Giving Hope to the Youth of Today
BLESSED MODE
Kel titled his book based on the notion of a video game, likening a walk of faith to learning how to improve in a game. As a player faces obstacles and challenges, and gains the ability to deal with them, he “levels up.” Likewise, as a believer seeks God through life’s challenges, he learns to rightly handle them, and enters “blessed mode.”
“Here’s the best news about blessed mode,” he says. “All God requires of us is to believe and to call on Him. When you’re in blessed mode you can be a reflection of God’s greatness at all times! Kel says his desire is for people to find in his book the freedom of God’s life-changing presence, to experience His power through prayer, recognize God’s many gifts in their lives, and share the blessings they receive with others.
FINDING HIS BLESSED MODE
Like everyone, Kel says he’s had his share of ups and downs. Starting work as a teen in the entertainment industry, and living in L.A. presented many challenges along with the great opportunities. “I went through a lot,” Kel says. “God got me through depression and addiction. I was hard on myself for mistakes I’d made or things I did or that happened to me.”
His depression at one point left him feeling suicidal, as he battled control for his thoughts. He calls such barriers “emotional walls,” and says we need to hit them with the sledgehammer of God’s truth. “In every emotional wall,” Kel says, “there is a blessed way out! You will be breaking through these walls widening that crack of light a little bit, day by day, so you can discover God’s blessings on you.” While things usually don’t change overnight, Kel says, each time we believe what God’s Word says about us, that obedience bears fruit.
As to how he learned to manage his thoughts, Kel says, “I love the saying, ‘I’m a masterpiece trying to master peace.’ The first time I heard this, it nearly brought me to tears because it is so true; we are each a walking, beautiful work of art made by God trying to find some type of peace on our journey.” He refers to the fact that with so much turmoil in our world, anxiety has skyrocketed. “I have learned that when I react to stress with negative emotions instead of peace, things only become more stressful. So how do we find peace in chaos?”
Kel points to one of many Scripture verses on peace, : “Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” “…(this) says that wisdom will lead you to peace. So, we should study peace and ways to defeat the chaos of the mind. And then we put what we’ve learned into practice. We stop trying to control chaotic situations in life – they are out of our control anyway! – and we learn how to control our thoughts and behaviors. This will bring you peace.”
HIS FAVORITE ROLE
Kel has a lengthy resume of professional work, starting at age 15. “But my favorite role might surprise you,” he says. “I followed the path God had been preparing for me; I became a youth pastor.” For eight years now, Kel has been involved in the “helps” ministry at his church, Spirit Food Christian Center in the L.A. area.
In 2019, Kel became a youth pastor and has been speaking to teens there each week. He has a passion for young people and helping them build good spiritual habits early in life to avoid some of life’s many snares. “Youth deal with a lot these days, including social media and cyber bullying. I want to show them that God is part of everything in their lives, not just a Sunday thing. They need to know they can talk to God, that they’re not alone, and that God loves them!"
About The Author
