Category: SEX

Writing a… book?

Sometimes I feel like Reina (my wife) is the voice of God, and other times just her own voice. She is my toughest critic but also my greatest fan cheering me on. I’ve always been known for being a storyteller. My Dad is a storyteller so I guess I inherited the gift of talking…alot.

There are many things I remember from my childhood, my teen years, college and other random memories. I try and journal as many of them as possible and others are encrypted in my brain in full detail, which I never forget. As this journey continues we live on and more memories are made. Not all my memories are great ones. Some of them are full of pain, loss, and what may seem as misfortunes. But I have learned from every moment, and every road that seemed abandoned lead me to an amazing season in my life.  So….once upon a time my sister randomly said, “You should write a book,” which I thought was crazy.  As time went on, and years down the road my wife Reina said, ” babe! you should write all these memories down and write a book”. Ok, maybe I should listen?

This is my issue. I am not the greatest writer. I don’t enjoy typing as much as maybe I should. Being a writer wasn’t part of my plan but I wouldn’t mind sharing these stories and memories that I have. I think many people may relate to them and hopefully be inspired by moments that once seemed to be misfortunes but became redemptive seasons in my life. I felt I couldn’t write a book without there being a grand finale or conclusion…but the more I think about it…It’s a journey that will continue and needs to be told as we stroll along. Wouldn’t you say so? So it would basically be…

Stories about  growing up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhoods, raised in a latino family, spending all my School yrs in the Catholic education system, almost losing my Dad at a young age, surviving to tell the tales of the gang infested streets, College life, marriage, almost divorcing, losing my hearing, having kids, travels to Cambodia, Argentina and the world, working for a church by day, rocking with my band at night, seeing first hand how God connects all the dots and pieces in my messy life, and so much more…I just wanna tell you guys everything now!

So I know it’s gonna continue to be a work in progress and I need tons of help, guidance, advice, suggestions, professional editing and constructive criticism and you can only imagine how much more… So bear with me, have patience and I will get it done!

So what do you recommend I do first?

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Doing the Right thing sucks…but it makes Giants.

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Doesn’t it seem that every time you do the right thing no one really notices it anyway. The minute you do something wrong, you got people calling you from all over the country, “hey is that true what we heard?”. It almost makes you not wanna do the right thing and join the crowd. Why be the guy or gal who goes against the current if in the end no one really cares? I forgot to mention that on Sunday evening as we eagerly looked for parking in front of Bayside, some random car decided to leave. Good for us we were right beside the car. So what do I do? I turn my right hand signal on and reverse just enough to give them room to get out. In doing so the car in front of me that had already drove off quite a bit, reverses right up on my bumper and doesn’t move, knowing I had my signal on. This totally ticked me off so bad. I am thinking to myself, there is no way this heartless person will actually go through with this injustice. Sure enough they did. Two girls jumped out of the car and stood behind the car pulling out of the space, and totally ignored me. For all I knew I was invisible to them. I opened my door and got out of the truck and asked them if they did not see me there this whole time. I got no response…I addressed them again…and the lady driving said, “too bad”. Fire was shooting out of my eyes! I drove right up to the car and asked told the young lady. ” I can’t believe you actually did this knowing I was waiting all this time.?” She didn’t even look at me. I knew deep deep deep inside she felt horrible and was embarrassed. I drove off and hoped that maybe, just maybe she felt some remorse or felt terrible for doing the wrong thing. I was upset inside like you could not believe. I just hate when people do things like this and walk away like nothing. And he we are working as hard as we can to do the right thing and…Well you get my drift. It is not an easy thing to swallow. Do good and “maybe” someone will notice, do bad and you will be ridiculed by the entire planet. That is unless someone else does bad, they can get away with it, not you. I thank God for patience, his grace and love. Gandhi had a quote, ” an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. So true. In the end, God See’s everything, and good deeds never go unnoticed in his eyes. Nor the bad doing as well. It just er ks me to see people do wrong with no remorse. Even as subtle as driving into a “DO NOT ENTER” just to get into the lot first. Walking over a piece of trash, ignoring someone you see everyday, not paying, no tipping, portraying something you are not just get the better end. Some wise guy once told me, the good guys always end last…we’ll see about that dude.

College, I remember getting all this free money. Money here, money there. Only thing is, no one told me I had to pay all this back. So many years later I get the tab for it. dang! In the end of our journey in life I believe we’re all gonna get a tab. Some will be clean, others well…It’s part of it. The journey is just as important or even more so then the destination. I think the fray said best, “sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same”…
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Dear Giants…

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Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, Dave Ferguson, Carlos Whittaker, Travis Johnson, and Pete Wilson, the list goes on. These dudes are making huge moves with words, lyrics, music, and every day shenanigans. I am the new kid in the ministry world. A year and half ago I was a News director in Chicago, Part time actor, and late night rockstar. My sisters words haunt me from time to time. She’s always felt I had a call for ministry and even being a pastor. HAHAHAHAH is what i used to say. Now I say, “DANG”. What does this mean? I have no clue….for now. All I know is somehow God has changed my passion from being “music”, to it now being “people”. I am passionate about people, but still love music. Matter of fact, we’re gonna start recording our album this fall. If you don’t know then you should.

I can never give up music, its part of me. I picture myself singing and playing for all my grandkids one day. And they’ll say, “once upon a time Grandpa was a Pastor by day, Rockstar by night. Having said that, once I dove into ministry I got to meet so many dudes doing some crazy amazing things for Jesus and they aren’t these creepy sweaty fat dudes ripping my hat off my head in church. I read Erwin’s books and I’m like how the heck did he think of that? Rob Bell, is the newness and some! Does God co-write and produce with you? Seems like he does.

I read the Ragamuffin blog and I’m like this guy has got to be the coolest Pastor ever. I listened to Dave Ferguson at exponential conference, this guy has taken the great commission to heart and soul, Travis, this guy dreams beyond his means and somehow God makes it happen. He’s challenged me to dream beyond the dream. And he signs my check! Pete Wilson, I read this dudes Blog everyday and everyday I’m encourage on so many different levels and his Church seems super cool. 1 of the 5 churches I’d really wanna visit. In the past year I have written to these Revolutionaries on different occasions. I never expected a response cause I figured these dudes have got to be eating and drinking scripture 24/7 but believe it or not a few have actually written back. That has encouraged me beyond words. Thanks for taking the time to help ignite the fire in a young buck trying to make a difference in this universe. Even if you read this blog or not, maybe one day I will be a Giant like “yous guys”. Even though I already feel I am living the most amazing life ever. It’s a good a thing God had a better plan for me than my own…Que chevere!!!!
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