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“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com

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With the help of YouTube videos, Ogletree was able to stick with his newfound skills.

Ogletree lived in California for about 18 years before Melissa’s brother, who had been living with the couple, passed away.

Ogletree said his death left a dark dynamic over the area and the couple traveled to Davenport to visit Melissa’s parents, where they then fell in love with Winter Garden.

Right before the onset of the pandemic, the couple started their new life with their two children — Jace, 9, and Jovie, 5 — in Waterleigh in Horizon West.

FINDING FAITH Ogletree’s faith and musical journeys are intertwined. He turned his back completely on God and the idea of worship in his time in California, where he said the most successful people he knew were atheists.

“I thought it wasn’t doing me any good — even though I had an amazing life — and there were so many things that I just wasn’t. … I wasn’t thinking about the appreciation standpoint at that time,” he said. “I was just like, ‘I want more, I need more.’ And man, I’ll tell you I was so miserable. My marriage was suffering because we weren’t connecting. I was chasing dollars, and it just wasn’t me.”

Ogletree said, ironically enough, one of his atheist friends helped him to turn back around and find God again.

“I wasn’t even going to send my kids to a Christian day care because I was so out of it,” he said. “I didn’t want them being indoctrinated into something that I don’t feel I’m connected to anymore. … And he told me, ‘They’re going to grow up to be good kids though. The moral aspect of it is amazing,’ and I realized he was right and that’s way better than anything else. … Even as an atheist, he knew why God was important. … For me, it was a beautiful moment.”

During the pandemic, Ogletree found Elevation Church, led by pastors Steven Furtick and Holly Furtick, and he started to listen to the messages. He began to learn to love his faith again

“If I can share one thing, it would be that Jesus loves you,” he said. “Find some way to know who He is. That’s it.

Just know what He did.”

FEELING IT

More than two years ago, Ogletree and his family found LifeChurch in Horizon West. Ogletree joined the worship band there, which cultivated his love of worship music and stoked his desire to give his time, talent and passion back to God.

When Ogletree has breaks in his daily work schedule with HD Supply Solutions, he sits down to write and play a mix of worship and soulful acoustic music on local park benches throughout town.

Through sharing of music, Ogletree said he has had the opportunity to meet and learn people’s stories.

“Helping people understand that whatever it is they’re going through, there’s a way or something that will help you get out of it,” he said. “There’s a bright spot in there even if it’s just the smallest inkling of light. Just focus on that and it will get bigger and shine through. Usually that’s God, and if you keep watching, He’ll grow and grow.”

Currently, Ogletree is working on perfecting his writing aspects.

“I always loved writing and I used to write a lot of poetry all the time,” he said. “Looking back, I realized what I was writing was more lyrics. I always heard a melody when I was writing so I would sing as I went.”

Ogletree is also working on being able to play what he hears in his head and learning piano.

With music being what he believes to be the universal language, Ogletree said he would love for the songs he writes to impact as many people as possible.

“It is what allows me to connect to any person ever,” he said. “Even if you can’t hear music, you can feel it. It has a presence and a power to it. … it’s almost impossible not to feel it.”

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To contact us, email to Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com.

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