Deciding to begin any life or moment in time in service, one has to have it in a particular place deep within their heart. This is when your drawn upon an emotion experienced after a monumental revelation or event that occurs in ones life. For some, this may have been 9/11/2001. A tragic day in not only America, but for the world. Many of us remember how we felt that week if we were alive for it. Anger, confusion, sadness and heartache were some ways to describe the chaos in those weeks and months shortly after. I was working as a store detective at a retail establishment counting fine jewels at the moment of impact. The day that changed not only my small insignificant life, but the entire world view I had. At that moment thousands decided to do something about it. Many decided to serve their country in the military. Some, decided however, to serve in other ways. Wether that was paramedics, police or firefighters they all had one thing in common. Service. I knew in that moment, law enforcement would be a particular way I could serve. However, God wanted me to serve humanity abroad first. When I first met my beautiful wife Jessica in 2010, she told me she was a missionary. I knew many missionaries in the past, but none closely. As we got to know each other, I saw a photo of her holding a child in the mountains of Haiti that was severely malnourished. This was the true moment I fell in love with her. In those eyes, I saw the most content and loving look that I knew I wanted. Not only to receive but more so to give to others. That is the definition of service in its pure form. To give of yourself and to expect nothing in return. Not a paycheck, recognition or awards. This is the form of life that brings us the most joy and it was intended by God to be that way. 

 Obviously we married each other and have two beautiful children and hope be blessed with more at some point, but what this moment did for me personally was seeing the value in service. So much so, that I joined the Knights of Columbus in 2011. As a 4th degree Sir Knight, we have values that we adhere too. One of these happens to be service. It defines the KofC culture. It embodies who we are as Catholic Lay Missionaries.