I got me a pair of Doc Martens recently.
I didn’t realize they had made a comeback, but I saw a Dr. Marten’s store at the mall.
I remember how much I wanted them growing up.
But we couldn’t really afford it. And I was never the type of kid that would pester my parents to buy me something they were hesitant to.

Granted, I didn’t know how much my parents were struggling when I was a teenager.
But they did.
And they shielded us from their struggles.

Today, my wife and I are, financially, far better off than both sets of our parents ever were.
I guess that’s the dream, right?
Leave the home, people, and country they know to a foreign simply based on a dream that their children’s lives would be better there than here.

Years ago, I was sent to serve at a church in Santa Barbara.
By the grace of God, it was the church I attended youth group when I was a teenager.
The season in Santa Barbara was probably the most difficult for my parents since moving to the States.

I had this fond memory of Sizzler’s.
We used to go to Sizzler’s in Santa Barbara as a place for celebration.
All-You-Can-Eat salad bar.
Steaks.

It was a special place for a special occasion.
And since there was no Sizzler’s in Hawaii (where our family moved to after Santa Barbara), it kept its allure.

I had attended a meeting, and after the meeting was done, I was looking for a place to eat, when it dawned on me: this is where the Sizzler’s from my teenage years was!
I remember thinking, should I call my wife to let her know I’m gonna treat myself to something somewhat fancy and if she wanted to join me? She didn’t answer her phone. Her loss. I was gonna have me a steak from Sizzler’s and a baked potato.

I walked in… the place looked the same… except… it was… a Sizzler’s. I mean no offense.
Part of it probably was that I was in my 30’s now and what seemed magical as a kid seems ordinary now.
But also, by no means is Sizzler’s a fancy restaurant.

I sad-ate that steak.
Was it good? I mean, yea… for Sizzler’s… you know? And I mean no disrespect but it sounds very disrespectful, ya know?
What was an impromptu lunch for me at this stage of life, when I was a kid — it was a special event/occasion to go to the Sizzler’s.

I don’t know how my parents did it.
I don’t think I share their tenacity.
They struggled to survive so that we could thrive.
And I am forever grateful for all the sacrifices they’ve made on my behalf.

One of the ways their sacrifices manifested in my life today is that I wrote a book. How’s that for a segue? And yes, I’m still peddling books. … is peddling generally used with like… pushing illegal things, like peddling drugs?

Click here to purchase a book that an Amazon user wrote “Whatever our faith struggles may be, this book is a must read for any genuine seeker of divine truth.”

And if you could do me just one more solid, please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve already gotten the book.
Thank you sincerely.

And apologies for whatever grammatical errors you ran into.