Answer: That's a difficult question, because change is a journey, and it's often difficult to measure when exactly the journey begins, and when -- if ever -- it is complete. For us, it also varied significantly by how sincerely and diligently we pursued change.

Of all the areas of change, spiritual conversion seems to happen most quickly -- causing dramatic changes in attitude and desires almost immediately, or over just a few weeks or months. This doesn't necessarily mean a complete cessation of homosexual desires, but some of us found it did cause an immediate cessation of the inner conflict and pain. (Bob and Jerry write about these major spiritual epiphanies in "About Us: Our Stories of Change.") For others, the spiritual growth is more gradual, coinciding with other areas of change, as if God were leading us on a path step by step, "line upon line."

For those of us who worked with a therapist, the weekly therapy generally lasted between one and three years (John, Ben, David, Dan and Jason write about our positive experiences with therapy in "About Us: Our Stories of Change.")

Does that sound like a long time? Not when the journey became joyous and healing, as we began to break out of isolation, fear and destructive habits and beliefs. Although it was hard work, it became an exciting time of discovery and renewal.

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