Dear 16 Year Old Me

Hi my friends,

I was watching television the other morning and saw a very interesting segment on a morning show. A author wrote a book on people from different walks of life writing letters to their 16 year old selves. I thought what would I say to me back then? well, here is the letter to my 16 year old self.

Dear 16 year old me,

I know you probably had another rough day at school because you are still adjusting to being in High School and you are still not happy with being in Greenville Mississippi and you want to go back home to San Francisco, and your home life is not all that great either with your aunt and uncle being mean to you all the time and your mom getting on your nerves but believe me, things will get better. You thing your Grandparents are telling you things you don't want to know but listen to them, they may not have the education you have and will have in the future, but they really are very wise and hold on to them while you can because you will miss them when the are gone. Don't worry about your aunt, she always has been jealous of you and your uncle will straighten out and become a very wise and awesome man of God. They love you, they just had a hard time showing it at the time. Your mom was going through a hard time herself adjusting to being home and living with her parents. She will still struggle with the things she struggled with then but remember, she loves you very much and you always were her heart just like your Aunt Minnie would tell you. When you get the news that your mom passed away, you will struggle with it but in time, it will get better. Your Dad will still be you best friend and someone you will still go to. He will have a series of strokes but he will get better but, not the same as he was before, Your paternal grandmother will suddenly pass away when you get home from college, no not the colleges you wanted to go to Southern Cal, LSU, or the University of San Francisco but USM. You will miss her very much because you could talk to her about anything. Before she dies, she will give you a life lesson that you will hold on to this very day.  You will go to the Navy briefly, don't feel bad about not completing basic training. You tried but your fear of water over your head from almost drowning at 8 keeps you from completing. You go to college and meet people you are still friends with to this very day, You will  have jobs as a club dj. radio announcer and even do play-by-play for baseball and football!  You even become part owner a baseball team all in Greenville! You will work for WXVT as a Weather Person, Master Control Operator and do other things at the television station. There, you will met and become friends with some amazing people you are still friends with to this day. You will go to different places such as Houston, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, Little Rock and Conway Arkansas.  You will get married twice, have 6 beautiful and amazing kids, 5 girls and 1 boy. two girls from your first marriage and three girls and one boy from you second. Your second wife is the one that you are meant to be with and you two have everything in common. She will be and always will be the love of your life. Take care of yourself and keep exercising because when you get older, you will become very ill and disabled but it all takes you back to the amazing path that God puts you on. You will go through some bad things but you will go through some awesome things as well. You finally answer the call that God has been for years trying to get you to to. You will continue your education to get your Masters in Christian Studies. Oh by the way, you don't have cat eyes like Terrence Nash keeps telling you! Ignore him!

Take care,

Raymomd

My Love of God

Hello everybody!,

I am right now in a lot of pain because the enemy is attacking my body but it's not going to stop me from letting everyone know my love of God. My love is so deep and pure because he loves me the exact same way! God's love for me is unconditional and my love for him is the same. I think back to all the good things the Lord had done for me, I think "WOW!"  The things I have gone through and with God's grace and love, he has pulled me out of all I can say is thank you for everything. I know that the trials and tribulations I have gone through these past months will get better with God's loving hands on me and my family. The other night while I was sleeping, Satan whispered in my ear that one of my daughters was dead! I got up but I did not feel it in my heart. It was Satan attacking me because he does not want me to achieve my goals and for me to give up and forsake our heavenly father. Our God has never forsaken us, so I know I will never forsake him! I got up and picked up the Bible and read from the book of Job. I knew my daughter was fine and I prayed for her safety. God Bless you for reading and thank you! 

I'VE COME TOO FAR TO STOP NOW!!

Hello my friends!,

It has been awhile since my last post! I have been really busy with school. I am two months away from getting my Bachelor's Degree in Business Communications from the University of Phoenix and I am really excited about it! I have heard a call and for years, I ignored it because I really did not think I was the type of person to answer the call. I always thought, "who me?, you got the wrong guy!" I heard this call again, this time through my wife. Two weeks ago on a Saturday night, I was watching television and my wife seemed anxious about something. I didn't know what it was or what it was about so I asked here was she OK?, she wanted me to turn the television off because she told me God was trying to talk to me through her. I turned the television off and I cleared my mind and I heard this voice saying "Go out into the world and spread my word in my name." I was shaken and I prayed about it. I told my wife what I heard and she said "I told you God was trying to talk to you!" That night, I finally answered the call I tried to ignore all these years. I decided to go into the Ministry. I made a call to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and I registered there to study for my Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry. Sunday, I announced to the church my plans and everybody got excited! I am very excited about this path I am taking because I really feel blessed to do this and to be asked to do this so I can tell people about God's love and how he wants us to love him as he loves us unconditionally. I now know what my maternal grand-mother was talking about when I was two when she looked at me and said "this boy is gonna do something!"  Thank you for reading and God Bless you!