I grew up Catholic, but my strongest memories of faith came during the 1970s, when I was a teenager. A young priest started coffee houses for teens where there was music, conversation, and Scripture explained in a way that connected to real life.
I loved it. For the first time, faith felt alive and personal.
When the coffee houses were shut down and the priest was asked to leave, something changed in me. I stopped going to church, and over time, I began moving further away from the Catholic religion.
Life became complicated quickly. I married at 19, had my son at 21, and at 22 left an abusive marriage. For a time, my son and I lived in a roach-infested apartment because it was all I could afford. After someone tried to break into our apartment, my father invited us to move back home. That gave my son stability and gave me the opportunity to work, finish college, and build a career.
For years, my focus was simply moving forward. But spiritually, I was searching.
In college, I studied different religions and spiritual traditions, eventually becoming drawn to nature-based faiths. I considered myself spiritual rather than religious and felt deeply connected to nature and spirituality.
Then, in 2013, my son was involved in a devastating automobile accident.
In one of the most terrifying moments of my life, something happened that I couldn't ignore:
I immediately reached for God.
There was no hesitation. When everything else fell away, God was who I called upon.
My spiritual journey didn't change overnight. For years afterward, I continued searching. I worked too much, was constantly exhausted, and eventually realized that something important was still missing.
Then I discovered Hillsong Church and contemporary worship.
- The music.
- The message, and
- Scripture connected to everyday life.
Suddenly, I remembered those coffee houses from the 1970s.
Faith felt alive again.
I began listening to sermons, joining Bible study and Christian groups, and spending more time in Scripture. Worship music became such an important part of my life that I eventually began writing worship songs of my own.
But I wanted to do more than rediscover my faith.
I wanted to live it. And I wanted to bring my son on that journey with me.
That desire became Faith Real Apparel.
Faith Real Apparel is our way of sharing what we believe through messages that encourage people, open doors to conversations about God, and remind us that faith isn't something reserved for Sunday morning.
It's something we carry into everyday life.
Because my journey taught me something I won't forget:
Faith isn't always a straight path. Sometimes you wander. Sometimes you question. Sometimes life brings you to your knees.
But God will still lead you home.
That is why, for us:
