Greetings to all.  It's been awhile since I have written anything on my site.  I am not even certain there are people that read this anymore.  I guess I wanted to leave an update if anyone stumbles upon my site.  First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 2008 I believe will be much better than 2007.  I also recently turned 30.  THE BIG 3-0!  I dont feel different but I am older now.  Here is the updates.

I have set up for my trip to Europe.  I will be heading out in March.  I am excited and looking forward to going over there with my friends. 

My marriage is still there, but barely.  She still wants to go ahead with the divorce.  I am heading down there in mid Feb to drop off her stuff.  I will be taking back the car and other minor things that she has of mine.  She said that she will try to have the papers for me as well.  I don't mind it anymore.  If it makes her happy then I will sign the forms.  But what I learned from this is that from death, God has shown me life.  I am not saying that I am happy to be divorced.  But I thought that my life would be over after it happened.  That is why I clung on to her to save the marriage at all costs.  But God didnt have that in His plans for me.  I dont know what he has planned for me.  But I keep going.  I have been going and now the pain is gone.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Its not what I expected but the ending is just as good if not better.  So I look forward to 2008.  I look forward to see what God has in store for my life.  So I press on.  I continue this ran that God has placed me on.  I move forward without fear.  I will get there.  God is good all the time.  I hope that God will bless you through any circumstances that you may find yourself.  God did work a miracle for me.  It just wasnt the miracle that I was expecting.

Greetings,

I know I haven't written in awhile but alot of things have been going on.  First and foremost

My good friend Billy Willis was found dead in his room this morning.  He went to Iraq with me and we kept each other entertained.  I heard that the authorities believe that he died of a heart attack.  He was only 22 or 23 years old.  We served our country together and kept each other sane through it all.  God Bless you Billy, you will be missed.

I have been working with a youth group at a church near my home.  The group ranges from 6th grade up to freshman year in college.  I have met with them for two Sundays.  I don't think that my lessons are getting to them.  They seem so bored or apathetic.  God is showing me that I really am not as great of a teacher as I hoped I would be.  This group of young people have so many things going on in their lives that I feel shamed to worry about what I am going through.  I honestly didnt want to work with a youth group.  But I asked God to give me a chance to work with youth that are suffering.  God answered my prayers, just not the way I thought he would. 

That is one lesson that I learned.  That I can place all my worries and concern at God's feet.  My heavenly Father has a wonderful plan for me.  I exchange worry and suffering and he gives me calm and peace.  My car's transmission recently died on me.  It is going to cost quite a bit of money.  Because of it, I can't travel up to the DC area to see all my friends.  But I know that this is part of God's plan for my life.  I know that there is a reason for me to stay here at the end of the month.  I don't know why my car died.  I don't know why I can't go see my friends.  I don't know why I still haven't talked to my wife.  But I trust in whatever plan God has for me.  Recently I had a dream with my wife in it.  She told me that she wants to come back to me.  I am not saying that I am dreaming prophetic dreams.  But I feel it is God telling me to persevere and to keep striving to save my marriage.  I wanted to give up that day, but God is gently telling me to finish the race.  So I continue.  I don't worry about my car.  I don't worry about how to teach the youth group.  I don't worry about the fate of my marriage.  I don't worry about why my friend had to die instead of me.  Instead I trust in God and live my life one day at a time.  My Father has a reason for me to continue.  He has a reason for all these things to occur.  I don't understand it, but when I look at how my life was in May, I can see how far I have come.  I encourage all that read this entry to not dwell on your current trials or pains.  But instead be thankful in all that you have been blessed with.  Be encouraged that God has something wonderful in store for you and that the the pain endured is so that you will be stronger. 

And finally, I want to congratulate my dear friends Sarah and Mitchel.  They were blessed with a beautiful healthy boy.  I also want to congratulate my friend Elizabeth with recently having a healthy baby boy.  I know that babies are blessings from God.  I always wanted to start a family.  But I know that I need patience and the trials that I am going through will help me become a better father then I could be right now. 

Well the bout with darkness has passed and I barely survived by the skin of my teeth.  It's odd how in the darkest of moments when I can't see God, God shows me his love and concern through my friends.  It is scary what Satan will do to us if we let our guards down.  I will never underestimate Him again.  It almost got me killed.  But God has something wonderful planned for me so I can't leave this earth yet.  I haven't returned to my devotion to God just yet.  But as He shows me his patience with me, I am gaining patience with life.  My devotion to God should return this week with the arrival of my parents and grandmother.  They will be staying with me for about 8 days.  In the past I wasn't close with my family.  My wife was the world to me.  Before God restores that relationship, I need to restore and improve the relationship that I have with my family.  My parents are missionaries currently in NYC and since they have some off time, they are going to stay with me.  There isnt too much to do here, but my mother and grandmother promised to make and feed me alot of Korean food.  I am giving them both of my rooms to stay in.  I plan on sleeping in the living room.  Afterall, I am the soldier in the family.  I can  do without a bed for a week.  The best thing is that they are visiting me during my vacation time.  So they dont have to stay cooped up in my home.  Wherever they want to go, we can go.  My current job now is to clean the house and get it ready for their arrival.  I need to vacuum everything and get the dining room table in order.  Since I have been living by myself, I haven't been using the table there for anything.  I am sure that my family will want to eat there so I have to get it cleared of all the clutter that has accumulated there.  I also have to clean the bathrooms.  Well I dont have anything else to do so I should be able to get it all done before I go to bed.  My hair is getting a bit long so I am contemplating getting a haircut or maybe grow it out until I go back to work.  Usually I keep my hair short, but since I have been on vacation I let all my facial hair grow out.  I shaved this morning and it was a pain.  My hair though is bordering the point of being annoying but that is because I am not use to it. 

Here is a last bit of information.  I am learning to let go of my wife.  I still want her back and I am praying for that, but I am accepting that I need God more then I do my wife.  I guess finally God is #1 in my life and my wife is a close second.  I am fearful of the storms that are still ahead in life.  Satan is a fierce enemy who hits below the belt.  But God is there with me.  He never leaves my side even during the worst of it.  Thank you God.