November is my favorite month. It has my birthday. It has thanksgiving, the one holiday culture hasn't ruined yet. It also has National Novel Writing Month.

And today, the twelfth of November, is a significant day for me.

When nine years old, I was beginning to wonder what I was doing inside a church. I wondered what I had really meant the last few times I had "accepted" Christ. Luckily, at this age, I heard the best advice I ever heard. A youth pastor was discussing people in the church who were merely there because their parents had gone there. He said, "Make your faith your very own."

In retrospect, I had the most valuable privilege a person could have: to belong to a church that encouraged people to ask questions.

So, the next few years I had every doubt and asked every question a skeptic possibly could. Haunted by the brevity of life, I felt a strong urgency to learn and understand what exactly Christianity was about, as well as other religions, and whether they made sense. I learned many things, at the cost of my emotional well-being.

Understandably, I distracted myself with all the flashiness the world had to offer - video games and television, pop radio and movies. They certainly played a role in helping me through those years, but they could not give me peace of mind.

Then on November 12th, 2003, I asked Jesus for that peace of mind.

It has been five years since, and Jesus has given me far more.

I am living the most exciting, most meaningful, most powerful life I could ever live.
It's not the easiest or most comfortable by any means. But it is the absolute best.

In five years I have visited Guatemala and seen genuine people there. I have had conversations with dozens of people about religion and heard their stories. I've taken a look at heavy theology. I have learned that God is closer than I think, and that he knows me (and you) better than anyone else.

Also, contrary to what I thought, I didn't need to abandon things I truly enjoyed - like drawing, writing music, and computer games. For instance, on that day, I gained a strong determination to practice drawing. Looking back, it would be wrong to credit anyone other than God for the perseverance, practice, and ability that I've gained.

My adventure is just beginning.

I relate most closely to the blind man from John 9. When he was given his sight, he didn't know who had performed such a miracle. All he knew was that "I was blind, but now I see." In the same way, I wasn't fully familiar with Christ until after I simply said "yes" to Him five years ago. My knowledge didn't plummet or even stop, it blossomed. And I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't taken that first step.

What I invite you to is more than just a free ticket to heaven and a sterile, boring life until then. In actuality, this life is going to be tough no matter who or what you believe in.

Francis Chan at juststopandthink.com gives us this picture: "This God of the Universe is down on one knee, proposing to you. And all you have to do is say yes!"

I invite you to say "yes" to Him today.
Because you might not have until tomorrow.