My Testimony: Terror By Day

On Wednesday, July 21, at 8:15am, the store in which I work, 7-Eleven, was robbed…and I was there to witness every horrifying minute of it. Before the craziness ensued, it was just a regular day on the job. I had just finished dealing with a long line of customers that satisfied their fix for coffee and other things, and I had turned my attention to organizing some of the grill products. I let my coworker take over on the register for a while because of course, I can’t be in two places at once. I started to hear some loud voices, but I thought it was just another disgruntled, impatient customer. All of a sudden, I hear something that I didn’t anticipate at all: a GUNSHOT! I saw the gun, and I did what any unarmed man that feared for his life would do, and that is DUCK! The gunman yelled out, “Give me the m.f’ing money” several times while my coworker was shuffling through both of our registers, naturally scared, shocked and confused. There were four or five customers in the store at the time in various areas. One hid in the bathroom, another ran towards the coffee bar, and I saw one ducking on the ground near me. One customer who sits by the window almost every day saw the whole incident from beginning to end and was telling my coworker to give the robber the money along with the rest of us. After the robber got away with the money, I immediately called 911 and shortly, the police showed up and our store became known as the “crime scene”. For about three hours, witnesses including myself, my coworker and two customers were questioned about everything from the robber’s physical description to exactly how much money was stolen. I even got a call from the Washington Post and a reporter from a public access station even showed up to the store to get “the scoop”. After all the questioning and investigating, the head detective said that he would come back when the manager was able to open the office to look at the surveillance tape. Soon, it was back to business as usual. As Erykah
Badu once said, what a day.


When I saw that gun and heard that shot, I did feel a sense of fear because I knew that any one of us could’ve been the recipient of the next bullet. I realize that it was nothing but the Holy Spirit that protected all of us during the five minutes in which we were under siege. I see the bullet hole in the ceiling now and I consider it a symbol of God being our shield and His angels encamping around us. I thank God for giving me the wisdom to remember our store’s policy for what to do during and after a robbery. For many years, I heard about convenience stores being robbed, and I was arrogant enough to actually think that it would never happen while I was in one. That thinking is abolished now, and I understand that because of our sinful hearts, we are capable of doing things that have the potential to destroy ourselves and others around us. I am forever grateful to the customers that were with us during the incident, not because of the danger that surrounded them, but because they were able to share the evidence that was necessary to bring justice to this situation. They were also very encouraging and helped me to laugh, which might’ve taken longer if they were not present. To everyone that prayed for me and checked to see if I was okay, I appreciate you and I love you forever. I can say that the scripture that I kept meditating on the whole day was Matthew 10:28, which says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill the body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in Hell”. This situation has helped me to be more cautious at work by paying more attention to my surroundings and making sure that not much money is kept in our registers. I am working towards being more compassionate and patient, even with the most demanding people. I make it a point to laugh as much as possible nowadays. For a while, I felt like I was being weighed down by expectations brought on by being one of the only employees at my store that spoke fluent English, but after this incident as well as my week at Teen Camp, I’m learning how to be content in the place that God has currently put me in until He leads me somewhere else. Now more than ever, I’m looking forward to fulfilling my call as a Youth Pastor and leading teenagers closer to Christ. I encourage everyone that reads this to remember that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, literal or spiritual. Please pray for all of those who are lost and have to resort to robbery. May the Lord draw them towards Himself so that they know they are forgiven. I sincerely hope that you are all blessed by reading my testimony, for it would’ve been wrong of me to take the glory away from God by keeping this concealed. Grace and peace, brothers and sisters!

Camp Is GREAT (Part 2) (aka Camp Is 'DOCIOUS): The Things I Remember Most About The DelMarVa-DC Teen Camp 2010

As you probably know, I had a phenomenal time at last year's Teen Camp. It was the first time I had ever signed up to be a counselor. I learned so much and met so many wonderful people. Well, this year was no different. As a matter of fact, I would have to say that this was the best experience I've ever had since I acknowledged my calling to youth ministry. I wanted to do something a little different when I came back to share with you all, so what I did was make a list of all the catchphrases and other things that I remember from my trip. If you get confused at any time, just laugh anyway. Here we go...

1. Camp is GREAT! No, camp is 'DOCIOUS!

2. Every counselor, camper and recreational staff member

3. WHO ARE WE? PENN STATE!

4. I said a beef hot links! (I said a beef hot links!) When I say Hillshire, you say Farm! Hillshire! (Farm!) GO MEAT!

5. REDDDDDDDD ROBINNNNNNNN...YUMMMMMM!

6. OOOOOOOGAAAAAAAA...BOOOOOOOGAAAAAAAA!

7. (sings) If I could talk to the animals... (jumps around like a rabbit like Fred Abbott)

8. (sings) Start spreading the newwwwwsssssss... (screams a name and throws out a balloon)

9. (Brian Whitelock voice) DODGEBALL!

10. The water slide

11. Capture the flag

12. Flag Football

13. The big rock on top of the mountain...and people rolling DOWN the mountain

14. Buying nothing but Gatorade at the Canteen (the 7-Eleven of Teen Camp)

15. Balloon-A-Grams (some people got more of these than others)

16. AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE AN AI PARTY 'CAUSE AN AI PARTY DON'T STOPPPPPPPPPP! (throws up an "A")

17. Seeing Bishop Ronald "Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh" Martin during dinner on Thursday

18. Camp food, especially the French toast that made us either vomit or use the bathroom...or both

19. A Minute To Win It

20. CAN'T NOBODY DO ME LIKE GEORGIA! CAN'T NOBODY DO ME LIKE THE 'DOGS! CAN'T NOBODY DO ME LIKE GEORGIA! HE'S MAN BEST FRIEND!

21. That weird ninja game...

22. (Fred Abbott voice) PARTY!

23. Crowd surfing!

24. HOOOOOOOOOOO! (raises and lowers hands to emphasize volume)

25. Ok! (Alright!) Alright! (Ok!)

26. Jason and Shannon Matthews and SHOUT!

27. Cabin 16 (MY CABIN!) winning "Cleanest Cabin" TWO days in a row

28. 14 people, 1 shower (shudders)

29. Wet clothes with dirt and grass stains all over the floor (shudders again)

30. No phone or TV...and NOT CARING!

31. Learning a godly principle after a camper was late for dinner

32. GET YOUR ELBOWS OFF THE TABLE!

33. OOOOH AHHHHHH...WE'RE JUST TOO SMOOTH!

34. The heat during the "Peculiar Race"

35. Everyone has a different story

36. Vin Diesel, Justin Beiber and Soulja Boy clones

37. THIS GON' MAKE YOU CHOP, CHOP, CHOP, CHOP, CHOP!

38. Sir, have you been drinking?

39. J. Swizz's all-night sermons

40. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TOLD, BUT THE U...T IS IN THIS HOUUUUUUSSSSSE!

41. WHERE MY WARRIORS AT? AHHHHHOOOOOH!

42. WHERE MY FELLAS AT? (Fellas) RIGHT HERE SERVING GOD! (Ladies) I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

43. Sweating profusely during worship service and pretty much everywhere else

44. The Confidence Course

45. (sings and waves hands) OOOOOOLE OLE OLE OLE!

46. WE GOT A REPUTATION AND WE DO IT LIKE THIS (does random dance move)

47. If a redneck be for you, who can be against you?

48. Anthony Braswell's powerful sermons

49. The morning staff meetings

50. Frogs in the pool

51. Snapping turtles in the lake

52. When I survive, the Kingdom is advanced

53. It's not about a moment, it's about a mission

54. I will be the one

55. People submitting to Christ at the altar

56. People of various cultures loving one another

57. (sings) NO MORE SHACKLES, NO MORE CHAINS! NO MORE BONDAGE, I AM FREEEEEEE, YEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!

58. My life be like OOOOOOHHHHHH AHHHHHHH, OOOOOOHHHHHH OOOOOOHHHHHH! (that's an old song by Grits that was played a lot)

59. The rain that did NOT ruin our recreation time

60. The joy of knowing that I'll be doing all of this and MORE next year

That's all, folks! May God continue to bless all y'all!

My Testimony: The Men's Ministry at OCG

First and foremost, I would like to say that I thank God for the men’s ministry. It has been such a blessing to be able to minister, fellowship and walk through life with the brothers of the Odenton Church of God. I remember being a part of the men’s ministry at my former home church, New Bethel Church of God in Christ, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to bring everything that I have learned during that season into this new season of my walk with Christ. One word I would use to describe my experience with the men’s ministry is “complete”. I can honestly say that we do just about everything together. We assemble at church for the Sunday morning service, Wednesday night bible study, Saturday morning men’s meeting and any other time where work needs to be done in the building. We also unite to participate in activities outside of the church such as bowling, watching any sports team on someone’s big screen TV, going out to eat and several other endeavors that involve camaraderie, laughter and intense happiness. I always look forward to Thursday nights at nine o’clock, because that is when the brothers come together to pray about any issue that has been on our hearts for any amount of time. The number of callers may vary, but what is most important is that the presence of the Holy Spirit is strong. I am truly touched by the honesty, conviction, compassion and love that permeates each of our prayers. I definitely feel a sense of inspiration any time I come in contact with the brothers. Within the men’s ministry, I see excellent examples of leaders, servants, friends and husbands. I am able to grasp many lessons from the actions of the brothers and apply them to my own life. I am motivated to become a better Christian based on how the brothers approach their relationships with Christ. Shout out to every brother at OCG! I pray that we continue to allow the Holy Spirit to use us completely, and that we never fail to bond with one another in various ways. God has plans for us, so let us step outside of our comfort zones and make a difference in this world by displaying the Savior, Jesus Christ. I love all of you with everything in me. May God bless us and keep us!

It's been a long time...

What's good, beautiful people! I apologize for being MIA for so long. I was actually thinking about deleting my blog, but a dear friend of mine convinced me otherwise. She knows who she is! Anyway, I missed you all and I hope that everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I know I did! I got to spend time with my crazy family and eat some good food. That's all I really needed! I've also seen a lot of things go on at my job. People have come, people have gone, and it's been really busy over there just trying to make sure that everything is right. My experience at church has really been wonderful. I'm really enjoying being a part of the Audio/Visual Ministry as well as teaching the Teen Bible Study class once a month. We just had a very exciting, empowering four-day revival service that I will speak about in-depth at a later date. That's what I've been doing all this time. Hopefully you will see me more often this year. I pray that everyone has a great Valentines Day...enjoy the people you love and extend that love beyond one day! Deuces until we meet again!

ESOM Response...SMH.

Good evening, beautiful people! I pray that everyone enjoyed their weekend, in spite of the Cowboys win/Redskins loss. Seriously, I would like to address something that has really been bothering my spirit lately. Okay, I'm sure that most of you have heard Jay-Z's latest album, "The Blueprint 3". If not, you might've heard his single with Alicia Keys, "Empire State Of Mind". Their collaboration has been performed at a benefit concert that Jay held as a tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, at the VMAs, and most recently, at the AMAs. It is now number ONE on the Billboard Top 100, the first of his many singles to hold this position. Acknowledgements aside, there is one particular line in the song that has made devout Christians everywhere quite angry, and understandably so: in the third verse, Jay-Z says "and Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church ends". I'll admit that at first, I brushed the line off and let it slide, considering that Jay is masterful when it comes to using double entendres and this was just another one in his collection. But the Holy Spirit started to convict me about being so nonchalant about it. Have I become so numb to hip-hop's often blasphemous tactics that I can just disregard a blatant shot at Jesus without a second thought? Wow, I really need to repent...real talk. As distraught as I was about the whole thing, I was inspired to come out of my lyrical stupor to share my thoughts in rhyme form. Here it is:

I think it's time you reconsidered your metaphors/
Especially the ones that take aim at the sovereign Lord/
Have you become so elevated in stature/
That you would curse the God who's gonna activate the Rapture/
Sanctification must've exited your mind/
'Cause nothing but blasphemy exudes from your rhymes/
Even the most devoted Christians will not deny that you're prolific/
But all your writtens do is bear false witness/
Call your album "Contrary Doctrine"/
If you "care" about your "health", "public" repentance should be your "option"/
The audacity you have to steal the glory from Christ/
Should be recanted before He cancels eternal life/
Believers, claim your allegiance/
Pray for the brother who boldly says "Peace God" while rocking Jesus pieces/
Send this truth to the harlots and virgins/
Jesus CAN save you, life starts when the Church BEGINS/

I just wanna say to the people that follow Jay-Z and listen to his songs religiously: please BE CAREFUL. Really study the Word of God and see what the Lord says. We are truly in the last days, and there are many false prophets out there that will blatantly claim their devotion to Satan. And I can care less if the line was meant to have a double meaning or whatever...you really have to watch what you say about Jesus because God WILL hold you accountable. SMH. Let us continue to pray for Jay-Z and every rapper out there and also, let us examine ourselves to be sure that we are in right standing with God. Deuces!

John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Community

I'm back, beautiful people! Hope y'all had a great week and that the weekend is even better! Now that I've started my own blog, I find it kinda difficult to figure out what I should write. I'm sure y'all know how it feels when you have all these thoughts in your head, yet when the time comes to commit those thoughts to a page, your mind suddenly draws a blank. So everyday, I ask the Lord to give me the strength and the courage to keep it real with y'all. With that said, I wanna dedicate this post to my church, Odenton Church of God. I thank God for placing these people in my life to minister, disciple, encourage, challenge and allow me to use my gifts to build up the Body of Christ. I joined OCG in March of this year, and immediately I was involved in ministry. As of now, I'm part of the Media Ministry, working on the soundboard and running the cameras sometimes. I'm also a part of the Drama Ministry and I teach the teen Bible Study class every 2nd (and now 5th) Wednesday. I even get to hop on stage and rap with the Worship Team every now and then. LOL! Now, don't get it twisted...I'm not just bragging about all my accomplishments here. What we as ministers have to remember is that what we do at our home churches is not just for the acknowledgement and recognition from man, but our efforts should be intended to bring glory to God and meet the needs of our fellow members. So to everybody from OCG that has a chance to read this, I just wanna say that I love and appreciate all of you for embracing me with open arms and I am absolutely humbled by the opportunity to minister and worship alongside all of you. Let us continue to share wisdom, have random moments of fellowship, train each other up and open our hearts to the community that God has chosen us to reach. I would be remiss if I failed to thank my original home church, New Bethel Church of God in Christ. I will never forget that you all were the ones that introduced me to Christ and you are my original church family. Those days of being a part of the Children's Choir, the Youth and Young Adult Choir, the Usher Board and the Sound Ministry will always hold a special place in my heart. And though we're all in different locations, let us all be unified by the fact that we worship the Lord in spirit and truth. People, don't sleep on the idea of being in a community of believers...there's so much growth and happiness that can be attained! God bless the community! Deuces, y'all!

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

There's an app for that!

What's good, beautiful people? Sorry I didn't provide an update last night, but I was busy and by the time I got home, I was too tired to get on my laptop and type anything. I'm back now though and I'm thankful for that! God is definitely good and His favor and mercy never fail to shine on those who love and obey Him. He helped me to clear up a misunderstanding that I had with one of my co-workers, and He allowed the day to be very peaceful on the job for one of the adults from my church. So once again, thank you Lord! Now that I've testified (cue the tamborines), lemme get to my main topic. It is no secret that the iPhone is the hottest gadget in the world right now. It seems like everybody and their mama owns one. Even I have one (it was a gift, trust me). I confess that I am COMPLETELY addicted to my iPhone...I do just about everything on it. I send text messages, check Facebook and Twitter, send and check emails, and write lyrics and other notes. It's even help me to become better at remembering dates and events, which is wonderful because I am heavily involved in church ministry. If you're like me, you've seen the iPhone commercials on TV on more than a few occasions. The ones that say "there's an app for that". And there are MILLIONS of apps relating to sports, politics, education, news, entertainment, etc. There are free apps and also apps that you must pay for. Lately, I've become obsessive about downloading apps to my phone. I think I have about 100 of them. I actually use some of them, while others are just there. Maybe I'll use them one day...when I'm REALLY bored. It's amazing to me how you can now do just about anything courtesty of these apps. Hey, if you tell me some of your favorite apps, I'll tell you mine! :-)