Welcome aboard. This board is practically dead and I often wonder why they keep the lights on to begin with. Nevertheless, at least you found two people still around.

I'm a bit more upbeat about things than Eldad is. I believe that our hope is not only in salvation and the afterlife, but that God wants us to live abundant lives in the here and now. No, I don't mean that in the Joel Osteen "God wants you to be rich" sense. Rather, I mean that God wants you to be happy and filled with the Joy of the Lord and a Peace that surpasses all understanding. I don't believe this based only on some abstract theology or a vague hope that this might be true. I believe it based both on scripture and on my own experience. Genuine joy is possible. I live every day praising God for how much he has blessed me. I'm happy with who I am, where I am, and how I live. I love God, love people (boys included), and love life.

The first step, besides the obvious one of becoming a genuine follower of Christ (not just a believer in the word, but a doer of the word), is to learn to accept who you are.