Man, life is funny. But life’s experiences can be powerful tools we carry as we journey step by step through this world.
I often reminisce about all the struggles I faced—some I created myself. Yet, through it all, I thank Jehovah God for bringing me out of those storms and setting my feet on solid ground.
Growing up with five boys in the house was something else, especially being the oldest son. We all have our own stories, but this one. This one belongs to me.
I was sixteen in the summer of 1985. That summer, I grew up fast.
My mother sent me to live with my dad. She felt it was time for him to “finish the job” and make a man out of me. But truth be told, during those years, I only cared about sports—football, basketball, baseball. Basketball stole my heart.
Back in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, I played all the time with the neighborhood kids. Two people left a mark on me that summer: Brian Waller and Len Bias. Brian worked as a camp assistant and brought us to the basketball courts, teaching us techniques. Len Bias was his best friend—a rising star at the University of Maryland. I used to brag in Texas that I knew Len, but most people wouldn’t believe me.
That summer was a whirlwind. I met a girl who became my whole world. We were like hand and glove. But at sixteen, I was hardheaded and stubborn, I didn’t want to listen to anyone.
I brought my style from Maryland to Texas and made many friends—and some enemies.
What I felt I was missing in Seat Pleasant, I tried to make up for in Killeen, Texas.
That summer, I got my girlfriend pregnant.
I was almost taken out of this life.
I became a runaway, living on the streets of Killeen among prostitutes and pimps. I even broke into a church looking for refuge—a place to find food and a safe place to lay my head for a while.
I remember nothing but hard times that summer.
But God had a plan.
If not for those lessons during that pivotal time in my life, I wouldn’t be here today.
One night, walking alone in the dark, weary of the pain of my past, I wiped tears from my eyes and noticed something strange.
I saw two shadows on the ground—mine, and another.
How could that be? I was the only one on the street.
Fear gripped me.
Then, like a quiet storm with a soft breeze brushing my face, calm washed over me.
That second shadow was God Almighty—my protector, my inspiration, my love—standing behind me when everyone else had given up.
I survived the storm.
Fast forward forty years later:
I am still living.
I am still learning.
I am still breathing.
This is nothing but a short time in a rollercoaster life—ups and downs, curves and sharp turns. But God has held the safety bar in place the whole ride.
I thank God every day for waking me up, for loving me enough to get me up, and for giving me the strength to help my neighbors.
I created this website to share the stories, poems, and reflections that God has written on my heart. I’ve lived through some storms—storms I didn’t think I’d survive—but I did. And now I shine, not because of anything I’ve done, but because God loves me enough to lift me up.
I create canvases of my poetry—images wrapped in words of hope. I share my experiences not to impress, but to express. I may not get a reaction from everyone, and that’s okay. Because if I can reach just one person, someone who needsencouragement, someone who needs to know they’re not alone, then I feel like I’ve been successful.
Years ago, when I was deep in the storm, God gave me a saying that has stayed with me ever since:
“A dream is a link, ready to be achieved by the achiever. And once someone has achieved, they should be ready to become a teacher.”
Not a teacher in the traditional sense—not in a classroom, not with a chalkboard. But a teacher in life. Someone with experience. Someone with common sense and a whole lot of grace. We’ve all heard the saying, “Been there, done that.” But me? I have been there—and I have done that.
Now, I give all thanks to YHWH—our Heavenly Father.
God, you have lifted me up. You have exalted me.
You’ve turned my mess into a message. You made me wise in these years.
I love You.
Amen.