J.O.Y. (why I'm a Christian)

Hey DJ's back!

I think i need to share with you guys my testimony of how i was lead to Christ. There are multiple lessons that i learned later on that relate to this story.

I was agnostic up until i hit my seventh grade year. I didn't really think that God could interact in my life or have power in it in any way. I was in a new school my seventh grade year and i didnt really know how to start. There was this girl in my grade named Taylor, and i started to 'like' her. So we start talking, getting to know each other, then i decide i wanna ask her out. I have this plan of how i'm gonna ask her, but then she pulls me aside and says, "So.... wanna go out?" I was like, "Heck yes!!!!"

So we date for about a month, and for that month, I'm happy. But this was a bad thing because i put this girl and our relationship at the center of my universe. I put her before everything because i made this my identity. It's like if i were to get a name tag that said "Hi, I'm ___," i would put 'Taylor's boyfriend' in the blank.
So we date for a month, and on the day i was going to try to kiss her, she breaks up with me (irony much.. haha). and after that, I'm depressed for the rest of the year. I had lost the only thing i could put my identity in and i hated it. I felt that i had nothing in my life to bring me happiness.

Eventually, my birthday comes around, and i turn 14. Coincidentally, my school has chapel that same day, and the message was: What ever you are going through, what ever questions you have, give them to God, who is always with you.
So i prayed (just a heads up: This is my FIRST prayer. I mean my VERY FIRST PRAYER): "Father God, if you know what i'm going through, if you are truly almighty, if you truly love me, then answer this: Why did me and Taylor break up?"
God didn't answer me for a while, But when He did, i was changed forever.

My friend, Timmy Cheatum (who also went to Quest this summer) took me to Sky Ranch for a week. we were campers in cabin 25 (which was Denton Hall back then), and on June 13, 2008, I was lead to Christ.
We were sitting in the cabin watching a video for Bible study and the video was of a girl going behind a changing curtain and changing into a bunch of different outfits, and when she would come out she would have a name tag that read "Hi, I'm Athletic" or "Hi, I'm Goth" or "Hi, I'm Preppy" (remember the name tag reference from earlier).
and the Message was what we put our identity in and what we put at the center of our lives. This got me thinking about my prayer from earlier, then my counselor Marcus said this:
"J.O.Y. stands for Jesus. Others. Yourself. meaning you can not put anything before God."

I. Was. Speechless. When i heard this, I was inhaling. and as soon as Marcus had finished that sentence, I could feel something change as i was inhaling. i could feel a Pure, Holy escense enter my body through my Breath. it felt like i was Breathing for the First Time, I had Breathed Christ into me. As soon as i felt this, i became warm and tears started falling i ran into the bathroom stall and puked. I was Crying as i sat on the floor of the stall and i couldn't stop. I walked up to Marcus and i was talking like a crazy person saying,
"Marcus, what's happening to me? I heard what you said and i felt different , like something came into me and then i felt-"
Marcus: "DJ, (he pulled out his pocket Bible and turned to Colossians 3:10) 'and you've become a new person. this new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like it's Creator.'
Me: "Marcus, I think I believe in God." then the tears really started to fall.

(Read the next post after this one)
-DJ