ABOUT SHINE...WOW....LETS SEE. O.K. I CANT TALK ABOUT SHINE WITHOUT FIRST TALKING ABOUT THE OLD MAN. NOT TO BRING ANY GLORY TO THAT OLD MAN, BUT THAT YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN DO TO A PERSON. SEE I GREW UP IN THE CITY OF LA PUENTE. I WAS A PRODUCT OF MY ENVIROMENT AT THE TIME. GANGS,DRUGS,WOMEN ECT.. I WAS WITHOUT CARE, WITHOUT HOPE, WITHOUT LOVE. MY FATHER O.D. AND DIED WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD. HE WAS CONSTANTLY IN OUT OF PRISON BEFORE THAT. MY MOMS WAS CONSTANTLY WORKING SO THAT SHE COULD GIVE MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND I AND BETTER LIFE. SHE TRIED IT ALL MOVED US TO DIFFERENT CITYS, PUT US IN SPORTS. SHE WAS JUST DOING WHAT A GOOD MOTHER DOES. "BUT" NO MATTER WHAT IT SEEMMED NO MATTER WHERE WE WENT OR WHAT WE DID WE WERE CONSTANTLY GETTING IN TROUBLE. I EVENTUALLY WATCHED MY YOUNGER BROTHER CATCH A LIFE SENTENCE. I BELIEVE THATS WHEN I HIT THE LOWEST POINT OF MY LIFE. I STARTED DOING THE DRUGS I USED TO SELL. MY MOM BY THIS TIME LIVED IN PENNSYLVANIA AND USED TO CALL ME TO SHARE WITH ME ABOUT GOD. I WASNT HEARING IT AT THE TIME AND USED TO TELL HER, "I KNOW MOM, IM JUST NOT READY". MY COUSIN RUBEN USED TO TELL ME THE SAME STORY ABOUT HOW CHRIST LOVED ME AND TOOK MY SIN UPON HIMSELF, THAT IF I WOULD JUST BELIEVE RECIEVE HIM INTO MY LIFE THEN THEN I WOULD BECOME A NEW MAN. "BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY AND ALL THING HAVE BECOME NEW". I TOLD MY COUSIN THE SAME THING I TOLD MY MOM, "I KNOW, IM JUST NOT READY". TILL ONE DAY MY COUSIN TOLD ME SOMTHING THAT ACTUALLY MAID A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE. HE SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT RAY, YOUR NEVER GOING TO BE READY! YOU JUST GOT TO TAKE THAT LEAP OF FAITH". I DIDNT GIVE MY LIFE JUST THEN, BUT THAT HIT ME HARD. THEN ONE DAY I WAS IN MY CAR GETTING HIGH AND DRINKING. MY WIFE CAME OUT THROUGH ME A C.D. THAT MY MOM SENT ME. ONE C.D. OUT OF A HUNDRED OF MY MOMS SERVICES AT HER CHURCH. I DONT KNOW BUT I TURNED IT ON AND .....SMACK... THE HOLY SPIRIT HIT ME HARD. EVERYTHING I WAS GOING THROUGH WAS BEING RELAYED THROUGH THIS C.D.. THE BEST THING IS I ASEN THE HOPE GOD OFFERED THROUGH HIS SON JESUS. THE C.D. FINISHED AND I CRIED OUT TO GOD. "LORD CHANGE ME" IM TALKIN TEARS AND SOBBING. THAT WAS UNUASUAL FOR ME BECAUSE I NEVER CRIED. I WAS TO HARDENED. FROM THAT DAY FOWARD IVE BEEN A DIFFERENT PERSON. YES I STILL HAVE MY TRIALS, YES I STILL MIGHT SLIP, BUT U KNOW WHAT I DO IT ALL KNOW KNOW I HAVE MY LORD WHOS WITH ME AND GOING TO GIVE ME THE STRENGHT TO PUSH FOWARD, AMEN. O.K. NOW "SHINE" IS WHO I AM TO DAY, AND THE ONLY REASON I SHINE IS BECAUSE OF HE WHO IS WITHIN ME. I'LL LET MY MUSIC SPEAK FOR ITS SELF SO JUST SIT BACK TURN IT UP AND KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN TO WHAT EVER THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS FOR YOU. THEN DONT FORGET TO TELL A FRIEND -SHINE