Gang warlord turned hero
We think on 1950's America as an idyllic, simpler time. A beautiful slice of life immortalized in the paintings of Norman Rockwell. Ignored in these nostalgic pictures are life among the poor in the ghettos.
Nicky Cruz was a teenager in 1958. A native of Puerto Rico, his parents sent him to live in New York with his brother when he was fifteen. It was difficult adjusting to a new culture, and a new language in a city that had little care for those who didn't fit the Rockwell portrait.
Nicky had a hard time in school, and was thrown out. He later joined a gang called the Mau Maus. Named after an African tribe, they prided themselves on ruthlessness. Over time, their membership grew and Nicky became president. War was waged on the police, and neighborhoods lived in fear.
In his book, "Run, baby run" Nicky recounts how he was driven by hate. A hate so palpable, he sensed it everywhere he went. He combated the hate with violence. His gang committed robbery and rape among the citizens while waging war on other gangs in the streets. No drug, no rumble, no sexual encounter was enough to quell the hurt inside him that hate firmly planted.
His life was changed when he met a minister named David Wilkerson. After three years of running the Mau Maus, Nicky met a slight, odd looking man who found the right words to reach him. The word of God. Nicky recounts restless nights when Wilkerson's simple message turned over in his head. He had to do something about this preacher. Wilkerson threatened all he built, his only family.
The Mau Maus went to the preacher's rally with intent on disrupting it. Instead, Wilkerson asked Nicky and three Mau Maus to take up a collection for the church.
Was he crazy?
It was the first time Nicky felt trusted and though he knew stealing the money was the "right" thing to do, something stopped him. He took the money to the preacher instead.
He was changing.
It was scary to change. He was in control as president of a gang, and he had a degree of respect. When God began to impact his heart, he had something he never had before.
Self respect.
Hate began to die as he learned more about God. The change in him sparked a change in others.
Imagine the shock when Nicky and his fellow gang members went to the police station to turn in their weapons!
Nicky went on to Bible college and married a sweet girl named Gloria. Together, they have dedicated their lives to youth all across the world. Nicky has given talks in Denmark, England and all across America.
His book is required reading in at least three countries.
I got to hear him speak last Saturday.
His words were not those of a polished orator, but of an honest man with heart.
He was able to reach out to both teens and parents with a positive solution that would better their lives forever.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Excerpt from my book: Kindertransport
(Wild Rose Press)
I filled the syringe with morphine. My hands shook. Could innocent blood ever be washed away? Would my hands ever be clean again if I continued this course?
The gas would make them choke, gasping for breath as their life was strangled to nothingness. Morphine would make them euphoric, and an overdose would put them to sleep, peacefully, with no pain.
I filled the second syringe, I thought of each child as I punctured the rubber stopper, the needle sucking up the lethal fluid filling the tube.
Little Wilhelm. treasured leader of the pack. The braces on his legs never stopped his imagination from soaring.
Lara. An artist’s soul expressed with the one good arm she had. Art was reflective of the beauty living in her heart. The twins. Isn’t intelligence measured with creativity? I would sorely miss their energy.
My hand slipped, the needle grazed the knuckle of my thumb. I swore and bit my lip. Perfect. I‘ll kill myself before I get the chance to euthanize my children. Then after I enter Heaven’s gate, if He lets me through them, I can tell God I’m an idiot and a murderer.
I rubbed my shoulders, they hunched with an invisible weight making my back ache.
(Wild Rose Press)
I filled the syringe with morphine. My hands shook. Could innocent blood ever be washed away? Would my hands ever be clean again if I continued this course?
The gas would make them choke, gasping for breath as their life was strangled to nothingness. Morphine would make them euphoric, and an overdose would put them to sleep, peacefully, with no pain.
I filled the second syringe, I thought of each child as I punctured the rubber stopper, the needle sucking up the lethal fluid filling the tube.
Little Wilhelm. treasured leader of the pack. The braces on his legs never stopped his imagination from soaring.
Lara. An artist’s soul expressed with the one good arm she had. Art was reflective of the beauty living in her heart. The twins. Isn’t intelligence measured with creativity? I would sorely miss their energy.
My hand slipped, the needle grazed the knuckle of my thumb. I swore and bit my lip. Perfect. I‘ll kill myself before I get the chance to euthanize my children. Then after I enter Heaven’s gate, if He lets me through them, I can tell God I’m an idiot and a murderer.
I rubbed my shoulders, they hunched with an invisible weight making my back ache.
Stephen King: On Romance?
Stephen King: What the master of horror teaches about romance.
I got busted reading "Carrie" in science class. I trembled with the thought of surviving a pandemic with "The Stand."
Stephen King: A romantic hero? Maybe atypical but absolutely! Let’s look at why:
Stephen knows loss. He grew up with an absentee father and a mother who took charge, a woman who made her living working hard and caring for her sons. She tended to her children's mental and spiritual health as well as caring for her extended family. A woman who provided an inspiration of strength for those who knew her. She died far too young. A loss a young man shouldn't have to face, but her strength was passed on to her children. instead of blaming the fates, they carried on. His modest background gave him sensitivity to the working class and some vital insight about the human condition.
Stephen went to college. He worked his way through school as a janitor.
It was in college Stephen met Tabitha. As students they connected.He admired her for her intelligence and creativity, as she is a writer as well. It was Tabitha who rescued "Carrie" from the trash and demanded her husband finish the manuscript. He was smart enough to listen to his wife, and finished the work. He has loved and dedicated his life to his lady, Tabitha, his college sweetheart. Together they’ve faced and overcome his drug addiction and the physical challenges that came from a severe motor vehicle accident.
He has been a father to his children for the long haul.
He has overcome personal tragedy and offered support to budding authors with his "On writing" book.He fought a drug addiction during his marriage. It takes courage to admit you have a problem and to ask for help. It is even more courageous to make private pain public so others can be inspired to seek help too, even though doing this gives the mean spirited an easy target.
Stephen was given another horrific challenge when he was hit by a car. Months in physical therapy allowed him to walk again, but the steps were slow, a grueling struggle to heal. Despite the damage to his body Stephen didn’t fall into despair. The self is the greatest enemy, the love of his family his greatest asset. Tabitha was with him every step of the way, no matter how trying.
Horror is all around us. We see the evils humans do; it drags us into emotional mire. Hearing the news is enough to make us want to hide under our beds or just get through the day so we can make it back to the sanctuary of our homes. Through it all love makes it bearable, infusing us with the power to look evil in its face and claim victory.
The master of horror, by his own strength and perseverance is the model of a true hero.
I got busted reading "Carrie" in science class. I trembled with the thought of surviving a pandemic with "The Stand."
Stephen King: A romantic hero? Maybe atypical but absolutely! Let’s look at why:
Stephen knows loss. He grew up with an absentee father and a mother who took charge, a woman who made her living working hard and caring for her sons. She tended to her children's mental and spiritual health as well as caring for her extended family. A woman who provided an inspiration of strength for those who knew her. She died far too young. A loss a young man shouldn't have to face, but her strength was passed on to her children. instead of blaming the fates, they carried on. His modest background gave him sensitivity to the working class and some vital insight about the human condition.
Stephen went to college. He worked his way through school as a janitor.
It was in college Stephen met Tabitha. As students they connected.He admired her for her intelligence and creativity, as she is a writer as well. It was Tabitha who rescued "Carrie" from the trash and demanded her husband finish the manuscript. He was smart enough to listen to his wife, and finished the work. He has loved and dedicated his life to his lady, Tabitha, his college sweetheart. Together they’ve faced and overcome his drug addiction and the physical challenges that came from a severe motor vehicle accident.
He has been a father to his children for the long haul.
He has overcome personal tragedy and offered support to budding authors with his "On writing" book.He fought a drug addiction during his marriage. It takes courage to admit you have a problem and to ask for help. It is even more courageous to make private pain public so others can be inspired to seek help too, even though doing this gives the mean spirited an easy target.
Stephen was given another horrific challenge when he was hit by a car. Months in physical therapy allowed him to walk again, but the steps were slow, a grueling struggle to heal. Despite the damage to his body Stephen didn’t fall into despair. The self is the greatest enemy, the love of his family his greatest asset. Tabitha was with him every step of the way, no matter how trying.
Horror is all around us. We see the evils humans do; it drags us into emotional mire. Hearing the news is enough to make us want to hide under our beds or just get through the day so we can make it back to the sanctuary of our homes. Through it all love makes it bearable, infusing us with the power to look evil in its face and claim victory.
The master of horror, by his own strength and perseverance is the model of a true hero.
Infamy
Can love break the barriers of time and distance?
Is it possible to have a bond so close that a person can sense the distress of a loved one far away?
After the bombing of Pearl harbor, Jacob DeShazer trained for a mission. A retaliation to bomb Japanese targets then return to china and rendez-vous with American troops. The men knew the chances of survival were slim due to a strong Japanese presence in China.
The air raid was a success, however; on the way back, the planes failed forcing the men to parachute from them. Two men died in the landing, while Deshazer and his fellows were captured.
Back in the states, a mother woke from a dream where she felt as though she were falling. She began to pray for her son. Her fears were confirmed in a news story about pilots captured by the Japanese. her son would be a prisoner of war for three years. Despite her fear, she held fast to the belief her son would come home. The belief gave her peace.
DeShazer returned home a changed man, during his incarceration he was allowed three weeks to read a bible. Jesus' teachings on forgiveness strengthened him; his teachings on love, inspired. He was able to embrace the truth that we are more than our governments. Peace is possible when we learn to love one another. A mission statement more difficult than it sounds.
After the war, DeShazer married and returned to Japan with his wife and son. After writing "I was a prisoner of Japan", he spent thirty years as a missionary. One of his fans was the man who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. the two became friends and worked as missionaries together.
A day of infamy started a life long work for peace.
Is it possible to have a bond so close that a person can sense the distress of a loved one far away?
After the bombing of Pearl harbor, Jacob DeShazer trained for a mission. A retaliation to bomb Japanese targets then return to china and rendez-vous with American troops. The men knew the chances of survival were slim due to a strong Japanese presence in China.
The air raid was a success, however; on the way back, the planes failed forcing the men to parachute from them. Two men died in the landing, while Deshazer and his fellows were captured.
Back in the states, a mother woke from a dream where she felt as though she were falling. She began to pray for her son. Her fears were confirmed in a news story about pilots captured by the Japanese. her son would be a prisoner of war for three years. Despite her fear, she held fast to the belief her son would come home. The belief gave her peace.
DeShazer returned home a changed man, during his incarceration he was allowed three weeks to read a bible. Jesus' teachings on forgiveness strengthened him; his teachings on love, inspired. He was able to embrace the truth that we are more than our governments. Peace is possible when we learn to love one another. A mission statement more difficult than it sounds.
After the war, DeShazer married and returned to Japan with his wife and son. After writing "I was a prisoner of Japan", he spent thirty years as a missionary. One of his fans was the man who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. the two became friends and worked as missionaries together.
A day of infamy started a life long work for peace.
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