Jr High and such

If God has a time period where it is mandatory to feel like you're on a rollercoaster its the teenage years. Having my mom work at the school at my junior high at the same time was its own experience. I have to say I had more rules and boundaries than most kids I knew growing up. Thanks to my mom, she helped keep me out of most trouble at least well at least until I found the freedom of having a car. God was when the spiral started getting dangerous and set me upon a different path right when I needed it. Anyway going back to Jr. High before I left Lancaster/Quartz Hill, California I had my first invitation by my friend Jeremy and his family to Church. It was only one time, but to this day I remember exactly what was talked about. It was an demonstration in the youth area about walking the straight and narrow path with God. We literally were walking along a line in this room and the Pastor talked about how when we stray from the path we start heading off in another direction and before we know it we can be 5 feet away/way off the path just by changing direction. He explained that Jesus wants us to come back with him on the right path and will walk with us all the way back no matter how far we have strayed away from Him. That was 1 night I was invited to Church by a friend from school and I still remember it vividly to this day. It almost took me 2 more decades until I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, but the seeds were planted even back then. Side note: I need to share this story with my kids. Never discount the impact a simple invitation may have on someone's life. Not long after this my mom, brother and I moved away and I have not seen or heard from Jeremy since.


Moving forward as time went on my mom ended up meeting and marrying my step-dad Greg. He had 2 kids of his own my age and older. I still look up in a lot of ways to Tony his son as he was going through exactly the same thing I was with my parents. They were active in Church and we started going too. Most of what was done I didn't understand at the time. I remember most of the time being bored playing with the handouts making ransom note style crafts out of the letters. I remember at times taking communion, but only because I thought I was supposed to because I was there. I remember at one time my step-sister Dina getting baptized in someone's backyard pool where everyone celebrated, but not sure really what it was about. My friend Josh invited me to a church he was going to also quite a few times. I really remember raiding the snacks in the fridge more than anything there. There was a sermon in the youth area about Revelation and Jesus Coming back. We were asked if we wanted to accept him into our life and I remember telling the Pastor yes, but not really getting what I was doing other than mimicking what I thought I was supposed to do.


Outside of these Church experiences life seemed to fly by. There were mostly good times, hanging out together when all of our family was together. Going on a vacation to Mammoth one time or Hearst Castle. Sure there were arguments especially with the dynamics we had with 3 teenagers in the house and my little brother stirring up trouble when we weren't getting along. These were the years I really started isolating myself though and I realize now I missed out on a lot of experiences with friends and family because of it. Video games and computers took up most of my life. Homework became a means to get to video games if I even did it at home. I either tried to finish before I left class or before class started. Whether it was Final Fantasy or Resident Evil these games dominated a lot of my time. I'm not really sure where I am headed with this section right now, but I know I was very rebellious during this time, especially against Greg. I really gave him and my mom hell. Little things like building a tree house in our backyard with stolen wood and nails from the construction site up the street and the cops showing up to our house because of it. Another time was when I acquired some pornographic magazines from Greg without him knowing and getting caught with them in my room. That was an interesting time where my door actually got taken off as punishment and I still to this day have not heard the end of it from my friends. All good lessons that I'm sure as my kids grow up I'll have to handle with which even what I've been through won't completely prepare me for.