Joshua Hook's Page

My name is Josh and I was born on October 10th, 1985 in Northridge, California. Neither my parents (unmarried) were Christians but they didn't think it was safe for me to go to public school, so they enrolled me in a Lutheran elementary school. In 3rd grade I was introduced to sex by a 6th grader who I had shared a hooked on phonics class with. At this time I had started a life of sexual immorality and an addiction with pornography.

By the time I hit junior high in another Lutheran school, I was dabbling in drugs like marijuana and dealing at school with friends. I was living a life of wordly pleasures and had no remorse as my heart was hardened, setting up fights in the back of the lunch area when school was out for extra money. My 9th grade year I had a religion teacher who had a really profound impact on my life. I was skipping school on a regular basis and turning in few homework assignments. At the middle of each quarter he would take the time and hand print the assignments I had missed and told me if I got them back to him before the quarter was over, he would give me credit for it. I continued to slack off and my first semester ended with an F in class. Come 3rd quarter I did the same til 4th quarter when I decided I would show him some effort since he was trying so hard with me. I ended up turning in very little work and yet he passed me. I approached him after I saw my report card and asked him why he passed me. He told me because my attitude had changed and I was giving him effort which is all Jesus asks for.

After school I said goodbye for the last time and decided I was going to enroll in a private home schooling system to start over with my life. At this time I had attended my first Christian underground concert (Dead Poetic, Haste The Day, Project 86 and Demon Hunter) and was totally into it; my life had began to change. I met Jimmy Ryan (lead singer of HTD) and he was a huge example for me being a Christian. I ended contact with all my old friends and started attending a church where I met fellow believers through my youth group. Years went by as I attended church regularly but I was still living a life of sin in pornography and lust. After five years of attending my church, a very close friend of mine came out that she was being molested by a father figure of mine at the church. I then questioned if I needed the church so I left and moved away.

I continued a life of sexual immorality and drug addiction once again living a life of emptiness. At the age of 22, I was hospitalized with meningitis (an infection of the brain) for the second time and was considered stupor in a matter of minutes. I couldn't speak nor think intelligently. I didn't even know my own name! The doctors were very concerned and were trying to figure out what was wrong because they had never seen someone react the way I had. Doctors had taken several different tests (77 in total) and concluded I probably wouldn't regain normal mental status again but I did! Three days went by and I was released from the hospital with a seventy thousand dollar hospital bill due to no insurance coverage because I had lost my job recently. I had hit absolute rock bottom. I had no physical ability to work a job, very little mental comprehension, no money and a huge bill I had to pay. I had no other option but to rely on God, have faith that "through God all things are possible," and that He would provide. Three days after returning home I get a letter from a charity program saying that my balance was paid in full!

A week later after I had gained enough strength to leave the house. I went to church and got baptised for the remission of sins and proclaimed that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. This was the turning point in my life where God told me its ALL or nothing!!! Since that day I have been doing my best to live for Him and trying to follow what He has called me to do. For the next six months I had been bedridden and could barely do anything so I spent lots of time on the computer. I found a service called stickam and spent much time in a chatroom with believers who would partake in fellowship and bible study. Once I was finally up and moving again I could barely leave the house because the heat and sunlight was such excruciating pain to my brain (constant migraines) and eyes so I'd only go out for small periods of time. I finally was able to attend my first Christian underground concert since the infection. When I had talked to some of the band members with what I had gone through lately, they invited me backstage and had prayed over me in a group. I felt so grateful for them and what God had done for me that I started an online prayer ministry called, "Prayer Bomb" (www.myspace.com/prayerbomb) for bands and musicians who are on tour needing prayer. I'm still in the works of putting it together and praying if its God's Will. On Saturdays I go down to Los Angeles and participate in "Adopt A Block" through the Dream Center to hand out food and offer prayer to people.

God has blessed me so much giving me another chance at life that I must live every glorious day and moment for Him. My hope and prayer is that if you do not know the Lord and Savior that died on the cross bearing all of the worlds iniquities so that you may spend eternity in Heaven with Him and not be condemn to hell... PLEASE let Him come into your life and let His Holy Spirit transform your life as it has mine. If you do know our magnificent Lord of Lords, my prayer is that you fall so deeply in love with Him that He is your source of strength, your will to live, your best friend and without Him nothing could be possible. That you would be so intimate with the Lamb of God that you wouldnt want to take another breath if you had to live without Him! May God bless you and feel free to write me if you'd like to talk or have any questions.

P.S. I attend Cornerstone of Simi Valley, CA. Our pastor Frances Chan has wrote an excellent book on not being lukewarm and having a sincere fear, love and passion for our LORD and Savior. Information on his book can be found here: http://www.crazylovebook.com/