I was born into a Catholic family, baptized as an infant. Then I affirmed my faith at the grade school level through Catechism, Confirmation and then first Communion, as according to Scripture. 

In my grade school days, I had a faith that ebbed and flowed. The family was Christian but not heavily practicing. 

During high school, things changed. We were a family of 8, so I was already well known when I started high school. I had many many friends, did a lot of partying, and became an alcoholic somewhere along the way. 

As an adult, there were many times of quitting drinking and also embracing it. There were times that I wanted to be closer to God, but my disease kept a barrier up to prevent it, no matter how hard I tried to pull it down. 

Fast-forward to a couple of years ago: through a series of circumstances, specifically because of spending all these years trying to create my life on my own, I finally hit an absolute rock bottom. Then I got arrested for drinking. The officers must’ve thought I was nuts because I kept telling them that this is the best thing that ever happened to me. 

I heard of AA, but I didn’t know anything about it. The next day I walked into a meeting, got support and started straightening my relationship out with God as instructed. And that’s the history of the rest of my life. 

During that transition period, somebody named Dan gave me a book called “Gentle and Lowly.” In it, there was a part where John Bunyan was paraphrasing Jesus’s word. It went something like this:

The man said: “the burden is heavy and heavier all the time.”

Jesus said: “then let me carry it.”

He said: “but It’s too much to bear.”

Jesus said: “not for me.”

I was awash in relief through Jesus. I trusted in Jesus for forgiveness of my sins.

The next morning, I came downstairs into the kitchen. I stood there, raised my hands to God and repeated “l love you, I love you.” That’s when I received my new life in Christ, and today I’m here to put a stamp on it.

Since then, my life has been SO filled with the grace of God and those around me. I’ve met so many new friends, some that will be for a lifetime, for sure. He has opened my heart to help others as much as I can and spread the word of God along the way. I never thought my life could be so full!