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http://aauw-techtrek.org/

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Just Because You Go to Church Doesn't Mean You Are A Great Person 

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Just Because You Go to Church Doesn't Mean You Are A Great Person 

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An extended example of what my dad's family taught me

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The TV show that made me question God's motives

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Fall Out Boy

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Megan, Mia, Paloma, Nikki, Alan, Alondra, Me

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When I was little, my Dad's family would take my sister and me to church. I didn't think much of their church-going habits until I realized how ironic it was. A family filled with gossip, envy, and hatred went to church every Sunday. This made my perception of faith and going to church drastically change. This whole reflection and realization made me learn that just because you don't go to church does't mean that you can't be faithful.

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From a young age, my mom always spoke about how important God is in her life and how God has the ability to help me in the future. I never understood this, and sometimes I still don't, but my mom has given me the security of knowing that God will be there one day when I need him. She has helped me strengthen my faith by being a constant reminder that God is alive.
(Below is a type of candle that my mom uses to show thanks to God)

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In my 7th grade summer, I went to a science camp called Tech Trek. Being there opened my eyes to girls who were so much more smarter then me, and it made me feel inferior. It made me wonder if my passion for science and math wasn't God's gift to me. This experience made me think that I wasn't important and that I was insignificant in God's eyes. As the week went on, I realized that I could keep up with all the other girls, and it wasn't some curse that was handed to me. I learned that you shouldn't doubt yourself or God just because a small insecurity finds its way to you.

(Represented by a fact that shows how I felt at the time, insignificant)

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One day, my small family of three was at a bakery. Suddenly, an elderly woman walked through the doors and a conversation was made. Even though I revealed hardly any information about myself, the elderly woman was able to guess that I wanted to be a surgeon and that I was an artist. This experience made me realize how predictable human behavior is and question the purpose of life. If someone was just like me with my goals, with my predictability, then what's the point in trying to succeed when others have your exact goals? Why would God create such boring children? It made me question the belief that God had a plan for everyone. If he did, wouldn't he try to make everyone's a bit different? Although only minutes was spent with this stranger, she made a fairly-sized dent in my faith.

(Represented by meme created by unknown user)

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All the bands and artists I devote time listening and dissecting lyrics to introduce new concepts to me everyday. I'd say the biggest revelation music has given me was when I was in 7th grade and I listened to the song "What a Catch, Donnie" by Fall Out Boy and I heard the line, "They say the captain goes down with the ship, so when the the world ends, will God go down with it?" To me, the lyric introduced me to the idea that God was merely a made-up human concept. It was shocking idea to fully grasp, and to this day I think about it when I question my belief in a higher power. Although it makes me doubt God, I believe it has also strengthened my faith by putting more obstacles in my faith journey.

"What A Catch Donnie" By Fall Out Boy presented below:

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Fall Out Boy - "What a Catch, Donnie" [lyrics video]

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I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN THIS SONG. THIS SONG IS OWNED BY FALL OUT BOY. I just made the lyric video.

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When God is believed to be an all-powerful and all-good being, it's very frustrating to see evil deeds being carried out with no intervention from God. "With all of God's power, why would he allow injustices to occur? Why would God allow his children to die and mourn over their loved ones?" were a few of the many questions running through my mind. This subject came up specifically when watching an episode of Hannibal, where he [Hannibal Lecter talks of churches collapsing on followers and God not stopping death. This overall experience was a VERY big bump in the road when it came to my faith journey.

(The clip from NBC's "Hannibal" that brought this thought into my mind)

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Hannibal - Killing must feel good to God too. He does it all the time (S01-E02)

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My sister and I shared a role model, Alan "Speedy" Hernandez. Alan was our counselor for five years at the YMCA of West San Gabriel Valley. We were constantly listening to his motivational speeches, stories, and conversations about strengthening your faith in people and in yourself. His main message was that with hard work and dedication, we could do anything. That instilled a dreamer's heart and a rational mind in both of us. He helped affect my lifestyle in such a way that I can now look at life and put trust and my faith in people.

(Our past YMCA after-school program, or as I like to call it, our community)