Peace. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. My parents were Charles and Lori Petreikis, and this is a photo of them in their younger years. I thank God for giving me a mother who, in her own small world, did everything she could for her children. My childhood home had its share of challenges. My parents fought often, yet they also worked hard to stay together and remain faithful to one another—especially my mom. Her greatest purpose in life was to be a good mother to my younger brother and me, and in that, she succeeded. She remains one of my great heroes. My mom and I shared a deep passion for faith, which meant we often found ourselves in intense religious debates. My dad would regularly step in and tell us to stop talking about religion because we both got too fired up. We agreed on many things, but we also differed on some important points. Still, beneath every debate was love. In a strange way, we both enjoyed those conversations. I continue to believe firmly that Jesus is the Messiah, but I do not believe He is the Creator, nor do I accept the Trinity. If I am made in the image of God and am one person, I hold that God is one person, not three. My mom, however, believed deeply in the Trinity. To her, my rejection of it felt like I had left the faith, and so every time we saw each other, the topic would eventually surface. Sometimes the discussions grew so heated that my dad would step in again and tell us both to stop. Jesus taught that our own families will not always agree with us, and that sometimes we will even find opposition within our own household because of our faith. Yet He also commanded us to love one another and to keep God’s commandments. In many ways, my relationship with my mom reflected that teaching. We both believed in Jesus, but we differed on who He was and what He taught. In debate, we were fierce opponents; in life, we were mother and son who loved each other deeply. I thank God for the memories I cherish with both my mom and my dad. And I thank God for the privilege of continuing forward—meeting new people, forming new friendships, and carrying their legacy with me.

Peace. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. My parents were Charles and Lori Petreikis, and this is a photo of them in their younger years. I thank God for giving me a mother who, in her own small world, did everything she could for her children. My childhood home had its share of challenges. My parents fought often, yet they also worked hard to stay together and remain faithful to one another—especially my mom. Her greatest purpose in life was to be a good mother to my younger brother and me, and in that, she succeeded. She remains one of my great heroes. My mom and I shared a deep passion for faith, which meant we often found ourselves in intense religious debates. My dad would regularly step in and tell us to stop talking about religion because we both got too fired up. We agreed on many things, but we also differed on some important points. Still, beneath every debate was love. In a strange way, we both enjoyed those conversations. I continue to believe firmly that Jesus is the Messiah, but I do not believe He is the Creator, nor do I accept the Trinity. If I am made in the image of God and am one person, I hold that God is one person, not three. My mom, however, believed deeply in the Trinity. To her, my rejection of it felt like I had left the faith, and so every time we saw each other, the topic would eventually surface. Sometimes the discussions grew so heated that my dad would step in again and tell us both to stop. Jesus taught that our own families will not always agree with us, and that sometimes we will even find opposition within our own household because of our faith. Yet He also commanded us to love one another and to keep God’s commandments. In many ways, my relationship with my mom reflected that teaching. We both believed in Jesus, but we differed on who He was and what He taught. In debate, we were fierce opponents; in life, we were mother and son who loved each other deeply. I thank God for the memories I cherish with both my mom and my dad. And I thank God for the privilege of continuing forward—meeting new people, forming new friendships, and carrying their legacy with me.