Growing up in East Los Angeles wasn't easy. In order to survive my neighborhood, I had to show no weakness. At an early age of 13, I had to prove my manhood. It was hard for my mother to understand and the result of that, we never got along. My mother did her best as a single mom, raising me and my 7 year old sister. She tried to keep us away from the streets but it was too late, I joined an anti-social gang. It broke my mother's heart and left her no other alternative but to give me "tough love". She turned her back on me at times when I needed her the most. She threw me out of her house serval times and had me arrested as well. There were times she forgave me, opened her doors and gave me plenty of chances but, I took advantage of her kindness. By the time I turned 16, I already been in and out of jail four times, experimented with alcohol, pot, cocaine, acid and psp. Some said I was hopeless and I was never going to give up my thugish ways. One night, my cousin and his friend invited me to go to church with them in West Covina. I never heard of Calvary Chapel or even seen a church that used to be "Safeway Grocery Store". As I was listening to Pastor Raul Ries talk about God's love and Jesus dying for us, something came over me and I began to understand what God was telling me. That night of 1987, I received the Lord as my personal savior. I went home with a new outlook on life. I was a new person who was fired up for Christ. By the grace of God, the gang I had joined, instead of facing the worst consequences, they decided to let me walk away. I was to never socialize with them ever again. After I turned 18, I fell away from my faith and fell into temptation of parties, drugs and women. We moved to Phoenix Arizona and my life even got worst. My relationship with my mother forced her to shut her doors on me once again. I lost my faith and lost myself to meth. I was in and out of jail too many times, I lost count. When I truned 25, something inside of me was a cry for a change. I found it hard for me to break this addiction of meth. Little by little, I was losing the battle to survive. I was looking for a way out, I was tired of running and hiding. The addiction was so strong that I forgot about God. My new friends were nothing but vultures (addicts) gathering around the corpse (meth) and I became one of them. Waking up every morning thinking of the next high instead of being productive. Always stealing to feed my addiction and never worried about food. The court house had gave me too many chances and I took them all for granted. I thought I was untouchable. I've came across - face to face - with death many times. I could of been six feet under instead, I laughed as I cheated death. Sick and tired of living this life, I left to L.A. and stayed with my aunt. After a four of months, I finally kicked the habit. After a Year and half I went back to Phoenix meth free and a new perspective on life. A year later, I got married to a wonderful woman, my blessing in disguised. Nine years later, still married with two beautiful kids and still living in sin. I was still a drunk and a pothead. My family was suffering cause of my pride and stubbornness. On fathers day of 2007, I was planning to get drunk and party hard. I was downloading some songs onto a cd. I played the cd after I was done and heard a song that I was sure I didn't download. Come to find out, it was a song from Third Day called Can't Take The Pain. I was stunned to hear the words cause I knew it was God calling me, He was calling me to come back home. After all I been through, After turning my back on Him, God still forgave me. I dropped down to my knees with tears in my eyes and thank the Lord for not forgetting me, for being there all those years. I am proud to say that this "Prodigal Son" has returned. I re-dedicated my life to Christ and got baptized to seal my faith once and for all. Looking back, there were plenty of times where I should of been locked up for good or even worse - dead. But God has always been there for me, protecting me, looking out for me. The one thing that we all have to remember is the greatest gift that God has gave us is life, what we do with our life  is our gift to God... Amen !

Galatians 2:20 " I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."  

 

P.S.

     My mother and sister also are

saved !!! Keep my wife in prayer so

she also can come to know God's love.