQ (Phil’s BBQ is trash). I didn’t know vegan 4th of July BBQs were a thing. I didn’t know dogs were on the same level as humans in terms of value of life and preferred over having children. I didn’t know how much I would love being a beach bum. I didn’t know the people I would meet in my late 20’s might be the best friends I have for life. I didn’t know difference in the reality and the perception of Los Angeles would be so jarring. I didn’t know I would have my first car accident (totaled) and car broken into (twice, one time in San Fran in a rental car). I didn’t know being direct or honest could be perceived as offensive. I didn’t know people associate the words “hiking” and “fun”. I didn’t know I would be baptizing people in the ocean. I didn’t know people actually, genuinely cared for me outside my family. I didn’t know I would minister a wedding for a couple who met in my bible group. I didn’t know how much I would LOVE Mexican food (apparently the Mexican food I grew up eating in Indiana that I hated wasn’t real Mexican food, who knew?). I didn’t know I would be used by God so much since moving here. I didn’t know I would be so involved and in so many ministries in leadership roles at church. I didn’t know Leroy was pronounced LeRoy. I didn’t know homelessness was unsolvable, apparently. I didn’t know how truly difficult and painful snowboarding could be. I didn’t know studio apartments could go $2500+. I didn’t know speeding tickets could be almost $400. I didn’t know there was a thing as a sunshine tax. I didn’t know how there were places this beautiful in America. I say all of this with love and appreciation. It has challenged me to grow and evaluate who I am and want to be. I have adjusted and adapted some of the Californian ways. But my roots will always be Midwestern. To more experiences, lived and learned.

I came across an article online about California pastors planning to open May 31st, despite the governor's orders that churches remain closed until phase 3 of reopening, which has yet to be determined. The link to the article is at bottom of the page. Like most articles, I just read the headline and skipped to the comments section. One comment struck me hard: Would someone please tell me why Christians feels it so important to gather in large groups to practice their faith? It seems that the lockdown would be a perfect opportunity to read the Bible cover to cover (something I bet a lot of Christians have never done). I'm atheist, but I've read the entire King James version of the Bible, the Jewish Tanakh, the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, the Buddhist Dhammapada, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, and more. I have a feeling a lot of Christians get more satisfaction and comfort from the social aspect of church than they do from the scriptures, and the pastors get their satisfaction from a full offering plate on Sunday morning. Okay, he is an atheist and is cynical and doesn't understand the very communal and important part of worshipping with other believers and being in connection with the Body..... ......but.......he's also not wrong..... The church is not a building. We are the church. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We don't need to have a church building to have church. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Too many Christians have built their faith on traditions and routine. Yes, we need the body to come together for the fellowship and community. There is power in unity and coming together to worship Jesus. But there are other ways to do that during this temporary health crisis. Let’s use our imaginations. Find Ways to Serve From food banks to checking in on your neighbors to donating blood, this is the time to be the church and not just go to church. I was able help assemble medical masks for first responders at my home church. Over all, our church helped and deliver over 350,000 medical masks. Check to see what your local church is doing. If they aren't doing anything, maybe you can be the one that starts something. For more information on how to volunteer in California, check out this link: https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/get-involved/covid-19/ At Home Bible Studies Learning how to hear from God for yourself and not just relying on some pastor to do all your feeding. Many of us should be on meat but are still on milk. Let's take the time to learn how to praise and worship when there is no worship leader. Learn how to read the Bible without some pastor or author telling you which passages to turn to. We could be teaching our kids by example that time with God isn’t just at church on Sunday but everyday, everywhere. My mom would make me and my brother write our own Bible studies and we would have to teach them to the family. That is where I learned to love studying the Bible and discovered so much that honestly is rarely taught in the church. New Ways to Connect God has blessed this generation with technology that can connect us globally and instantly like never before. Streaming and video calls should be embraced. I have co-workers organizing game nights with families and virtual happy hours over video calls. My church's prayer teams have moved to praying for people over Zoom and has been effective. Here's a crazy idea, what if you picked up the art of letter writing and sent encouraging notes to loved ones. There is no limit to how God can connect His body to accomplish His purposes. Get Alone with God To be honest, church can be a distraction from God. We can get caught up in the routine and get so busy trying to be "a good Christian" we forget what it means to be a Christian, a relationship with God. Take this time to reconnect and elevate your relationship with Him. Pray Against the Real Enemy – the government is not the enemy. Please read this scripture. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Don't get distracted. Don't fear. But there is an enemy set on killing, stealing and destroying. We need to be engaged in serious spiritual warfare instead of rushing to get back to our comfortable routines. Let's pray for our leaders, our essential workers, nurses and doctors, the scientists working on the vaccines and treatments. Let's also not forget the gift of healing and the laying on of hands to heal the sick. If more of the church walked in the power and authority Jesus gave us, the pandemic might have been over already. I don’t fear the coronavirus. I believe in the power of prayer and a God that protects and heals. I have seen Him come through too many times in my life and others to doubt Him. I am in California, and I disagree with how the lockdown orders are being implemented and that we are reaching the point that the economic collapse and detriments of lockdown are worse than the virus. It's unfair that Walmart, where people are all over each other buying non-essential items, can stay open but small businesses don't have the chance to safely reopen. But I’m not stupid either. Locking down is necessary, and it is working. The virus is highly contagious, and I believe the healthcare experts more than conspiracy theories. I would rather stay on lockdown a few more weeks than reopen, have a whole bunch people die then we shut down again and repeat over and over again. We can be inconvenienced for a little while for the benefit of other can’t we? I choose to be humble and not complain about small inconveniences that will save lives and get things back to normal sooner rather than later. Wearing mask is not the big a deal. Staying 6 feet apart, no big deal. Stay clean and sanitize, no problem. But remember, the church has not shut down and can’t because we the Christians still have our faith, our praise, our worship, our relationship with our Father and our gospel to spread. No one can take that away unless we are distracted by the strife the enemy is trying to stir up. I choose to see the opportunity in all this. An opportunity to pray like never before. An opportunity to be more like the church and repenting for being lazy and relying on the church “organization” – the building – to do the work that I should have been doing all along. Repenting for being a church consumer and not a contributor nearly enough. Repent of being afraid of being the church outside of church, Monday-Saturday. An opportunity to prepare myself for when the doors of the church do open, so I am renewed in Him so that I may pour myself out to Him with gratitude. An opportunity to not take the house of the Lord for granted. An opportunity to remind myself that nothing can separate me from the love of God, not the government or the locks on the doors of the church. https://www.championnewspapers.com/news/article_fc1e3cca-9160-11ea-89ac-0fa6937dba4d.html

This 7-day devotional series will reveal how to spend this time in quarantine reflecting and examining your life through God‘s eyes, so that you can redeem your thoughts towards your past, be present with Him and boldly enter the post-COVID world in the center of His perfect will in this season of our lives and the next. DEVOTIONAL ONE: The 'Rona shut down of 2020 has me questioning everything. What day is it and does it even matter? Will I ever need to go back to the office? Am I using enough toilet paper, because everyone else seems to be in need of a lot of it? What are virtual happy hours, and why do they exist? Is it sad the highlight of the week is going to the grocery store and best reason to have to put on pants? With the extra amount of time in quarantine, I’ve been more acquainted with my own thoughts about my life. When I pause long enough to think deeply, I do feel the Lord has impressed on my heart not to squander this time and to intentionally press into the moment, leaning on Him to co-labor in discerning this time and what He has to say. This devotional, my first, and the entire blog itself was germinated on a fast during the stay at home orders. I noticed my thoughts about my life and where it was headed, or not headed, really disturbed me with the increasing level of hopelessness. Instead of lingering in a fog of disillusionment, I turned to the Word to see how to navigate this unprecedented time. One word continuously went through my mind: reflection , specifically, godly reflection. I believe we are in a season of godly reflection. Since California and most of the country has been on lockdown and many activities of life (distractions) are gone, it can be tempting to spend a lot of time with Netflix binges and social media. Social distancing is flaring up anxieties and loneliness and the economic uncertainty has stroked fears and worries. COVID has shattered the pillars and foundations of our lives in numerous ways that if overlooked, we could miss the idols, skeletons, hurts, relationships and things we called normal that God wants to expose and remove to make more room for His “new normal” that he wants to establish in our lives. But what if we spent this time reflecting and sifting through the millions of thoughts racing through our minds and saw things from God’s perspective? Nothing is new under the sun; there is a time for everything. Though this generation has never experienced a pandemic or season quite like the coronavirus, the Bible does talk about times of famine and pestilence, dealing with difficult times and how knowing your season can help determine the direction God wants you to take, especially in seemingly uncertain times. But what can we learn from scripture and more importantly, how does it relate to us and our situation specifically? What season are you in and how can you tell? Though we are all in different stages of life and situations, I believe we need to spend time in reflection, re-evaluating the foundations of our lives that have been shaken by COVID. Christians often talk of what season they are in… a season of wilderness... ...a season of singleness... ...a season of breakthrough... and a perpetual yearning for the next one. The topic might elicit eye rolls due to its cliché nature and generic overuse my megachurch pastors. (I’ll be nice this time and not name names) . The Bible does talk of seedtime and harvest and knowing the signs of the end times. Even the sun, moon and stars were placed to tell us the times and seasons. So determining the seasons is definitely a vital task given to believers. But like everything in life, there is a biblical way and worldly way to do something. And that applies to discerning your season. Many are listening to the politicians, the news and the conspiracy theories for the signs of the times. What if we can stop and spend time with God in purposeful reflection of what He says and wants to do in this season. Side note: God did not send COVID. Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, and sin is wages of death. We live in a fallen world. I want to warn against the temptation to blame God for something so destructive when there is devil, sin and evil in this world. But God works all things out for His good for those who love Him. I pray this devotional will help and encourage you to spend this time in fruitful reflection with God in these uncertain times. Scriptures to Read: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: A time [ a ]to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace. Genesis 1:14-15 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.” Matthew 24:3-8 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. John 10:10 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 2 Chronicles 20:8-9 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,[ c ] or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ Application Make a list of worries that you have. Pray a prayer releasing them to God until you feel peace. Tear up the list and throw away. Repeat, if necessary, in the days to come. Prayer Lord, I trust you and put my life in your hands. You are my Rock. You are the only foundation I want to build my life on because the kingdom of God is never shaken. I lay down my worries and fears and give them to you. I break and renounce the spirit of fear and anxiety. I pray that during this devotional, that you open my eyes to see the truth of my situation. Give me your eyes to see and your understanding. Give me guidance and revelation of my season. Fill my heart with hope and faith. I trust in you Jesus always. Amen.