I can't believe it's been 2 yrs since my last 'real' job...

During this time I've learned a lot of life lessons....

Here's a few:

• A job / career does not define who or what you are as a person. It's only a profession.(I've seen my share of faces and attitudes when people find out that I'm 'unemployed') Does a job / career really dictate me as who I am?? Seriously... I had lots of thoughts about this....

• $ & possessions come and go in the blink of an eye... At the end of the day, it is your family, loved ones and friends around you that really matters.
  No amount of $ can buy you real love, joy and a sense of peace within.. Even though the income stopped coming.. I'm happier than ever... and doing more pro-bono work than ever before.... $ does make things a lot more convenient but it is only a TOOL...
  
  
• Instead of thinking inwardly and waiting for things to happen.... I was challenged to do the opposite. To start / initiate things and invite others to join.... That has pretty much changed the way I live for the past yr. Getting involved in Laundry Love Santa Ana and drawing inspirations from Tom's Shoes & Charity Water. Now, I'm taking a leap of faith again... With 2 other brothers, we started a new company call RadianceMetals.com We recycle used cellphones to create sustainable jobs for the underprivileged & homeless youth in Orange County, California. We just started a few months ago and so far it has been an amazing journey!
  

• Our vision at Radiance is “to Redeem, Restore, and Renew that which has been discarded.” So the next time you find used cell phones tucked away in a drawer, Recycle your phones with http://www.radiancemetals.com/recycle/

If anyone is reading this.....

How you can help?

1) If you have any used cellphones, give them to me the next time you see me or ship them to
the follwoing place. Shipping is on us, just print out the free shipping label on this link
http://www.radiancemetals.com/recycle/ and follow the instructions.

If you guys have any questions, please email paul@radiancemetals.com

2) Can you guys check out our Facebook Fan Page below and click on the LIKE button? This will
help us a lot.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radiance-Metals/152061851484769

3) Follow us on Twitter if you guys use Twitter

http://twitter.com/RadianceMetals

4) Spread the word!!!

Thank you all for your help!

Paul

Being Pruned

Lesson learned and understanding seeped in...

John 15:1-2
¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

The past 22 months has been a 'pruning process' from above...
I've always wondered, why did the layoff happened, why did the business failed, why did relationships have to end and most of all why all came one after another?
Like a Rogue Wave that came out of no where... I nearly drowned in a sea of swirls...

God is the Gardener, Jesus the Vine and Christians the branches....
God 'prunes' us so that the dead branches and leaves can be cleared away... making room for
the 'fruitful' branches so that it'll bear more fruit....

The pruning process hurts of cause but its a simple redirection of where God wants us to be in Life... I looked back and saw that if I hadn't gone through what happened in the past 22 months, I would not have gone thru a life transformation. Laundry Love would never have crossed my life and I wouldn't have met so many wonderful people.

The question we should ask ourselves when we are being pruned is.... where in my life can I bear more fruit??? Instead of why this or why that happened....

It's been an awesome journey... Thank You Jesus!!!

Here's a song that's been playing in my head today...

Hold My Heart by Tenth Ave North

IT'S BEEN A CRAZY ROLLER COASTER RIDE THIS PAST YEAR...

It’s good to be back on here… It’s been a while… lots of things in this world has changed….

The most important lessons in my life happened during the past 21 months….

From the book of Joel… a short book of only 3 chapters… summarizes what’s been going on..

As the vivid words of Pastor Dave and Pastor Darryl still lingers in my head from time to time…

1) The Locusts in our lives help us Focus…

⁴ What the locust swarm has left
the great locusts have eaten;
what the great locusts have left
the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left
other locusts have eaten.

⁵ Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
Wail, all you drinkers of wine;
wail because of the new wine,
for it has been snatched from your lips.

Joel 1:4-5

2) Scarcity in life brings Clarity…

¹⁰ The fields are ruined,
the ground is dried up;
the grain is destroyed,
the new wine is dried up,
the oil fails.

¹¹ Despair, you farmers,
wail, you vine growers;
grieve for the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field is destroyed.

¹² The vine is dried up
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—
all the trees of the field—are dried up.
Surely the joy of mankind
is withered away.

Joel 1:10-12

3) Repentance ==> Restoration…

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.

Joel 2:13-14

Restoration:

²⁵ "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.

²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.

Joel 2:25-26

=======================================================

Even though the times were tough, there’s one constant in my life that never changed…

The Love of God, His Grace & Mercy and daily supply of “manna”….

$ and possession can come and vanish in an instant… not much security to go on…

In the past 18 months, I’ve seen and heard of 401K turning into 101K… literally…

People’s entire life savings have gone up in smoke…. broken hearts and spirits were everywhere..

Jesus gave me such internal Peace that no $ can buy… although I don’t have much “worldly possessions” to

show for… I count my treasures in the relationships that I have…. NO amount of $ can buy real and genuine

care, love and compassion from people… that’s all from the Love of people and the Love of their hearts…

I’ve been truly blessed to know the importance of relationships vs the materialism of this world.

A very important bible verse that I’ve remembered in my heart…. That’s been keeping me going during

this tough time…

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Glad to be back….

More to come

God Bless =)