From Light to Darkness to Glory

Robert Bienvenu was born into a traditional, upper middle class family. He spent an idyllic childhood growing up with his brothers and sisters in a small town in south Louisiana. His bright future darkened suddenly, however, when schizophrenia pesented, triggered by a traumatic experience as a very young man. "From Light to Darkness to Glory" recounts his tortured journey through a devastating mental illness that he did not understand and didn't even know he had for years. By the time he finally came to terms with his disease, his life had changed irrevocably. Robert suffered through one failed relationship, one failed job, and one failed aspiration after another. He plunged through life in a downward spiral until he finally found the strength to slow the descent. Reaching back to the athletic activities he had loved as an adolescent, Robert picked up pole vaulting an weightlifting again, ultimately earning numerous awards and titles for his skill and dexterity in power lifting. But finding the patient souls who helped him find real strength in the glory of God and the sort of faith he'd never known proved to be the lucky break that saved his life. Robert's rekindled strength of spirit grew out of that newfound faith and depends on the personal relationship he has developed with Jesus Christ. That relationship has enabled him to face his demons, excel in athletic competition, and help others through a community television program that focuses on mental illness. This is Robert's version of that neverending story.