Overview

Sorry if there are misspelled words or any other type of grammatical errors, I decided not to proof read in fear that I would start to change to many things. I wrote what I felt called to say and refuse to go back through and change what God had put on my heart.

Before, During, and After SBP 2010

Where do I begin? It has been such a long road in such a short amount of time that I don’t really know where to even start. I guess I will start with a brief testimony and show how I was led to Summer Beach Project 2010, what I learned there, and where I am and what I am doing now. PS: This is going to be very long.

As most of you know I grew up in a Christian home with a father as a pastor. So my entire childhood and early adolescence I was a “Christian”. Then as we all do, I went through my rebellious stage. At an FCA camp before my sophomore year of high school I “gave my life to the Lord”. It was a slow transition, but I was becoming the example I thought I was supposed to be. Going to a small Christian school in a small town opens up many opportunities. I took mine as the leader and was “doing the right things”. My heart wasn’t in it at all and I had no true relationship with God. Sure I went to church, prayed (occasionally), read my Bible at small groups or Bible studies. The truth is that I was only doing the right things because I had to. God knew my heart, and knew that I was not genuine and had no intimate relationship with Him. “But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6. My good works were for the flesh alone. I only cared about my personal image, and was doing nothing for Him. Please, please, please read James 2:14-20, Faith without works is dead! I had no faith. I thought I did, but my true colors were shown when I went to college. My foundation was not built on the rock, but the sand and I withered away for almost 4 long, hard years. In college I was consumed with partying, drinking, girls, all the evil ways of this superficial world. I was living it up and empty and dead inside. I did not hide it, I wore it proudly on my sleeve. I even had talks with my dad, I was the prodigal son, and he let me go, just as a good father should. He told me I could only ride the fence for so long. In my junior year I began my relationship with my girlfriend Natalie. She initiated in me a change to want to be better. The beginning of my senior year at The Citadel I decided to start going to Campus Outreach meetings. This is where I met Tony, this true MAN of God changed my life. I got into a men’s small group study with him and a few other senior guys at The Citadel. We would meet every Tuesday and go to CO meetings on Thursday. I also started attending a church on Sundays, East Cooper Baptist Church. After a long and hard first semester, where I almost got kicked out of school and lost my Army commissioning, it clicked. Tony gave a talk about turning your life over to Christ. He said, “If there is anything between you and God that is affecting your relationship with Him, I want you to ask Him to reveal it to you. Whatever He tells you, if you ask Him, you must turn it over to Him with an open palm.” I was skeptical for a few days; I finally manned up and asked God. He immediately revealed it to me. He told me that my relationship with Natalie needed to change. We did not have a Godly relationship, I was not the spiritual leader I needed to be, and our relationship needed to reflect God. I called her instantly and she agreed. I called her about 5 minutes later and told her that I was done drinking as well, she completely agreed with that also. January was the first time that I truly gave my life to Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves [it is] the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9. I finally understood it, for the first time in my life, ever! I had that intimate relationship with God, I had fellowship. I had a talk with Tony a few weeks after and he told me that he really noticed a change in my life. I explained to him above and man was he pumped for me. Then he tried to recruit me for SPB 2010. I was not interested. For the last year and a half my relationship with Natalie has been a long distance relationship of 8 hours apart. She went to Alabama, and we of course did not know what the future held for us. All we knew is that she was going to be going to law school somewhere in the Continental U.S. and that I was going to be stationed anywhere in the world. Needless to say we had both planned on staying in Charleston for 2 and ½ months for the summer and grow in our relationship together. Tony advised that I trust God and go to SBP. I told him that I would pray about it. I immediately went to my spiritual advisors, first God, and then my earthy father. My dad is very wise and is full of so much wisdom. He told me not to be impulsive, because I am, and to pray about it and talk with Natalie. After speaking with Natalie, we both wanted to be selfish and spend time together, but we knew that God was our authority and so we waited on Him. Days later Natalie texted me one night, very late; she explained that she had just finished reading some verses in Samuel where God was calling him, and she felt like God was calling me to SBP. So I took a step of faith and signed up for 9 weeks in Panama City Beach Florida. At this point all I knew was that I was going to be doing training at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia starting February 6, 2011, and that I would also be stationed there for my first post. I had no clue where Natalie would be at law school. With the end of school coming near Natalie had a list of a few schools in mind, nothing solid. I took another leap of faith and committed to a Army recruiting position at AUM in Montgomery, Alabama; because I won’t start getting paid by the Army until 6 Feb. 2011. A few weeks before school ended Natalie wanted to go to something similar to SBP for the summer. She found nothing. I made a call to Tony and he called the head guy and they had 1 spot left. They didn’t know her and had to trust mine and Tony’s judgment. Last minute they allowed her to come. This is when I started raising support.

This is where the blessings started to pour in. Natalie and her mother, Joan, went on a 10 day graduation trip to Europe and she had to show up to SBP late. She did not have time to raise money for the $1525 SPB summer cost. God provided enough money for not only me and her, but some extra to help others out who were low on support. How great is God!? While at SBP we find out that Natalie is accepted to Jones School of Law which is conveniently enough in Montgomery, Alabama. It gets better. SBP, Panama City Beach, Florida was only SC schools. Except for one couple and their one student, Jack Shannon and his wife Chastity where from a school called Huntington which is in Montgomery, AL. They hear that we are moving to Montgomery after Project and are more than willing to help us. (I will go into further detail on this in the next paragraph). If you have been following my blogs from before you can see the growth that I had developed over the past 9 weeks in Panama. I grew to know the Lord better than I ever thought possible. I developed a real quiet time with Him. A time that I spent in the word getting to know Him more. I grew in knowledge of the Gospel and my purpose in life in this world and not of it. Getting to know Christ and to make Him known. I learned the importance of fellowship with other Christians. I learned what true accountability meant and the significant importance of it. I really can’t wrap up all what I learned in those 9 weeks, but I was like a sponge taking in everything I could with an open heart, soul, and mind. I had a desire to reflect Christ though my life and share His gift with others. I learned how to pray, really pray, talk to my Father on another level and listen to His call more clearly. I learned true love, love that only a Father can have for His children, the way I should love others. I was taught about Gods magnificent gift of grace and the truth in His holy Word. I learned about the Holy Spirit and how powerful He is. How He is here living in me, helping guide me daily in my walk with Him. I learned how to study the scriptures and learn from it. Apply the bible to my daily walk with Christ. I learned about suffering and how we are suppose to suffer just as Christ did. It is not meant to be an easy walk, don’t be mistaken. I learned to put my trust in Him more for WHEN the hard times come that I will turn to Him. I built a foundation on solid ground that will last for an eternity with my Heavenly Father. Most importantly I learned how to share the Gospel so that others may know Him. My growth in Christ grew exponentially, and will set me up for success in the future. Thankfully Natalie’s walk went just about the same for her SBP experience. I am so thankful that God allowed us both to experience this great opportunity together. Now I know my true calling, the call that God has for all of us, and that is ministry. We are all called one way or another, and mine is in the military.

The things God has done since SBP 2010 would have been impossible without Him. Just listen to what God has done. As I said before that the only people who were there that were not from SC were Jack and Chastity. They live here in Montgomery, AL. I was going to head to Montgomery and stay in a hotel for a few days, with my own money, until I found a place. No need, Jack insisted that I stay with him and his wife until I found a place. I arrive and went out the next day to find a place to live. After two full days it came down to this; I either would live well above my means at $750 + a month, not including utilities, or live in the ghetto for $400 am month. Easy decision for me, I am going to live in the ghetto. Nope! Jack talked to some guys and there was a chance that I could either live immediately behind Jacks house, in a house that his biggest supporter rents out to college guys or possibly live with 3 other really solid Christian guys that jack knew. So I filled out a few job applications at some restaurants here in Montgomery and then headed home just praying that I have somewhere to live. I need work because I don’t start recruiting at AUM till October. The day that I came back to Montgomery, the house with the 3 guys in it was a house of 4. Conveniently enough the day I arrived, August 1, 2010, their one roommate moved out and they needed a roommate. I met the guys and we all clicked immediately. Needless to say, I moved in that night. I live in a 4 bedroom house, 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms, a dining room, a laundry room, a HUGE backyard, with all utilities for…. $300 a month! Let me tell you this place is not only nice, but so clean that you would think 4 drill sergeants lived here. I’m serious, I am blessed well beyond my means. Not only with the house, but Jack and His wife Chastity as well as my 3 roommates all go to this awesome Church. So not only do I have a place to live but an amazing church to go to. I also live with 3 awesome Christian guys who are all older and more mature in their walk with Christ. Matt is 30, Brandon is 26, and Jeremy is 22. They are all men of God. So now I also have accountability. It gets better. Jack and two of his friends and I are going to meet once a week for a men’s bible study. We’re starting with the book of Romans. On top of all of this, yesterday I just got the job as a server at bonefish grill. If you can remember this all started with me trusting God. I took a step of faith and decided to go on SBP 2010 back in January. The best part of it is that Natalie is 10 minutes away and she goes to Sunday school and Church with me, and is also going to be getting in a woman’s bible study with a lady by the name of Steph Jones. We have a great Christian community, accountability, fellowship. It all started with trusting Him. He knew what was going to happen, and He said “Daniel just trust me”. It is unreal what God is going in my life. I thank Him every day. Being here a week before Natalie arrived allowed me to help her move in and help set up her apartment. It has truly been a blessing since I left project. Even tonight we have dinner in “Our Honor” at Jack and Chastity’s house with two other married couples. Preston who is also in her first year with Natalie at Jones law school and her husband, and Shannon, a third year at Jones Law, and his wife. How blessed are we?! Three awesome Christian couples to fellowship and learn from. It has just been amazing. I realize that God doesn’t always bless us like this. I understand now that hard times are coming. I daily have to remind myself to not get caught up in good works. I shouldn’t live my life expecting to be blessed. I continuously catch myself rewarding myself for the things that I should be doing. Thankfully He is much bigger than me and keeps me in line.

My future plans only God knows, and I trust Him with it. I know that starting February I have 16 long weeks of Infantry Officer Basic Course (IOBC) followed by 8 longer harder weeks of Ranger school. Then I will be stationed at Ft. Benning, Columbus, Georgia for about 2 years, and will sometime after ranger school deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq. I have an 8 year commitment right now to the Army, and in order to go farther in my career I will have to go back to school. My plan is to maybe go to seminary and become a minister as well as being a soldier. Not a Chaplin or a pastor, but being an infantry army ranger who is also an ordained minister would be pretty powerful. The opportunity to be an Army officer and be in charge of so many men and also to share the gospel with them by my words and actions is only a gift given from God. The opportunity that I feel called to do will allow for me to reach men through God alone that many others cannot. I will continue to be praying about this for many years. Please pray for me, and that my walk with Christ will continue to grow every more, till the day that I join my father.

Serving Him, Daniel