DR. WALLACE: I'm proud to say that I'm a youth minister at my church. Every Saturday and Sunday evening, I help guide young adults to forget their problems in the past and look forward to a bright and happy future with faith in the Almighty.

I know that you receive mountains of letters and emails from teens throughout the years. Looking through your files, can you find one where a teen credits the Almighty for a bright and happy future? I'd like to put it on my bulletin board so all of our teens can relate to the power that can change lives for the better. — Proudly Helping Others, via email

PROUDLY HELPING OTHERS: I've had many teens share their stories of faith with me. Per your request, I've located a letter that fits your goal of "bulletin board material," and I'm happy to provide it again here today. This particular story is truly inspirational. The following letter is typical of this genre and one of the best I've received in this category:

DR. WALLACE: I'm now successfully attending a community college and getting pretty good grades. If you had known me a year ago, you wouldn't believe I'm the same person. I feel compelled to write and share my story with your readers. I pray that some of them will take my advice and learn from my past mistakes, too.

When I was 14, I started hanging around with a pretty tough crowd. I wasn't very popular, and these kids accepted me. Within six months, I was cutting school, smoking, drinking and experimenting with drugs.

On my 16th birthday, I was kicked out of school, and soon thereafter, I found out I was pregnant. I was still living at home, but I was constantly fighting with my parents about my lifestyle.

A month later, my boyfriend broke up with me. I failed in an attempt to commit suicide. In the months that followed, I tried two more times to take my own life.

I then decided to run away from home. A friend and I were arrested for shoplifting and sent back home to a youth counseling center.

I finally wound up in a foster home, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. My foster parents turned out to be loving, caring people. They introduced me to their church, and before long, my life found a new direction. I earned my GED diploma, and I now plan to earn my college degree in social work. I aim to help others the way I found help when I most needed it in my life.

I'm not trying to give anyone a lecture; I just wish to say that I had to learn the hard way that life can be beautiful. I thank the good Lord that my life will now be productive and useful.

Fellow teens, please don't get caught up in drinking alcohol and taking drugs. They never solve problems; they only create them, or they worsen problems that already exist. I am very fortunate that I got a new chance at life. I can't say the same for my ex-boyfriend. He sadly died of an overdose within a year of breaking up with me. — A New Girl Now

NEW GIRL NOW: Congratulations on turning your life around. You'll likely be an inspiration to many other teens that you will never meet in person. Keep up the good work living your life in a manner that provides assistance to others in need. Your story, past experiences and ultimate turnaround can be an inspiration to others seeking to make positive changes as well.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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