One of my new hobbies since moving to North Carolina is running. This is a strange hobby for me, because I’ve consistently despised running in the past. I didn’t understand the point of running without a purpose; without a game or competition. It was one of my least favorite things to do.

Running is different here. The air is crisper. The scenery is more vivid. It just makes sense to run around and explore it all. One of my favorite and most beautiful places to run is Downtown Wilmington. Antique buildings, brick roads, unique shops and cafe’s - it’s an eclectic area. And it has one of the coolest river walks ever. If you run at just the right time, you can watch the sun setting behind the town bridge. It’s truly a special place.

Probably one of the coolest reasons I continue loving this hobby are the people God leads me to as I run downtown. Once I met a dude named Colton whose...

My sister recently got engaged to a pretty incredible dude. I wish I could share the joy and happiness she had in her eyes and smile. Pictures cannot even do it justice. I could tell it was going to be one of her favorite days.

As I observed my sister on her favorite day, God revealed something brilliant to me about her character: she has and will always be an overcomer. You see, my sister cares more deeply about her people and her passions than anyone I have ever met. My knowledge of the heart and empathy doesn’t come close to the deep understanding she possesses. But, with that deep understanding comes a large amount of heartbreak.

Growing up, Sister had some of the best friends ever. Fun was had. Good memories were made. But, as she entered her teenage years, those friends began to turn their backs on her. She experienced betrayal and gossip, which she refused to be a part of...

Folks Cafe. That’s what I want to write about today. When I first moved to Wilmington, each day consisted of me exploring new places to work and operate. Really, it was just me on a search for the coolest coffee shop I could find. It was a fun adventure.

Then, I found it. Folks Cafe was located in the middle of what some might consider a ghetto. I still remember the first day I walked inside. I pushed the door open, and my nose was invaded by the delicious aroma of roasted coffee beans, delicious treats, and authentic Latin American food. The walls were covered with different pieces of art and so many colors. It was quite a small building, but the atmosphere contained within its walls had so much joy.

After ordering one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had, I sat down and began working, but still observed my surroundings. The cafe was owned by a Latin American family. The...

This is Ndumiso. I met him exactly a year ago today. I wanted to share that story again:

I stepped out of the van, turned my head towards the hillside, and smiled as I saw children running in every direction. Some were swinging. Some were standing in line for food. Some were bobbing up and down on the see-saw. Others were playing soccer and rugby. This was going to be a good day hanging out with kids and helping out at the CarePoint.

The facilitators just asked us to hang out with the children, with which I was completely okay. We took funny pictures and made fun of each other’s names. They really enjoyed the way I could hardly pronounce their names; lots of laughs at my expense. We played keep away with the rugby ball, which basically involved me chasing the kid who happened to have the ball at any given moment. We exerted a lot of energy together. And we smiled a lot. I call that a...

One of the most agonizing and painful things for me is having to watch people I care about go through tough times. I hate not being able to fix a problem or provide an answer, or simply comfort someone going through pain. It’s just no fun.

These past two weeks in North Carolina have been incredible. But, in the midst of all my awesome new experiences, people I love a lot back home are going through some terrible and discouraging stuff. I’m having to learn to invest and comfort from afar.

In all of the hard conversations I have had the past few weeks with my hurting friends, I’ve wanted to give advice and provide solutions, but the words wouldn’t come. I couldn’t understand why because words are my forte. I love conversation.

This morning, Jesus led me to some of His parables in Mark. They were great and all, but they didn’t really stand out to me. But, the reason for using the...

I remember the one moment that changed everything for me. It was my freshman year in college. I had just come out of one of the darkest times of my life–my senior year in high school. I was on the edge of falling into an even darker place, and I was desperate. I had prayed constantly for God to send me a sign; a moment. And then a stranger walked up.

I was sitting at the red tables outside the student union when the dude showed up. He introduced himself as Glenn and said he was visiting from South Africa. I thought it was strange that a guy from South Africa would visit the small town of Ruston, Louisiana, so I asked him what had brought him. And these were his exact words: “I’m starting a revolution for Jesus.”

Boom. Divine conversation. Check. I followed Glenn to some of the coolest people I have ever met, and fell in love with God in a way I had never known. That one moment changed...

These past two years, I have experienced some of the toughest moments of my life. Honestly, I have felt like my dreams were ripped away from me and everything I believed in and planned for was never meant to be. My passions and desires seemed lost to me for so long. I’ve been wandering, still holding on desperately, clinging to Christ more than ever before. It’s been a year of growth, but of tough growth.

There have been many opportunities, very different directions. But, none of them seemed like the right direction or the one opportunity. Each of them would have been great for me, but my heart hadn’t fully connected with any of them. I wondered why that was for so long. I felt lost. I just wanted to feel that desire for greatness within me again; the desire to aim for something completely impossible, something only God could achieve. I wanted to dream again, to be passionate again.

I...

This is my small group. I had to say goodbye to them the other night. It was no fun. But, it was better than I expected. We ate good food together. We talked about Jesus. And then we all tried to kill each other in the pool. Perfect night.

These guys, though at times difficult and annoying, were some of the most unique and interesting people I have ever met. Each of them had their own gifts, their own intrinsic qualities that left a mark on me. I made sure to tell them as often as I could the brilliance I saw in each of them.

They don’t realize it right now, but each of them will change the world. Each of them will be a difference maker for Jesus in their realm of influence. My favorite part of being their leader was the conversations in which I got to speak into their future.

As they move into high school, and eventually adulthood, I hope they remember the words and time invested...

One of my favorite things to do is invest in relationships. I love to sit down and engage in growing conversations; to exchange wisdom and knowledge with another human being. It is the way I operate; I cannot imagine what the world would be like without words.

In the midst of these brilliant investments, my heart becomes connected with other people. Friendships develop. Fun is had. Memories are made. And it gets to a point when I cannot remember what life was like before I knew these incredible people.

This is where it gets hard.

With new seasons, come heart-wrenching goodbyes. This is my least favorite part about investing in relationship. I completely believe these next steps will lead me to new heights and different places of growth. But, the relationships with which my life has become intertwined now have to be replaced with new investments and connections. And it hurts.

Don’t...