Blog . stories . inspiration . messages . songs
I was finally done with elementary school and ready to entered the sixth grade. I loved my class and seemed to get along with everyone.
One day, I heard on the announcements that tryouts were going to be held for the middle school talent show. I immediately was like, Hey, I can do that! Well, I just had to figure out what that was.
It was elementary school and Takis Poulopoulos knew how to pull my strings and make me mad. He lived two houses down the street. He would call me names at the bus stop every morning and would continue doing so when we got off the bus at the end of the day. By the afternoon, I would have had it. So, naturally I would go over and beat him up. It was not unusual for him to go home with a bloody nose.
At the age of two (or so the story goes), after my toddler behavior had exceeded all patience, my mom sat me on the kitchen counter and said, “Things have got to change. You’re going to accept Jesus now.” She grabbed my hands and, with what limited vocabulary I had, I prayed to accept Jesus into my heart. Apparently, my behavior improved.
It was the summer of 1969, my father was serving in the Air Force and my family was stationed with him in the Philippines. My sister, Michelle, was about to be born and this family of three would become a family of four. My parents were adventurous people, everything from scouring erupting volcanos to witnessing Easter self-crucifixions. A few years earlier, my Mom suffered a miscarriage of a baby boy they named, Joshua David. With this recent birth, my parents were ready to call their family done. However, the Lord spoke to my Mom and told her that she was not done and that she would have one more. Much like Mary, my Mom treasured those words in her heart and waited until the time.