IF THERE IS A GOD, WHY DO I NEED BRACES?
An Adolescent Journey to Adult Faith

Little children learn about God in very simple terms, but when they reach adolescence, the simple answers of childhood often fail them. This is the age when young people begin to ask serious questions and to look for answers that make sense to them in a world which tempts them with so many seductive alternatives. God, religion, love, friendship, heaven, hell, and eternity are just a few of the many things which pique their curiosity and about which they seek relevant responses. The author not only explains these and other tenets of mature faith, he shares his own journey from simple answers to cynical questions to conversion and faith. Avoiding gimmicky language, this book uses a straight-forward approach to explain profound concepts in an easy-to-follow format which make it a valuable guide for any adolescent searching for truth in a world where truth is sadly often lacking. The book uses St. Paul’s accounts of his humanity and struggles with sin and self-esteem to show how the Word of God can speak to our hearts in a way we perhaps never thought possible. A list of scripture readings relevant to a faith journey is likewise included as an appendix.

About the Author: James Penrice, a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and life-long Detroit Tiger fan, grew up in Plymouth, Michigan. Married and the father of three children, he is the Director of Religious Education at St. Mary’s Parish in Spring Lake, Michigan. Mr. Penrice has written several other Alba House titles: Crossing Home: The Spiritual Lesson of Baseball (1993), Goal to Go: The Spiritual Lessons of Football (1994), God Could Be A Teen... No One Understands Him, Either: The Truth and Freedom of Catholic Morality (1997) and You Know More Than You Think: Your Intuitive Knowledge of God in the Catholic Tradition (2003).