He loves me regardless
God is a very important factor in my life. One time, though, I'll never forget. My freshman year wasn't my best year. That really hurt me. Nothing helped. I listened in church, but every quarter seemed to get worse. My last report card said that I had to go to summer school. I cried and prayed to God to somehow change this, (to) set everything back to the semi-perfect way it was before. He didn't. I ended up having to go to summer school. I was mad at God. Then, the night before, it came to me like he just whispered, "You're not perfect, but I love you regardless. You thought you had to be. I had to show you the truth. The grades you thought defined you? It's time to change." I thought about it and decided to do summer school and forget what people say.
LaKysha Collins - Age 15 - Charlotte, NC

Giving and taking required
(When I was) in ninth grade, my stepfamily fell apart. Since my mom worked, I was often alone with my pain. Worse, I felt God had abandoned me. After three years of reflection, I have realized that he was teaching me a lesson: A relationship with God requires giving and taking. In high school, I neglected God until life got hard, then I got upset when he didn't immediately comfort me. Up to that point, my relationship with God was selfish. I worshipped him in exchange for a euphoric feeling, not because he deserved to be. But the point of worship is to demonstrate faith in God. I actually learned more about trusting him when I couldn't feel his presence. It's when you feel that God is not there and everything is against you, yet you still choose to love and worship him, that you are demonstrating true faith. God didn't help me through a crisis with a quick fix. It took me several years to understand these lessons, but they will give me strength the rest of my life.
Christine Mottram - Age 18 - Charlotte, NC

From nerves to strength
I have never really been in a crisis. But I have had times when I needed God. One of those times was when I was baptized. I was nervous about being in front of all those people. But I prayed to God and he gave me the strength and courage to get through it. Another time was when I was at my first swim meet. I was very scared. But I prayed about it and God comforted me. Those are two of the many times when I needed God, and they both brought me closer to him.
Jordan Bennett - Age 13 - Rock Hill

He's all I need
Loneliness can always be a problem when you change schools. When I was 9, I moved to Charlotte and had to start over making friends. It was hard because I had to overcome homesickness at the same time. But by the end of middle school, I had made pretty good friends. Then high school came and I made the decision to go to a private school for the first time. During my freshman year there I felt like I didn't fit in, and that there was no one there like me. God showed me that year that I don't need friends to feel loved or important. He showed me that if I want to have good relationships, then first I have to know that he is all I need. Friendships are great things. But having a close relationship with my creator is even better.
Adam Salloum - Age 16 - Matthews

Why am I black?
Lord, why did you make me black? Why oh why did you make me black?
Why would you make me what the world would hold back?
Black, the color of dirt
Black, the color of hurt
Black expresses loneliness, a sure sign of being unwanted
Why are so many dreams of mine haunted?
So why not, Lord, why not start again?
Make me a color the world would defend
My child, why did I make you black?
Why, you ask, would I make you strong enough not to turn back?
Black is the color of oil
Black is the color of rich soil
Black expresses strength, a sure sign of being envied
So why, my child, should I start over again?
Brittany Davis - Age 16 - Charlotte, NC

A whisper in my ear
Back in January, my daddy was involved in a serious car wreck, including a broken hip and crushed knee. It was a terrible time for my family and friends. But through all the people coming to visit and all the tears, I knew God was there for all of us. I would pray every night and ask God to give my daddy the strength to get through the next day. When I was at the hospital one day visiting my daddy, I felt like I could feel and hear somebody whisper in my ear, "Everything is going to be OK." I never shared that with anybody through that time. I started having more hope about my daddy healing quickly. My daddy had so many surgeries and felt so much pain, but he didn't give up and neither did I. My daddy is doing so much better, and I'm so thankful that God got my family and me through!
Kaylan Ward - Age 12 - Peachland

God and my dad
God was there for me from the moment I was born. I had a very serious lung condition upon entering the world. I had to be given CPR and put on a respirator. The doctor said the first 48 hours were critical. My mom tells me all she and my dad did was "Pray, pray, pray." Somehow God had a plan for me, and in one week I was off the respirator and screaming. My lungs were definitely making up for lost time. Throughout my life, things have not been easy. God had a big turn for me when I reached 9 years old. He took one of my best friends, who happened to be my dad, away from me. I knew I had to pray for strength and courage to get through this hard time. Sometimes when I have tough decisions to make and when things aren't easy, I ask God and my dad for help. I live by these words every day: "God never gives us more than we can handle, and never give up." I try to live my life knowing God is there for me and knowing that when I am sad and scared, worried and confused, he will be my friend.
Allison Kinney - Age 16 - Perry, Iowa

I fell back into his arms
During my sophomore year, I tried to live by a standard of perfection. The pressures started to overwhelm me, and I couldn't handle it anymore. I felt worthless....I blamed God for all that I was going through, and I angrily turned my back on him. I finally reached a point where I was exhausted -- I didn't want to live like that anymore. With the love and encouragement of family and friends, I began to turn back to God. Only when I fell back into his arms did I finally feel free of the pain and pressures. God held me through my personal crisis. He never turned away from me, even when I left him. He used it to show me that his grace and his love are all I need.
Kelsey Miller - Age 17 - Charlotte, NC

Talking, listening to God
This is no survival story. Nor is it some sudden epiphany. It's quite simply a story of finding the comfort of God within an everyday occurrence. Since fourth grade, I've suffered from daily migraines. But it wasn't until last year, my junior year in high school, that I managed to find a plan for dealing with them. Along with regular neurologist visits, I began to create my own treatment of talking to God -- and, most importantly, listening. I began to realize I have God on my side and nothing could be better. I know I've not been dealt a good hand, but I know that I am blessed with my faith and belief in my life's purpose. Juggling school, sports and other responsibilities, living with migraines has been tough. But without them, I wouldn't be the believer I am today.
Molly Hendery - Age 17 - Charlotte, NC