I took amtrak to San Luis Obiapo with maybe 20 to 30 dollars in my pocket and some personal clothes in 2006.
Why? To join the California Conservation Corps and make something of myself.
In Fresno, my hometown, I felt I was not achieving what I wanted to do.
In the C.C.C, I got work experience, a first aid certification, a class C drivers license, and finally earned my High School Diploma. I served 2 years in the C.C.C.
My second year I was promoted to Supply Specialist, and got selected for the Montana Exchange Program with the Montana Conservation Corps.
During time at C.C.C, I was invited by a co-worker to Mercy Church in San Luis Obispo, California. A G-12 church that has since been re-branded as Local Church.
When my cell leader left the country, I was unable to get into another cell group (what they called their Bible study groups ran by a leader). So I kept going on my own.
Ultimately marriage was a thing encouraged but unrealistic within the church. I started to try to have conversations with women in the church , but to no avail.
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| Soulfire Revolution |
A new lady came to church and I exchanged phone numbers with her, and had a great conversation...but I suspect our interactions together got shut down, as church leadership has to approve any relationship at the time.
I had a fling with a co- worker who eventually got terminated for drinking issues.
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| "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14 |
Eventually my first wife came on the scene around 2010, I greeted her and she would sheepishly ask my out. Multiple times she would flake when she was suppose to meet me for coffee.
Then around 2014 or so, she and I finally met up. And since she was the only "Christian" in the church who was open to speaking with me at the time, our relationship fast tracked while church leadership paid no attention.
We married July 2015, and remained together until mid 2021 when we separated and later divorced late 2021. So around the time of Covid.
Early in our marriage, she had issues with leaders at Mercy Church. So to keep us going to church, I made the decision to take us to Mountain Brook Church in San Luis Obispo (they dissolved since.)
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| Move this Mountain - Music By Mountain Brook Church |
At home one day I did a Bible study, and wondered what the word sin meant.
I Googled it, and Google revealed 1 John 3:4 ...."Sin is transgression of the law". This shocked me, and I realized we were being lied to.
While sitting in church listening to the Pastor make jokes and people laughing from his stories, I looked down at my Bible.
A voice came to my mind so clear: " What fellowship does light have with darkness?....Come out of her my People...less you share in her sins".
I discovered the Torah. We stayed until they served pork for Fathers Day, then I shifted to Sabbath fellowship at home. My wife never really followed after this decision.
We struggled with our values...with my first wife continuing to get tattooes, eat unclean meats, celebrate Christmas even though I pushed back against it in favor of Passover or Feast of Trumpets.
I've since relocated to Templeton in 2021 and rent from a friend named Jolly Roger Holman, who I met around 2018 and we share similar Torah Observant/Hebrew Roots beliefs.
While my new marriage with my second wife has driven me to become a better man, my divorce from my first wife has also been a powerful spark of motivation to do better in every area of life.
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