My faith is first of all characterized by a relationship with God.  I am convinced that God loves mankind more than anything else He created and He desires to be a friend to us.  I believe this because;  

	1) the Bible teaches it - I've found the Word of God to be absolutely reliable,
	2) I frequently experience His love and companionship - this is part of the relationship, sensing His presence and sometimes knowing His thoughts or feelings.
	3) I know a lot of people who experience the same thing.  I've met many other believers, whose experience is very similar to mine, as I've traveled throughout the US and around the world.

I was just 13 years of age when I became aware of God.  He was showing me that He loved me.  For about  two weeks, I experienced what seemed to be reoccurring thoughts that God loved me.  I don't know how to better explain it.   After a few days of having these thoughts, I started believing that it was God revealing Himself to me and showing me that He really did love me.  I then started thinking what it would mean to love Him?  A few more days went by.  I had a decision to make.  Would I choose to love Him back, or would I choose to love the things I was into and keep God at a distance?  Thankfully, I chose to love God and I became "alive", "regenerated", "a new creation", "saved",  "born again" (all Biblical terms for the experience of being forgiven by God and entering into a relationship with Him).

I'd love to say that I was faithful to God from that point on, but the truth is that I wavered big time in my relationship with Christ as a young guy.  Several times I came and went from the faith.  I'm grateful that God didn't give up on me.