Feb. 25: After my job interview, I was told that I would hear back from them by the end of the following week. Well, Friday rolled around, and still no word. So I sent my interviewers an email stating that I was still very much interested in the position, and was just wondering if a decision had been made. I would say that about 20-30 minutes later, I received a phone call from the company asking me a few more questions. It wasn't the call I had hoped for, but I thought it was a good sign! The woman I spoke to told me that I should hear back from them again "very soon... within a few days." "God!," I prayed, "Let it be today!!," and sure enough, as He has done before, the Author of time moved, and turned days into mere hours, for in about 2 hours, I received that fateful call I had been waiting for and... I GOT THE JOB!! What a burden lifted, what a God I serve. I was heading into the last month leading up to my wedding without a job, but God... I was ineligible for unemployment (since I hadn't worked since 2006) and the job search could have taken many more months, even years, but God... Thank You Lord for Your provision and for always taking care of me. Let me remember to always be thankful for the blessings You have given, and help me to be bring you glory through my testimony and my finances.

Mar. 1: I got robbed again! I had neither practiced nor gone to the gym for about a month since seriously hurting my back, and on this day, I decided it was time to try and get back into it. I went to Planet Fitness like any other morning and did my workout. I struggled pulling out 2 miles of running, but I weakly finished about 3 miles by the end. Did a few more things then headed to the locker room. Now, I take off my glasses actually when I work out, so I cannot see much. I went to go wash my hands and saw a red jacket that looked like mine on the sink- was that mine?! I took a closer look and convinced myself that it was a different pattern/jacket, but just to make sure I walked over to the lockers and saw my lock firmly closed on a locker (which I will find out later on, was NOT my original locker- but I didn't have my glasses on at this point). I went back to the sink and finished washing my hands. I approached the lockers again and that DARN FEELING came over me again- that feeling you get when you realize that someone had just violated you and robbed the heck out of you (this is the 3rd time I have felt this personally). I saw an open locker (MY locker) with my back opened and rummaged through, and the first thought that came to my mind (after, "Noooooo..") was: "MY KEYS!" and I ran back to the sink (immediately realizing that the red jacket was indeed mine) and checked the pockets- the keys were still in there, thank GOD! But my wallet was not, neither was my cell phone. I looked at the locker beside me where my lock was, and thought, "Does this person have the same lock as me?" So I took my key, and after some struggle, was able to open his lock/locker. Thought: "So, would my key work on ANY lock that is the same kind of lock as mine? Or is this my darn lock?!" Thankfully, the much older man whose locker this was came inside and began to gather his belongings. I asked, "Is this your lock?" And he says, "No... where's MY lock?" So basically, someone picked our locks and just put them back in different lockers (his lock was on the locker beside the locker his belongings were in). Needless to say, his wallet was gone too. I ran to the front desk and notified them about what just happened, and apparently, someone had just reported that his money got stolen as well (this person left already, but all together, there were 3 victims, including myself). They also told me that this was the first time this particular Planet Fitness had experienced a theft since opening up 3 years ago, so they hadn't dealt with a situation like this. We ended up filing a police report, and the cops came and took down our information and one of them watched the surveillance video footage of people going in and out of the locker rooms (no actual camera in locker room). I even rummaged through the garbage that was next to the place I found my jacket in. Well, they never did find out who robbed us, but I must definitely say that the manager, as well as the other Planet Fitness workers, were SOOO incredibly nice, helpful, and sympathetic. I appreciated them so much, and my hat goes off to them. I was mad in the beginning, but quickly calmed down and sought God out for trust and peace. One of the ladies working there said that she didn't know how I could be so calm, but like another worker said, everything happens for a reason- who knows, God could have been saving me from a fatal accident if I had left "on time" and the theft had not occurred. Trust in a sovereign God; counting the blessings you do have (I still had my car keys! And I was still in 1 piece). Thank You Lord. Character building and life lessons continue, add it to the "spiritual resume."

Mar. 2: Exactly one month later and my back injury is still not 100% better. At this point, my back itself was actually almost 100%, but I still had numbness over an area on top of my right foot. Still, I was thankful for the partial healing I did receive, as much of the numbness over my leg and toes (various sides) has dissipated. PRAYER REQUEST: please continue to pray for my complete healing- to this day (03/14), I do still have some numbness, and my right lower limb is still definitely very weak. Thank you so much!!

Mar. 7: This was a very productive day!! First up, we were able to secure a chuppah for our wedding! Olga from Jacqueline's Floral & Gift (Cherry Hill) is AWESOME! She was so nice and helpful. The chuppah represents God's protection over our marriage and home. Also, since I would be found underneath it first during the wedding ceremony, he subsequent arrival underneath would symbolize my welcoming her into my home. In my search for a chuppah, vendors had inquired about whether our pastor was okay with it being used in a church, and upon my saying "yes," they would literally tell me that that was weird! I wondered about this, and I researched it a little bit on the internet later on. I found that it is generally considered "un-Christian" in many churches, especially the Catholic church. This surprised me, because there is absolutely nothing "un-Christian" about it just because it is part of the Jewish culture- in fact, the Jewish culture is at the heart of our faith as Christians! This made me want the chuppah even more. I am so happy that we will be married underneath a canopy!! Afterwards, we drove to Hammonton to meet with our wedding videographer, and oh my goodness, we could not be more excited to have Darrell and Emily shooting our wedding!! We all clicked immediately and the vibe was beautiful!! Darrell brought his lovely wife as well and we all had a blast talking and preparing. We are REALLY looking forward to the final DVD and reels we will receive from Darrell. The man knows his stuff, and being an independent film videographer, he brings such a quality artistic taste to his craft. Very productive meeting!!

Next up: apartment hunting!! I had scheduled appointments to visit 4 different apartment communities, and we were soon on our way to viewing the first apartment. We were not too impressed with the 1st one, although it did seem like it was in a nice community and location. Then we went on to our 2nd appointment, and immediately just fell in love!! The apartment was just newly renovated in January, and we'd be the first ones living in it since the renovations. There was nice-sized patio in the back, the apartment layout was great, the livingroom and bedroom seemed huge, and there were beautiful hardwood floors! Alana liked the kitchen and bathroom a lot as well. Oh, did I mention the walk-in closet?! The location was also just PERFECT- off of a number of major highways and near a whole bunch of STUFF! It is even right across from the police station, and a few police officers even live in the complex! The police in Bordentown actually REFER people to this apartment community because of how safe it is, and that is extremely important to us as well. If we wanted to secure it that day, we had until 4 pm. So we rushed to our 3rd appointment, the one we actually thought we'd like the best, so we were afraid we might fall in love with this 3rd apartment too. But while it was a nice room and community, we just did not have the same feeling. The livingroom area seemed much narrower, the back patio was much smaller, and to me at least, everything, including the community, just seemed so much more condensed and packed. The 2nd apartment we saw just seemed to be in a much more calm and quiet and spread out community, if that makes any sense, with more greenery too I felt. The more I saw, the more I thought, "Ehhh..." On our way to the 4th appointment (with a woman we already met since the apartment complex was under the same management as the one we just saw 3rd), we had to make a quick decision, because it was past 3:30 pm already! We decided we were gonna go for it (the 2nd apartment we saw)!! We pulled over- I called the 4th lady and cancelled; Alana called the 3rd lady and informed her that we were not going to be signing with them (both were disappointed). Then, we got to the 2nd apartment we saw with the quickness and sat down at the office with the resident manager and filled out our application!! We were very nervous because I had not begun working yet, and also because my credit is so bad, but amazingly enough, I had brought my job offer letter with me (because I was going to read the information packet if I had any down time that day) and we were able to fax that to the company that does the credit/background check. I was also advised to write a letter trying to explain my bad credit and reassure them that we'd be able to keep up with the payments (this was faxed as well). The resident manager is AWESOME. We loved him- very real, authentic, truthful, kind, approachable, and down-to-earth. He said we'd hear back from them in 3 days max, but possibly tomorrow, and then referred us to this amazing diner right down the block after we asked him for a good place to eat. In this diner, we got SO MUCH FOOD for only $10 a meal!! Could this place get any better?!! The wait began!

$10 meals! So much food!!

That night, we still had one more thing on our "to do" list, and that was WEDDING RINGS. We tried the Cherry Hill Mall first, and it ended up being our "one shop stop." We started looking at rings at the Fred Meyer Jewelers store and did not look back. I fell in love with my Tungsten wedding band, and Alana (thank God!) fell in love with her wedding band of choice as well! We were both so happy, and I don't think we could have made any better choices. Thank You Lord!!

Mar. 8: Alana calls me saying, "I have some bad news," and in my head I'm like, "Nooooo..." "What is it," I ask, and she says, "We're moving to Bordentown in April." "What? Huh? What do you mean?" I say. She finally stops playing around: "We got the apartment!!" Whoooooooooooooott!!! Yeah, she admitted that it was a mean trick to play, but shoot, we were HAPPY!!!! This time God turned 3 days into 1! Wow, things are finally falling into place. Things are really finally falling into place. God is AMAZING. I can't even tell you how excited I am to be moving into this new apartment, moving to Bordentown (which I hear is an awesome little town), and making that house a home with my beloved future wife. I get so giddy like a child thinking about it. And I'm finally getting out of Jersey City! I welcome this new, fresh environment (physically, spiritually, and mentally) with all of my heart. Also, someone's gonna make me bite my tongue one of these days for saying this, but straight up: we can do whatever we want!! LOL! I mean that in the most good way possible. Everything just seems so fresh and new, and I'm looking forward to all of this newness- new job, new home, new town, new church (though I will dearly miss my friends in Sha'ar Adonai), new wife, new life. I'm so excited about beginning this new life. Lord, may You always be in it!!

Mar. 12: Cafe Urbana at Urban Mission Church in Jersey City!! This was a dope night. CUDA, NBK, and RESET were in the house to represent. I'm just going to post the footage and let it do the talking. I love and appreciate my friends so much, and these brothers and sisters right here are my inspiration:

Also on this day, the following Scripture spoke to me deeply: ‎"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Philippians 4:11b

Mar. 13: Today was the day I got extremely frustrated looking for a honeymoon spot!! I had been looking nonstop for a few days, and I was getting to that point, but amazingly enough, I was able to stop myself and say, "Ro, calm down. God's been in total control thus far, He's not about to fall short. REMEMBER what He has done, and many things recently too!" Also, in the message the day before at Sha'ar Adonai, the preacher was talking about how Joshua made a vow of peace with enemies God had told him to destroy- the enemies tricked Joshua, and he could not break his promise. The problem was, Joshua did not even think to pray, and so in my frustration, I stopped and prayed- finally, and I pressed on with my search. After deciding to sell the last 2 basketball cards I own in my collection, and after Alana agreed to a 3 night honeymoon instead of a 4 night honeymoon, I was finally able to find something truly AWESOME yet affordable!! We were crazy excited!! We booked the all-inclusive resort and are now headed to Montego Bay, Jamaica for our honeymoon!! SO EXCITED!! SO HAPPY!! Things are INDEED falling into place, and God INDEED continues to dumbfound us with His provision and blessings. Furthermore (!), I got in touch with a really good friend of mine and that very same night he said to me, regarding my last 2 basketball cards, "Consider them sold!" And if that weren't humbling enough...

Mar. 14: My friend sent me the payment for the basketball cards, and whOa my goodness- I was FLOORED. He sent me double the amount in PayPal that I was expecting, and simply told me to consider it as a wedding gift!!! How the Lord provides!! I asked God to bless him mightily, for there was no way I could repay him for his thoughtfulness and kindness, and I knew that God could do things in His life I never could- could work in his life in ways only He can. I was literally speechless, and I could not be more grateful. Alana and I were blown away. Not too long ago, one of my groomsmen gave me a very thoughtful financial wedding gift as well that REALLY helped. He essentially made it possible for us to even rent the chuppah, and THEN some. I had also prayed for God's blessing and favor over his life, and words would fall short to express just how much I appreciate him, one of my closest friends. I love and am thankful for all of my brothers.

Last 2 weeks before the big day!! PRAYER REQUEST: please pray specifically for me as I work on making our video needed for the wedding, and also for both Alana and myself as we write our own vows. Please pray for every aspect of this wedding preparation, and most importantly, for our future marriage rooted in the God Whom we love and serve. Thank you!!

"Words on loose-leaf sheet complete coming, I jump in my mind and summon the rhyme- I'm dumping. Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in, sick of the dark ways we march to the drummin'...

Risk something, take back what's yours, say something that you know they might attack you for, 'cause I'm sick of being treated like I have before, like it's stupid standing for what I'm standing for."

I still have the rose she gave me the first time she asked me to be her valentine, back in 2002 . This video is dedicated to Alana, my dear fiancée- happy love day!:

Dec. 26: The morning after I had pigged out during our Christmas dinner, I slowly started to get sick (I honestly don't know the cause- if I had to guess I'd say it was the cold, or simply just my body being subject to so much change in temperature, altitude, and time zones). Everyone had gone out to play basketball, but I just could not shake a weakness I felt in my body. I didn't know what it was, and decided to stay at the cottage there in Baguio. I took a hot, hot shower, but after getting out, the weakness got worse, and I realized that I was feeling really cold. I got dressed and put on my jacket and watched TV for a little bit, but I slowly kept feeling worse. I finally came to accept that something was up, and before I knew it I was extremely cold and very weak. I went up to the attic and on top of my socks, jeans, and jacket, I put two thick blankets on top of me to keep me warm, and I was still cold. It was no doubt a fever, and I was determined with all my might to be healed of it as soon as possible. So I lay in bed, and listened to Christian music, because I knew that the Word of God could literally cause physical healing- in the very least, it was comforting. My game plan was to do nothing but sleep, and only wake up in intervals to eat soup (thanks to my mom and dad who brought me some) and drink water and juice. I missed the entire day's events, but I did just that, and in less than 1 day (within 18 hours to be more precise), God healed my body of fever and sickness, and I praised His Name with all of my heart! I didn't have much time left in the Philippines after that, but He made sure I was well on those last 2 days.

LEFT: in Baguio RIGHT: able to enjoy the Calayan family reunion because God healed me!

Dec. 29 / Jan. 3: My family is still in the Philippines and I am literally living at home alone with no money left. Jon picks me up from the JFK airport on Dec. 29th, and I recognize that God's timing was perfect concerning my flight back home stateside. I had just missed one of the biggest snow storms since the blizzard of '96 (which I definitely remember), and if I had left any earlier, I could very well have been stranded at an airport for days. By God's grace, I experienced no major delays and arrived into the U.S. on-time. I am extremely thankful that Jon, who drove through 4 hours of Manhattan traffic to get to the airport, offered to help me out by picking me up. We have dinner with R.E.S.E.T. at Mitsuwa (in Edgewater, NJ), and we also write out Herminio (our World Vision sponsored child from Mozambique) a card and buy him a sketchbook from Barnes & Noble. After a blessed evening of fellowship, I finally get back home and find that my dad had left something on my bed. He had found some old savings bonds that I had won yeeears ago during grammar school! On Jan. 3rd, I was able to cash them for a total of $341.60. I was able to use that money for some bills, pocket money, and some wedding expenses. I was so thankful.

LEFT: R.E.S.E.T. @ Mitsuwa RIGHT: savings bonds from 1995-1997

Jan. 11: This was one of the scariest nights of my life. Yet another snow storm was in the forecast, and I had made plans to drive down to South Jersey that night. I didn't think the snow would begin falling until much later (based on a weather report I had looked at), but it began to come down just as I was leaving Jersey City. I knew I was in trouble, and so from our apartment I made my way to Route 1 (I didn't have toll money to take the Turnpike), and I drove out as fast as I could. I wanted to cover as much ground as possible before the snow began to fall down heavily and stick to the road. And then it finally happened- the snow came down hard, and it began to stick to the road and pile up. I slowed my speed down to 45 mph but my car kept sliding (I also have bad tires to begin with), so I slowed it down even more. It was difficult to distinguish lanes, so for the most part, the cars and trucks on the road stayed on one lane. I noticed that all the car dealerships had all their lights on full blast, and I appreciated that because the extra light really helped. It seemed like forever, but I finally got to Highway 295- my troubles were only beginning. 295 was insane, and the snow just kept coming. The roads were completely unplowed, and there were seemingly unending strips on 295 that did NOT have any streetlights! The snowflakes were ginormous, and visibility was extremely low. The front headlights were not really helpful because all they did was light up the thick snowflakes. We had to go extremely slow- I was averaging 25-30 mph on this 65 mph highway! Again, lanes were totally indistinguishable, and it was "every man for themselves." You had to drive slow because there were the dangers of sliding (which happened often) and getting stuck in the snow. I developed a method of finding a truck and following it for as long as I could, trying to keep my tires aligned with their tire tracks (because the snow was just so thick!). I eventually lost sight of the trucks, and just had to navigate my way, finding the best tire tracks to follow. Oftentimes another car would find me and use me as a guide, following in my tire tracks. It was also difficult because by the nature of the situation, I had to keep extra control over the steering wheel, so it was a constant strain on my leg and arm muscles. I wanted to try taking a video of the whole experience, but I was literally afraid to even take one hand off of the steering wheel for even a second in fear that I would lose control of my car. I also had to stay mentally aware of the vehicles around me: some cars or trucks would try to speed by (they must have had good tires), and I had to be ready just in case they might skid towards my car (!!). The drive seemed like it would never end, and in all honesty, I was very much afraid- of getting into an accident, of something happening to my car, and of getting stranded. For some reason, the fear was so intense, that my other major life problems (I specifically thought of the situation regarding my marriage and my family) seemed to not even matter at all- if only I could survive this snow storm! It took about 3 hours (or more?) but in the end, God got me to Alana's place SAFELY, and I spent time reflecting on the experience, and thanking God for keeping His divine, protective hand over me and my car. What a night that was.

LEFT: arriving safely RIGHT: dug out a spot (I keep a shovel in my car)

Jan. 12: I met with my counselor (1-on-1 this time) for the first time in months. I had been struggling with some intense fears and issues since I was in the Philippines, and it got so bad that I decided I had to see Dr. Silverstein. This, in and of itself, is a tremendous blessing, because Alana's pastor, understanding the great need, had allowed their church to allocate some money for us to be able to see a trusted, professional Christian counselor. Dr. Silverstein had helped me so much in the past (I cannot express that enough), and I have developed such a great trust and respect for this man as well. I just wanted to praise and thank God, because our session that day was extremely helpful, and very much needed.

Jan. 28: After two weeks of applying to as many jobs as I could and hearing absolutely nothing back from anybody, my good friend Racquel referred me to a job opening within the company she currently works for (a CRO, Contract/Clinical Research Organization).

Jan. 30: I understand very well the pressure on me to find a job as quickly as possible- heck, the pressure on me to figure out my life as quickly as possible. So I make a very specific prayer request to God, asking Him to allow me to hear back from the CRO by the end of the week (essentially, in 5 days). I made this request in my heart, and also asked YAM (a young adults fellowship in my brother's church) to pray for me. We all sort of laughed when I added that I was asking God for an answer specifically "within 1 week," because we know all too well how bad this economy has been, and that there are people who have been searching for jobs for months, and even years, to no avail. But I believed it was possible.

my little brother Rommel giving the message at the Young Adults Ministry (YAM) Bible Study

Feb. 2: I've been struggling with lower back pain since early January (due to shoveling and breakdancing I think), and decided to really minimize my practice time until I was better. I made it a point to begin going to the gym to specifically target my ab and gluteus muscles to decrease the strain on my back. So on this day, I had to deal with an ice-covered car (the weather has been crazy all winter). A woman cracked her windshield trying to scrape the ice off, so Kyle advised me to use my defrost before attempting to scrape the ice off. It took me about 30 minutes before I was ready to drive off. I finally get to the gym, and as I was doing back stretches in the stretching room in Planet Fitness, the emptiness of the room tempted me to practice handstands. I got on my hands and even felt like I controlled it better than I ever have in the past, but being the idiot that I am, I landed it on my right foot instead of my left foot (I should have known better since it is my lower right back that is giving me problems). Immediately I knew something very bad had happened, and it was painful. For the first time in my life, my back pain caused pain, numbness, and tingling on my right leg and foot. It was extremely scary- I could barely even drive back home. It has gotten a little bit better ever since, as the pain has subsided, but my right leg and foot still has a lot of numbness. PRAYER REQUEST: that God would heal my back and spinal cord completely, and as quickly as possible, so that I may dance for Him again.

LEFT: ice-covered car RIGHT: N.B.K. & R.E.S.E.T.

Feb. 3: This never happens to me, although I hear stories about it all the time: I was stressing out on this day about two separate loan bills (the chasing begins yet again), totaling over $100, plus I was worried about not having pocket money that I needed for this weekend. Well, I needed to find my SS card as a document required to apply for a marriage license, and as I looked through my documents, I found a sealed envelope with.... $143 in it!!! I must have put it in there during my time in Dominica (at LEAST OVER TWO YEARS ago!)- for what reason, I have no idea! I was shocked and awed- SUPER surprised!! I could not stop thanking God, smiling and laughing!! I was just going to miss those loan payments and deal with the consequences, since I am straight broke and still without a job, but He found a way to provide for me, came through in the clutch. I prayed: "Lord, can You please use this to strengthen my faith during this time? Thank You so much." I am literally living from day to day, and as always, from grace to grace. I needed a break like this, however "small" it might be.

Regarding the job prayer request, I still had not heard from the CRO, or anybody else for that matter, and I was getting very discouraged on that front. I literally told myself: "It's not gonna happen.. it's just not gonna happen." And I told myself that I'd apply to my backup job plan the next day, even though it wasn't what I wanted.

Feb. 4: Fresh off of my money miracle, I was about to head to Newark to help Alana's mom pick up some chairs for the bridal shower. What happened next brutally reminded me why I HATE not having my own parking space: I am about to pull out of my street parking spot, and I'm looking at my driver's side mirror to make sure the coast is clear. It's clear, so I pull out onto the street, pretty quickly at that, but I hear my car hit something that causes it to stop!! "Darn, there was snow or ice in front of my car and I didn't notice it." I back up, and attempt to pull out again- BOOM! And I get stopped yet again. On my third attempt, I finally get out of my parking space, but I am very nervous about my bumper possibly being damaged. I get to Newark and I step outside to inspect the damage and my heart SINKS. The bottom part of both my right and left bumper are semi-hanging off, and one side has a huge dent! I immediately try to fix the damage by brute force, but they are still loose. I try to undo the dent with my bare hands but it was unmovable. The whole morning as we picked up the chairs this was the only thing on my mind. I was mad for a few reasons: (1) I drive so carefully, and yet something like this has to happen, (2) I don't own my car (it's being financed) so I always make it a point to take great care of it, and (3) I seem to be the only one on my block who is not lazy when it comes to digging a car out of the snow (I remove the snow very thoroughly while others do just enough to get their cars out of the spot, making it difficult for the next car to park), and yet despite my hard work, my car gets damaged from the snow/ice anyway! I was pissed, and honestly kept asking God why this had to happen. I finally get back to my car to head home, a few hours later, and GUESS WHAT- THE DENT WAS GONE. Miraculously! I looked around for a while, feeling the bumper with my fingers to make sure I just wasn't missing it- this went on for a few minutes: "God, I could swear that there was a pretty big dent here! Is it really gone?!" I stand up and look around- "Did some good Samaritan fix this while I was gone because he or she saw me visibly stressing out about this before?!" I look around again- "Really unlikely... was it the cold? Did the cold cause the dent to.. un-dent itself? Possibly..? Accept it Rowan- believe the impossible. It was GOD. Explainable or not, it was GOD, and He's SHOWING YOU that He is looking out for you, that He is watching over you, and that you don't have to worry or be afraid about anything, like your job situation, your finances, your wedding, etc... wow, thank You Lord..."

LEFT: still loose bumper after fixing it by brute force RIGHT: is this where that dent was?

As the day went on, I decided that I was going to apply for my fallback job, the one I didn't really want. I was literally just about to begin the application, when I heard God telling me: "The day's not over yet... try Me," and so I did. Evening came and still no phone call or anything, and I think to myself, "Well, there goes that..." I arrive at Fudruckers (for Janelle's birthday celebration) and it's almost 7 pm. I'm a little early so I check my email as I sit in the car, and what do you know- an email from the company! Communication had been established, and God granted me a phone interview for the following Sunday. I was so happy, I was so humbled; I was hearing Him loud and clear.

Feb. 5: Alana is SUCCESSFULLY surprised for her bridal shower and bachelorette party- God is so good. I looked at pictures from the event, and seeing the joy and happiness in her face nearly brought me to tears, because she absolutely deserves it. I am so thankful to Ozy, Alana's family, and all the girls who came out for the celebrations, and thank you to everyone who gave generous gifts!

LEFT: she's glowing  RIGHT: I'm marrying a hottie

Feb. 6: I prepared for the interview the entire night previously, but was still nervous. I prayed as my time approached and asked God to go before me and to be with me, and the phone call finally came. By God's grace, the entire 45 minute interview went very well, I believe. The man was very pleasant and I appreciated that very much. The first part of the interview was mainly about my school and work experience, and the rest of the interview consisted of behavioral type questions- very challenging!! But praise God He got me through. I was told at the end that if the company was further interested in me, they would contact me within 3 weeks for an in-person interview, but probably sooner (I hoped sooner).

That night I attended Dave Rosenberg's birthday celebration in NYC. Every year he invites his friends to Georgio's and pays for everybody's dinner. He is the sweetest old man with a beautiful, beautiful heart for Yeshua & His own Jewish people. "You'll always be my doctor," he said to me, "even if you didn't pass the exam." I love this man. That night I had great fellowship with Cheryl, a friend from church, and truly enjoyed meeting people from Fountain House, the mental health support group/facility Dave is a part of. I had one particular deep and meaningful conversation with a reformed Jewish man there, and I pray that I was able to give him some food for thought (because I know he gave me some).

LEFT: Dave Rosenberg RIGHT: some of the lovely guests

Feb. 7: God turned a potential 3 week wait into 1 day. I went to go visit Rabbi Steve in Roosevelt Island on this day, and we had a fruitful time of fellowship that I was thankful for. God is continuing to miraculously heal him, after going through a 6-way bypass surgery and getting a defibrillator implanted. It had been a long time since we really spent time together, and he gave me a good Word on taking the finances in my marriage VERY seriously- very appreciative of the fact that although it's an uncomfortable topic, he still went ahead and shared what he felt God wanted him to say to me. As I walked to the train station, I checked my email on my phone and was joyful to find an email from the CRO requesting an in-person interview!! I immediately called the woman to confirm the date and time, and she was very pleasant and helpful as well. PRAYER REQUEST: that God would grant me favor with my interviewers, and that I would not only get the job, but also be offered a fair and generous salary.

Feb. 8: As part of my desire to seek God's calling on my life at this point, I also looked into my long-time, crystal-clear desire to take Bible classes at some point in my life, to increase my knowledge about God, the Bible, and ministry. The school I want, with all my heart, to attend, is the Feinberg Center, a school under the Talbot School of Theology, and also associated with Chosen People Ministries (which my congregation is a part of). This school offers a Master of Divinity with a focus on Jewish studies. To me, the degree is secondary, although I realize that degrees play a role in ministry as far as credibility- but what I know is that the training I could get in this school is a unique training that I could not get anywhere else (at least not anywhere else close to home). Anyway, I received the opportunity to meet with the director of the program, as well as the dean of student admissions. Our meeting on this day was such a tremendous blessing and encouragement to me personally. We talked, I shared my heart with them, and they counseled. Although it was determined that I probably could not attend the seminary (for a few different reasons), I truly felt respected by these two great men of God. Not only that, but I genuinely felt UNDERSTOOD, and that, quite simply, meant the world to me. At a time where I really don't know what my future will bring, I do know that I have a specific calling, and I trust that my God will find ways to equip me. The journey continues...

Feb. 9: An incredible Men's Bible Study session at Bethel Baptist Church on this night. It was the beginning of a series on "attitude," and I wanted to quickly share 2 things that touched my core: (1) imagine how hurt and angry you would feel if you overheard your kids complaining about how you don't do enough, how you are too strict, how jealous they are of other kids because their parents buy them cooler things, etc.- you would probably say to them: "We might not be perfect, but we work so hard for you, we do our best to provide for you, and we love you." Now think about our God, Who is not imperfect, but PERFECT. He has never made a mistake in our life (although we might think He has), and yet how often do we find ourselves complaining and getting mad at God and/or life. The better way is to put on the attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude, and remove our attitudes of complaining and whining. (2) God gave us the GREATEST gift, the MOST IMPORTANT act of love, we could ever have asked for, and that is the salvation of our SOULS- if He decided not to do ANYTHING else for us, not another good thing, then THAT would, and SHOULD, be enough. But the fact is, He continues to do so much more- grace upon grace, love upon love. Attitude matters, and makes a huge difference.

Following Bible Study, Alana and I met with Pastor Dave for another marriage counseling session. My heart just gets so full of joy and excitement, when I think about marrying my best friend, Alana, and the life we will begin to share with one another on a whole new level. She goes above and beyond everything I thought I could ever want, need, or expect from a woman. She deserves my best; God deserves my best. Our marriage is WORTH investing in and preparing for, and at this point we are welcoming every piece of godly advice and counsel with open arms. There are a few books we would like to still read before the big day, and there are godly couples we look up to that we are still hoping to fellowship with. PRAYER REQUEST: that God would prepare and equip us sufficiently for married life, specifically- spiritually and financially.

Feb. 11: I pay $360 a month for my car (ridiculous interest on the financing), and I flat out had no money to be able to pay for the month of February. I figured calling them and asking for some kind of help was worth a shot, and by God's amazing grace, I was basically allowed to skip this month's payment! That sure helps.

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” -Luke 18:29-30 (NLT)

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. -James 3:17 (KJV)

"why are so many in my generation lacking a clear, God-given vision for their lives? a clear picture of what God is calling them to do that they can lay down their lives for? and how many of those who lack a clear vision are desperately seeking the face of God, wrestling in prayer until they have it? half-hearted, wishful seeking will not do! nothing less than determined, persevering seeking is what God is after." -peter hong

Weight loss has been a pretty intense part of my life these past couple of years. After I graduated from college in 2005, I pretty much lost all control. By the time I was ready to leave for the Caribbean to begin medical school, I had reached a maximum weight of 194 lbs. But via substantially decreasing my intake, and by exercising every other day for the next four months, I was able to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time. My workout consisted of stretching, running an average of 4 miles on the treadmill (my rate was about 1 mile every 10 minutes), doing situps, and doing upper body machine weights (never maxed out, but rather I emphasized reps). Up until then, exercising simply had no impact on my weight, but I decided to begin again (especially the cardio) for the sake of my heart, knowing that weak hearts ran in my family. And what do you know, the fat began to burn right off, and the more results I saw, the more motivated and encouraged I became. I also cut out fried foods and chocolate from my diet, and substantially decreased the amount of rice I ate. I lost an average of 10 lbs. per month, and by the time I came back to NJ for my semester 1 break, I was 147 lbs., losing a total of almost 50 lbs. in 4 months (47 lbs. to be exact).

.:: Left = August 2006 = 194 lbs. :: Right = December 2006 = 147 lbs. ::.

I was able to maintain a weight that remained mostly in the 150s for the next 2 years, which is basically equal to the rest of the time I spent in Dominica (in the Caribbean). I maintained my diet and workout, but every time I went home to NJ during a semester break (every 4 months), I'd gain anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs. But then once I got back on the island, I'd lose that weight in no time. During my 5th semester in Miami, FL (from January 2009 to April 2009), I started gaining a bit more, as I did not have the time to exercise as much. I maintained a weight in the 160s range. After that semester, I moved back to NJ indefinitely, and the serious weight gain began slowly but surely. Despite trying to make time for the gym, I kept gaining weight, and I believe a part of that was due to being at home, where I am fed well, and the lack of control when it came to eating kicked back in (this was also probably why exercising had never worked prior to medical school). In about 1 year, I was back to my maximum weight of 194 lbs. In June of 2010, I looked down at the weighing scale and saw this, and decided I needed to do something about it.

I began running consistently again- first 2 miles every other day, and then 3 miles every other day. I made a real effort to control how much I ate, and once more seriously cut back on my rice intake. It was working again, and the more weight I lost, the more motivated and encouraged I became. The weight loss this time, however, was much slower that back in 2006, and I think it was because I still allowed myself to overeat every so often. When December 2010 rolled around, I had lost a solid 20 lbs. By this time, I was running less (only once or twice a week), and this was because I started practicing (breakdancing) again. I was at the NBK studio here in Jersey City 2-3 times a week, with each session lasting at least 2 hours. There really is no workout like breaking, engaging your entire body and strengthening your core. In December, I also had the opportunity to go to the Philippines with my family, and though I did not try to lose weight while I was there, I came back having lost about 8 lbs., and because I came home to NJ earlier than the rest of my family, living by myself for a while allowed me to lose even more weight. Just after the 2011 New Year, I was back down to under 160 lbs., meaning that I was able to lose 35 lbs. in 6 months.

.:: Left = June 2010 = 194 lbs. :: Right = December 2010 = 160 lbs. ::.

My metabolism has really sped up once again, and I am really happy because I've since been able to maintain a weight of 160 lbs. That was the minimum target/goal for my wedding in March, and you only get married once. I am very confident that Alana and I will be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle once we get married, and I am really excited about that. I guess I just wanted to do a little documentation of this part of my life, for what it's worth. There are a whole lot of other pretty heavy things going on in my life at the moment, but I won't get into them right now. If you can keep me in your prayers, I sincerely need it, and I'd greatly, greatly appreciate it. Grace, peace, and God bless you.

-Ro

The 3 most important poems I have ever written to date, and they are written about 3 things that I am deeply passionate about, namely: (1) The Gospel, (2) Social Justice (specifically "racial" reconciliation in this case), and (3) the Jewish foundations of the Christian faith.

We all have a debt to pay: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another." -Romans 13:8a

I was looking for a file on my laptop computer and found a poem I wrote almost exactly 4 years ago, while I was still living in Dominica. For whatever reason, I never posted it, but I'd love to share it now:

another dominican night
written: 01-13-07

last night i lay awake, thinking ‘bout what it’d be like
to be the husband of pure beauty, to finally live with my soul’s delight
i thought about our dreams. goals, fantasies and desires
and you touched my heart in a special way, the way only you can inspire
thoughts of you, our future life, flashed before my eyes
i’d feel the joy, excitement, and utter happiness seep into my skin
a glimpse of your smile (sigh, that smile) as you turn to look my way
you put those arms around me, and I almost feel it deep within
wishing now i still had you on the line, under that power on me you possess
acting all cute and making me laugh, or even in silent contentness
so this is the part where the tears come in, and i fight the lonelies i’ve suppressed all day
yet welcome the feeling of still being okay, knowing my love’s just a prayer away
knowing our love is true and protected
continually perfected: our wait and sacrifice, surely honored and directed
despite the miles, oceans, seas and countries, my heart always feels so close to yours
like the unnumbered stars in the sky above us, or grains of sand on shore
then darkness and night carry me deep into sleep, but i think of you even then
my continual prayer goes on unspoken, to our God of wisdom and control
though truly unworthy i humbly give thanks, and ask Him to keep us both, Amen*

And now, I'm getting married to her in less than 3 months .