Eric

Thanks for visiting! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Eric, a 25-year-old residing in Taylors, a suburb of Greenville , South Carolina , at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains . I have lived here in the upstate for seventeen years now.
First and foremost, I am a "Christian" by grace alone and love the Lord with all my heart! I prefer to say that I am a "Christ follower," since Jesus has become my passion and life's ambition. This focused pursuit comes not from the performance of futile "religious" observances, but by being humbled by my sin and rescued by the cross of Christ.

I am far from perfect, and I never will be on this side of heaven. That is why I need Christ to meet God's standards for me every day. It is the free forgiveness by way of the crucifixion cross that gives me power to live for Him. Thank you Savior, Redeemer, Lamb, and Friend! By your wounds alone am I healed and free! Make my life center on you!

I love talking with people who share my appreciation for or want to know more about what Jesus did for us in His life, death, and resurrection! Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have, and I will do my best in trying to answer them for you. I do not confess to have all the answers, but I love to engage in dialogue over spiritual things.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV).
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forebearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:21-26 NIV).
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 NIV).
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9 NIV).
"God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. . . . If anyone does sin, we have the one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1Jn 1:5-2:2 NIV).
"We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning [willfully]. No one who continues to sin [willfully] has either seen him or known him"(1Jn 3:2 NIV).
"But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Cor 12:9 NIV).
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2 NIV).
I was born in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans , Louisiana. I am proud of my Cajun heritage, and I love my food spicy and from the sea! I have also lived in Houston, TX, and Orangeburg, SC. I have three brothers who live in various cities around the country. Though we all live far apart now, I love my family very much. I also have two older stepbrothers.
I went to JL Mann High School Academy here in Greenville from 1996 to 2000. Go Mann Patriots!

Upon graduation in June 2000, I received a scholarship to Furman University , a beautiful private liberal arts institute just north of the city. I finished my undergraduate studies at Furman in December 2003 and graduated in June 2004. I was blessed to attend such a wonderful (and expensive) school! I often wish I could return and never leave, but my finances do not allow it. ;)

I graduated with a BS in Physics ! I have been told that qualifies me for the title of "rocket scientist," but I don't know about all that. I had trouble with model rocketry. :P

I am NOT presently in school, but I am in the process of applying to medical school for the next academic year (starting fall '08). I hope to be a medical doctor someday.

I currently tutor HS & college students part-time at a local center and privately, too. I have been tutoring for nearly seven years now, three years while at Furman and four at the center. I have also been doing contract computer work part time during the day. I am looking for a full-time position in clinical medicine, research, or engineering/industry.

My oldest brother Scott and I vacationed in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and France this past summer. We had a wonderful time and will have memories to last us a lifetime! I will update my profile pictures from the trip as soon as I can! :)

I also vacationed in California, Arizona, and Nevada with my family June 2006. We flew into San Diego where my other older brother Philip lives, picked him up and drove east through the beautiful Sonoran Desert to Phoenix. The next few days we stopped to see several national monuments/parks/sites around Flagstaff/Williams, including Montezuma Castle Natl. Mon., Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest/Painted Desert Natl. Park, and Grand Canyon Natl. Park. We then drove over the Hoover Dam to Las Vegas for an evening touring the strip. The next day we headed west through the Mohave Desert and south back to San Diego. We spent four more days in and around San Diego enjoying the bay, beaches, and Old Town. We even spent a day at the San Diego Zoo! All together, we took over a thousand pictures! It was a trip to remember!

I was in the country of South Africa for ten weeks of the American summer/South African winter of 2003 as a missionary at the University of Pretoria. I went with a team of 25 other members sponsored by Campus Outreach Ministries . Though our focus was college ministry, or sharing the love of Jesus Christ and His impact on our lives with fellow peers, we also spent time at an orphanage in Johannesburg, painting the center and playing with the children. We were also fortunate to retreat for a four-day safari in Kruger National Park/Mpumalanga Game Reserve and a weekend excursion at the beaches of Durban on the Indian Ocean. When our time was up, we hopped on a plane and touched down in Capetown before the rest of the 21-hour flight back to Atlanta. I am so grateful to have been a part of the amazing work God is doing in that country, and I cannot wait to return to visit that enchanting land and its beautifully diverse people. Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika! (God bless Africa!) Kwaze' kwabonaikaila thina sofana naye! (When He comes we shall be like Him! 1Jn 3:2).

For more info about me or if you want to chat, please IM me on MySpaceIM or FurmanGrad04 (on AIM) or Furmanmd (on Yahoo)!
Visit my alma mater Furman University:
on the Official Furman University Site or on the
Engage Furman Site .

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