Books and such…

Sorry I have not written in awhile. Life has been quite hectic for modawg.

Basically it has been crazy because I started working again. I work for Lowe’s in Brick as a cashier. I have been there for almost a month, and I have been working about 39 hours per week. I am a cashier and you can find me either at the main exit, in lumber, or in the garden center. I am considered a seasonal employee, which means I am guaranteed to work until the end of July. But, my manager basically told me she likes me and wants to keep me. YES!

I have also been reading a lot once again…

I have recently finished to books by Mitch Albom, Tuesdays ith Morrie and Five People You Meet in Heaven.  Both were great books and really challenged different areas in my life. I am currently reading two books…Searching for God Know What by Donald Miller, and UnChristian (I forgot the author). They are sure to be great reads!

That’s it for now. Hope to be back soon!

Single and Loving It…

Hey everyone…

I wanted to start this post talking about something from my past. My parents divorced when I was two months old and I was raised by my mother. Throughout the years, she has had few “boyfriends” but her values and such were what has been instilled in me since a young age.

My mother is my hero. Simply put. The trials and tribulations she has faced in her life would baffle the toughest critic. She could have easily given up. Yet, no matter how much pain she may be in, she does not let that deter her from the love she has for her Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ.

How awesome is that example?

Since my mother raised me, I never had that positive male influence in my life. Many have tried, and almost none of them succeeded. A few years ago, I was given two books for my birthday. They were entitled Wild at Heart  and The Way to a Wild Heart  both by John Eldridge. Basically, these books talk about young boys who do not have that male influence in their lives. It reminds us that we are worth being called MEN, because of our Heavenly Father. This is a needed reminder not just for young men.

I never had someone in my life to teach me about football, or how to shave properly. I know nothing of tools and no one would want to see me with a power tool of any type. But, thats OK. I have learned my values and a base line of ethical standards from two things.. the Lord and my mother. I know I am important because as my mom would always tell me…”You were created by God and God don’t make no junk…” I hope to one day make sure that the next generation of young men realize their importance. Even though it was a lesson learned at a later time in my life, it was still an important one for me to understand!

I had a conversation with a few friends recently about being single. In the Bible, Paul leads a single life. I truly believe that God does call some people to be single. And if that is His plan for me, then I will live it to the best of my ability. Right now, I am happy I am single. I am not in a great place in my life to really “lend” my heart to another. Plus, part of me likes to believe that God does have someone for me. But, I need to know and understand that His plans for me are perfect and in His timing!

Sorry, I hope this post made some type of sense. This has been something I have debated on writing for awhile. What are your thoughts? Leave them here!

Song of the Day is My Reward  by Paul Baloche….

What Modawg Loves…

1. I love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. I also strive to continue to live this life everyday.

2. I love the smell of any baked good that is baking in my house. My two ultimate loves woould be homeade chocolate chip cookies and brownies.

3. I love to look at the stars at night. Have you ever done that? Beautiful.

4. I love chicken parmesan. Ultimate favorite. Well, I love any dish you can combine pasta and chicken (smile).

5. I love my friends. They have become my family.

6. I love my family, they are my friends.

7. I love the fact that I work once a week as a cleaning supervisor assistant. It’s something for now,and plus no one can bother you.

8. I love education. I love to learn and help others to learn. I will one day return to the classroom both as a teacher and a student.

9. I love to laugh. The funnier, the better.

10. I love my mom, she has become my hero (for reasons you may know).

11. I love sign language. Being able to communicate with your hands is an amazing gift!

12. I love SOME reality TV. I admit I am a reality TV junkie, like Top Chef or even Survivor (I’m so weird)

13. I love going to see Christian bands live. Things like Revelation Generation and Creation are amazing experiences!

14. I love working with teenagers. They are so inspiring and I am honored to be a part of their lives.

15. I love you, my reader….

Well, that’s the basic list and I will probably add more. But you get the jist, don’t you?

A Whole Lotta…

Hey all..

I know its been awhile since I last posted and I apologize for that. It’s just that not a lot different has been going on lately. I feel I have reached a plateau in my interesting life.

But, I have not stopped thinking and pondering about certain topics. I just got out of the car with a very interexsting couple. Do not get me wrong, they are awesome people. But, they way they interact sometimes just makes me laugh hysterically. I promise you, I could write a bestseller on their lives. You two know who you are, and I love you to death. This relationship is truly unique.

I am a Christian. I live a life of faith. No full time job. No insurance. Not able to pay bills. But I live a life of faith. I am a little concerned over the recent speeches Obama has given. It brings concern not for me alone, but for family members, specifically my mother. I AM NOT A POLITICAL SAVY-IST (if thats a word) AT ALL. And frankly, I do not like getting into debated about something I am not schooled in enough. But, I have faith that President Obama’s decisions, whatever they are, be for the benefit of the country at whole.

If you know me at all, I love sign language. I fell in love with it in high school, took some college courses, and have been trying to figure it out ever since. I recently was asked to sign twice on Easter Sunday (OI VAY!). But, it’s what I love. I love to sign with others (YEAH HOPE) and I will continue to look for opportunities to use a passion of mine.

This job market stinks! I am at the point where I will take anything. PLEASE, if you know of an opportunity, forward it my way!

Sean Mogee = Jesus Freak. Plain and simple.

Boy Do I Need to Update YOU!

Wow! What a few weeks it has been! I want to update you on a previous post, “Trust can sometimes be a hard thing to do…” Thanks to a church friend, Alyson Altman, I was able to get an interview with Easter Seals of New Jersey. If you are not familiar with the organization, they assist those with disabilities in the everyday life. What a wonderful organization to be a part of.

So, today was the day. I arrived promptly at 10am for the interview. I was going to interview for a part time/per diem position as a service coach. Basically, I would assist residents with food shopping, activities, doctor appointments, etc.

When I arrived, I was interviewed not only for the position mentioned above, but also a full time assistant to the house director. I would be so good for that position. Basically, I would help her in the day to day running of the house and help out the clients. Full benefits (which I have needed forever) come after ninety days. I should be receiving a call early next week for a second interview. ONE STEP CLOSER. PLEASE pray that God will continue to open doors for me to be apart of ESNJ!

I came so close to going to the emergency room. All week, I have had a pain in my neck that I could not explain. I was going to call out from my interview, but thank the Lord the pain left last night, and I feel great!

In sad news, it seems that my close friends blog site, www.splendarenda.com, will be shutting down in about a week. Please visit and read some of the great things he has written on there. I am hoping that it will not have to shut down. If so, Splenda Renda, you will be missed!

Song of the Day is This Is It by Kirk Franklin. Hopefully,this is it for my job search!

Rollercoaster of Health

Well, if you know me, you know I have had some type of illness my entire life. I was born with water on the brain, which should have killed me. I also had sleep apnea, which is when a person stops breathing in their sleep. To top it off, I was born with spina bifida, and my spine stuck out like it was going to come out of my back.

That is all gone.

When I was two years old, the doctor told my mom I would never walk unassisted.

That’s gone.

I have had many tumors in my body, most of which could have turned malignant.

Gone.

Lymes Disease

Gone.

So basically, I am used to dealing with some type of sickness. This past week, I got sick with a normal head cold. Boy, did it kick me in the butt. I guess its because I had so many sicknesses in my life.

I also have a thyroid condiion which is semi-serious. They diagnosed me with hyperhtyroidism…which basically means that the thyroid hormone is too much in my body. I had NO IDEA that your thyroid controls many things in your body. Well, it seems that they will not remove it because I am too young. But, they would rather put me through a radiation treatment to kill it off inside my body. I will never understand the medical system.

A basic statement I have heard was that someone would be sick and tired of something. Well, I am truly sick and tired of being sick and tired. But, I know God has brought me through worse, and He will take care o His children.

In other news, I have not found a job, but I need one badly. If you are reading this and know of something, please let me know.

Thats it for now…comments thoughts and questions are always welcome. Let your voice be heard!

Song of the Day is Healer by Pocket Full of Rocks.. Check them out!

Trust can sometimes be a hard thing to do…

So, I have been living in Lakewood, NJ for almost 13 years now. I live with my mom, who is ill, in order to take care of her. The federal government has been nice enough to offer us something called Rental Assistance. Basically, the government was able to subsidize our rent.

We have had all kinds of amounts to pay for rent. But basically, we have also been lucky to have amazing landlords who would accept payment from this program. Throughout 2008, we were paying around $350 a month for rent for our house. It’s not a big house by any means, but we are blessed to be in it.

Well, every year they re-evaluate their cases to see any progress. To make a long story short, we were kicked of rental assistance this year and basically have to come up with an extra $900 a month to stay in our house.

To make things even trickier, I am not working like I should be. NO place is hiring, even if they say they are. I just want a decent paying job that would allow me to give more money to my house and basically survive.

So, I ask for your prayers. Please pray for a job for myself, for finances and strength for my family, and for a quick resolution to all this mess.

No song of the day today because prayer is much better!

Thank you all and God bless!

I love a GOOD CHALLENGE!

So, it’s the new year, and I always seem to think…WHAT WILL MY LIFE BE LIKE IN THIS COMING YEAR? Will I live the same life I have lived? Will I try to improve and become better? What will I learn this year?

I know we always challenge ourselves to improve upon ourselves. But, how many of you are like me when I say I am sick of just saying it and I actually want to do it! There is SO MUCH more for me to learn, experience, go through…and I don’t want to miss out on any of it.

So, anyway, that brings me to a challenge I received just a few short days ago. My pastor at church challenged us to read the whole Bible in a month. Thats right, I said a month. Basically, we would do it together as the family of God and read it out loud in the sanctuary when we were here. Well, it is only day 3 and we have completed almost 20 books of the Bible! How awesome is that? I am trying to meet that challenge head on…in my own life, with the cast of Garbonics (explanation to come), and even with my Bible Ed class.

I strive to be better. I yearn to grow. I want tomorrow to be better than today. I dont know…sometimes I feel like I ramble. But after all, isnt that why you come and read these posts? JUST KIDDING (I hope).

Well, It’s 2009!!!

I, like most people, rang in the start of a new year a mere 14 hours ago. As I was with some awesome friends, I began to ponder what my life will be like in this new year. What, pray-tell, is in store for me?

So then I began to think that maybe I should make some resolutions. The only problem is that I never keep them. So why do I waste time making them if I know I will not follow through with them. To be honest, I truly believe they are pointless (although I have made some, and they will be listed below).

Will I EVER find love? I am honestly tired of the dating game. Why do we spend so much time chasing after someone, especially if we know we may never marry that person? I told someone last night that I truly believe dating is a waste of time unless you can see yourself with that person for the rest of your life. Of course, this comes with knowing the person first before dating…(DUH!).

But, I know deep down in my heart that there is someone out there for me. I know one day I will be a father. And I am continually preparing for whenever that day may arrive.

Do I REALLY make a difference?  It sounds kinda cheesy…but I wonder if people ever listen to me when they ask me for advice. Sometimes it feels very unappreciative. I had to apologize to someone recently because I felt like I wasn’t helping him at all. Well, let me tell you that God smacked me in the face on that one! I just want to live a life that glorifies and honors God….DONE!

So, OK…For those of you that are wondering…here are my resolutions…

1.  To grow closer to God each day
2. To get my health in order and my thyroid taken care of.
3. To get a car (just recently got my license back)
4. To go to school and start mymasters in counseling.
5. To be a better friend.
6. TO WRITE ON LIFEOFMODAWG AT LEAST 3X A WEEK!!!!

So, do you think I can do it? I would love to hear you thoughts!

As always, questions comments and concerns are always welcome. Let your voice be heard!

Song of the Day is After Your Heart by Phil Wickham…so good, especially when I need to grow closer to God each day…

Topics coming up…

1. Mentoring
2. Leading a Disciplined Heart
3. Whatever else I can think of…

We Are Family – Part 2

So, today is the Thanksgiving and my family from New Hampshire is down visitinng for a few days. God bless them, they got up at 330 in the morning to drive down here. They are so great, and it is a shame I only get to see them about once a year. My brother is an amazing man and father and I respect him a lot. My sis-in-law, but drop the in-law, has been such an encouragement to me in my career and my life in general. Plus, I have the best niece and nephews EVER. I am blessed to be a part of such an awesome family!!!!!

Well, as always, this holiday has got me thinking. Am I truly thankful for the blessings God has given me in my life? As stated in earlier posts, this past year has not been the easiest for me. But, am I still greatful for the lessons He teaches me? It amazes me that I serve a God who cares for my most detailed need. But, do I give Him thanks for my home, for my job, for the provisions He has given to me? I am challenged not only to give Him thanks today on Thanksgiving, but everyday as well. Will you give Him thanks for even the smallest things even after Thanksgiving has past?

In other news, my Mad Science job is going very well. I love leading the students into realizing that science is all around us. This coming week, we get to cover the Science of Toys…How cool is that?

Well, that’s it for today…More soon to come!

As always, questions comments and thoughts are always welcome. Put your two cents in!

Song of the Day is My God by Hillsong United…Sooo good, and reminds us to be thankful for what God does for us and in our lives…