Ale for the Soul

Upon losing the job at Paladin Cigars, I was at a loss for how to proceed with looking for work.  I consider myself largely unskilled and lacking in formal education.  In addition, I have a black mark on my record which makes passing a background check a crap-shoot.  With those three strikes against me, I nevertheless had to make some kind of strategy in looking for income.  About the only goal I had was to place three applications a day to some sort of retailer for whom I felt qualified to work.  In the end, I only spent about two weeks out-of-work as I began working for Johnston & Murphy (J&M).  After three interviews in rapid succession, my first day of work was on Sunday, February 10th.  Even though I was elated and extremely thankful for the gainful employment, I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.  This almost seemed too good to be true.  There was good reason to know I wasn't out of the woods just yet.  The manager wanted me to begin work before the remaini

Located near the intersection of Interstate 45 South and Beltway 8 in Houston, Texas, Sagemont Church has been an oasis of hope to many who live in this part of town.  Upon moving to Houston in November of 1994, I experienced Sagemont Church for the very first time.  Not much time had to pass before realizing this would be my spiritual home.  Even now, decades later and hundreds of miles away, I still consider this church as my place of refuge and rest.  Some of my fondest memories were made here.  As part of the singles group, we would often meet for dinner after the Wednesday evening service.  Another memory is of my friend, Charles McKinney.  I would always sit behind him during the worship service.  Often he would slip me a piece of candy or simply tap me on the leg as a sign of friendship.  The good times weren't always about what I would gain from attending this church.  During a particular season of life I did volunteer in the bookstore.  In addition to this very public role

Thank you very much madam speaker, vice president, members of Congress, the first lady of the United States. And my fellow Americans. We meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential, as we begin a new Congress, I stand here ready to work with you to achieve historic breakthroughs for all Americans. Millions of our fellow citizens are watching us, gathered in this great chamber, hoping we will govern not as two parties, but as one nation. The agenda I will lay out this evening is not a Republican agenda or Democrat agenda, it is the agenda of the American people. Many of us have campaigned on the same core promises, to defend American jobs and demand fair trade for American workers, to rebuild and revitalize our nation’s infrastructure, to reduce the price of health care and prescription drugs, to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure, and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America’s interests first. There is a new opportunity in American polit