It's over...

Life as I know it now is done. All that talk about, I don't want to go back to SC. I'm enjoying myself up here. It's all become road kill. As a birthday present, I'm going back to South Carolina. See the reason I moved up here was to get a job and "start my life." In reality, I wrecked my life to the point where I went on a 5 month trip to Collinsville, IL. I've called this a dream. The problem with dreams is that you have to wake up. Come May, I'm waking up. No one to blame but me. I've had the time of my life up here. Met people I'll never forget. Had more fun at church than I've had in years. All that, and I forgot the reason I came up here. On second thought, I didn't forget, I was just looking for a hand out. Word to the kids reading this: Don't look for a handout. Trust me. Not a smart idea. I moved up here and even created an email and renamed my twitter ID with the area code of Collinsville. All that ONLY to not look for a job, not put forth an effort to look for a job...now i'm paying for it. Going back to a place where I will sit on my talent again. I will once again be in an atmosphere that's more depressing than...I will once again be in an atmosphere where I'll be comfortable doing nothing with my life. Why? Cause I didn't do what I was supposed to do the 5 months I was up here. All the laughs, all the conversations, and I didn't do the one thing I was asked to do when I moved up here. So, Ginger, Uncle's coming home.

~Daniel Richerson

Big Dusty vs Daniel Richerson

I said I was going to blog and I am sirs and ma'ams. Here's the proof. See, what this is? A blog. Wonderful invention it is.

Now you've seen them all. Dondria vs Phaffatt. Magic vs Ervin. Beyonce vs Sasha. I'm sure there's more, where people have like a split personality. Not necessarily a spirit, I don't want to call it that, but more like a persona they put on to hide who they really are. I guess that is considered a spirit, but I'm not trying to make this like a demonic thing. Granted with some people it is demonic. (*coughs* Jay Z *coughs*)

So, Big Dusty vs Daniel Richerson. To me there is a difference. Now just to remind or tell y'all the simple story of how Dusty came to be. I was in the 7th grade sitting in Home Ed, and two boys out the blue started calling me, Dusty. The reason being is that they thought I looked like "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who is a Hall of Fame professional wrestler from the 80's. So that's basically the origin of Dusty. Years went by, and more and more people started calling me Dusty, so I took it as my own and added the "Big" part to it. When it came time to pick online handles, Big Dusty usually always came to mind. It become it's own persona. Big Dusty was somebody Daniel Richerson could never be. Big Dusty had guts. Big Dusty said what was on his mind and wasn't afraid of the reaction. Daniel Richerson is still this shy kid looking for love and attention.

Through most of the day, 4/6/10, I didn't post a status. Why? Daniel Richerson was lacking attention and wanted it. Big Dusty don't care either way. He'll say just about anything just to say it and not look for a response. Daniel will say something and if the response is negative, hiss heart broken. Very easily at that. The question comes, is Big Dusty a spirit or a different persona I created for myself? A mask in other words. Who do people like better? Who do people love better?

As most of you know, I love pro wrestling. Through the good and the bad, I've watched most of the time. I've heard wrestling personality Eric Bischoff say something like this, "You got to live the character in the ring and out the ring for it to truly work." Question again. With all the deaths that's happened within the wrestling community, could part of the reason be that the character took over the true persona and the performer didn't know how to control it?

Big Dusty is just a character. Daniel Richerson is the person behind the mask. It's almost like the Sherman Klump/Buddy Love type of thing with me, except Big Dusty is not evil.

I use Skype, btw add me: danrich618 , and I posted this status before I went to bed last night. "On Twitter/Facebook, I'm Big Dusty. In real life I'm Daniel Richerson. Daniel Richerson needs some growing to do. Big Dusty is there already." This really was the origin of the day break I took and the origin for this blog.

I recently got a new nick name, Double X L. I don't know who he is yet. Hopefully he's a good guy. I've heard it said that if you're called something enough, you start to believe and become it. Be careful what you call somebody because somebody with low confidence will take it and run with it. The Bible says that the power of life and death lies on the tongue.

Continue to keep me in your prayers. I surely need it.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty

April Fools...why is this a holiday?

I've been out spoken on how I hate April Fools day. One reason being is the fact that I'm easy. I don't like being got. I take it to seriously. Anybody else like that? I looked up the history and it goes hundreds of years back apparently. Either way, my opinion, I put this day up there with Valentines Day. Waste of time. People play pranks on each other every day. People show love to their significant other everyday. Why oh why do they need a holiday? What, to do it "bigger and better than ever?" Give me a break. I may sound like a hater, well...

Well that's it. Can't think of nothing else. Bye!

~ Daniel Richerson

P.S. I hate the new YouTube layout. HATE IT!!

Ramble Dusty Ramble!!

Well hi! Sorry to my blog readers for the long hiatus. Didn't have anything to write or blog about. If I did think about something, I did a podcast. So for this one I'm just going to wing it. For those looking for something deep, check out the other ones. This one, most likely, won't be deep at all, but who's to say I won't drop nuggets here and there. We shall see. LLLLLLLLLLLLLets go!

Let me talk about my time up here in the Mid-West so far. I will admit that there's been up and downs. My body has felt it. I got a good feelings things are looking up for me though. Spiritually they're looking up, and still hoping for that job as soon as I get off my fluffy butt and look for one. In case you haven't figured it out, or if you just want me to come out and say it, here it is. The same thing I was doing in my last few years in South Carolina, I've basically been doing here in Collinsville, IL. Am I proud of that? No. Now when I say the same thing, I mean as far as job goes. Everything else has been AWESOME!! I do miss Fatz though. Great place. So yeah, lets hope that the job will get going like it's supposed to. I'm going to say this, and I truly mean it. I do not want to move back to South Carolina. I especially don't want to move back to South Carolina with nothing to show. Know what I'm sayin?

Relationship wise. What's going on with that? You just read that I had no job. You figure that one out.

Ok I took a break. As if y'all know or want to know that. Either way, I am back to finishing the blogging of which I started. Make sense? Good.

I really got to push myself to work on this story. It's a good story so far in my opinion. Not only because I'm writing it, ok well that is part of the reason, but I think it's the story line is good. I always like to write stories as if I'm the character and I'm in a particular situation. Anyway, I know God gave me a gift to write, and don't get me wrong, I love writing blogs, but I always wanted to write a story and have it published, you know? Like be that guy on the best seller list. I believe it can happen. But for it to happen at all, I got to get to work. Yes I KNOW i need a job, but I still want to work on this story. I will get it moving again. Y'all read it here. If you see me not working on the story, we'll post a dailybooth picture to prove that me and you really met.

Am I the only one that can't listen to Kim Burrell anymore? I literally can't get myself to enjoy her singing. Ever since I heard about that new album, I was like bump that! It may seem wrong to some of you reading this, but I just don't agree with the fact that she's an assistant pastor, and national leader in the COGIC, and yet has a secular album in the works. AND the fact that Kim Burrell has support from other leaders in the COGIC. To each is his own, but as for me, Kim Burrell in my ears? Not if I can help it. Praise the Lord.

I know this wasn't the most structured blog, but it's all I got for this one, k? k. Thanks for reading. Show your love. Comment. Share your thoughts.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

I feel for Chile and Haiti, but...

Matthew 24:6-8 says, "You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but don't be afraid. these things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. But this is just the beginning of troubles." Chile got hit with a massive earthquake. And there's rumors for a tsunami to hit Hawaii. But the Bible says these things will happen before Jesus returns. So as my favorite wrestling faction, D-Generation X, asks all the time, "Are you ready?" Now I'm not going to be foolish and say that Jesus is coming back on this certain date or that certain date, but I will say that He's definitely on his way back. I feel for the people of Haiti and Chile, but the Bible says don't be afraid. I guess what I'm saying is, us believers should be celebrating. Jesus is returning soon! Some of you reading that don't know better are going to bad mouth me and say something like, "Why should we celebrate people's lives being taken away by the weather?" Like I said, I feel for the people affected by it. The reason we're celebrating is because the Bible is right. The Bible is true. We're celebrating because we're, at least those of us that are saved, are going to be soon be caught up to meet him in the air. I pray that this is a wake up call to all the lazy saints. I pray that this is a wake up call for people contemplating salvation. Now one reason that we all should be celebrating is because we're breathing. Psalm 150:6 says, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." How can that be said any plainer? You're breathing. You're alive. So...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Genuine love

Genuine love. dc Talk put a song out that is called, "Luv Is a Verb." Specifically, love is an action verb. That's important to know. Is anybody like me? Sick of hearing loved talked and not showed? I understand that it's important to let the people you love know that you do love them. I have no problem with that at all. My problem is when Love is said but never done. 1 Corinthinans 13:4-5 says, "Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do." If you love somebody, you got to learn of to forgive and let go. Don't do what some church people do and hold stuff over peoples head like you've been perfect. That's not love.

1 John 4:8 says, "God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him." Wow. The 10th verse says, "Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven." John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Now check out this verse. Back in 1 John 4:20. "But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see." That'll preach huh?

There's an old song that says, "Looking for love in all the wrong places." I quoted the verse that says, God is love. So what are you waiting for? We all got a testimony, and some are more tragic than others. Some of us live or have lived the type of life that makes it hard to accept love from anybody. That's why we have to be careful to judge people because we don't know their story. It irks me when people judge by the cover or where a person is from. Stop it. You ain't perfect either. I'm learning myself that even though people don't show love to you, you still got to show love to them. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Y'all stay saved,

Daniel Richerson

Lust

Lust is defined as intense sexual desire or appetite, or it can mean a passionate or overmastering desire or craving. If there's one thing hurting the Christian men today is lust. Why is that? Why do you think that is? Is it the fact that because we're saved and filled with the holy ghost that we're immune to lust? Or we're immune to messing up?

Look at David from the Bible. The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. With all that said, if you read in 2 Samuel Chapter 11, David had sex with Bathsheba who was married to Uriah. Bathsheba got pregnant. David tried to hide this by telling Uriah to go home and sleep with Bathsheba. Uriah didn't do it, so David being the King put Uriah in position to get killed. Note again, this is the same David that was a man after God's own heart. So then you get to Chapter 12, still in 2 Samuel, and God was angry with David. So He sent a prophet, Nathan, to tell David a story. Starting at verse 1 and going to verse 4, in the CEV, it says, "A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children. One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's little lamb and served it instead." Now, David was furious at the rich man. Then Nathan nailed him. Starting at verse 6, "Then Nathan told David: You are that rich man! Now listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you: 'I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by having the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife. Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself your family will never live in peace. Someone from your own family will cause you alot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see.'" What's done in the dark, comes to the light. Lust caused David to lose a child. The child he made with Bathsheba. Lust don't care how big you are or how small you are. You let lust take control, it will. No questions asked.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul said, "Some of you say, 'We can do anything we want to.' But I tell you that not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me. You also say, 'Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are meant for food.' But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies. God will raise us from death by the same power that he used when he raised our Lord to life. Don't you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the body of Christ to a prostitute? No it isn't! Don't you know that a man who does that becomes part of her body? The Scriptures say, 'The two of them will be like one person.' But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him. Don't be immoral in matters of sex. That is a sin against your own body in a way that no other sin is. You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God."

Wow. That said a lot right there. Just the simple fact that our bodies are a temple should make something click to say, "Hold up. I can't degrade this temple for a few minutes." But some of us men are like the first verse of the song "Love Lifted Me," which says, "I was sinking deep in sin very far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more..." I think sometimes the simplicity of the Word throws us off. Meaning that we look at the simplistic view of it, that we don't care to apply it. That's where trouble happens. Now I know this is not just a male thing. I'm sure it happens in the female community as well. I'm using male because so many male Gospel artists have fell into the trap of lust. Some of us regular men have fell in the same trap. The only difference is the Gospel artists got caught.

For those who have fell in the trap, and are in the trap of lust, Galatians 5:16-26 says, "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you. People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom. God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind,good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed selfish feelings and desires. God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. But don't be conceited or make others jealous by claiming to be better than they are."

I'm not trying to throw stones here. I'm just saying that none of us are perfect. For all have sinned, right? The problem is we put people on such a platform that when or if they fall, we don't forgive them. Nobody is perfect. In order to follow the Spirit, you have to have the Spirit. In order to have the Spirit, you have to be saved. What must I do to be saved? Believe. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” I heard recently that all confession means is agreeing. You agree that you were sinning. You agree with God that Jesus died on the cross and so forth. To those who have the Spirit. Follow it. You have to make the decision, "You know what Satan. The Lord rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I'm following Jesus today. I've decided to make Jesus my choice." Now if you do mess up, go to God for the forgiveness. God will forgive you.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

I couldn't leave this alone...

Really, I know I should probably back off from this subject but I can't help it. I love Gospel Rap, and I hate when ignorant people say that it can't be used. Here's my thing. You say it's demonic. You say it's no good. You figure since it's rap, they're automatically doing the same thing all the other "big named" rappers are doing. So when we dance in church, automatically, we're of the devil. Automatically we're in the clubs having an orgy with our clothes on because dancing is in the church. We sing in the church, so automatically we're talking about sex. Automatically we're cussing and drinking and having sex outside of marriages. That's what other singers do, so obviously singers that do it for God are doing the same thing. (Granted, some are, but that's not the point of this.)

The same people that say you don't have to stop dancing when you get saved, you just changed partners...say that you can't rap in church. It is written, "Use your gift to the glory of God." So what you saying is, when a person that raps gets saved and full with the holy ghost, they can't use they're gift of rap? But when somebody is a singer and they get saved, automatically, we want them to put out a Gospel album. I can't count how many times I've heard people say, "Jennifer Hudson needs to do Gospel." Automatically we want the best singers to do Gospel. I said in a past blog that salvation is an inside job. It's not the music that's bad people. It's the inside of the person that's doing the music. If the person is of the devil then the music is going to be...hello?

Ok, so you listen to rap when you weren't saved, now that you are saved, you say, "I can't listen to rap anymore." Well bless your heart. I'm not going to fault you for that. But let me say this, just because it didn't reach you, don't mean that it can't be reached to reach other people. (Preach Daniel!) When I was in high school, I had friends that listened to hip-hop that couldn't stand rock. I also had friends that listen to rock that couldn't stand hip-hop. So people are not going to like what you like. You may like the Canton Spirituals. I for one wouldn't pay a penny to hear them. But that's just me. The Canton Spirituals is obviously not meant to reach a person like me, but that doesn't mean they can't and haven't reached other people.

I heard somebody say that he doesn't like Tye Tribbett because he jumps around on stage like the secular artists do. So we can dance in the church because we "changed partners." We can sing in the church because we "changed partners." But how dare you have fun on church and get the crowd into it because the world does that. Uh...excuse me. The world dances and sings. Gotcha biscut as my little sister would say.

Come on people think. That's all I'm saying think. Wisdom is a heck of a thing if you use it. Every Gospel is not meant to reach you! Just because it's not reaching you doesn't mean it's of the devil!! I couldn't stand country in the world, so why would I listen to Gospel country? It's not meant to reach me. It's not for me, but that doesn't mean that somebody that's into country that's not saved, can't get saved by Gospel country. Y'all don't hear me...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Confidence

Ok, so this past Sunday at church, or for you dated readers 1/24/10, the first lady, got me up to the front to sing "How Great is Our God" lightly during altar call. For one let me say, that I hate singing lightly. To me, if I got to sing light, I might as well hum. Anyway, I started out singing, and I didn't realize the mic was off. So I turned the mic on, and started singing, and I saw expressions change. I got through it, and that was that. But for some reason, when mom and I headed to the car to go home, my mood changed for the worse. I felt like my joy was gone away just that quick. At first I thought it was that I was rubbing people the wrong way. Which is something I never want to do. I understand that not all people is gonna like me, but I don't want to purposely give them a reason. Talked with mom and tears were shed. (Side Note: BTW, if anybody on Earth has the spirit of discernment, it's a true mother. For some odd reason, they always see through you.)Later that night, I was watching, don't judge me, Alvin and The Chipmunks. As they were singing, I realized what my problem was. It wasn't the fact that I was worried about rubbing people the wrong way, although that didn't help. It was the fact that I've never really been confident in my voice. I'm confident I can play drums, and write like this, but singing is something I just can't get confident in.

Deuteronomy 31:8 say, "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." Another word for dismayed is discouraged. With the Lord with me, I should've been confident in the gift He gave me in the first place. Doubt is a heck of a drug.

Psalm 73:26 says, "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." This is the problem of singing to the crowd and not singing to God. You forget that God is the strength that gave you your voice in the first place, so you choke and can't figure out why.

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." What's sad? Most of us know that verse by heart, but don't take time to apply it and believe it. We don't think about this while we feel under pressure.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Now we had just talked about that in Sunday School that morning. Crazy how we read the Bible, but don't apply it. (Preach Daniel)

If you read Philippians 4:13 in the CEV, it says, "Christ gives me strength to face anything." It is written in the Bible that nothing is to hard for God. I have to accept the fact that God gave me this voice that I have. You have to accept God gave you your gift, and he also provides you with strength to face any negative situation you might be in. Now I said that I felt like my joy was taken out. You let the devil steal your joy, you feel weak. That's why the song says, "Don't let the devil steal your joy. Joy in the Lord." Notice I said let. All the power the devil has, you give it him. Simple is that. Jesus said that all power is given unto him. So the devil has no power, unless you give him some over you.

1 John 3:20-21 say, "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." That says it all right there. God is greater than our problems. He's greater than our feelings or heart. When they say, take it to the Lord and leave it there, they know that God is greater than the it. Put your confidence or full trust in God, and He'll take care of you. Some how or another, I forgot that.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Grace and Mercy

Romans 3:24 (CEV) says, "But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins." I don't know about you, but as I like to say, that'll preach right there. Grace and mercy. Grace is favor or good will. Mercy is compassion. Grace and mercy is the reason we wake up in the morning after we've sinned the night/morning before. James 1:15 (CEV) says, "Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead." We also know that it is written in the Bible that, "The wages of sin is death." Everyone who is reading this should've been dead, but because of God's grace and mercy, He allows us to wake up every morning. And like I said in an earlier post, Lamentations 3:39-40 (CEV) say, "We're still alive! We shouldn't complain when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living, and turn back to the Lord." Most of us have heard the song Amazing Grace. Think about the words. "Amazing grace/how sweet the sound/the saved a wretch/like me." A wretch is a miserable, unfortunate, or unhappy person. All of us have been there, and those of us who have accepted Jesus in our lives, know that it was by His grace. There's an old song that says, "Your grace and mercy brought me through. I'm living this moment because of You. I want to thank You, and praise You too. For Your grace and mercy brought me through." Another song says, "Where would I be, if not for Your grace carrying me through every season?" This is personal to me. I know I've done stuff not that long ago, and I mean that, and when I wake up the next morning it's like, "Somebody is praying for me. Thank you God for grace and mercy." So don't take the fact that you're still living after your sins for granted. The reason you're still living, is because God is giving you another chance to turn back to Him. He your savior wants to be, be saved today!!

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

DJ Official "EnterMission

Entermission the debut album from DJ Official available in stores now!.


After producing for over 10 years and serving as traveling deejay, Official finally has the opportunity to reveal the dynamic of his skill-set on one project. The album is purposed to influence Christians to think about the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) and the Great Commandment (Luke 10:27) on a local level. As Christians we have a personal mission field, which consist of those that God has placed in our sphere of influence. With a missional mindset we can affect the people around us with the Gospel message by the way we live and conduct ourselves in our everyday walk. This is a message that needs to be heard and with everything from Reggae, Downsouth, East Coast, Commercial, Underground, Electro, and Rock/Hipster featured on the album there is something for everyone!

EnterMission features over 20 artists such as Lecrae, Flame, Sho Baraka, JR, Tedashii, Trip Lee, R-Swift, Thi'sl, Jahaziel, and more! Every single track on EnterMission is produced by DJ Official.

To buy it on iTunes, click here

To order the physical album, go here

You can listen to the singles, read about the album, and create your own version of the album cover here

There are three versions to choose from:

Just because you're not used to it, doesn't make it evil

One night I couldn't sleep and this is what I put down:

It's about 1:32 in the morning. I probably should be sleep, but I couldn't because I kept hearing this in my head. Why are some of us scared of branching out from our comfort zone? Back when T.V. first came out, the world embraced it while the church was afraid so automatically it was a sin to watch it. It was the devil. Besides seeing it as a way to spread the Gospel to people that probably wasn't ever going to go to church, they decided to judge it because it broke away from tradition. In the Bible, Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus walked on water. Verse 26 in the CEV says, "When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming." The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost because He was walking on water during a storm. They didn't know how to react so they immediately said that it was evil. I've heard it said that what the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around for your good.

Back in the day, T.V. was considered evil. Now what do we have? T.B.N., The World Network, The Gospel Music Channel, etc that spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Also back in the day, it was considered a sin to go to the movies, again not seeing the value of telling a story to change lives. We strive to be like Jesus, or we say we do right? Jesus used parables. Parables is defined a short simple story from which a moral lesson may be drawn. So Jesus used stories to bring his point across, right? So why not use movies to preach the Gospel to people that may not walk into the four walls of a building with a steeple? Tyler Perry, T.D. Jakes, and others are doing it. Yet movies are of the devil?

Now to the subject close to my heart, music. Anybody that know me, know that I have a passion for music, and music is a controversial topic in churches. If its not of the "traditional," it's not welcome. I love the so called "traditional" songs. I was raised on them. But years ago a genre of music started called hip-hop. The church is in an uproar about it still today. Hip-hop is different from any other genre, and the church don't know how to embrace it, so they're scared and automatically its of the devil because it's different. They say the origin of hip-hop is demonic, and it can't be used to spread the Gospel, right? There's a person in the Bible by the name of Paul, but before he was Paul, he was Saul. Saul persecuted the followers of Jesus. Acts 9:1-31, Saul got converted to Paul and became a leading missionary. What the devil meant for evil...So Paul's origin didn't stop him. Yet God can't use hip-hop because of it's origin? No, it has to be something else.

So because they don't understand it, it's bad. We are so caught up in what we call tradition, that a generation is passing by because we're afraid of the culture. Lets say you wanted to witness to Japanese people and you only spoke Spanish. That most likely is not going to work. You have to become all things to all men that you might save them, right? Speaking Spanish to a Japanese speaking person is not going to go over because he doesn't understand. This hip-hop generation doesn't understand the C.O.G.I.C. Hymnal. You have to put the Gospel in a way for them to get it. But you don't see Gospel rap in the church because the traditionalist see it as "watering down the Gospel," and the only reason they see it that way is because they're afraid and don't understand hip-hop. They don't understand it so automatically it's evil. It's of the devil.

Acts Chapter 10, Peter was sitting on the roof to pray and he got hungry. He fell asleep and had a vision. Heaven opened up and a huge sheet fell that had animals, snakes, and birds. A voice said to him to rise, kill, and eat. Peter then said, paraphrasing, "How can I when it's unclean?" Peter was raised under the Law of Moses which taught that some foods were not fit, or clean, to eat. But then the voice said, again paraphrasing, "What God calls clean, don't you call unclean." Then you go down to verse 28 (KJV), "And he said unto them, Ye know that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." Verse 34 and 35 (KJV), "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Verse 42 and 43 (CEV) say, "God told us to clarify to the people that Jesus is the one he has chosen to judge the living and the dead. Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name."

I hear all the time that there's no God in hip-hop. Back in the day they said there's no God in T.V., or there's no God in the theaters. What the devil meant for evil, God can turn it around for our good. There's nothing new under the sun. What these traditionalist don't understand is that they are doing the same thing their elders did to them. This is where wisdom comes in. Wisdom, or common sense, will tell you that times change. The style of clothing has and will continue to evolve. Music as well. The word of God is the same and will be the same forever. The Word says that only Jesus can judge. The Bible also says, "With loving kindness have I drawn them." Love and kindness. Salvation is not in music, it's not in the clothes. As the late great Bishop G.E. Patterson once preached, "Salvation is an inside job." Search for it on youtube, it'll speak to you, I promise. Anyway, Salvation comes with belief in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. All this judging we do as the church, and we have no heaven or hell to put anybody in. Jesus saves. Not us. It's that simple. Who are we to say that God can't use hip-hop? He uses you don't he? Because of Adam we were all born into sin. God saved you from your sins, and the same mouth you used to speak death is now speaking life through the grace of God.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Nothing serious, just me

What's up? The past few blogs have been more serious note, but I just thought that I come to you on the regular tone. As some of you know, I'm moving to Collinsville, IL. For those who don't know, SURPRISE! Actually that's the reason I got a haircut in the first place. I'm looking for this move to be a fresh start for me. I don't want to go to a new place with old baggage. That'll preach huh? Anyway I started packing already and I'm almost done actually. BTW the move is gonna happen the beginning of next year. So you can say that 2010 is gonna be a new year and a new start for me. Now I don't know if this move is gonna be a good change or a bad change, but it's a change I'm looking forward to. I spent most of my life here in SC, and I've really become lazy. I think a move to a new place could really be the umph I need to get off my fluffy butt and do something. Plus I'm going to be with my moms, and she isn't gonna let me be lazy, or she'll send me back here. In all honesty, I don't want that to happen

Now I said that I don't want to go up to a new place with old baggage. So to all that is reading this, which I'm hoping is a lot of people, I forgive you, and I hope you forgive me. I wrote a blog on forgiveness and I used the verse where it says that if we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. Let me talk about that a little bit. I didn't want this blog to be serious, but either way. Forgiveness. When God forgives you, he gives you a clean slate right? We say we strive to be like God. Back in the 90s there was a fad going around with people wearing bracelets with W.W.J.D., which meant What Would Jesus Do? He forgives and chooses not to remember, right? So why is it, when we say we forgive, we still hold it over that person's head? They asked for forgiveness. They admitted their fault, and have repented. Yet we hold it over them for the rest of their lives. I don't know, it just doesn't make sense to me.

For those that are wondering I'm still writing as far as stories go. I'm not posting it like I did with others because, well, wouldn't it be tight if I could get them published? Also with the move, it'll give me a chance to come back with the Podcasts!! I haven't done one since April, ain't that something? So I got a LOT to cover, and trust me, I will. Get ready!

I got a new video in the works, and I think it's going to be crazy awesome. I can't wait to finish recording the clips and get to editing it. Also the move will get me a chance to post more videos. Better than ever.

Haven't been able to watch sports lately, so I really have no true idea of what's going on, except what people post on Twitter/Facebook. I watch shows on V Cast mostly. I've become a big fan of The Office and The Cleveland Show. The Cleveland Show grew on me because the first few episodes were horrible in my opinion, but like I said it has grown on me.

So that's what I got going on at the moment. I wasn't even going to type this. I was getting ready to watch a DVD and be lazy until lunch time came along, but aren't you glad I didn't? Yes, I know. Alright, so y'all be good. Facebook it. Twitter it. btw, I'm going to delete my MySpace as soon as I can. I mean, what's the use anymore?

Stay Saved,

Big Dusty aka Daniel Richerson

God chose you, but what are you choosing to do?

Many are called, but few are chosen. We hear and quote it all the time. Some of us have been prophesied to with the ministers saying, "You have been chosen by God..." Ok, so you know that, but are you choosing to do what you have been chosen by God to do? In high school, or school in general, I was assigned projects, but most of the time I CHOSE, key word, I CHOSE not to do it. What happened? I got an F. The class didn't end because of it. The teacher gave me the assignment and gave me the freewill to do it or not. The teacher didn't infringe on my free will. Now God gives us all assignments. He tells us what to do, and what not to do on that assignment. Then it's our choice to do it, or suffer the consequences.

In 1 Kings 13, this un-named prophet, had an assignment. He was told to eat no bread, drink no water, and don't return to Judah the same way he got to Bethel. No that wasn't the whole assignment, but I'm using that part of it to make my point. This prophet was met by an old prophet that claimed an angel of the Lord said go with him and eat bread and drink water. The old prophet was lying. The prophet from Judah went with the old prophet and did eat bread and drink. So while they were eating and drinking, the LORD spoke to the old prophet and said because the prophet from Judah disobeyed, he wasn't going to be buried in the family cemetery, which was a big deal back then. So when that prophet was on his way home, he was met by a lion that killed him. God warned him not to eat bread or drink water, but because he decided to believe the first thing a old prophet said, he got himself killed. What the prophet should've done is go to God for himself and ask what he should do. (Side Bar: Everyone who says their sent by God, may not always be sent by God.)

Noah was told to build an ark for him and his family to keep them safe from the floods. The ark was built, and they were safe. When you do what you're told to do, you get rewarded. That's common sense. There's a lot of examples in the Bible of consequences of the choices that were made, good and bad. Choices begin with your mind. You make the decision to choose right or wrong. Most of us, know the difference between right and wrong. You got to want to do right, then you have to choose to do right. Some of us want to do right, but yet choose to do wrong, and wonder why there's no peace. Change starts at the mind, then you gotta put action on it. William Shakespeare said this, "The choices we make, dictate the lives we lead." The choice is yours.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

You're still breathing!

I was looking through the C.O.G.I.C. Hymnal the other day because one of the hymns has become one of my favorites to sing, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." The verse it's based on is Lamentations 3:22-23 which says, (CEV) "The LORD's kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The LORD can always be trusted to show mercy every morning." While reading that, I thought to myself why not read the whole chapter, and I did. When I got to verses 39-40, it said this, "We're still alive! We shouldn't complain when we are being punished for our sins. Instead, we should think about the way we are living, and turn back to the Lord." That'll preach.

We sing a song, or used to sing a song, that says, "God's not dead. He's yet alive!" People would shout on that. Here's something else you can shout on: You're not dead. You're yet alive! What am I trying to say? God could've took you out in your sin, but you're still here. So while you're breathing, you have another chance to "turn back to the LORD." Then you can sing the third verse of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" which says, "Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide. Strength for today and bright hopes for tomorrow - Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!"

Another song I love, that is also based out of Lamentations chapter 3, says, "As I look back over my life I can see how Your love is guiding me. Even though I've done wrong you've never left me alone, but you forgave me, and your kept on blessing. This I recall to my mind therefore I have hope. It's because of Your mercies that we are not consumed. Because thy compassions fail not, they are new ever morning. Great is thy faithfulness."

Now sometimes you're not being punished for your sins. You're going through tests and trials, but you're still living. So you still got a a reason to shout. Psalm 150:6 says (CEV), "Let every living creature praise the LORD. Should praises to the LORD!" I heard my pastor say this. He said, "Death is just a doorway for the saints." That's true, but what if you're not a saint? Then death is a doorway to eternal torment. So while you're breathing, "think about the way you're living and turn back to the LORD."

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Forgiveness

If you have ever watched anything connected with Tyler Perry, rather its his movies, T.V. Shows, or his plays, one of the messages you can definitely find is forgiveness. Webster defines "forgive" to mean to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; to stop being angry with. I know of people that hadn't forgiven people that's died and gone on. Now the Bible says in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." By those two verses alone, you see it's important that you forgive others.

If Joseph's brothers, after all he went through, what excuse do we have? Joseph's brothers were jealous of him because "Israel loved Joseph more than all his children." (Genesis 37:3) Most of this brothers wanted Joseph killed. They even sold Joseph. After all that Joseph forgave them. Some of us can't even forgive someone for stepping on our toe. We must have a forgiving spirit. Specifically for your enemies. Proverbs 25:21-22 says, "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his heard, and the Lord shall reward thee." In other words, you're killing with kindness, and by doing that, you can cause a change in your enemy's life.

That last part of Jeremiah 31:34 says, "...saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Yet when some of us "forgive" somebody we hold it over their head. Some of us really got to learn to let stuff go. God forgives and forgets, why can't we? Some of us really got to learn the value of patience when we forgive. For the most part, people are not going to change overnight. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: For anger resteth in the bosom of fools" That is where wisdom comes in. Having wisdom gives you patience. We don't like being called fools, so stop being one. I know from personal experience that holding in anger causes sleepless nights. It causes you not to be comfortable in your own home, or in your own church. Stop letting what other people did to you keep you from moving on with your life.

We all know about the Taylor Swift/Kanye West situation. Despite what Kanye did, Taylor has to forgive and move on, or it will eat away at her career. She probably has already, I don't know, but I'm just saying. For me to move on with my life, I got to forgive all the people that's ever talked down on me. I got to forgive everybody that's broke my heart. I believe that if one does not learn to forgive, it can lead to the grave. There's no need going to the grave holding grudges. You have a life ahead of you, and forgiveness is an important step to living.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

If We Would Just Give God His Time....

You know sometimes, we go to church expecting to get out a certain time. We go to church expecting the usual things to happen. We go to church ready to go home and catch the game on TV. We go to church because it's a ritual. But...What if we would go to church with the purpose of praising and worshiping God? What if we went to church and the spirit of the Lord is showing himself strong, and we actually let the spirit move besides having to follow the ritual order of service? What if we actually let go and let God and stop using it as just another quote? I believe some of us got too contemporary, meaning we look for inspiration and not substance. Can you imagine if people would come to church not for the performance and actually let the Holy Ghost move? We've made church a ritual where we come to church at 11 in the morning then we get out at 1 in the afternoon. Wednesday nights, we come to church at 7 and get out at 8:30 or 9. We shed a few tears, then we come home saying God moved, but no substance is getting in. We always talk about how church used to be, well, what's wrong with us? Back in the day, people would actually work the altar and people got delivered, filled with the Holy Ghost, healed, etc. They would stay at church for hours, not just to do it, but they were praising and worshipping God, getting saved, getting filled with the Holy Ghost, and wasn't doing it for show. We got to get back to letting God be God, and not let God move for 10 minutes then move on because we got to follow the program. Sometimes we got to throw the program out. People are hungry to get saved. People are hungry to be filled with the Holy Ghost, but what are we as the church feeding them?

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Breaking Generational Patterns

Remember when you said, "I don't want to be like my parents?" Then all of the sudden you find yourself slowly following the same pattern of your parents habits, specifically bad habits. Lets just say that one of your parents had bad money spending habits. You say to yourself that you'll never be that bad. Then you take a look at your wallet and you realize that you're doing the exact thing you said you wouldn't do. I think now is the time to break the pattern. We should all strive to be better than our parents or whoever is raising you. It's crazy some of us know that, yet we're still stuck in the pattern.

A lot of us know how to talk, but we can't walk. Heck, some of us can't even crawl. It's time to start crawling. We've talked a good talk for too long, but because we haven't done anything but talk, nothings being accomplished. For example, I've said for weeks that my room needs to be cleaned, but I spend most of my time watching DVD's or playing my PS2. So, you guessed it, my room still isn't cleaned. Some of us say we need to pray, but we still stay depressed and let life beat us down. Some of our spiritual lives are so dirty, and we know we have to get back to the Bible, but we're still being Sunday Christians.

We got to get to the point where we are so determined to not follow the paths of our parents. One major problem is that we don't want to go through the rough times to not be like our parents. Like the saying goes, "No pain, no gain." The Bible says that faith without works is dead. Which leads me to a question. Why are we relying on things that are dead to get us through? In the play, "Tyler Perry's: What's Done In The Dark," the character Cora said this, "Sometimes we hold on to stuff that God has already gotten past." The Bible says that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away.

We all got our own life to live. Our parents already lived or are living their life, let's not relive it for them. It's time to break the pattern. How do we break the pattern? First go to God and ask for direction. Then follow that direction. Please don't get to thinking that this is going to be an over night thing. That's not likely because you have to break away from things that we're comfortable with to truly break away from generational patterns. That old addiction that you can't seem to get away from? Time to let that go. The Bible says that we are slaves to whatever masters us. A lot of us are still controlled by what our forefathers did. A lot of us are controlled by the addictions we won't let go. A lot of us are controlled by the television, Internet, or whatever else we use to get entertainment. If we would just let Jesus be our master...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Off The Chain

While in Illinois visiting my mom, this lady, Ms. Evelyn, started talking or rather preaching about being “off the chain.” Now, my generation uses “off the chain” to mean the same thing as cool, awesome, hot, etc, but Ms. Evelyn took it to a place I never thought about, and she told me that I should talk about it in one of my blogs. So here I go.

A chain can be used in many things such as machinery, bicycles, fences, and so forth, but in this instance I’m going to be talking about the chain that they use on prisoners. Chain as in a fetter. A fetter’s a shackle or chain for the feet. A fetter can also be described as anything that confines or restrains from motion. In a nutshell, a fetter or chain is a restraint. When I first started looking up verses to help me out, the story of Samson came to mind. His restraint was a woman named Delilah. Samson was in love with Delilah so that he let the fact that Delilah was trying to weaken him blow over, and for a minute it worked. Delilah got him to confess that his strength was in his hair. Samson fell asleep in Delilah’s lap and a man came in and shaved his head. How many of us are lying in the lap of what’s trying to kill us? That’ll preach. Anyway, with the hair went Samson’s strength. How many of us have let the chains in our life take our strength? I’ve heard Tye Tribbett say it like this, “We love stuff that we know is trying to kill us.” Hello?

So going back to the word fetter. An old hymn, specifically Hymn 121 in the Yes Lord COGIC Hymnal, that the churches used to sing says this, “Jesus breaks every fetter, and he sets free.” That song came from the first part of II Peter 2:9, which says, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver..." In other words, the Lord knows how to get you loose from the chains binding you up so you can be “off the chain.” With that you could sing the old worship song that says, “I am free/Praise the Lord I’m free/ No longer bound/No more chains holding me/My soul is resting/It’s such a blessing/Praise the Lord/Hallelujah/I’m free.”

Now many of us have our own Egypt to deal with. We’re singing about getting back to Eden, but we’re still bound up under Egyptians. I found these verses, Exodus 6:6-7, that say, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Now if God did that for the slaves under Pharaoh, don’t you think he’ll do the same thing for you and make you “off the chain?”

Some of us are dealing with the chain of not reading and studying the Bible. The Bible is the truth, and John 8:32 says, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Further down in that chapter, in verse 36, it says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Bottom line, if you read and study the truth, the Bible, then God will make you “off the chain.”

Some of us cause chains to stay and tighten because we continue to stay in sin when we’re supposed to be dead to sin. Romans 6:1-2 asks this, “What shall we ask then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” We ask God to free us, but God is saying to stop living in the sin you’re dead to, and you will be free. Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Yet, we still give sin more power than we should.

If you look at Romans 7:1-6, it talks about that in marriage, the wife is bound to the law of her husband as long as he lives, but after or when the husband dies, the wife is loosed from the law. So while the husband is alive, the wife can’t marry another man, or she’ll be committing adultery, but if the husband is dead, her marrying another man would not be adultery. You get to the fourth verse of the 7th Chapter of Romans, and it says, “Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be raised from the dead, that we should bring fourth fruit unto God. “ Then verses 5 and 6 say, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in the newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” In other words, God can deliver you from the chains of the flesh, and make you “off the chain.”

Do y’all know that we have been called to be “off the chain?” Galatians 5:13 says, “For, brethren, ye have been called into liberty…” Liberty is freedom, and if you go up to the first verse of that chapter, it says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” You are “off the chain,” stand in it. You’re called to be off the chain.

Some feel like the chain of darkness has you bound up. Colossians 1:13 lets you know God can and will deliver you from the power of darkness and bring you into the kingdom making you “off the chain.”

So now you’re off the chain. You’re free. Please don’t be malicious about it. 1 Peter 2:16 says, “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as servant of God.” For those asking, “What is the malicious word this guy is using” Well the dictionary defines it as harboring ill will or enmity; spiteful; malevolent; malignant. Basically, don’t use your freedom to look for revenge. You do something like that, and you can be a chain to your own self. Some of us think we know everything, and some of us think we can help God…that’s a chain. Some try to predict when Jesus is coming back…that’s a chain. We don’t know the day or hour Jesus is coming back. Yes, time is winding up, but don’t get crazy and predict the rapture. Some believe that we will be the people to see the rapture. Well ok, Awesome, but what if we’re not? Again no man knows the hour of when Jesus is coming back. We just have to be ready either way.

Chains are not a good thing. Chains can hinder things like church growth, or our Praise and Worship. How? We’re supposed to enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and enter into his courts with praise. Do we? Chain. We worry about what’s going on at home or whatever and don’t bring our minds in for praise and worship. Chain. We don’t give God 110% because we are worrying about the chains that have you bound. The late Bishop G.E. Patterson used to say, “Jesus is a habit breaker. Now I got this for you, “Jesus is a chain breaker. With Jesus, you are off the chain.”

Now to be truly off the chain, you must be saved. You must be born again. If not, then the chains of sin still got you on hold. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The key word in all that is believe. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” And once you got Jesus, you got the key to break the chains. Now, you’re off the chain.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

I talk to much, yeah and? Sue me...

Some of you that know me in person know that I don't usually say a whole lot. When I do talk, I get told I talk too much. When I don't talk, I get perceived as being mean. People can never be satisfied. The word "content" don't even exist. We don't know how to stay content. We are never satisfied. I have been silent in public for too long. The only reason I stayed quiet was because I didn't want to come off as an idiot. When I was little, people thought I was some kind of a mute because I hardly said anything. The power of life and death lies on the tongue. We quote that all the time. In order to use that power, you have to open up your mouth and say something. You have to talk. You stay silent, you have no power. That'll preach. Anyway, no longer will I stay silent to try to please anybody. I will run my mouth. I've been silent and letting the devil run things, but the Devil is a lie. You know, people be having the best day so far, and you with your Holy Ghost self can mess it up by judging. You go to church ready to go. Ready to give God your all, and one "Holy Ghost filled" person says one thing negative to you, and it messes you up almost completely. Words have power. Either life or death, words have power. I said I'm no longer going to stay silent, and I'm not, but in the midst of my talking, I'm going to do my best to speak life. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a crock of toilet crap. While I was in school, specifically elementary and middle, I was the smelly kid. I got talked about more than any kid deserves. I've cried in school more times than a teenage girl after getting dumped. I'm not hard. I'm as soft hearted as they come. I got talked about so much that my self esteem got lower than jokes about mentally challenged people. So I know how much power words can have. People may try to shut me up, people may tell me I talk to much, shoot I might even get told to shut up by people I "respect," but as long as the Bible is right, as long as I got this mouth, and as long as my tongue is in my mouth, I'll shall talk. Talking's what I do. Trust, it's what I do. The days of me being quiet because I'm worried about what people think is over. I've been through 22 years of life being silent, and because of which I have no friends. It's hard to have friends while staying silent. Trust me, I know. I've been hurt by words. I've been hurt by people. Heck, I've been hurt by the church. Through it all, I've been silent. No more. Say I talk to much. Some of you don't talk enough. Hello?

Stay Saved,

Daniel aka Big Dusty