I've learned and grown during my 16 years of being in the music and entertainment industry. I learned who are there for me, but I also learned who are not. I am grateful that God has graced me of my career peaks and valleys. It was through my career valleys I grew and matured the most. It was through my valleys that I was tested and challenged the most in life.

I've also learned that the profession as a professional beatboxer can be a field of work of high stress and demand when I do not put God first in my life. With that said, I would not trade my profession for another. I am humbled, honored and grateful that my work is bigger than who I am and what I do to impact our communities in greater ways I cannot do on my own.

As an entertainer, I've received fan mail and hate mail. Among the hate mail are not the kindest of messages anyone ought to read. I've shared just a couple of "hate mail" to a close friend. My friend was "shocked." It's not an uncommon side that entertainers will occasionally have to deal with on the receiving end, behind the scenes.

As an entertainer, I've also received threats via my voice mail on my mobile phone. For a season, I've stopped having a mobile phone altogether.

In those trying seasons, I could relate with Job of the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. How the devil tormented Job day and night. Not a single friend could help Job. Not even the believers he knew could help him. Job endured through the end, and Job continued to put his trust in God. Ultimately, Job persevered.

In the gospel book of John chapter 10 verse 10, Jesus said, "the devil comes only to kill, and to steal, and to destroy, but I have come to give you life and life to the full." Those words from Jesus helped me tremendously.

For seasons, the adversary tormented me day and night in attempts only to kill, and to steal, and to destroy....
my joy,
my peace, 
my love, 
my life,
my memory,
my personhood, 
my career,
my talent,
my identity,
my faith,
my family,
my character, 
my reputation, 
my dreams,
my goals,
and my health.

The Word of God says that the adversary prowls like a lion to seek who he may devour. When the enemy comes. In like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. I am grateful that Jesus has become my rare guard and flooded the enemy on my behalf.

I am grateful that God has graced me with my peaks and valleys with his grace, mercy and unfailing love. And God is faithful. He will not allow the test to be more than we can stand.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, be encouraged that Jesus is our fortress. Redeemer. Deliverer. We daily have on the whole armor of Light. We are the head, not the tail. We are above, not beneath. Thank You Jesus for becoming our rare guard, and going before us on this day that you have made. We give you praise, honor and glory.

Five months from now marks the 12th anniversary of my time at Word of Life Christian Center, a church I call home.

Had it not been for God in my life and Jesus doing a work in me I would not be free and not be alive. I am grateful and thankful to my Word of Life family, Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulveda, Pastor Wally and Patti Matanza, Rick and Nicole Abordo, John and Lexi Lum, and our men's Life Group growing together in the Word of God, and the things of God.

I am grateful God came into my life as early as He did.

Those of us in our current walk with God, let us rejoice each day that Jesus rescued...
Forgave...
Restored...
Redeemed...
Freed...
Healed...
Delivered...
Made whole.
Renewed...
Pruned...
Counseled....
Taught...
Disciplined....
Refined...
Favored....
And clothed you and I in His majesty.
This Jesus is available to you and I, our family, friends, our neighbors.

In 1998, I accepted Jesus in into my life at age 15 while I was a student at McKinley High School. Prior to that I had gotten my copy of Charlie's Victory signed by Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer with Philippians 4:13. I was a new born again Christian, but not yet a committed one.

In 2008, age 25, I sought after God. My friend Janel invited me to a Christian conference at the Sheraton Waikiki that featured the Katina's. That night, I opened up my heart to God, and I rededicated my life to Jesus.

I shared this with my music business classmate John Tussey, and he encouraged me to find a home church. To get planted there, grow in my walk with God, and get to know Jesus. I prayed to God to make a way.

Days following my prayer to God, my music business classmates Lei and Cherry Anne encouraged me to enter the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show on Friday, October 24. I answered, "yes."

Jason Tom Beatboxing at Word of Life Emerge Talent Show

Video Credit: Isaiah Viernes

That same day, my audio engineering professor James Hearon asked if I'd be interested to teach a beatbox workshop at Word of Life Academy on Monday, October 27. I answered, "yes.

I got to Word of Life Christian Center on Friday, October 24th, and I got greeted by Cherry Anne. I met Yumi, and she took care of the sign up of the contestants. She interviewed me, and I met the age cut off to enter. I was the twelfth out of twelve contestants to sign up for the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals. The order of the contestants was the order of our sign up.

I met 11 amazing talent including Kevin the Kwalified Emcee who I met then as "Kevin."

I asked Kevin, "what talent are you going to perform tonight?"

"I'm going to rap," Kevin responded.

Kevin asked, "what about you?"

"Beatbox," I responded.

When it was Kevin's time to go on stage, he asked the host Jarmal to beatbox while he rapped.

Then I told myself I will bring my A game beatbox mode.

When I got on stage, host Jarmal asked, "so Jason, what are you going to do for us tonight?"

I said, "I'm going to beatbox." The crowd made a thunderous roar before I began.

During my performance the crowd was so loud that it felt as though I was on a roller coaster ride.

I won first place at the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals, and I advanced to the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Grand Finals.

I rededicated my life once more to my personal Lord and savior Jesus Christ that night. Jarmal equipped me with my first bible, which I still have to this day. I then began my bible reading plan with the Gospel of John. Word of Life Christian Center is a church I call home.

 

Math was my worst school subject. Say what? But math was still my favorite school subject to not give up on.

During my spring cleaning I found my high school and early college report cards.

I was a C, D, and F high school math student. True story.

I was far from the A math student that I would later become.

I was a late bloomer in my math success.

I had my math "kryptonite." Yes, I may be the Superman of math today, but at one point I in fact had my kryptonite.

I found a letter from a family member snail mailed to me, then 14-year-old Jason Tom. I've kept it in my "capstone" that contains important memories.

This family member acknowledged in her letter that she heard that I did not pass my 8th grade Kawananakoa middle school math class and found out that for me to advance to high school I have to make it up in summer school. She encouraged me to do my best and to not fall behind.

I made up for my 8th grade math class in summer school. I advanced to the 9th grade for high school.

Fast forward, I earned my McKinley High School diploma on time. I did not give up on math. My discipline for math required effort, encouragement, and to overcome odds. I had this "I am not going give up" attitude.

My first semester in college, I earned a D in math and poor grades for my other classes during the September 11th attacks season. My highest grade was a B for my philosophy class. Then I messed up in my elective class the following semester. Academically suspended, I took a college break to re-focus my life and soul search.

I left Honolulu.

I moved to California. I packed my luggage with my clothes, soccer gear, judo uniforms, music CD and music DVD collection.

I earned wages doing clerical work for a furniture warehouse. I focused on competitive judo and judo training.

I earned gold medals at judo tournaments hosted at San Jose State University and the City College of San Francisco.

I moved back to Honolulu to further pursue my competitive judo journey, and I won my final judo trophy before I collided with a SUV in 2004.

I judo broke my fall post impact prior to my unconsciousness.

The female driver prayed for me as she called for an ambulance to bring me to the emergency room.

I Thank God for the miracle that I had no broken bones and serious injury other than brain trauma.

The trauma affected my memory. I've recovered lost memories through meditation in the Word of God, prayer, exercise, rest, reflection, mathematics, hydration, music, and journaling.

Much healing.

I am grateful to the LORD that He has healed and delivered me of complex trauma.

Then, on the next day that family member who wrote me that letter took me to see the Passion of the Christ on the big screen.

The Passion of the Christ is my favorite film.

That same year, I left competitive judo to pursue my professional career as a beatboxer.

I re-enrolled in college to take care of unfinished business. Finishing and persevering over the odd is the character I developed through my high school years of soccer.

How I scored a soccer goal in the final 15 seconds of a game of my high school senior season.

I retook my college math class.

In judo fashion I identified my math kryptonite and I conquered it. I went to math professor Mark Alexander's office and he was helped me tackle my kryptonite. I earned an A in math and my first straight A semester.

My math mentor Mark Alexander referred me for the math supplemental instructor campus job position. I also applied to be a campus math tutor and math note taker. The math supplemental instructor position was the highest paid student position throughout the University of Hawaii system at the time.

All the while I performed beatboxing at competitions, school assemblies, after school programs, classrooms, poetry slams, open mics, events, and private parties.

I treated my academics like it were judo practices, meets, and tournaments with the soccer mentality to finish.

For me to earn a good grade is as though how I would prepare to win a judo medal.

I studied my math notes and I practiced my math daily.

I started and finished all of my math homework on the exact day it is assigned.

I prioritized.

I gave myself no way to procrastinate.

I gave myself no way to get distracted when I studied... no Internet. No television.

I transferred my judo champion work ethic into the classroom setting.

To this family member, you know who you are. I want to Thank You!

I wished you a Happy Mother's Day on Mother's Day, because I want you to know you are a very important person in my life.

I know you are not not my mother, but you are indeed a great mother for you and your husband's family.

If it weren't for your encouragement in my early years to do my best and not fall behind then I might not be where I am today.

It is because you encouraged me then, that helps me to continue to help the families and students I work with to succeed in math.

Thank You for telling me to do my best and to not fall behind.

I am grateful to you for all you've done in my life.

I cannot thank you enough.

Words alone do no justice.

But still, I Thank You from the depths of my heart.

Love and kindness,
Jason Tom

What kind of conflict are you experiencing today? How are you handling that conflict? The conflicts I go through and gone through as a person, beatboxer, voice actor, faith blogger, and mathematician are fascinating in its dynamic.

I discovered that conflict is appealing.

Conflict in relationships and conflict in communication are important to have. A conflict is healthy for relationships when all parties have a shared goal in mind toward a resolution. To squash the beef. curry. How does one handle a conflict? Is one to buckle under tremendous pressure. Shut down? Freeze? Run away? Avoid? Or does one thrive in conflict. Thrive with conflict. Conflict is important for growth and maturity. Responsibility.

Does one confront their conflict? Are you one who will be able to engage with your conflict and be at the forefront of a conflict?

The complexities of math problems and conflicts are dynamic. Math has taught me how to apply it to resolve conflicts and complex problems in life by applying math principles honed and developed. Math works for my life's conflicts.

Avoiding a math problem, does not resolve that problem on its own.

Walking away, running away, turning away from a math conflict does not resolve it on its own if there is a goal in mind to resolve a conflict.

When there's no goal of resolving a conflict, then there's no resolution.

Abandoning the problem, does not make that problem vanish when there's a goal in mind to resolve that problem. That conflict will eventually catch up.

In my faith walk, I enjoy most about how Jesus dealt with conflict in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus kept it "real."

When there's conflict... there might be those prone to react irrationally.

But I've learned that it's important to develop and hone tools of how to thrive in conflict. Thrive with conflict.

Be composed under even tremendous pressure. To not react irrationally. With a goal in mind to resolve whichever conflict. Character.

Professional conflict. Personal conflict. Family conflict. Health conflict.

Interpersonal conflict.

Intrapersonal conflict.

Financial conflict. Religious conflict. Political conflict.

Facing conflict requires that of courage. A must if there's any resolution to be sought for. There needs to be a boldness to fight for what needs to be fought for. And with "fight" it's not the physical nor domestic kind of fight. This "fight" is the kind of fight that is the effort put into resolving challenging circumstances.

When we don't fight for what is ought to be fought for, we could lose what's most important in our lives.

Conflict could be small, it could be big.

Conflict is a good thing in relationships. Conflict is important in communication.

Why?

How so?

Growth. Maturity.

It's better to have a friend who does not always necessarily agree, but is willing to let you know what you need to hear. Not what you want to hear. An honest and a loyal friend who keeps it real is a keeper. Integrity.

There is a way to deliver it to address the conflict. What kind of conflict are you experiencing today? How are you handling that conflict?

I hope you had a blessed Palm Sunday. I am thankful to God that He brought me out of chaos. I attended Word of Life's 6pm service via Facebook live.

One of Pastor Art's openers referenced Psalm 40:1-3; my blog post here is using the Amplified Holy Bible translation that captures the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew:
"I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the LORD."

I am thankful to God that He is of order. 
I am grateful to God that He is not of chaos.
I am humbled that God is in control.

The Holy Spirit brought out of the miry clay. He's counseled me how to guard my...
1. Ear gates
2. Mouth gate.
3. Eye gates (window to the soul).
To guard my heart.

We are...
1. Spirit
2. Soul
3. Body

Our soul is the...
1. Mind
2. Will
3. Emotion

Pastor Art's sermon confirmed my devotional on James 1:19 as how God helped me by His mercy and grace to...
1. Be quick to listen (to guard my ear gates)...
2. Slow to speak (guard my mouth gate)...
3. Slow to anger (guard my emotion.. soul.. eye gates).

Meditating on and applying James 1:19 renews my mind and transformed my character.

God pruned me. I was the reverse order of James 1:19 and the inverse of it. In my younger years I was....
1. Quick to anger (did not guard my emotion.. soul.. eye gates)...
2. Quick to speak (did not guard my mouth gate)...
3. Slow to listen (did not guard my ear gates).

That was the old me. Sown unto to me. Thankfully that old me is dead.

In the natural, I was modeled to be quick to anger, quick to speak, and slow to listen.

In the supernatural, Jesus modeled for me how to be quick to listen to the Holy Spirit, slow to speak, and slow to anger. How to guard my ear gates, mouth gate, and ear gates. How to forgive. Be merciful. He's forgiven me, forgiven us. Jesus models for the body of Christ how to forgive. I am so thankful that God delivered and healed me from years of destruction, torment and trauma.

I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. The new me is alive.

Psalm 141:3 is what I pray to God to help me be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, by putting a guard over my mouth...
"Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]."

Proverbs 13:3 reinforces guarding our mouth
"The one who guards his mouth
[thinking before he speaks] protects his life;
The one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin."

and Proverbs 21:23 further reinforces guarding our mouth
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue
Guards himself from troubles."

When I lettered two-years in varsity soccer and judo, I had a literal mouth guard. But this guarding of our mouth is a spiritual guard.

What words are we speaking?
Are we speaking hate?
Are speaking anger?
Or are we speaking forgiveness?
Mercy?
Are we speaking love and the Word of God?

I am thankful each day how God has done a work in me.

Faith with God's finished works is alive.