I've learned a lot over the past few months; that life is solely about God and magnifying Him, but meanwhile on earth, to cherish the idealism of family. This celestial bond is something that feels tangible - and it's also something most of us take for granted. The entire orchestra of "family" goes beyond all formalities of biological issues - it's represented in your friends, girlfriend or boyfriend and their family, your offspring, and even strangers.

In all sense of the word, a family is a group of people connected together, striving to support one another - loving them and cherishing the moments that are put on a shelf to collect dust. I have come to understand that more productively. As everyone knows, I'm dating the most wonderful girlfriend ever, Kati. Yes, she has a daughter, Karli, and although she isn't technically mine, they are family to me in every aspect. Now, I cannot replace the status of "daddy", and I refuse to attempt to steal that title; it's morally wrong. However, I can be a father-figure, which I intend on doing.

You see, realistically - a family is people who've grown accustomed to one another, and have grown up with over a plethora amount of years. Thus, you begin to feel completely comfortable around that person(s) and are willing to provide for them. It doesn't necessarily concern the amount of time you've known this or that person - it depends on how you react toward one another, and thankfully, I can say that I have more family than I do friends.

Over the summer, I had a "friend" who lived with me due to personal reasons. The reason I put quotations around that word was lack thereof. I consider him family. Now, don't get me wrong - families aren't perfect, and that is the blessing out of it. A real family unit sticks together; through thick and thin; the fights and pointless arguments/disagreements. We've had our fair share of that during his time in my household - and same with my girlfriend. Yet we held and still are holding on, because that is what a loving family who understands the meaning of kinship does.

What I'm trying to say is this: I've learned to know the genuine difference between a mere friendship, acquaintance, and family. What is it you may ask? It is this: Family stays together and never leaves. Over the course of summer vacation, I've gained more family than I have friends in my entire life - and I'm glad to be apart of it. It's nice to know that no matter what storm may brew and find its way in each other's lives, these certain people are staying put for good. Family goes beyond blood. It shows externally and provides eternally - and I'll forever do that for my family, even if I fail miserably at it.

Thank you, Kati and Karli, for being the love's of my life, and as weird as it may sound, being family.

I just finished Halo: Reach last night. With all sincerity and honesty, I personally don't believe it lived up to the hype. Maybe that has to do with me intentionally hyping it up myself. Nonetheless, I don't think it exceeds Halo 3's logo, "Finish The Fight."

I do admit, this game is excellent - if not one of the greatest Xbox 360's titles to be released, but I felt shorthanded. I've read blog posts here speaking on this game and its intense battlefield skirmishes, but it wasn't as full-fledged as I imagined. The plus side of it all is that it wasn't repetitive - and the landscapes and textures weren't as bland and lenient as Halo 2's. There's a lot of open-environment to discover and various places that you can travel to in order to reach the same destination. You're not necessarily subjected to one path-way.

I finished the game on Heroic, and that took me roughly 7-8 hours. The A.I. was great, but the enemies were lacking in strength - especially the brutes and elites, which could be taken out merely with a few head shots of your battle-rifle. I'm restarting the campaign on Legendary, and I'm hoping to get a thorough challenge. Hopefully, Kati will want to attempt to play cooperative with me; that'd be really exciting.

The storyline and plot of the game was really understanding, but I didn't get a feel for the Noble team as much as I wanted. I conceived the notion of being emotionally attached and involved with the characters, such as Kat, Emile, Carter and Jorge, and though there were moments that touched my heart, I was always saying to myself, "I really don't care." Nonetheless, it was an epic journey with a destructive conclusion that was satisfying on many levels.

As the story goes, I began to accept the defeat ahead of me. The days grew longer and hopeless, yet Noble team willingly risked their lives in order to have a more beneficial world in the future. If you consider the reality of it - this has been done countless times, and each time it had significance to all human beings. Knowing your fate as soon as you begin is a tough decision to accept, and once you do - all you can do is make it worthwhile and try and attempt to create a better future.

Spoilers!

The very last mission after the credits roll around and you see the Pillar of Autumn taking off without you is breathtaking. The mission: Survive. Unfortunately, you cannot - regardless, due to lack of ammo and ultimately nowhere to go. That part of the game was depressing, yet rewarding at the same time. Taking off your Spartan helmet with a gun shot through its visor, and taking one last final stand against the Covenant; one man against all, odds are against you, deserves an amazing amount of credo and praise.

Overall, the campaign was very good. Not the best, but gratifying to say the least. Bungie did an excellent job with their latest and final Halo title, and I am well pleased. Halo is not the same without Master-Chief, but it's still a darn good journey.

Final score: 8.5/10.

My nephew, who is only four years old, wants to be Leather-face [Texas Chainsaw Massacre] for Halloween. Here is a picture of me in his mask, enjoy.

Today, I picked up my copy of Halo: Reach at my local Wal-Mart. I received not only the game, but a $20.00 gift card for free, due to purchasing the game. Two blessings for the price of one! I'll take it!

I'm really abnormal, because every time I buy a new released title, I never want to play it right away like most people, anxious to tear the wrapping and put the game in their console, spending relentless hours beating the game and focusing on multi-player. Seemingly, I want to savor the package and the essence of it. I'm not entirely sure why, I'm simply weird. Nonetheless, I opened it up - placed it in my Xbox, and let the prequel unfold.

Here are my impressions:

Halo: Reach is a very great game. What I enjoy most so far is the fluidity of the control mechanics. I've read articles speaking on how the "B" button won't be featured as the melee. I wasn't too thrilled about it - but it works extremely well being the right bumper, though I still have trouble with it from time to time.

Before starting the campaign, you get to optimize your Noble 6 soldier with a large character customization; it's extremely gratifying. Don't be fooled, though - the new armor placements don't make your character stronger or have tougher armor so bullets won't penetrate you; it's merely for looks. What is also interesting is being able to choose whether or not to be a male or female character to depart for Noble 6. I'm sure everyone knows this by now, so no need to reiterate.

The game-play, personally, is a lot more challenging than the previous Halo titles, thus, more rewarding when killing an Elite or Hunter. Also, it feels like Halo - and that is a very good thing. What caught my attention was the sensation of angst and nervousness of who's taking over Planet Reach in the first mission. Although you and I both know it is the meager Covenant, capturing the emotions of each Noble character, even the human beings lying dead and hiding in cover, wondering "What happened?" is compelling. Bungie did a fantastic job on creating a new Halo title - making it new and fresh while also making it very familiar, with a great storyline to back it up.

So far, the story is easy to follow, and the various landscapes aren't repetitive as the other titles in the series. There are plenty of new weapons and vehicles, intensifying fights and battlefields, producing a straightforward and easy to follow narrative of the blossoming Halo trilogy (I'm only on the second mission)!

I haven't attempted the multi-player aspect yet. I'm going to wait until I finish the campaign, and I've only just begun to "Finish The Fight." If anyone reads and comments, please don't give away any spoilers - it'd mean a great deal to me. It looks as if I'm putting BioShock 2 on the shelf for a little while, although I'm nearly finished with it - and I'm going to spend a lot of time with the infamous Halo: Reach.

The only thing that I'm bothered by is upsetting my girlfriend, Kati. Apparently she is upset that I went out and bought a video-game without telling her, or "using my money wisely." The reason being is because yesterday, we went to a restaurant to eat. I had about twenty five dollars on me - because I don't like to carry a lot of money on me. I told her that I'd pay for her meal because I wanted to take her out to eat. She said, "No, that's okay." Today, I bought Halo: Reach and about thirty minutes ago she told me that she didn't necessarily expect me to purchase this game (even though I spoke about it to her constantly), and that she really did want food yesterday. Women don't make sense. Oh well, I'm enjoying this game completely.

Now that Halo: Reach has hit store shelves, what upcoming titles are all of you most looking forward to? For me personally, Medal of Honor is looking incredibly well. Though many may not enjoy it - or call it a cop-out from Battlefield: Bad Company and Call of Duty, I think it'll be a surprising hit.

I'm nearly finished with BioShock 2. My first and final impressions are this: it exceeds. This game is absolutely gorgeous and tells an amazing and engaging story, even throughout the narrative. What I enjoy most is the exploration. I've never been much of an open-ended world game fan, such as Grand Theft Auto or The Elder Scrolls - so this game gives me the right amount of discovery, where I can still genuinely feel captured by the essence of the story without side-questing away from the main appeal. Overall, it is an absolute must.

Playing BioShock has also taught me a life lesson, and that is to be patient. That being said, I recall a very tangible memory during the summer vacation that took place on May 7th, 2010.

Everyday for lunch, I head to Wendy's and order the same meal: Grilled Chicken Go-Wrap, small chili, and a small diet coke. As I was eating with a good friend, and all of a sudden I noticed vaguely an older middle-aged man cussing up a wild-storm at an employee for no vindictive reason. The cashier taking his order simply asked, "Would you like a small, medium, or large drink?," and he got frustrated and said ungodly words, left the building in a hurry, and started using his middle finger as a logo while driving off in his raggedy car.

There's a great Bible verse, Proverbs 14:29 - He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spiriy exalteth folly.

To be honest, a lot of us struggle with this infirmity. In this day 'n' age, everything is fast-paced and incredulously full of multitasking; we expect things to be done in a hastily manner. This ranges from various subcultures: a reply to a text, faster modems and computers, automobiles, relationships, developing video games, and/or movies. Instead of patiently waiting, we choose to have things rushed in an unorganized process. I've learned to be more lenient on time; to take things slowly and keenly observe my situations. Don't get me wrong, some things need to be rushed, such as if being sick and needing medical attention. For the most part, however - we are hurried to insignificant things.

No shame goes into taking things at a slow tempo, and that even involves your life choices. Those who read this and are still in school, I know your agony. Like me, you're most likely wanting to hurry up and graduate. Please listen to me: I have graduated - I loathed on school, but I miss it very much. It may seem frustrating or annoying - but it is highly beneficial, and it's a lot easier than the "real world." Your responsibilities change dramatically once you're facing adulthood and out of school.

Not only this, but learn vicariously to take a step back and examine your life full-throttle, especially your friends. Many don't believe that the people that you surround yourself with have a high octane influence on your lives, but they do. Are your friends creating a good boundary for you? Are they setting prime examples that will exceed you remotely?

I've learned a lot over the course of my graduated days, and I can assuredly say that, we waste a lot of time on things that aren't valuable. Yes, it may be fun and enjoyable, but ultimately it's worthless. I'm not discerning on having fun, but I am saying to examine yourself, and check out your personal priorities - and if need be, change them. Life is too important and aesthetically promising to live it in frailty.

A few weeks back I wrote a blog speaking on relationship advice - and my first golden nugget spoke on understanding; dealing with your loved one's emotions, and how to provide in that general aspect. This next tidbit will feature two important issues that I call the "Two C's": Communication and Consideration.

To give an example, I want to use me and Kati. If you begin to wonder, no, I am not bragging at all.

Communication plays such a vital role in every relationship, and what makes our relationship so firmly beneficial and consistently growing, is our aide to communicate to one another - which is genuinely the key to any successful relationship. Why is this? The reason is because communication breaks barriers - to personal issues, emotionally and physically, and it always spices up how you treat one another, whether that's in a jokingly manner, serious tone, or a lighter sensation. Point being: it creates open lanes to new roads.

Kati and I tell each other everything that is either making us happy, sad, irritated and frustrated, if we've made each other mad or annoyed - and it only helps ease the tension and we're able to talk our situations out and understand each other in a more concerning and convincing way. Most people need to take time in this area - and I'm not saying we have it down to a science, but we do have something that I wholeheartedly believe is rare. This is what makes our relationship so valid.

Communication is also highly important for this sole reason: assurance. One of my previous blogs spoke on my first initial fight with Kati. We eventually worked things out, but she exhibited that things would be okay between us and that "We'll get into a million fights. It's normal." You see, that references many positive outcomes - that even though we'll disagree and bicker, our love for one another will conquer and things will be at aplomb. Plus, assuring each other that you love or miss one another randomly throughout the day is a burst of motivation and support from transcendent aloofness.

Next on the list is consideration. This could be classified as "understanding," but it goes much further than that on many degrees.

Let's be blatantly honest: most guys lack in this key department. We're involuntarily prideful and selfish. Hopefully, I can lighten your load with personal experiences. Question: What do most men prefer and care for? Answer: Food, sexual interactions, silence, and relaxation. That is a big no, no!

Consideration means the process of giving careful thought when making decisions. Listen, friends - it is an absolute must that we take interest in the things that our boyfriend or girlfriend enjoys. In personal procedure, I loathe on country music. Nonetheless, she throughly loves it. Therefore, when we're taking drives, I let her listen to her music. Not all the time of course - we balance it out between my stations and hers. Guess what, though? I began to be open-minded about this genre of music and now I can't get enough of it.

By doing things as such, it'll benefit your relationship immensely. In fact, you might grow accustomed to their likes and take an interest for it yourself, and when two people are interested in something - it only helps bring each other closer together and creates more opportunities to do new and exciting things that, in probability, you never imagined doing.

Another thing you all can do is favors. Even if it doesn't give you fulfillment or makes you one-hundred percent content, it's about their happiness and not yours [all the time]. When I'm over at Kati's household and she cooks dinner, instantly after she does the dishes. Once again, I abhor this chore. However, I still help out because she finds it repugnant when she has to do the dishes alone. And when she's happy, I'm happy - in more ways than one [always remember that!].

There you have it, communication and consideration. It's dire to learn more about your significant other - and be able to provide for their heart without asking. There is a saying that goes, "People say a lot when they say nothing at all." That saying goes a long way - for it is one of the greatest assets to communication and consideration intertwined in one. When you don't have to say anything - and willingly do favors for one another without asking, it is most likely one of the greatest gusto's that can override your heart.

What I'm about to talk to you all about is something that I inwardly feel - it's a personal choice, therefore - my opinion most likely won't change. I know that many of you will perhaps disagree with me and that is okay.

I'm young - 20 years old in fact. I'm unemployed but searching persistently. No, I am not in college - and yes, I still live with my parents. Do I have things under immediate control? No, but I'm starting to get my life on track. Anyway, what I'm about to introduce will seem unorthodox. I want a child.

Don't get me wrong, I am not ready for this formality the slightest bit - and raising a kid can and will most certainly be very tough to handle. As most of you know, I am dating a wonderful girl, Kati who has a young two-year-old daughter of her own. Spending time with them both makes me cherish the moments that can't genuinely be mine, but I'm apart of it, which is not a damper to anyone's parade, simply because I'm influencing both of their lives immensely. It brings tears to my eyes when Kati's daughter says, "Don't go Howdy, you're not going home," when I have to leave. Yes, my name is actually Howdy. When I was born, I looked like the Howdy Doody Doll.

Yesterday was exciting, because Kati and I witnessed Karli go "potty" on her own for the first time. Although I'm not the biological father, it was a big moment in my life, and we took an ample amount of pictures. It's honestly the cutest thing to grace my eyes. It felt extremely rewarding in its own extent. The ole saying is true, "Kids grow up way too fast."

A few hours later Kati made supper for us - chicken and noodles. It was delicious, and it is preciously heartwarming to feel like a genuine family. Afterwards, we attended to Karli, giving her a bath. To a certain degree, it's uncomfortable for me since I am not the biological father, washing her body and hair is something I cannot force myself to do quite yet. I sat on the toilet while Kati took care of Karli, and my eyes were glaring at this benignant and benevolent relationship.

Washing the hair and playing with toys - subsequently, drying her off with a towel and playing this kid-filled game, throwing the towel over Karli as she's lying on the floor - and then tickling her belly, I want this of my own.

Watching this integral bond, it made me contemplate my future presently. Kati and I have talked about kids of our own, but we both understand that it will be at a much later date when that occurs. If we have a boy, his name will be Eli, and if we have a daughter, her name will arise to Ayla. Unfortunately, I cannot help but to want a kid currently.

I want to be able to give my own child a bath, play toys and take care of their sickness[es], putting them in their pajamas and sing them goodnight tunes; take them to sporting events and teach them how to play sports as well; take them to the park and feed them; watch cartoons and eat cereal; take them to school and ask them about their day.

The gist of it is I want to be responsible for someone else. I visualize Kati and she is such a perfect mother, and I want to be apart of something so special. I see Kati treat her daughter wonderfully, and although I can be seen as the father-figure and a role-model, I can't firmly be apart of this celestial moment - though I can at the same time; it's a mindless paradox.

With my own child, I could feel comfortable doing ordinary things - and I could even be called "Daddy." I want to be able to say, "Let's go to nana's and papa's house," and those parents actually are mine.

This is what I want in my life. Not fame, materialism, money - just an average life. Priorities change once you get older - and that's a blessing. Like I said earlier, I am not ready to have a child of my own - far from it, but I'm purely starting to see the true importance's in life. Yes, the road will be tough, I cannot deny that - but it will be solely worth it in the end, and for that - I can wait, I'm only 20.

Edit: Two hours later - Me and Kati are fighting. This saddens me. The last thing she said was, "Oh my gosh! I'm done talking!" This is our first fight, literally - and I'm unsure what to do. I've tried calling her and so forth, but no reply. Now I cry, just-kidding, but I am bothered by this badly.

The title of this blog - or the main purpose of it, is keenly directed toward the word "finally." I'll explain furthermore.

The past three years of my life have been quite hectic, exhilarating, and flat out indifferent - because I've had a new birth; a refreshing baptism and revival in my bones, literally. This ranges from various sentiments in life - being saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, June 26, 2007, and losing 160 pounds the very next year. Not to give myself recognition or bragging rights, but that is a very awarding accomplishment.

After losing all of my weight, I've been primarily controlling over the foods that digest in my body. My first year, I didn't eat anything bad - no soda, cake, chips - nothing. However, I was being unhealthy and hardly eating in general and exercising uncontrollably. As you can tell, I was still iffy on my self-conscious, being obsessive and taking extreme measures to stay healthy and thin.

During my second year I became more lenient on food - eating junk on occasion, but keeping a relatively high octane workout. Thus, it didn't take a major toll on my body. Yes, I gained weight, but 98 percent of that was muscle - and that was something I needed direly. This was all during the summer. When winter time came rolling along, I put on twenty pounds of pure fat - my gym membership expired and the place closed down; it was cold and I wasn't in the mood to attend the streets on a running marathon.

The third year comes around, currently 2010 - and I was over the 200 mark in my weight, when during that previous summer I was weighing in at 175. It was unprecedented. I was flabbergasted and knew spring was blossoming its way, so I began to lace up my shoes and run with horrendous strength. Thankfully, by the mercy of God's grace, I am now back to 170 in my weight - with experienced knowledge on food, digest, and health in full anatomy.

So, finally - I've gotten my eating habits under extreme control. I now understand techniques and foods that are extremely satisfying and cannot harm your body, depending on your intake. Therefore, I can eat mildly bad here and there, not pig out on junk-food, letting myself go - and still feel great about myself. To be honest, I think the reason why I gained a lot of weight during winter was due to depriving myself for so long. However, now I can eat badly and still be in the mood to exercise afterwards.

With all that said and done, I personally believe that I'm going to be okay in my health, let alone future, in every given situation. If anyone read my testimony a few blogs back, I've had unhealthy relationships - getting cheated on nearly each one. Thus, it caused me to have trust issues, especially with Kati. Nonetheless, I finally have a very healthy and trustful relationship full of communication and great understanding. It feels refreshing, and this overwhelming peace has been overshadowing me with much exuberance.

All my thanks have to be given to God and Kati - for helping me understand that I am accepted for just me. I don't have to change for someone to be loved - but being with Kati has also benefited me in my health because I want to produce a healthy family one day; that causes me to want to remain healthy and active. Consider it an extra motivation.

As tedious as it may be, getting up early in the morning and running three-to-five miles - and taking initiative by following the same schedule before I attend bed, this is something I'm dedicated to remain stable. Overall, everything has turned out perfectly in time. The truth is, things always have a way of working themselves out. It may take a while, and it may not be the way you expect, but you'll understand it when it takes place - and you will accept it. It will be one of the best feelings a person can obtain.

Before I leave, I want to say one thing: I love Kati, so much. She has come into my life and perfected it.

Good morning, GameSpot!

I don't have much to update on, but in gaming news, I'm highly considering picking up Dragon Age: Origins. Randomly, I get into various moods to play certain genres of video-games, and I've been craving a good long solid Role-Playing-Game. I'm also pondering whether or not I should pick up The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I just now saw the trailer for the anticipated wait for Dragon Age II - and I'm in complete awe. It is breathtaking, when you visualize a crown rolling down the concrete steps made for only the royal. I cannot wait!

Anyway, in life news.

Labor Day Weekend is over, and that means meeting the rest of Kati's family is over - until Thanksgiving or Christmas. I was incredibly nervous on my way to her house, trying to listen to good satisfying music and plan opportunities to ease in and out of traffic to get into a wreck. That would have calmed my nerves. Unfortunately, since I'm one of the best driver's in the world, I made it safe and sound. Shucks! As I was pulling in her driveway, Kati met me outside - and I could barely stand because my legs were shaking uncontrollably.

She calmed me down thankfully, and we headed on in. The reason I was nervous was mainly due to Kati's brother-in-law. My brother used to know him back in high school - even hung out and worked together. Evidently, Matt [brother-in-law] is my twin; just older - that's what everyone says. We act and joke accordingly the same. You can understand my bewilderment.

Nonetheless, the day went over extraordinarily well. When I arrived inside, Matt instantly shook my hand and I told some pathetic joke that received laughs. If you're wondering what that joke is - keep wondering, I'm not telling you. Afterwards, while supper was cooking, we watched The Office and talked about life and such. Thirty minutes later the food was done; my favorite: Spaghetti!

We all sat around the table - talking and sharing more jokes, and I was feeling more comfortable by the second. After eating, we played a lot of various board-games. This was indifferent - because my family doesn't necessarily do this type of ordeal. They most often or not sit around and watch television and talk here and there. Nonetheless, I was able to become accustom real quick to this differential. The game that really opened the anatomy of my life was ImagineIf.

What this game is, each person has a deck of cards with different colors on them, ranging from 1-6. You have a mat on the table with slots to move your character - trying to get to the finish first. Around the slots, you have each person playing the game, their names written down - and you have to roll a dice. Whatever number it lands on, you have to move that many spaces - picking one of the players' names. Whoever it lands on, you have to pick up a card with a question that starts out, "Imagine If ____ was a millionaire, what would he/she do with the money?" There are six answers that are unbelievably far-fetched, which makes the game intriguing. Out of your cards, 1-6 - each person lays down what they believe is the right answer. Whoever picks the same number out of all the people, they move their character up another slot. You get the picture from there.

Well, since God felt like controlling this board-game as He does everything else [ha-ha], I was asked a lot of questions. One in particular was, "Imagine If ____ was on a first date, what would he do at the end of the night?" It really spiced up my relationship-life with Kati, because now it was out in the open. Nobody seemed to mind, though - that's a positive reaction. That was one of the greatest hours of my life spent to be honest, getting to know people in Kati's family more personally made me feel as if I was starting to really Macgyver my way into her family - being one accord.

Overall, it was a magnificent day, with amazing chocolate cake that Kati made - even chocolate pie and Jello, Bill Cosby style. The food was satisfying and wonderful on every level, Kati's family is a rare breed, but in a good way, and I can safely say, life is good - and life is finally succumbing to a great future for yours truly.

Kati makes me sticky. End of story. LOL!