When I was a kid, I loved skateboarding and spending time in parking lots, where I made friends with some older kids. Because of those friendships, I started using drugs. In our small town, we had to make our own fun. At 13, I thought using drugs was the coolest thing. Even so, during junior high and high school, I still pictured myself going to college and becoming a successful architect. But during those years, I was expelled from school, arrested several times, sent to juvenile hall, and almost ended up in the CA Division of Juvenile Justice. I never realized my dream was slipping away. I just didn’t see it.

Eventually, I couldn’t picture a successful life or any future at all. Drugs had ruined my relationships with my family and friends. Right after I turned 18, I was given a choice between rehab and jail. The only place that would accept me was a Christian program. Even though I grew up around church, I hardly ever went and didn’t know much about God. I hated being there and just wanted to finish my time and go back to my old life. But one day in a small group, the pastor talked about Jesus and the two thieves on the cross. Something changed in me. I realized I needed Jesus, so I prayed and asked Him into my heart. I can’t say I felt like I received Jesus that day, but I did feel like He accepted me.