for as long as i can remember, i was born in a church. not literally. but, for as long as i can remember, my family and i were there every saturday for church. we were there every wednesday for midweek prayer. and we were there every friday for the sabbath vesper. the old women and men in that church became my aunties and uncles. their children became my cousins. and even though we weren't blood-related, i considered them my very own family. my parents, especially my dad, would pressure us to hurry up and be at church early enough for sabbath school. my parents always made sure we attended every church social night, every church gathering, and every church potluck. from about 5 to 12 years-old, i was in the adventurers program, and my parents dressed me up in that little girl scout wannabe uniform and i was actually proud of all the patches that were sewn on my sash. from 13 to 15, i was then transferred into the more mature program pathfinders. there were times i was the children storyteller. there were times i was even the speaker that the whole congregation had to listen to for sabbath. there was no choice for me about whether i wanted to do any of these church activities. i didn't know a life without church. so for as long as i can remember, i was born into a church.
 
my parents bringing me up so devotedly in a church had a tremendous influence on my childhood. being that young, i had my doubts and my questions about my religion, but i still had the most important aspect in believing: faith. i knew that even if i didn't understand the idosyncrasies of my religion, i still believed that there was a god, i believed that it was wrong to kill, or to steal, or to use god's name in vain. i believed that we weren't just christian. we were seventh day adventist christians. we were god's soldiers and it's up to US to lead his army rightfully among the world of evil. it was up to us to share and spread the gospel, praying and hoping for that day to come when He comes to take us Home to Heaven. for a little girl, my faith was undeniably impressive. but all of that ended dramtically one day when my mother decided to take me early from church so we can attend a party thrown by her friends at work.
 
taking me out of church early just for a party was questioning enough.