November 3, 2025

What Yous Need

Admitting that we spent our lives doing what we thought we wanted, only to learn we never truly had a choice. Our idea of the world was presented to us as “the way,” without any alternative lesson.

Boot camp stole that image from me. I hold no grudge against it, but I do wonder how they managed to sneak it in on me… on us. As I am no better or worse than anyone else, I too have been wandering and wondering where I have been.

Parris Island, 1997

Silence. And then—thunder. There is no bracing, only impact. A series of orders, almost incomprehensible. We move like sheep. They have complete and utter control over what we thought we were.

Your name is Recruit. They didn’t want a long relationship, so they let us keep our last names. Nothing more. We were in recruit status. They took everything: hair, clothes, and our first names. We were reduced to what our fathers made us and what they could take from us. We were nothing and no one. Just a bunch of “Yous.”

And do you know what “Yous” do?

What they are told.

And guess what “Yous” need? Food, sleep, and training. Everything else is a gift. Also, never say thank you. No one is thanked for doing their job.

You are forbidden from saying “you” or “I.” Uttering those words was like asking for scorn and pain. As long as YOU existed there, we would never have peace.

Yous know this has to be some form of abuse. You can feel that in your core. But you persist… this recruit persists. After all, they said Yous cannot leave.

Then one day, it makes sense…

In giving up everything, I was made to take inventory. Everything I believed I wanted or thought I already possessed was only a possibility.

Who was I without it?

“Why do YOU want to be on the ground so badly, Recruit?” he uttered, setting his trap.

Without thought, “I” began to speak.

“I don’t… I—”

“I….. I got your ‘I’! Get on your face, since you want to be on the ground so bad!”

He must have seen me staring at the ground. Why was I staring at the ground?

To establish the truth, they took everything.

You are just like the other “Yous.” The only difference was what this recruit was doing in the moment. I realized that if I could not stop the ground from falling away, then I should simply assume it is always there.

You learn that your purpose is to be present, truthful, and capable.

God. Country. Corps.

If you were found outside of Good Order and Discipline, there would be hell to pay.

Your country would pay.

Your Corps would pay.

You are only marked by the actions you take now.

But who are you, Recruit?

Life will keep asking you the same question until you tell the truth.

“Yous” must first lead themselves, and to do that, Yous must know who Yous are “without.”

They released us knowing that we knew what Yous are capable of—and they gave us the title of Marine.

God is going to ask, and the answer of plumber, carpenter, doctor, lawyer… those are not who you are, but what you do.

To know yourself, you will have to seek the Creator to understand what you are.

That is the beginning of being a Godly leader.

When I was younger, my best friend and I used to go to Blockbuster to rent video games. The store also had books you could buy for each game that showed you how to be successful, where the secret places were, and how to elevate your character’s abilities. We would reference this book to master the game.

The book for this… is the Bible.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Bible References & Why They Apply

Luke 9:23 – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

- Boot camp required self-denial and surrender of identity. Christ teaches the same path to true identity.

Philippians 2:3–8 – Christ “emptied Himself” and became a servant.

- The stripping away of ego mirrors Christ’s humility and obedience.

Romans 12:2 – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

- Your mind was reshaped with intention and discipline.

James 1:2–4 – Trials produce endurance.

- Hardship is training, not punishment.

Hebrews 12:11 – Discipline yields righteousness.

- Pain had purpose. It produced clarity and strength.

Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

- The moment the “I” returns is the moment identity aligns with the Creator.

Micah 6:8 – Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly.

- This is the foundation of Godly leadership.

Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron.”

- Brotherhood, refinement, and shared struggle shape identity.

Matthew 7:24 – Build on the Rock.

- The Bible is the guide — the game manual for life.

You Does Not Equal What

November 10, 2025

Corps.

Pressure reveals identity. When pressure is applied, the first thing that shows up is what is already inside.

You do not suddenly become someone new—you become visible to yourself.

Deciding to be confidently chosen means accepting that who you are shows up in your decisions, not your intentions.

We plan and plan, but sometimes the ground still falls away. The planning isn’t wasted—it is evidence that you were already stepping forward.

The truth appears only when you move in the direction of the plan.

I remember when my father asked what my plans were after high school. I thought about Job Corps.

He said, “If you’re going to do that, you may as well join the military.” He had a point—they would house me, pay me, and train me for four years. That four years became twenty-six.

In boot camp, you meet every type of man—millionaires, drifters, dreamers, men with options, men with none. You wonder why they chose this path. Or if the path chose them.

Maybe this life attracts a certain type of person. Or maybe it reveals us.

Boot Camp Moment

“Just do what you are told.” That was the first lesson. Not blind obedience—acceptance. Decision made.

You asked to become a Marine. So I stopped complaining—unless it was an opportunity to laugh.

Amazingly, I was already having a good time. Acceptance allowed me to see the training clearly.

They weren’t hiding anything. They gave us everything. Good Order and Discipline doesn’t need secrets.

“GET ON LINE NOW!” The bellow cracked the air. We moved with purpose, the tips of our boots barely casting a shadow over the line. Consequence had arrived.

I held my rifle by the front sight post with my left hand, arm parallel to the deck. Pain was there, sure, but I had no interest in acknowledging it.

My Drill Instructor noticed me. He marched straight toward me.

“SHOW ME YOUR TRUE COLORS, RECRUIT!”

I stood there. No flinch. No grimace. No performance. “This recruit has no idea what the Drill Instructor is talking about.” Silence.

He stared at me, searching for something—and then he walked away.

I remember thinking: Did I just find something no one told me about? Did I make him disengage? Or did something in me make him step back?

All I said was the truth: I really didn’t know. I was just doing what I was instructed to do. I no longer had a single feeling about it.

The truth is, I knew it wasn’t personal. I was simply present, doing what I was instructed. Sometimes, being there means you will pay.

That moment stayed with me. It taught me something deeper about discipline.

The Lesson Learned

Every time we received incentive training, it was because we left the moment.

We stopped believing or knowing that they would take care of us.

We stopped doing our work, and that stopped them from doing theirs.

We had to learn to do what we were being counted on to do regardless of how we felt about it, whether rain, sleet, or snow was present.

What you feel is important, but it is not more important than what is.

The only power you have is in the now.

This is the heart of discipline—and the discipline of the heart.

These lessons echo timeless truths found in Scripture.

Biblical References

Proverbs 24:16: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth again. — Pressure does not define the man—it reveals his endurance.

Matthew 7:16: Ye shall know them by their fruits. — Identity is shown in action, not intention.

Hebrews 12:11: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. — Discipline teaches action over emotion.

 November 17,  2025

Spontaneous Combustion, or Else

No, that isn’t a threat. More of an acknowledgment, if you will, that a little discomfort goes a long way — and it takes a whole lot of hard work to be lazy.

There’s a moment when you realize you don’t really know. This is the small moment of discomfort — admitting that if the ground fell away beneath you, you wouldn’t even consider yourself an anchor in your own sight. Then you wonder… what else could prevent collapse? Every step becomes interesting. Then the question becomes: What do I have control over? And to what extent is that control actually effective?

I learned the work that allowed me to be lazy.

In preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan, my unit had to complete several cycles of training. We met with a few different units and quadruple the number of personalities. Better to get the friction out of the way before we are all armed to the teeth.

We entered a cycle of execution (not people, but tasks), then debriefs on what we could sustain or improve. Problems are injected and reactions measured. At the end of every event, we’d all return to the room, sift through the results, and discuss what actually happened.

Sometimes these conversations turned into backroom discussions — group vs. individual accountability. A Major once said, “Y’all didn’t complete these tasks” to my Captain. I paused the room:

“Y’all is a very powerful word. Since this is the first I’m hearing of this, could you be a little more specific?”

The Major laughed. “You have a way with words, Sergeant,” he said — with a tone that suggested he knew exactly the weight of that word.

Sergeant = Servant.

When I was in that position, I understood the role. A servant leads by responsibility, not authority.

So Why Spontaneous Combustion?

When I was young, I used to watch science and surgery shows. I had a curiosity for how things worked. I would take things apart just to understand what was going on. One day I saw a show asking whether spontaneous combustion was real.

They found what they thought might have been an explosion or crime — but there was no mess like you’d expect, just a body mostly burned away, wrapped in a blanket, smoldering. Only the lower legs and feet remained. The rest was burnt blanket and chair.

Turns out, the person had been smoking. The cigarette burned through the skin, and the body’s fat melted into the blanket — creating the perfect slow-roast environment. Not spontaneous combustion. Just a flame that built in silence.

Did you know that if you pile oil-soaked rags in a corner, they can self-ignite? The oil heats itself slowly — gathering more and more strength — until finally it bursts into flame.

Discomfort works the same way.

Small things — ignored, buried, avoided — don’t disappear. They heat. They gather. They wait.

And when we refuse to confront what we don’t want to face — we don’t just break.

We burn.

Spontaneous combustion is never actually spontaneous.

It is the result of slow heat that no one acknowledged.

The result of unattended responsibility.

The servant carries the flame.

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…

It would seem to me that there may be something to my little flame and my servitude.

Biblical References

1. Matthew 5:14–16 — “Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men.”

   - Your flame is not meant to be hidden. Servanthood is visible leadership.

2. Galatians 6:5 — “For every man shall bear his own burden.”

   - Responsibility is personal. The servant carries weight willingly.

3. James 1:2–4 — “Count it all joy… when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

   - Discomfort is not damage. It is refining heat.

4. Proverbs 4:23 — “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

   - The slow burn begins inside before it ever shows outwardly.

5. Romans 12:11 — “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”

   - It takes work to be “lazy.” Discipline creates the appearance of ease.

Target Audience & What They Will Extract

Target Audience:

This blog speaks directly to leaders, service members, veterans, instructors, men in positions of responsibility, and anyone who carries weight quietly. It also resonates with those who are beginning a journey of self-awareness and personal accountability.

What Readers Will Extract:

- The understanding that discomfort is not an enemy but a signal.

- A powerful metaphor for responsibility: unattended heat becomes destructive flame.

- A reframing of leadership as servanthood — responsibility over authority.

- Insight into how small, ignored issues compound into major problems.

- A reminder that their “little light” matters, that discipline is unseen work, and that the refining fire produces strength.

- A biblical grounding that ties personal responsibility to spiritual maturity.

24 November,2025

Stiff-Necked People: A Paradigm Shift

There is a cycle that repeats itself every time a new group of recruits arrives.
They come from every kind of place, carrying whatever identity they think will protect them.

But the truth is simple — they resist because they cannot see.

As instructors, the mission is not to break them, but to show them the way to live.
To drill into them the truth that could save their lives.
We push them because what they cannot see can cost them everything.

When I was a recruit, we didn’t just try to survive the training.
We tried to outlast the instructors themselves.
We wanted to control how much of our flesh they would take.
We wanted a say.
We wanted to prove we understood the game.

“Get it now, rest later.”
We forced them to punish us on our time — they had the schedule to keep, not us.
We were willing to go where they sent us, but we demanded to decide which parts of ourselves would be given up in the process.
We created our own religion of crime and punishment so we could rest.

Leatherneck.

There is pride in that word.
But also a warning.
Because resistance does not mean strength if it keeps you blind to the truth.

And then there is the question:

You are not what they told you.
You are not who the world shaped you to be.
So who are you?

If you are not I, and I am not you, then who are we?
But they were once where we are. And we forgot, they had walked in our shoes and tried our games.
Did Yeshua not walk in our shoes?

This is the struggle of identity.
Not just in boot camp, but in life.
We resist the very thing designed to save us, to grow us, to make us whole.

We are a stiff‑necked people.
But we don’t have to stay that way.

Transformation begins when we stop resisting God’s correction.

Do not get wrapped up in the title of Marine. Everyone likes the title until it is time to do the work.

Men

Scripture References (KJV)

Exodus 32:9 — "And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people."

Acts 7:51 — "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost."

Hebrews 12:6 — "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Romans 12:2 — "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

I learned a lot about how to live from being in the military. Those years taught me order, sacrifice, and awareness. But it took time to realize that Yah was guiding me through it all—protecting me and shaping me long before I understood His purpose.

Even though I did not realize it then, I was clinging to His example. Being present and aware of my own destructiveness, learning to follow instructions, taking correction well, and being truthful—even when it could impact me personally—these were lessons that shaped my soul.

Later, when I was an instructor at the Eighth United States Army Wightman Noncommissioned Officers Academy, teaching Army leadership—both garrison (home) and wartime—I would speak with the students and tell them I would not allow them to “kill my children.” My kids liked me and might one day follow in my footsteps, and I would not leave a leader in place whom I believed would harm them. I wanted them to understand that the soldiers they would lead were someone’s sons and daughters, entrusted to their care.

I strove to be an example to my children. I want them to see what sacrifice can produce, to know that the hard fight strengthens the soul, and that everyone walks the same earth with the same choices. No one holds a patent on life, on struggle or success—each must walk their own path. Scripture says, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life” (Matthew 7:14), and I am learning what it truly means to walk that narrow way. What matters is that you can truly see yourself and, through that, see Yah at work in your life.

For 26 years, I didn't make time to read the Bible; honestly, it did not cross my mind. I believed discipline and purpose came from me alone. My arrogance convinced me that, since He put me here, He must have already given me the instructions, so I did not need to read. Today, I read with intent—to ensure I understand the full instructions of my Father. Now I see that the same obedience that built my career and raised my children can magnify my spirit when directed toward the truth. Looking back, I realize I was close in many ways, but the distances where I was lacking were great. Yet even in those gaps, Yah was patiently leading me from my own way to His narrow path.

Scripture References (KJV)

• Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

• Hebrews 12:11 – “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

• Joshua 1:8 – “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

• Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction… Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

9 Dec 25

There comes a point in life when you stop trying to feel your way forward. I spent years believing my emotions were the compass — fear, desire, excitement, and pain pushing me like the changing winds of survival and acceptance. Feelings once acted as sensors — they helped me recognize danger, connection, belonging, and comfort. They rewarded me when I fit in and punished me when I threatened the familiar. But there came a day when I learned the difference between what makes me feel right and what is right. Feelings were never meant to be the meal — only the aroma in the air. They are for perception, not permission. They do not fuel the spirit. They do not determine truth.

At some point, obedience replaces emotion. It's not some dramatic lightning strike — it’s a quiet, immovable realization: “What must be done will be done, regardless of how I think or feel.” No celebration. No applause. No self-congratulation. Just the work. Not because it was requested — but because it was required by The Most High.
Not before. Not after. Just doing.

When that shift happens, comparison dies. You stop looking sideways. There is no race against others anymore. To lead is not to be out ahead — to grow is not to fall behind — it is simply to align with the direction you are given, without depending on the motion of anyone else.

When the path becomes clear, time disappears. Competition becomes irrelevant. Validation becomes unnecessary. You are not “out front.” You are not “left behind.” You are not anything other than obedient. That is when life stops being a mission you perform and becomes a reality you embody. Missions end when the objective is complete. But transformation? That is who you become. You no longer chase it — you live it.

And obedience is not slavery — it is reasonable service:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.”
— Romans 12:1 (KJV)

I stopped needing emotional consent for spiritual direction. I stopped waiting for applause or approval to move. The Divine Voice that spoke creation into existence became the only Voice I answered to. Not a universe filled with competing noise — but a Uni-Verse — One Voice. One Direction. One Step at a Time. Neutrality entered my life, not as apathy or numbness, but as clarity — the absence of distortion. I learned that emotions can inform the senses, but they are not qualified to command the feet. I outgrew emotional steering. I began responding to necessity rather than novelty. Conviction took the place of comfort.

And then a strange peace arrived — a peace in not needing to feel “right”… because being aligned with Yah is enough.

“Not my will, but Thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42 (KJV)

There is a strength in truth that fear cannot touch.
To be a man of Yah is to live without fear —
because you know the truth,
and the truth is always on your side.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
— John 8:32 (KJV)

“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.”
— Psalm 56:11 (KJV)

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

No strategy sessions with my emotions. No negotiating with fear or bargaining with discomfort. Just the step that must be taken, in the direction already established — whether anyone sees it, understands it, or approves of it.

I am not following feelings anymore — I am following the One who gave me breath. And in that obedience… I found freedom.
One Voice. One Truth. One Way.
This is the Uni-Verse. Not out of sight. Not out of sync. Not out of mind. Just aligned — always.

Necessary. Neutral. Now.

And somewhere in the middle of that journey, I learned something else:
I am not tired. My body is tired.
My spirit is awake. My obedience is alive. My feet move because the path has been set before me — not because I feel energized, motivated, or comfortable.

Obedience is its own reward.

Being in charge is not about authority.

It’s about pressure.

It’s about personal power modulation—the ability to hold, regulate, and sustain without spilling over. To improvise, adapt, and overcome without needing recognition for it.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

Being in charge is the capacity to maintain a constant energy flow toward an end—and beyond it—without collapsing under the weight of it.

Truth be told, some are not meant to wield power.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:4 (KJV)

Maybe it’s the charge itself.

Maybe it’s the glow that emanates when others look to you.

But it isn’t movement. It isn’t momentum.

It’s pressure and magnetism.

Pressure is the weight of knowing.

The burden of awareness.

The responsibility to see clearly when others do not—or cannot.

Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.

Luke 12:48 (KJV)

Magnetism is what happens next.

You don’t call people in.

They orient toward you.

Problems find you.

Decisions get deferred to you.

Responsibility transfers without permission.

Not because you asked for it, but because charge attracts.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:14 (KJV)

So how does one know if they are in charge?

You always are—at least of self

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Proverbs 16:32 (KJV)

If you gravitate toward yourself for answers, others will as well. Because your life produces results. Fruitful results. A life marked by love and care for yourself and for the things around you.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Galatians 5:22 (KJV)

That fruit makes others want to be better.

And to know why.

Before I knew this, I thought I was relying on my own power—that the pressure was on me.

Now I know the truth.

Being in charge does not mean carrying pressure that does not belong to you.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee.

Psalm 55:22 (KJV)

It means standing firm and being able to say:

I stand in charge, and the pressure is not mine.

I emanate the light of Yah through my thoughts, my actions, and my results.

Love is produced around me in ever-increasing waves.

I grow in Him, and He shows me how to live.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)

And I accept the charge.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13 (KJV)

My eyes open without fail at 3:30 a.m.
My first inclination is to lie and meditate and listen to everything I can hear, and my heartbeat.
1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.
Bumps. I count them.

Silence eventually shows up… sometimes just wandering, dancing thoughts. Overall, peace is present.

I have been observing the news and the price of silver is going quite high in some circles.
They say it is a collapse of this and that.
It seems like an attempt at giving out free worry.

I sat with it for a bit and eventually landed at purification and knowing.

When something is considered to be purified by man’s standards, we get our current food supply and medical problems.
This is because our foods are provided by corporations (just a point of fact), and with that we have to accept a certain amount of contamination from processing, moving, and selling it. That transaction has passed through so much space and time.

I read a book once called *The Cure for All Disease* by Dr. Hulda Clark, and she noted that the presence of an engine meant the presence of oil.
It is in the food.
We know it.

This has always had me wanting to farm my own food.
Turns out Yah loves a shepherd and tiller of the land—bonus, because I wanted to anyway.

(Or maybe I always thought I did and It was Yah calling, and had nothing to do with me at all., but I digress—that’s for later.)

Back to silver.

In Malachi 3:3 Yah is described as the refiner of silver.
And in Proverbs 25:4 says, “Take away the dross from the silver, and a vessel for the refiner will come forth.”
In 1 Peter 1:7 we are told that trials and tribulations believers face are meant to prove the genuine quality of their faith.

My best example—because I don’t know another person better than I know my person—I have found myself in the position of knowing through that process of refinement.

Yah (God) wants us to know His love is enduring, and by placing His interest above our own we will be refined.
And if your interests already line up, then bonus.
But if not…

Like a child, we should submit to His authority for the process to be made known to us.

Ego removal is the acknowledgment of the vessel spoken of in Proverbs 25:4.
We are spirits inhabiting a body, and it is our reasonable sacrifice (Romans 12:1) to be refined—so that we may be fulfilled.

I was asked by Yah, “Who are you?”
The answer would be revealed in what remains after refinement.

Scripture (KJV)

Malachi 3:3 — And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

Proverbs 25:4 — Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

1 Peter 1:7 — That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ).

Romans 12:1 — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Yah (God), which is your reasonable service.

It can become easy to hate or treat others unfairly, just as for some it can become quite simple to love. The difference is not found in the action itself, but in the intent, the wisdom behind it, and the responsibility carried for its outcome.

Discrimination can be done with hate, and even when done with love, it can appear hateful to those who do not understand its purpose. Yet not all discrimination is rooted in malice. Some discrimination exists to protect, to refine, and to preserve what is good before it is damaged by what is not.

As a father to daughters and sons, this wisdom has had a profound effect on my reality. My heart desired that my daughters find good husbands and my sons good wives. Love compelled me not to be passive, but to be discerning. Truthfully, I had to ask them to allow me to intervene—to discriminate on their behalf.

Daughter:
I know what you want because you told me, but the world does not work as it does in your mind. What you think he is demonstrating is, in fact, not going to do you any good in the long run.

Son:
I know you care and are compelled, but you may seed power to someone whose mind is different.

At the end of this, I am very clear that “No one makes out on my couch but me.” I discriminate. And I will do the same for you—with your permission.

If permission is not given, then I must acknowledge that I also discriminate against you, my child. You have a right to your life, and I love you. But I do not have to carry your lack of discernment if you choose to go that way.

Love who you love as I love you. But if it is not right, you must go out there, because the path must be walked to be understood.

When I see danger, I discriminate.

Over time, this has not only allowed me to be refined, but my life to be refined as well.

Clarification on Love, Authority, and Survival

“No one makes out on my couch but me!”

This statement is not about dominance, control, or exclusion for its own sake. It is a declaration of responsibility and moral authority. My couch represents the place of intimacy, influence, and decision-making within my household. What happens there shapes lives, futures, and consequences. Because of that weight, the authority to allow or deny access rests with me alone.

I love my children no matter what they decide. That love is not conditional, nor is it withdrawn when they choose a path different from the one I would recommend. Love remains constant.

But love does not require self-erasure.

I, too, must live.

I can live without you, but I cannot live without me.

This is not abandonment. It is a boundary. It is the acknowledgment that responsibility for another does not negate responsibility to self. To carry consequences that are not mine to bear is not love—it is disorder.

When discernment is rejected, distance becomes the only honest response. Not as punishment, but as truth. I will not violate myself to preserve a relationship built on ignored warnings. I remain available in love, but not entangled in outcomes I did not choose.

Discrimination used as refinement is love.

Love, Free Will, and the House of Authority

I once asked my children a simple question: What would God do if you decided not to go to church?

“Nothing,” they responded.

That is right. He will let you walk away, and He will not chase you. God loves you so deeply that He allows you to choose what you want—even when He does not agree with the choice.

Love does not override will.

But there is a boundary that must be understood.

Not in His house.

God’s love does not disappear when you walk away, but His order remains intact. His house is governed by His standards. You may leave freely, but you do not redefine what is permitted within His dwelling. Love grants freedom; authority preserves order.

This is the pattern I follow as a father.

I love my children no matter what they decide. I will not pursue them to control their choices, nor will I force compliance to satisfy my fear. But within my house—within my sphere of responsibility—there is structure, discernment, and authority.

Love meets at discrimination.

Not discrimination born of hate, but discrimination born of truth. Love that refuses to lie. Love that refuses to surrender order for the illusion of peace. Love that allows departure without pursuit, and return without resentment—so long as the house remains intact.

This avoids rejection and pursues alignment.

Biblical Foundations (KJV)

Proverbs 4:23 — Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 22:3 — A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Hebrews 5:14 — But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

John 7:24 — Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Proverbs 13:24 — He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Proverbs 27:12 — A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Matthew 7:6 — Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

John 15:2 — Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Welp

I’m not a fan of grammar.
I respect it. I understand why it exists.
But sitting there making sure the comma is in the right spot?
Not my thing. lol

What I am good at is speaking. Thinking out loud. Letting a thought move from start to finish without stopping to check whether it looks right on a page.

When I talk, the idea flows.
When I write, the idea gets interrupted by rules.

And that interruption matters to me.

When I was younger, I loved poetry. I wrote a lot.
And yup—you guessed it—punctuation was a miss.

I remember asking my father to read something I had written. He read it, handed it back, and said, “There is no punctuation.”

I responded, “Feelings don’t have punctuation.”

What I meant was simple, even if I didn’t have the language for it yet.

There was only one subject.
One stream.
One intent.

I didn’t write it to be dissected. I wrote it to be read. Not to decide what you get from it, but to deliver what I was expressing. The moment punctuation entered the conversation, the focus shifted—from meaning to mechanics.

And that never sat right with me.

Feelings don’t pause because a rule says they should. They can erupt, but that depends on the maturity of the person claiming to have the feeling. That is different from expression. Expression is intentional. Expression is shaped. Expression is chosen.

That’s how I’ve always processed truth.

Writing has always forced a pause—not because the thought was incomplete, but because the format demanded precision before meaning. Vlogging lets me finish the thought first. Correction can come after. That feels more honest to how my mind works.

I don’t mind correction.
I just don’t want correction to be the gatekeeper of expression.

Speaking allows tone, pacing, emphasis, and silence—the things that actually carry meaning. A sentence spoken imperfectly can still land with clarity. A sentence written perfectly can still miss the point.

Vlogging isn’t me taking a shortcut.
It’s me choosing the medium that best reflects how I process and communicate truth.

I’ll still write.
But my primary output is shifting to voice and video, because that’s where my thinking is cleanest, most direct, and most alive.

If you’re here for perfect punctuation, you might be disappointed.
If you’re here for honest thought, you’ll probably get more of it this way.

And honestly?
I’m okay with that.

Some are great at writing, that is how we got the Bible, but me... Not so much.