WHEN DID THIS WRITING GIFT START?

     I have really appreciated a lot of the positive feedback I have received since I started writing this blog! My purpose for this blog is to glorify my Lord and savior Jesus Christ and to give Him the glory for ALL I have endured and continue to endure. It is because of Him that I live, breath and continue my journey in life. I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that I could not have done it without the Lord. I know that God has given me some very unique gifts such as ministering to children by way of ventriloquism, preaching and using my creativity. He also gave me a unique gift of writing, something I love to do! So how and where did this writing gift begin? Let me take you back to the early 1970's! Yes, the decade where Hippies roamed the earth saying "Peace" and "Far out" and a few years before disco became the thing. Leisure suits were "in" and it was well before anyone knew what a "hoodie" was.

     It all began when I was in second grade at Milton Avenue School in Chatham, New Jersey. My teacher, Mrs. Bradley had my class do an exercise in writing. There were a bunch of pictures hanging on the wall of our school hallway. She told us to write a story on one of those pictures. Being a sports fan, I chose a photo of Joe Namath, the New York Jets Quarterback. Just a few years before that, the Jets won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they have not been to the Super Bowl since (sorry Jets fans.) My story was about how Joe Namath scored the winning touchdown and led the Jets to victory. Each day, we had to chose a different picture, and each day I wrote a different story. My teacher was very impressed and told my parents at the Parent/Teacher conference that I had an amazing gift of writing and a very creative mind. To this day, my Mom still has many of the stories that I wrote. I recently saw on of them called "The boy who swallowed a cork." Why did I write that? I have no clue whatsoever but you have to admit it is very unique and creative. Little did I realize that my creative gift would be used to glorify God as I grew up.

     After moving to Long Island, I continued to work on my writing in elementary school and in Junior High school began thinking about writing a book. My only problem was I didn't know how to start, but I knew in order to get better I needed to just do it and work on my writing.  As I entered High school, I could not wait to take a class on creative writing. It was there that I honestly thought God was leading me to become an author. I absolutely loved to write and pictured myself becoming an up and coming author. Due to struggling grades and amazingly being called by God to go into full time ministry as a missionary (so I thought), my desire to be an author was put on the shelf. Little did I know that God had an amazing plan.

     I always looked at writing and creativity as exercising a muscle. When you go to the gym and either walk on a treadmill or lift weights, you want your muscles to get stronger. Writing is the same way. In order to get better you need to exercise the creative muscle of writing just by doing it. When I entered Bible college, I joined the school newspaper team for a few years. I remember one article I wrote on the women's basketball team. As I got involved in kids ministry in college and then returned home, I got involved with our churches puppet ministry and that's where my writing really took off. It was very hard to find really well written puppet scripts so I wrote my own scripts. I have lost count how many I have written but I have to admit I really enjoyed it. A few other things I worked on was a curriculum I wrote and self published called Kids in Missions, a 13 week curriculum I wrote teaching kids all about missions by doing missions. I was able to launch a website in the year 2000 and sold numerous copies of the curriculum that had teacher and student manuals. I also wrote articles for Hope for the Future ministries newsletter, the SGT Happenings, my churches newsletter and I was hired by Charisma Life to write object lessons for one of their curriculum programs. my dream to finally become a published author came true when Publish America agreed to publish my children's book "Mouse Mayhem" in 2009.

     My goal for the next few years is to have more stories published and I am working on many projects. I never ever want to bury any gift the Good Lord has blessed me with!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...BE BLESSED   

PEOPLE WHO HAVE INSPIRED ME: Gil Torres

     In the coming months and periodically, I plan on reflecting on various individuals who have inspired me throughout my lifetime. Some are teachers, family, college friends and those in full time ministry and friends. I would like to begin by telling you about a man I met at Northeastern Bible College named Gil Torres.

     When I tell you that I had very little in common with Gil I seriously mean I had nothing in common with him. I can think of four things that we did have in common...we are men, we are Christians, we both grew up in New York and we both had a heart for ministry. That's pretty much it. We could not have been any more opposite. When we started Bible college in 1982, Gil was outgoing and I was very shy. Gil grew up in New York City, I grew up in the suburbs of Long Island. Gil had an unfortunate history of drug addiction, I never laid a hand on any drugs. If you told me at freshman orientation that I would be friends with Gil, I would have said you were nuts....but I'm glad I could call him friend.

     I will never forget how we met. Believe it or not it was through my Mom! On my very first day as a student at Northeastern Bible College (NBC), my parents and I were headed into Whittle Hall by the back door. A tall skinny man with a beard walked past us and nodded. I will never forget walking past the old switchboard headed down the hallway when my Mom said, "That man with the beard looks so familiar. I know I've seen him before." My Mom has an amazing memory! She then remembered that Gil shared his testimony at my home church, Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle. My Mom searched for Gil and found him during our lunch. Gil was in fact that man she remembered who shared his life changing testimony of how Jesus set him free from drug addiction. My Mom was the church secretary at SGT for many years. Gil was so happy and amazed at the divine appointment of meeting someone at the church where he got saved. He was very fond of our Pastor, Pastor Forseth. It was there that I met Gil Torres. I just thought of him as some guy who was commuting to school and doubted very much he would ever want anything to do with me. Boy, was I wrong!  

     I entered NBC as a very shy, insecure 18 year old kid. I knew I had a calling on my life and wanted so much to come out of my "shell." Little did I know that Gil would help me in that area without me even asking. Being at a small Bible College, you got to know everyone very well. One person I befriended was Frank Vasquez and the three of us were inseparable. Frank told us a story about a camp he worked at where the kids called him "Mr. Frank." After that began a nickname I had my entire college career and beyond....Mr. David! The only time Gil called me Dave was when we first met. That was it! Gil was ten years older than Frank and I and he took us under his wing. Many times he would walk with me, put his arm around me and tell me "Mr. David, God has a calling on your life." Gil was also the kind of guy who would tell you what is on his mind. I always thought he was misunderstood by many but many people did respect him. He made us all laugh! He was always call Frank and I a "Dirty Rat" and tried teaching me Spanish. He commuted to NBC which was in NJ all the way from Staten Island and was seen wearing a blue baseball hat backwards that said "Tough to Beat." Because he had this "tough guy" image, many from the school did not understand him. He truthfully had a heart of gold, he loved the Lord and he treated his NBC friends like family. He was also a lot of fun to tease. Whenever a class was boring (like Intro to Global Missions), Frank and I would draw pictures of Gil with his hat on backwards. One time during a class we all took together, Sociology, we all came to class wearing our hats backwards and even convinced our Professor, Dr. Furness, an older gentleman to do the same!

     What I did respect about Gil was his work ethic. He told me that his one goal was to get on the Dean's list and he accomplished that, Gil worked very hard to get his associates degree and graduated in 1984. It was his goal, along with his wife Carole to develop a ministry that they eventually named Isaiah 61 Prison and Mercy Ministry. Carole had a heart for Mercy ministry while Gil wanted to be a prison chaplain. Gil achieved that goal as he became the prison chaplain at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island, NY. When Gil graduated in 1984, I was so proud of him and thought I probably would not see him. Little did I realize he would move about 20 minutes away from my home in Smithtown. Carole owned a home from a previous marriage in West Babylon. In July of 1984, my home phone rang and my Dad answered and said, "Dave, telephone it's for you. Some guy named Gil." I grabbed the phone and heard, "Hey Mr. David! When are you going to come to my house and visit me you dirty rat!" On my day off from work, I went over to Gil's house and help him paint his refinished basement, That summer we hung our a lot! He always knew how to make me laugh!

     It was very strange returning to NBC in the fall of 1984 without Gil but life goes on. While I worked hard at Bible College, Gil & Carole were trying to develop a new ministry and raise support. I honestly did not see much of him for about a year or so. I was invited to his stepsons high school graduation party. I was not able to attend but my parents attended. My Dad had a lot of respect for Gil as well as my Mom and they spoke very highly of him. 1985 was not a very good year for me physically and spiritually. I remember sitting at the Villager Diner in Smithtown with Gil and he looked at me with a serious face and said, "Mr. David, you need to get your eyes back on the Lord!" He was right! That spring in 1986 I graduated NBC and was so happy Gil was there. The night before the graduation I got to share a testimony and one of the people I thanked was in fact Gil. I went on a 3 month missions trip to England after graduating and from then on Gil and I stayed close. I got to travel with him and Carole to various churches as they tried to raise support for their ministry. Gil had a way of really connecting with each congregation. I traveled with him as far as Yonkers, NY! Smithtown Baptist Church which is now Grace church also supported Gil & Carole. I thought it would be so cool if Frank and Jane from NBC surprised them so they drove out from NJ and on a Sunday night we attended the service they spoke at. After the service we hung out at my house with my parents and ate cake and laughed for hours. It was a lot of fun. A few months after that night, while I was playing for our church softball team in Lindenhurst, I heard a very familiar voice yell from across the field "MR. DAVID!!!!" It was guess who!! He knew the players from the church we were playing. All I can say is that I had a hard time playing that game and when I did get a hit I heard "MR. DAVID" loud and clear. Fast forward to a year later. While my ministry to kid was growing, Gil was always intent on getting me to join him in the prison ministry. Let's just say I was a huge chicken. "Hey Mr. David. Learn ventriloquism and I'll bring you to the prison ministry with me." I was happy reaching kids! He did ask me to bring one of my characters to a ministry Christmas Party at his house. I did it but I was petrified!

     in 1989, things would change for Gil. With life getting crazy for both of us, we lost touch.  I will never forget my Dad sitting me down and telling me very sad news. Gil went back to a life of drug abuse. The pressures of ministry got to him. I did not see or hear from him in 5 years. His Aunt Aida attended my church and every time I saw her, she would always say, "Pray for Gilbert." I wanted so badly to invite Gil to my wedding but I had no idea how to contact him. Even his Aunt lost touch with him. Finally, in 1994, Gil's Aunt told me he would be at her house for Christmas. I will never forget going to Aunt Aida's house and seeing Gil, who looked very frail laying on a couch wrapped in a blanket. I showed Gil pictures of my kids and it was there I learned Gil was infected with the AIDS virus. I was so heartbroken for him. His marriage to Carole was over and so was is ministry. The same man I respected so much was suffering big time! I got to pray with Gil and said goodbye. The very last time I saw him was in 1997 at our church picnic. While I was setting up my ministry stuff in the field to do a puppet show, I saw a very frail man in the parking lot in a wheel chair. Of course, he saw me and yelled "MR. DAVID!" We talked for a while and it was there that Gil told me he wanted to start up his ministry. That would be the last time I ever saw him. Gil died only a few months after that. My Senior Pastor called me into his office to tell me. I always felt bad that I was not told earlier and could not pay my last respects but it is what it is.

     So, I'm sure you are wondering after reading this long blog, why would a man who basically fell back into temptation inspire me. Truthfully, it showed me the dangers of drugs but it also helped me in my ministry to always have a good work ethic no matter what. Now that I know ventriloquism, I would have loved to join Gil at Arthur Kill Correctional Facility. I also would have loved to tell him that I got to share at the Riverhead jail and I loved it. 

     Ministry is very hard, but when you keep your eyes on Jesus, He will always direct you and give you the strength you need to get through. Thanks for reading!!!                          

       

WHEN I FINALLY "GOT IT"

     I'm sure when many of my Christian friends read the title of this blog, they are going to think I am referring to the day I accepted Jesus into my heart and became Born Again. That was on December 6, 1977 when I was 13 years old. Yes, that was a very important life changing day in my life that I will never forget. I would like us to fast forward about a little over 10 years later in February 1988. That was a time in my life I learned that hard work is needed to make it in life. Let me explain!

     When I was a kid I was a very lazy kid, but not when it came time to play or compete in neighborhood sports. What I really mean is when  it came to doing chores and doing homework, I was the poster child of lazy!!. After I came home from school, you would either see me with a hockey stick, a football, a baseball glove or bat, a tennis racket or a basketball. I loved to play sports. When it came to chores, I was a very lazy kid. I would do everything in my power to complain and I truthfully drove my parents insane. Forget about the fall season! When the leaves fell all over our property, I would always say "Why do we have to rake these leaves? The wind will just blow them away!" I was also the kind of kid that during the summer I would stay up at all crazy hours (usually watching The Honeymooners) and sleep as late as 12 Noon! Yes, I was a very lazy kid and truthfully carried that laziness into my early twenties.

     In 1987, well before I began my Children's Pastor career, I began working a job refinishing hardwood floors. It was a very hard and physical job that I had for 4 1/2 years. I was happy learning a trade and it definitely helped me stay in shape. On each job we were sent out in pairs. One worker would work with an "edger" sanding the edges of a room while the other worker worked the "big machine" sanding the middle of the room. On some jobs, we would have all 6 workers on a job sanding the floors of an entire house. After we sanded the floors we would have to stain and then polyurethane the floors. I tried my best to learn this trade but truthfully my mind was always on what it would be like to be in full time ministry. Little did I know, God was about to teach me an important lesson.

     In February 1988, my month did not start out very well. While trying to "help" on a job, I accidentally put a hole in a wall and on top of that ruined a floor. My boss was understanding and extended grace toward me, although he did let me know I needed to be careful next time. I honesty thought I was going to lose my job. On that same job, we had to refinish a staircase. One of the workers was a former employee who worked for the phone company. His name was Dave (a great name) and was only working with us because the phone company was on strike. While we were all trying to sand the staircase, Dave looked over at me and with a smug look on his face, he said, "You better get your butt in gear or you are going to lose your job, my friend." It was too noisy to respond to him and I was truthfully livid. How dare he say that! Who does he think he is! I went home that night fuming thinking "What would make some guy who doesn't even know me or my work ethic say that to me?" While I tried to go to sleep that night, I suddenly realized God was trying to speak to me. I realized an important lesson. I needed to start working harder. I received a huge "wakeup" call and from that point in my life, I started giving 100% effort with everything I did. I think I shocked a lot of people. The days of being a lazy kid were over!! I finally "Got it!"

     About 9 months after my wake up call, one of the other workers was leaving for another job so I was asked to learn the "big machine." I was happy because now I was trained to work all the machines. I continued to work hard not only at my job but at life. God was teaching me how important it is to have a great work ethic. What I learned from that experience was something I carried with me through my years at Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle to where I work now at Chick Fil-A. When you work hard and give 100% effort, you will without a shadow of  doubt move ahead in life!

UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!          

     

LIFE

     Life! It certainly can be interesting! This past Sunday, I woke up with a very sore back. I have had back issues for years. It got worse in 2015 while I was exercising. I had to go to an urgent care place because I could barely walk. After an MRI, they discovered I had a herniated disc. This past Sunday brought back memories of that. Needless to say, I needed to rest it and stay off my feet. I unfortunately missed church and time with my kids. Thank God for Aleve!! Around 4:00, I was hungry and had no food in the house and although it was a struggle, I got to my car in hopes of going to Boston Market. I sat behind my wheel, turned the key and....click click....The car was dead. What??? I knew it wasn't the battery since I had it replaced less than a year ago. Maybe the alternator? The starter? My initial reaction was "this can't be happening!" Life! Some days you feel like you won the Lombardi trophy, other days you feel like you are in last place. Why can't life be easy?

     It made me think of classic television. In a show like "Leave it to Beaver," didn't everyone seem so perfect? Didn't life look perfect to the Cleaver family? The house was always clean, everyone was dressed perfectly, the kids had manners and were well behaved and respectful. Life looked easy and perfect on that show. But like they say, that's show biz and that's Hollywood. Life is not easy.

     It also makes me think of the board game "The Game of Life." I have never personally owned the game but I have played it. I still remember the old commercial that said," You will learn about life when you play the game of life." True, you learn about handling money and other life lessons but do you really learn about real life?

     I admit one thing to you all. We all go through our "stuff" in life. No one has a perfect life. We have all had physical problems, cars that break down, financial struggles or maybe you just got a speeding ticket, or one of those "camera on the intersection" tickets. What I have learned through my 54 years on this earth is how do I handle life's struggles and problems. Sure, I do get mad and I do get frustrated when things don't go the way I want them to. But I always remember one of my favorite bible verses. Romans 8:28 -“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Even after knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior for over 41 years, I still have to remind myself that all things do work together for the good. God has always been on my side no matter what "stuff" I have to face. I am encouraged and know God has great plans for all of us. 

    In conclusion, on a happy note, my back is feeling much better and my car is fixed. It turned out to be the starter. 

UNTIL NEXT TIME