I wrote all this before i saw Tumbleweed's comment. Im adding this: I am very angry at the comment made. Fren, you reached out to us and an asshole had to run their mouth...just be strong because tumbleweeds are out there. They are useless rumbling wads of sticks and brambles that serve no useful purpose other than to start a fire. Anyway...

Just hear me out for a minute...I just typed this out (4th paragraph down) to a young man I've known since he was 10. He was a punk back then; given everything and allowed to have anything he wanted from the kitchen to his room. He shot me in the nose with a pellet gun and his brother got in trouble for it.

There was no church, no faith, just lots of drinking, motorcycle clubbers, and noise. The kids were placated with electronics and gadgets. One evening after his dad left on the bike to go to the bar, I joined his mom on the front porch while she drank and smoked her pot. I saw the kid hanging around the edge of the yard kicking fireant beds. A beer bottle was thrown at him and he was told he was stupid for risking getting stung. I slipped away to go check on him.

It only took a few minutes to realize he was suicidal, he hated himself, and so I arranged for him and his brother to stay with us for the summer. That was in 2010. He went with our church youth to the beach where he was saved. He was baptized when they got back.

He is now a soldier and is polar opposite of what he was back then physically and mentally...he is smart, lean, and very wise for his age... but he is still suicidal, and lonely. He is very awake and hates the Army for the wokeness and maltreatment.

What I wrote tonight: "The moment you came up out of the water at your baptism you hollered out, "woo hoo!" You clearly understood yourself at that moment and the decision you had made. Why did you understand so easily? Because you were a child, with the heart, and reasoning of a child. Grown ups add way too much "figuring out stuff" to what life is and make it ridiculously tumultuous and for no reason. Pride, fear, guilt, loneliness, and on and on are what create doubt in our brain boxes -- doubt that we are worthy of love, or even lovable ourselves. I'll only say this one other thing. Jesus is real and that is why darkness hates us. If He wasn't such a threat, demons wouldn't try so hard to destroy us. I consider it a compliment to be a threat to the enemies of God. I swore an unconditional and unexpiring oath to defend my country against everything that would try to destroy our God-given rights; its a no-brainer that I would do the same for the very God who gave us those rights, the peace we have (and freely take for-granted) and His unwavering love for us that was proclaimed without excuse at the Cross.He clearly appreciated the heart of a child when he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me; for such is the kingdom of heaven."

So, my dear Fren... love yourself for having enough courage to love yourself...and take the equipping you have been entrusted with and realize that you are a warrior! There are so many hurting people...they may not have been through such a traumatic ordeal as yours, but the emotional blank space is there nevertheless.

The enemy should have killed us when he had a chance...now what he has done is awaken a sleeping giant. The demons absolutely tremble at the mere sound of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are valuable, you are a threat, wear it all boldly yet humbly knowing that you are time-tested in the fire and survived for a reason.

Someone out there needs you desperately.

I wrote all this before i saw Tumbleweed's comment. Im adding this: I am very angry at the comment made. Fren, you reached out to us and an asshole had to run their mouth...just be strong because tumbleweeds are out there. They are useless rumbling wads of sticks and brambles that serve no usseful purpose other than to start a fire. Anyway...

Just hear me out for a minute...I just typed this out (4th paragraph down) to a young man I've known since he was 10. He was a punk back then; given everything and allowed to have anything he wanted from the kitchen to his room. He shot me in the nose with a pellet gun and his brother got in trouble for it.

There was no church, no faith, just lots of drinking, motorcycle clubbers, and noise. The kids were placated with electronics and gadgets. One evening after his dad left on the bike to go to the bar, I joined his mom on the front porch while she drank and smoked her pot. I saw the kid hanging around the edge of the yard kicking fireant beds. A beer bottle was thrown at him and he was told he was stupid for risking getting stung. I slipped away to go check on him.

It only took a few minutes to realize he was suicidal, he hated himself, and so I arranged for him and his brother to stay with us for the summer. That was in 2010. He went with our church youth to the beach where he was saved. He was baptized when they got back.

He is now a soldier and is polar opposite of what he was back then physically and mentally...he is smart, lean, and very wise for his age... but he is still suicidal, and lonely. He is very awake and hates the Army for the wokeness and maltreatment.

What I wrote tonight: "The moment you came up out of the water at your baptism you hollered out, "woo hoo!" You clearly understood yourself at that moment and the decision you had made. Why did you understand so easily? Because you were a child, with the heart, and reasoning of a child. Grown ups add way too much "figuring out stuff" to what life is and make it ridiculously tumultuous and for no reason. Pride, fear, guilt, loneliness, and on and on are what create doubt in our brain boxes -- doubt that we are worthy of love, or even lovable ourselves. I'll only say this one other thing. Jesus is real and that is why darkness hates us. If He wasn't such a threat, demons wouldn't try so hard to destroy us. I consider it a compliment to be a threat to the enemies of God. I swore an unconditional and unexpiring oath to defend my country against everything that would try to destroy our God-given rights; its a no-brainer that I would do the same for the very God who gave us those rights, the peace we have (and freely take for-granted) and His unwavering love for us that was proclaimed without excuse at the Cross.He clearly appreciated the heart of a child when he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me; for such is the kingdom of heaven."

So, my dear Fren... love yourself for having enough courage to love yourself...and take the equipping you have been entrusted with and realize that you are a warrior! There are so many hurting people...they may not have been through such a traumatic ordeal as yours, but the emotional blank space is there nevertheless.

The enemy should have killed us when he had a chance...now what he has done is awaken a sleeping giant. The demons absolutely tremble at the mere sound of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are valuable, you are a threat, wear it all boldly yet humbly knowing that you are time-tested in the fire and survived for a reason.

Someone out there needs you desperately.

I wrote all this before i saw Tumbleweed's comment. Im adding this: I am very angry at the comment made. Fren, you reached out tonus and an asshole had to run their mouth...just be strong because tumbleweeds are out there. They are useless rumbling wads of sticks and brambles that serve no usseful purpose other than to start a fire. Anyway...

Just hear me out for a minute...I just typed this out (4th paragraph down) to a young man I've known since he was 10. He was a punk back then; given everything and allowed to have anything he wanted from the kitchen to his room. He shot me in the nose with a pellet gun and his brother got in trouble for it.

There was no church, no faith, just lots of drinking, motorcycle clubbers, and noise. The kids were placated with electronics and gadgets. One evening after his dad left on the bike to go to the bar, I joined his mom on the front porch while she drank and smoked her pot. I saw the kid hanging around the edge of the yard kicking fireant beds. A beer bottle was thrown at him and he was told he was stupid for risking getting stung. I slipped away to go check on him.

It only took a few minutes to realize he was suicidal, he hated himself, and so I arranged for him and his brother to stay with us for the summer. That was in 2010. He went with our church youth to the beach where he was saved. He was baptized when they got back.

He is now a soldier and is polar opposite of what he was back then physically and mentally...he is smart, lean, and very wise for his age... but he is still suicidal, and lonely. He is very awake and hates the Army for the wokeness and maltreatment.

What I wrote tonight: "The moment you came up out of the water at your baptism you hollered out, "woo hoo!" You clearly understood yourself at that moment and the decision you had made. Why did you understand so easily? Because you were a child, with the heart, and reasoning of a child. Grown ups add way too much "figuring out stuff" to what life is and make it ridiculously tumultuous and for no reason. Pride, fear, guilt, loneliness, and on and on are what create doubt in our brain boxes -- doubt that we are worthy of love, or even lovable ourselves. I'll only say this one other thing. Jesus is real and that is why darkness hates us. If He wasn't such a threat, demons wouldn't try so hard to destroy us. I consider it a compliment to be a threat to the enemies of God. I swore an unconditional and unexpiring oath to defend my country against everything that would try to destroy our God-given rights; its a no-brainer that I would do the same for the very God who gave us those rights, the peace we have (and freely take for-granted) and His unwavering love for us that was proclaimed without excuse at the Cross.He clearly appreciated the heart of a child when he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me; for such is the kingdom of heaven."

So, my dear Fren... love yourself for having enough courage to love yourself...and take the equipping you have been entrusted with and realize that you are a warrior! There are so many hurting people...they may not have been through such a traumatic ordeal as yours, but the emotional blank space is there nevertheless.

The enemy should have killed us when he had a chance...now what he has done is awaken a sleeping giant. The demons absolutely tremble at the mere sound of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are valuable, you are a threat, wear it all boldly yet humbly knowing that you are time-tested in the fire and survived for a reason.

Someone out there needs you desperately.

Just hear me out for a minute...I just typed this out (4th paragraph down) to a young man I've known since he was 10. He was a punk back then; given everything and allowed to have anything he wanted from the kitchen to his room. He shot me in the nose with a pellet gun and his brother got in trouble for it.

There was no church, no faith, just lots of drinking, motorcycle clubbers, and noise. The kids were placated with electronics and gadgets. One evening after his dad left on the bike to go to the bar, I joined his mom on the front porch while she drank and smoked her pot. I saw the kid hanging around the edge of the yard kicking fireant beds. A beer bottle was thrown at him and he was told he was stupid for risking getting stung. I slipped away to go check on him.

It only took a few minutes to realize he was suicidal, he hated himself, and so I arranged for him and his brother to stay with us for the summer. That was in 2010. He went with our church youth to the beach where he was saved. He was baptized when they got back.

He is now a soldier and is polar opposite of what he was back then physically and mentally...he is smart, lean, and very wise for his age... but he is still suicidal, and lonely. He is very awake and hates the Army for the wokeness and maltreatment.

What I wrote tonight: "The moment you came up out of the water at your baptism you hollered out, "woo hoo!" You clearly understood yourself at that moment and the decision you had made. Why did you understand so easily? Because you were a child, with the heart, and reasoning of a child. Grown ups add way too much "figuring out stuff" to what life is and make it ridiculously tumultuous and for no reason. Pride, fear, guilt, loneliness, and on and on are what create doubt in our brain boxes -- doubt that we are worthy of love, or even lovable ourselves. I'll only say this one other thing. Jesus is real and that is why darkness hates us. If He wasn't such a threat, demons wouldn't try so hard to destroy us. I consider it a compliment to be a threat to the enemies of God. I swore an unconditional and unexpiring oath to defend my country against everything that would try to destroy our God-given rights; its a no-brainer that I would do the same for the very God who gave us those rights, the peace we have (and freely take for-granted) and His unwavering love for us that was proclaimed without excuse at the Cross.He clearly appreciated the heart of a child when he said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me; for such is the kingdom of heaven."

So, my dear Fren... love yourself for having enough courage to love yourself...and take the equipping you have been entrusted with and realize that you are a warrior! There are so many hurting people...they may not have been through such a traumatic ordeal as yours, but the emotional blank space is there nevertheless.

The enemy should have killed us when he had a chance...now what he has done is awaken a sleeping giant. The demons absolutely tremble at the mere sound of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

You are valuable, you are a threat, wear it all boldly yet humbly knowing that you are time-tested in the fire and survived for a reason.

Someone out there needs you desperately.