GREETINGS,
MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPLANATIONS ON FAITH ARE PURELY FROM A SCHOOL OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. SO I HOPE MY SOMETIMES RANDOM BUT ALWAYS HONEST OPINIONS CAN BE YOUR PILLAR OF STRENGTH AND FOUNDATION TO SURVIVE, LIVE AND THRIVE IN ANY SITUATION. TO ALL FAMILY, RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES, THIS IS MY RE-INTRODUCTION. MY NAME IS JEF. FIGURATIVELY, I AM A FIGHTER AND LITERAL SURVIVOR. MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE 25 YEARS I HAVE KNOWN WERE SPENT IN STRUGGLE. WEATHER IN GRAVE MEDICAL CIRCUMSTANCES BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH OR SIMPLE SITUATIONS TO MANAGE A WAY UP OR DOWN A STAIR CASE WITHOUT WALKING, FAVORS DEFINE ME. HOWEVER, EASY AS THIS FACT MAY SEEM, GREAT AMOUNTS HUMILITY ARE CRUCIAL. FIRST, ACCEPTING A FATE OF HELPLESSNESS MUST BE ACCEPTED. AT A YOUNG AGE AS TEENS, INDEPENDENCE IS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING AND EXCITING RIGHTS OF PASSAGE TO ADULTHOOD. CERTAIN DAILY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PERSONAL HYGIENE, SOCIAL OUTINGS WITH FRIENDS, SCHOOL WORK AND MANY OTHER PRIVATE MATTERS IN GENERAL WERE UKNOWN TO ME. MY PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS AND OFTEN EMOTIONAL DISABILITY HINDERED A NORMAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE SECOND NATURE TO MOST ABLE BODIED PEOPLE. AS A RESULT, THE MOMENT I WAS ABLE TO THINK AND GAIN AWARENESS DURING MY CHILDHOOD, REALITY WAS QUICKLY SET IN. IMMEDIATELY, I WAS FORCED TO GROW UP AND MAKE ADULT DECISIONS. PARTIES AND OTHER SOCIAL GATHERINGS WERE FOREIGN TO ME. WHILE EVERYONE FROM SCHOOL WAS HAVING SLEEP OVERS AND HOUSE PARTIES EVERY WEEKEND, I WAS RESTING ON A HOSPITAL BED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AT A TIME. . MOST OF THE SO CALLED, "COOLEST" THINGS TO DO WITH FRIENDS, BUDDIES AND PALS SUCH AS SUMMER CAMP IN ELEMENTARY OR HIGH SCHOOL PROM WERE OFTEN DROPPED TO THE BOTTOM OF MY PRIORITY LIST. INSTEAD, I WAS RECOVERING FROM A USUAL 5 HOUR SURGERY OR SURVIVING AN INFECTION. AS A RESULT, I HAD TO LIVE OUT THOSE FANTASIES THROUGH OTHERS. INTENTLY LISTENING TO THE STORIES OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, WOULD BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY. HOWEVER LIVING A LIFE OF GOSSIP WAS NOT HEALTHY. SOON ENOUGH, FEELING OF JEALOUS AND HATE TOWARDS ANYONE ABLE TO DO THINGS I WANTED BUT COULDN'T PLAGUED MY MIND. LUCKILY, MY EVER CHANGING PHYSICAL HEALTH DID NOT ALLOW THESE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS TO SURFACE. SOMEHOW, I WAS ALWAYS DRIVEN BACK TO LIVING IN A STATE OF THE PRESENT. THERE WAS NO TIME TO REGRET THE PAST OR THINK ABOUT MY FUTURE. IRONICALLY, MY PAIN AND SUFFERING HAS BEEN A BLESSING. THESE SETBACKS HAVE ALLOWED ME TO MOVE FORWARD. NOW, MY MIND HAS SOMEHOW BEEN SET TO FOCUS ON THE ANSWERS TO LIFE'S CHALLENGES, NOT QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS. A CERTAIN FEARLESSNESS DEVELOPS IN ME TO FACE ANYTHING THROUGH EVERYTHING. IF AND WHEN TRAGEDY ARRIVES, MY MIND, BODY, SOUL ARE PREPARED TO MEET AND DEFEAT IT. THOUGH I MAY HEAR PAIN, SUFFERING AND EVIL, I LISTEN TO GRACE, FAVOR AND BLESSING. THIS BEING SAID, I FULL CREDIT IS DUE TO THE HEAVENS AND EARTH FOR A LIFE NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING . GIVING THANKS CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS OF APPRECIATION TOWARDS THE GOOD FORTUNES IN MY LIFE AND OF MY WORLD. IN THE PRESENCE OF BOTH LIGHT AND DARKNESS, MY LORD HAS ALWAYS REVEALED HIMSELF IN MANY WAYS. ALL THE YEARS, MONTHS, WEEKS, HOURS, MINUTES AND SECONDS THAT I BREATH ARE ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH HIM AND THE PEOPLE HE BRINGS TO ME WHOM I CALL ANGELS. AS I CELEBRATE TODAY'S HOLIDAY, KNOW THAT I COULD NOT HAVE LIVED WITHOUT YOU. NO MATTER HOW, WHERE AND WHEN WE MET, THOUGH MY FEET CANNOT, MY HEART DANCES, JUMPS AND RUNS IN THE JOY OF HAVING YOU IN MY LIFE, ALWAYS. I WISH YOU GOOD HEALTH, BETTER HAPPINESS AND THE BEST OF LUCK.
GOD BLESS,
JEF
