Reflections on James 2:24
"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."
The long and winding road that took me from where I started with scripture to where I am now (finally reading it all the way through) is mostly what this page is going to be about. Granted, as my conviction in the word strengthens and the soil of my soul is watered by the word of God, I am likely going to have some significant breakthroughs in the realms of relationships, finances, health, and purpose. For example, I was led to the Bible by Dr. Myron Golden, an enormously successful business consultant, wealth management coach, pastor, and YouTuber. His teachings all come from principles found in the Bible, and, as the saying goes, “If you want what I got, you gotta do what I did.”
Now, if my Mom were to read that, she might flip her lid. It is customary for the actual adoption of what mothers say to their children (at least in my case) to have an approximately two-year delay (from when it was told to when it was adopted). In this case, it took me 26 years to listen to my Mother’s advice and actually read the Bible. More than that, to place the Bible at the center of my life. My relationship with the Bible fell into shambles when my family experienced hardship in the late 2000s and the international church we were a part of all but kicked us out. Being kicked out of Church was the least of my concerns (I mostly explored the campus outdoors before helping my Dad sort the offerings after the service). At that time, I was also in the process of leaving my home to attend boarding school on the other side of the world from my family, an all-boys boarding school in New Hampshire. I all but ceased communicating with my family at that point, aside from requesting gift cards for the iTunes Store and Amazon. I would pray to God during those days at boarding school, but the request was that he take me back to Heaven because this whole Earth gig felt like a “big ol’ struggle bus”.
Before reading the Bible or even touching one, I went through a period of drug abuse in High School and had a dramatic turnaround, which led me to start a health and wellness organization- which allowed me to travel all over the world evangelizing my message. Eventually, I would be admitted to attend a year-long master class studying Gross National Happiness out of Thimphu, Bhutan, and Totnes, U.K. I was able to explore Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and India all within a 2 year window. I then started college in Los Angeles and studied Psychology and African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University. After all of those travels and all of the transformation from meditation, yoga, and psychedelics, I was as lost as ever when I graduated from school.
Finally, I took my Mom’s word for it and watched the TV show “The Chosen.” Safe to say, I had an emotional meltdown in almost every episode. It was through that show that I was able to reestablish my direct relationship with Jesus Christ. I put all of my attention on the energies that were awakening inside of me and decided from that moment forward to keep Christ at the center of my life. At the guidance of my beloved (chosen) Godmother, I took the potential of knowing Christ a step further by listening to “Jeshua: The Way of Mastery” on YouTube and by reading “A Course in Miracles."
Earlier this year, when I arrived in Encinitas, CA, I intended to attend Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship Temple every Sunday and begin the SRF lessons. I am convinced that the second coming of Christ is going to come from within, and the scientific techniques for knowing God taught in the SRF lineage were to be the next steps toward my spiritual awakening. In the SRF lineage, Jesus Christ is centered alongside Bhagavan Krishna, as well as other Gurus in Mahavatar Babaji’s lineage. In this way, it is an “all travelers welcome” church. It is also a self-proclaimed “Do It Yourself” religion, which I dig a lot.
Two months ago, I was in a bike accident because I was juggling too many items in my hands and stopped paying attention to what was in front of me (a curb).
I managed to escape the incident with just a facial fracture- but the takeaway from what followed next was the great reveal of why I needed to slow down and recover. I would discover on YouTube Dr. Myron Golden, who, in his own way, proclaimed the Bible as the most important book that anyone can ever read. I was convinced and started a 40-day plan to read the New Testament immediately.
Part of Dr. Myron’s work is to support people in making offers and assets to scale their businesses. I also found Daniel Priestley through a Dr. Myron talk, who also introduced me to the idea that my own story was my most valuable asset. So here we are. A lifetime of experiences and a journey of faith that has traversed through the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Africa, Central America, and all over the United States. It is also a story of the grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love of God.
In James 2:12-24, which I read this morning, it was all about taking action. I have historically delayed action due to the desire to know how everything is going to work before I begin. There is simply too much to learn to live by that criteria. Daniel Priestley, in his book, “The Key Person of Influence,” invites us to write down (so that we can see it posted on our mirror) “All the learning that I have left will come from creating things to share with others.” So here we are. Creation #1. The first post.
Throughout my travels and studies, I have learned amazing techniques, concepts, theories, and exercises that I will be breaking down and sharing with you in great detail at least once a week. This will be a judgment-free space that leans more into compassion, self-love, forgiveness, kinship, and tenderness- every day in every way.
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I hope you will join me on my journey to continue to know myself through the eyes of God, and turn his creation (my life) into an asset that can also serve others.