O LORD, truly I am Your servant;
 I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; 
 You have loosed my bonds.-Psalm 116:16

   All I want is my life to be emptied of all those things that hinder me in serving the Lord Jesus Christ. He has freed me from my sin to be in relationship with Him, but also to be able to serve him. Psalm 116:16 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It’s the cry of my heart right now, and has been my cry since I have come to salvation. I’m not willing to live a luke warm Christian life but one that truly brings glory to Jesus Christ. I’m not willing to take sin lightly that trys to keep me chained to my old ways. No! I will Deny myself, carry my cross daily, and follow Him no matter what. When I fail, I’ll trust His grace to pick me back up.

8 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication-Micah 7:8-9

   When we mess up, the devil is there to try keeping us from getting back up to follow Jesus, but Thank God that the Lord is bigger than the devil and never gives up on his children. Everyday I see that putting faith in people,places, and stuff will just leave you feeling lost. And that the cost of following Jesus is High but he is worth it.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”-Luke 9:23-27

Prayer: Lord I belong to you, by your Holy Spirit please help me to serve you without fear.Amen

  July 17th marked my second anniversary date of working at Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living. These last two years have been filled with a lot of ups and downs  at my job, but overall I have enjoyed work. I been a part of a team that has won one advocacy battle over the next, but I’m most proud of the work we did in making sure that Washington County’s polling places were accessible to voters with disabilities. The City has not met our goal of 100% accessibility but because of our advocacy efforts they’re getting closer. Polling place accessibility was my first assignment to focus on, when Andy(My Boss) hired me, and at times I was scared out of my mind. I didn’t want to screw up, knowing the history of advocates that have gone through the doors at TRIPIL before me. People I have looked up to since I was a kid, and now I’m a co-worker next to John Lorence Jr., Michelle Brozinski,Ed Pahula,Deb Crouse, Kathleen Klienmann, and many more who have taught me about being a person with a disability. So, I felt pressure to be sucessful from the start, and at times almost cracked,even quiting for a week in my first year, but my faith in the Lord got me refocused and I started enjoying being a productive member of TRIPIL’s staff. I stopped worrying about making mistakes and started taking prayer-filled chances and steps towards a better advocate. I know at times my co-workers may still see me as that angry confused 17 years old with cerebral palsy but I also believe they know they can count on me to give my best in advocating for the issues that effect people with disabilities. TRIPIL helped me realize as a teen that I can live a independent life and can chase my dreams, and I’m thankful  to God for being here at TRIPIL. As long as I’m here I’ll do my best to encourage and empower other people with disabilities to reach their dreams of living life to the fullest.

More info about TRIPIL

TRIPIL is a Center for Independent Living.

Through the connection of the people of our community, individuals of all ages and abilities are able to work together to help themselves and to improve their community. TRIPIL brings together individuals who share common problems in equal access, education, housing, employment, attendant care, transportation, and access to technology.

TRIPIL is a membership based organization. The membership is comprised primarily of individuals who directly benefit through the activities of the CIL and have a direct stake in its operation.

Our purpose convening at TRIPIL is for these reasons:

• To teach ourselves about the past, present, and future prospects of the Independent living movement as part of the disability and equal rights movement;
• To share ideas towards the building of a common vision for Independent Living in Pennsylvania; and;
• To strengthen our sense of community and common purpose as part of the local, state, national, and international independent living movement.

28 You are my God, and I will praise You;

You are my God, I will exalt You.-Psalm 118:24

I just want to use this post to thank Jesus for giving me the gift of himself. My Lord, I have often failed you but I’m humbled to know that I can call you my God, and you want to know me. As I was reading Scripture tonight I was reminded the price you paid to set me free to live for you. May your cross be the center of my ministry and life. By your blood I have been made clean. Help me to remember that this world can’t offer me any greater pleasure than the pleasure I have knowing you. I’m sorry for my lukewarm faith as of late. May the circumstances in my life draw me near to my God that loves me.

My God created Me!

My God sought Me!

My God broke my hard heart

My God opened my eyes to see his glory!

My God died on the Cross for Me!

My God Lives forever!

My Life is for Him!

I will Praise Him

My Cerebral Palsy is a sign of His love for me

All my circumstances is under his control.

One day, He’ll receive me to glory!

Jesus Christ, Is the Name of my God. Praise Him!

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.-Colossians 3:19

  I can’t put into words sometimes how much I love my wife. Robin’s love for me is the closest thing I can understand as an example of God’s unconditional love. She has loved me for who I am, the good and the bad. I don’t thank God enough for her but I’m grateful for her. I been a husband for one year now and have a lot to learn but one thing I have learned is that men need to guard our hearts to protect our marriages. The devil wants us to give in to temptation and  mess up what we have with our wives. Rather it’s another woman or other sexual sin like porn, the devil wants to destroy marriages and families through sexual sin. But let me tell you something, it’s not worth loosing the one who puts up with your sorry butt. During those times when no one else has your back and you take it out on her, and she still loves you. Why throw that away? Why throw away the one who loves you at your worse and challenges you to be your best. As Christian husbands our marriage to our wives is our greatest ministry and calling God has given us. If we can’t love our wives we can’t love others with the love of Christ. There’s all kind of ways the devil can make a man fall but I think that sexual sin is his weapon of choice against strong Christian marriages. We need to fight the good fight of faith and keep Christ at the center of our marriages and not trade our wives loves for a temporary pleasure which is no pleasure of all. When I’m tempted to sin sexually I think about what it would cost me. It hurts my witness for Christ to my church,friends,family, and I would lose Robin. I’m not willing to mess up the Blessing I have in Robin. So, Men of God, pray for me as I pray for you to stay strong in your marriage and life.

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

-Hebrews 11:24-26

  I have mentioned Life Point in a few of my blog posts but I just feel like sharing my heart about my church. My desire and passion for the Lord is back to where it was before I got burned out as the youth leader at my former church, and I have to thank the pastors of Life Point and their families for that. Life Point is  feeling like a true home church for me. In my years of being Christian I finally feel accepted by other Christians my age. I’m not knocking my old church,for,people there love Robin and I but at Life Pont we have found true friendship with other people who love Christ and our transparent. I miss my former students a lot at Friendship but God has me at Life Point for a reason. And I been challenged to step up as a man of God because of the ministry of Life Point, because being at a new church plant, a person can’t sit on the talents and gifts God has given them. Plus, I have never seen my wife any happier, than I have seen her the last four months. Being at Life Point has really helped her faith, and to see her having joy again is priceless. So, to Pastor Aaron and Andrew, I say thank you for obeying God in coming to Washington to plant a church,and thank you most of all for being good friends to Robin and I.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:13

This video is awesome. I hope you’re blessed by watching it.

  I was the guest speaker yesterday at Calvary Baptist, and the whole service was great. But for me, when Robin and I met a mother and her two year son Noah after the service that was most meaningful. Noah was born with cerebral palsy, brain damage,and needs a feeding tube. His mom was fighting tears trying to speak to me and Robin. We just encouraged her to never give up. This mom is a soldier to me. She loves her son so much and they been through so much in his short life so far. I know  a lot  people in my field of work would be mad at me when I say it makes me sad to see this little boy going through this. There’s a difference between pity and compassion and my heart just went out to him. We gave his mom our cell numbers so if she ever needs support or someone to talk to. I think too many people in the independent living movement and the disability community inside that movement are too hard. If  a person would say I feel bad about that person having to deal with their disability than they would get mad and say that your pitying them, and in a lot of cases that is not true. It’s not pity to care for someone else and the circumstances they face. God has called us to community and in a community each member must care about the next. We who have disabilities have a choice to make. We can use our lives to bring glory to God and encourage others or be prideful idiots and be miserable in our own circumstances. I hear it all the time in the disability community from people saying they don’t want to inspire anyone. I’m sorry to tell you, but if your disabled and are living an independent life, you’re empowering people to know they can do it to. So get off your high horse and encourage someone in your life today.

    After that little rant, I want to say if my sermon and me having cerebral palsy was just for Noah’s mother yesterday to have hope in her son’s future than I say Praise God. I love working at TRIPIL and being part of the IL movement but I can’t let my heart become numb towards people. There is too many Noahs out there for me to care about what my colleagues may think. All people need hope. Our hope needs to be in Jesus.

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.-Revelation 5:11-14

            These are some of the verses I’ll be focusing on in my sermon tomorrow at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington PA. Oh how I can’t wait for the day I bow down in my glorified body in worship Jesus. When I watch my friends Andrew, Allison, and my wife Robin leading worship at our church I am at awe with their musical talent. They use it all to the glory  and praise of God. I’m not gifted when it comes to singing but when it comes to singing to Jesus in worship I give my best. In this life I may never be worship team material but one sweet day I’ll sing my heart out for Jesus. Check theses verses out:

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant  of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

 I have come to learned that a lot of people I know with disabilities have had bad church experiences, and as a result don’t want nothing to do with God. I used to be this way to until I met the Living God of the Bible, and my life has not been the same since. With this post I will attempt to give light to one of the misconceptions in the disability community which is  just because Christians say that you’ll have a new body in heaven doesn’t mean your life isn’t whole now. The promise of a glorified body does not make you less of a man or woman now because of a disability. But, I will argue that Nobody is truly whole in life apart from Christ, disabled or not. Every humans body is corrupted because of sin and we all will one day experience death. Only those who trust Jesus will be free from this corruption and will receive a glorified body. I am not weak because I’m looking forward to the day I shed my cerebral palsied body and put on a body that is free from the ability to sin or decay,for, till that day I will gladly limp into heaven with God getting glory from my circumstances in this life. Here’s what the Bible says about the resurrection body:

The Resurrection Body

   ³⁵ But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” ³⁶ What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. ³⁷ And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. ³⁸ Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. ³⁹ Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

   ⁴⁰ There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. ⁴¹ The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

   ⁴² It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

   ⁴⁵ The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”^[h] But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. ⁴⁶ What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. ⁴⁷ Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. ⁴⁸ Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. ⁴⁹ Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like^[i] the heavenly man.

   ⁵⁰ What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

   ⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

   ⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,^[j] this Scripture will be fulfilled:

   “Death is swallowed up in victory.
   ⁵⁵ O death, where is your victory?
      O death, where is your sting?”

   ⁵⁶ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

   ⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.- 1 Corinthians 15:35-38

  So, like I said earlier, to look forward to the day when Jesus will wipe away cancer, aids,disabilities,and any other pain that we face is not disrespectful of the life we now have. I can’t wait til the day I don’t have cerebral palsy but I’m not at all ashamed of having it. God has used my circumstances to make me lean on his grace,and has used my life to bring him glory. The disabled man who says,” I’m fine the way I am, I don’t need a new body.”, is speaking from pride or pain. None of us is ok or fine  unless our hope is in Jesus.

¹I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea. ²I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband. ^{3 -5}I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.” 

-Revelation 21:1-5 (Message Bible)

 Her life is a testimony to God’s Grace. Jesus is AWESOME!