one afternoon while talking to my grandmother, i brought up the subject of how i feel that the only reason why i'm not corrupted by the negativity of today's world is because of yfc and my family.

"today's youth is the lost generation. there are no morals and values in you kids," she said.

i kinda agree with her. we live in a world where eveyrthing we were taught never to do surrounds us in media and at school. the community's support, the relationships we have with each other and with God, and the morals that yfc teaches in us is what keeps me strong.

the typical reflections of youth and pop culture have earned a bad reputation throughout the years. as a yfc member, i believe that you can listen to the music, you can watch the shows and remain a Christian. that's what yfc does: it allows us to be teenagers but reminds us that the messages these stars tout aren't the same with what is right.

i think that life with the community is the same as rock climbing. particpants in this sport wear bungee chords to keep them from falling. that's how yfc can help resolve our acceptance of the aspect of media and entertainment: it's support and safety.

for instance, i go out and watch a movie filled with premarital sex, alcohol at parties, and so on. the next night i go to a party where everyone's motto is "party hard, study hard," meaning you can drink, do drugs and have all the sex you want as long as you have good grades.

when i'm offered that tempting arena, i could say yes. no one would know, everyone else is doing it which must mean it's okay. but then i remember my household members who look up to me as a role model, my unit head who has faith in me and the guilt i would feel knowing that i was leading a double life. so i kindly refuse, letting them know i'm not into that stuff and have a good time. it's as simple as remembering people in yfc to reject the negativity we face in our lives that is implied through the media. as one leader told me, "we don't need sex and drugs to have a good time."

in yfc, we learn from each other. testimonies by members inspire us to reject the negativity because if one teenager who is just like all of us did it, we can do it too. we hear reasons not to get involved in drugs and sex because someone else learned the hard way. one person's strength to not accept drugs and pre-marital sex as well as other negative messages in the world today affects us all.

in our yfc in socal, we we watch out for each other. in case one of us is falling off the rocks, we become that person's bungee cord. we remind each other of what God wants us to do, not what society and entertainment says we should do.

one leader once told me, "we're responsible for each other's souls."