I WAS AFRAID TO GO TO SCHOOL

EVERYDAY.

SCHOOL IS NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR ME.

WHEN PEOPLE TREATED ME THAT WAY

FOR NO REASON IT HURT.

BECAUSE HE LOVED THEATRE AND

THE ARTS, JOCKS PICKED ON CHRIS

CARBERG.

BULLYING WAS AN EVERYDAY PART OF

HIS WORLD.

A WORLD HE WANTED TO ESCAPE BUT

NEVER COULD.

WHEN HE GRADUATED TO HIGH SCHOOL

AND WENT TO COLLEGE, HE FOUND

HIS ESCAPE THE DAY HE TOOK TWO

PRESCRIPTION MIGRAINE PILLS

INSTEAD OF ONE.

I DIDN'T EXPECT THE FEELING,

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I

EXPERIENCED A HIGH.

CHRIS BEGAN TAKING MORE AND

MORE PILLS.

HE BEGAN TO SHOP FOR DOCTORS AND

MADE UP SYMPTOMS TO GET THE

MEDICATION.

I FELT LIKE I HAD CONTROL OF

MY SURROUNDINGS AND I FELT LIKE

I HAD POWER.

I WANTED TO FEEL THAT EVERY

MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.

I HAD TO KEEP TAKING MORE AND

MORE AND MORE PILLS.

DURING HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR IN

COLLEGE, CHRIS WAS UP TO 60

VICODIN A DAY.

HE WAS BARELY FUNCTIONING.

I KNEW I HAD A PROBLEM IF

FRIENDS BEGAN TO ASK ME IF I

MEANT THINGS I SAID.

CHRIS, DID YOU MEAN TO SAY WHAT

YOU SAID LAST NIGHT?

I HAD NO CLUE WHAT I SAID AND I

WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WHEN I HAD

PHYSICAL EFFECTS.

I STARTED NODDING OFF IN PUBLIC,

I WOULD START TO ALMOST FALL AS

SLEEP STANDING UP.

HE BLEW THROUGH $20,000 OF

SAVINGS FROM HIS PARENTS AND

OPENED UP CREDIT CARD TO PAY FOR

HIS HABIT.

ALL OF THE PILLS WERE

DELIVERED BY ONE OF THE SHIPPING

COMPANIES.

I WOULD BE WAITING FOR A

DELIVERY AND NOD OFF AND FALL

ASLEEP WAITING AND REALIZE I

MISSED IT.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I

CHASED DOWN UPS AND FED EX

TRUCKS.

ONE DAY CHRIS WENT TO AN

INTERNET CAFE, HE PASSED OUT.

THE EMPLOYEE CALLED THE POLICE.

THE POLICE DISCOVERED HIS STASH

OF DRUGS.

I SEE THE OFFICER CALLING AND

HE COMES OVER TO ME AND SAYS YOU

JUST STAY THERE.

THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER I WAS

IN THE AMBULANCE ON THE WAY TO

THE HOSPITAL AND UM, AND THEN I

PASSED OUT AGAIN.

CHRIS WOKE UP IN THE

HOSPITAL, HIS PARENTS WERE THERE

AND TOLD CHRIS HE HAD NEARLY

DIED.

THE MOMENT I DECIDED THAT

THIS WAS GOING TO BE OVER WAS

WHEN I SAW MY FATHER CRY.

HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID YOU

KNOW, I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD

THIS STUFF W

WITH YOU.

HE WENT TO DETOX COMMITTED TO

REGULAR REHAB MEETINGS AND

STAYED OFF THE MEDS.

HE WAS MISERABLE.

THERE WAS A FEELING THAT

SOMETHING WASN'T CONNECTING, A

FEELING OF LONELINESS AND HURT.

I FELT THERE WAS SOMETHING

MISSING.

A FRIEND INTRODUCED CHRIS TO

A YOUNG WOMAN THAT HAD SOMETHING

IN HER LIFE THAT HE WANTED.

I HAD NEVER MET ANYONE LIKE

JENNA.

SHE WAS STRONGER, SMARTER,

BALANCED IN SO MANY WAYS FOR

SUCH A YOUNG PERSON.

I WAS LEAVING COLLEGE AS SHE WAS

LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL.

SHE HAD THIS STRENGTH I HAD

NEVER SEEN IN ANYONE.

I KNEW JENNA WAS A CHRISTIAN

WITHOUT HER SAY AGO WORD.

CHRIS STARTED GOING TO CHURCH

WITH JENNA.

AFTER A FEW MONTHS SHE INVITED

HIM TO SPEAK TO HER DAD, A

SUNDAY SCHOOLTEACHER FOR 20

YEARS.

WHEN I TALKED TO CHRIS I WAS

IMPRESSED.

HE TRULY WAS LOOKING FOR TRUTH.

HE WAS LOOKING FOR WHAT HE

SHOULD BE DOING AS A PERSON.

HE WAS TAKING EVERYTHING WE

TALKED ABOUT, ABSORBING IT AND

ASKING MORE QUESTIONS.

SCOTT BEGAN TO TALK TO ME

ABOUT GOD.

I SPENT FOUR AND FIVE HOURS

QUESTIONING HIM ABOUT HIS FAITH.

PERSONIFIED CHRIST BY HOW

HE ACTED.

CHRIS WENT HOME AND PRAYED TO

ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS

LIFE.

I WASN'T ACCEPTING JESUS

JENNA OR SCOTT.

I ACCEPTED JESUS FOR ME.

I READ THE WHOLE BIBLE FRONT TO

BACK.

I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP KNOWING

HIM BETTER AND BETTER.

I WOULD GO TO CHURCH WITH JENNA.

IT WAS FOR A DIFFERENT REASON.

I HAD GONE TO CHURCH FOR JESUS.

ALL OF THE THINGS ILL FELT I WAS

DIFFERENT OR FELT PEOPLE DIDN'T

LOVE OR LIKE ME OR I NEEDED TO

EARN THEIR LOVE.

ALL OF THAT CHANGED BECAUSE HE

LOVED ME WITHOUT ME DOING

ANYTHING.

A FEW MONTHS LATER JENNA AND

CHRIS MARRIED.

TODAY CHRIS IS AN ONLINE MEDIA

WEBSITE AND LAUNCHED

POP.ED HOLLY

EVERYTHING TO JESUS

CHRIST.

HE HAS GIVEN MY A NEW LIFE, MY

WIFE, HOPE AND ANSWERS THAT I

DON'T HAVE TO QUESTION WHETHER

OR NOT SOMEONE CARES ANYMORE OR

IF I AM ALONE.

THERE IS NO, THERE IS NOTHING

THAT CAN DEPRESS ME OR HURT ME

AS LONG AS THERE IS JESUS

CHRIST.