CHRIST, rhymes, & Life

We woke with tears falling from our heart’s eyes like question marks Yesterday’s nightmare hangs over today Like a cloud suffocating our joy We try to find spring in each other’s eyes But instead I see iris full of burden Heavy, as one who inherited war Most days we are tired of raising fist We are exhausted from arguing We pray Wondering if last night’s prayers went straight to voicemail Maybe we were fools For thinking a resolution would show up at the door We’ve spent years waiting for a whisper of hope At this point we’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been through this But the sting is still potent as ever Still pierces deeper into this soul Threatening to break my faith like wave on sandcastle I know no remedy for all the unslept nights For the fear that comes knowing control is an illusion No idea how to wield this alchemy of anger and lament How do we find healing when Our fragility is constantly being tested? Last night we sat at the edge of our san...

To many, what I admit in this might be a surprise and even seem a little crazy. I feel weird trying to add to the conversation on such a popular topic and as I write this I'm still hesitant to do so, afraid to join the pile of cringeworthy contributions. But with as much as I've read and heard on singleness, I can't remember too many that discuss the experience from a male perspective. Maybe that's why I felt so compelled to write this, because I feel like my experience is somewhat unique. So here it is.. I'm 25 now and for just about 99% of my life I've been single. I use to take pride in never having a girlfriend and wore my singleness like a badge of honor. The only dating relationship I've been in failed miserably (my fault) and it was quite the learning experience. Outside of that I've really only been on one date, depending on definition. Still never had my first kiss. Honestly, my mind has often entertained the thought and possibility of being ...

Warning: All this is based on background information from the comics and other stuff so if you feel like this spoils parts of the movie for you.. not sorry. I mean.. the obvious reason is that I'm a nerd and a huge Marvel fan. Infinity War is going to be nuts. But this right here.. Black Panther is special. Historic. And it is situated in such an important time. In  Civil War , T'Challa demanded the spotlight every moment he was on the screen. Now for him to have his own stand-alone film.. my, my, my. And Kendrick with that soundtrack got me even more hyped! I've been heavily anticipating this for so long and got my tickets as soon as they went on sale. Plus it's a four day weekend so I'll probably watch it three or four times, which I never do. I expect nothing but two and a half hours of glory. So here are my top five reasons why I'm so geeked about Black Panther . 1. Black Excellence Geez, where do I start.. When it was announced that Ryan Coogler wou...

This has been a strange year for me. I've been struggling to navigate through a crowd of emotions with no idea how to. Wore my heart under my sleeve for fear of showing weakness, deeming the world undeserving of caring for it. After all it's much safer behind these walls right? My theological knowledge may tell me enough to not crumble, but it is no field manual for going toe-to-toe with this unstable heart of mine. My insecurities speak as loud as anyone's. But I know my God will always be louder. Half a year ago, in my post, HERE ., I shared a little about the journey that I've been on, how I've come to the place where I am now. There was much joy and relief in realizing all that, yet it did not come without scars. Not without pain and confusion. I took what I believe to be a step of faith and it was also a turn from something I had planned on doing for so long. And eventually that step turned into a run, hoping that someone would care enough to try and catch m...

So when the rich young man thought his "good deeds" would help him receive eternal life, he walked away sorrowful because he quickly learned that the Kingdom is about much more than living a decent life. Jesus commanded him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. He knew what the man cherished most. And the man was not wiling to give that up. That man is us. We want God and salvation on our own terms but when we are asked to give up our treasures, that's just too much. A couple night ago, my older brother Robin reminded me of what this is all about. He was inspired to donate to people in Houston affected by Hurricane Harvey. He was talking about how eventually, the hurricane will go away but when that happens, there will be thousands of people who don't have anything to go home to. I've seen people who have no idea what they'll do and don't have much, but are still thankful and proclaim God's goodness. Robin decided to give away, among many ...

"Show up. Dive in. Stay at it." In his farewell address, our beloved 44th President Barack Obama left us with this charge; words my heart resonated with because, even though he said this in the context of our participation in democracy and the political arena, that is what my life has been about for the past few years. It's what the Lord called me to and it's what I am learning to embrace more and more. You ever just sit and wonder how you ended up where you are right now? My goodness, I can't tell you how many times I tried to make other plans.. how many times I thought I'd be doing something else by now.. how many times I tried to avoid where I'm at right now.. but nope! God constantly reminds me that He's in control and let me tell you, it can be frustrating at times, but it is a very good thing. Let's rewind a little bit. Towards the end of high school, this genius thought he was going to go away for college - like UC Berkeley or UCLA. Wel...

I wanted to hate you at first To see you fail and you did But it didn't feel right. As a ten-year-old boy I fell in love with basketball and you were already at the top We watched you night in and night out Your performances were magical, masterful and your greatness demanded my attention. I saw your passion Your dedication Your obsession Your will and drive Your killer instinct Your dominance. Clock winding down No question. Never backed down Never fazed The ultimate competitor Unstoppable. You were arrogant like no other But man, you backed it up 81 points All-Star MVP Gold medals Championships The fist The jersey pull The chest pound The screams The finger The plane The jaw The stare Are you not entertained? You gave the game everything You gave LA everything You gave the Lakers everything You gave us everything You allowed me to witness greatness I do not know basketball without you And it just won't be right when you'r...