I grew up in a very Godly home. We went to church 3 times a week, my parents read the Bible to my sister and I, we prayed together and I gave my life to Christ and was baptized as a young boy.

At the age of 15, I fell in with the wrong crowd and let myself be peer pressured into smoking weed and experimenting with other drugs. At the age of 17, I got my girlfriend pregnant with my daughter, Naty, and 20 months later we had my son, Javen. We then got married but divorced 11 years later.

Jennifer and I started dating in 2012 and we were married in 2016. Shortly after we were married, I had a severe panic attack that the ER said was triggered from smoking weed, so after many years, I finally stopped smoking it. However, I had started drinking alcohol in my early 20's and it had taken over my life and consumed me. I hated my life, I was extremely angry and I treated my wife as no man ever should. My drinking almost drove my kids to want nothing to do with me.

In May of 2024, my younger sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 41. Hearing this news devastated me and I drank even heavier. 

October 11, 2024 was one of the worst nights between my wife and I, and she finally decided she had enough and was finished with our marriage. Even though I blamed her for all of my problems and thought I deserved better, I was devastated and felt lost knowing it was over. That Monday, she came home from work and told me that if I checked into rehab, she wouldn't move out for the 30 days I was in and would possibly consider giving us another chance if I stayed sober and worked on myself when I got out. She didn't really mean it, she was done with us but knew that no matter what, I needed to get sober. And so, she made a bargain she never intended to keep.

I had severe anxiety for the first 2 weeks in rehab but slowly came to realize that during group therapy, I was thanking God and telling them how He was helping me through this. I am an alcoholic, but I did not go through withdrawal and I knew that God was beside me taking away my suffering. People in group saw the change in me and would bring it up. My anxiety was manageable after realizing God was with me, my outlook became positive, I found myself not swearing and I finally felt that there was a purpose for me other than getting drunk every night and hating my life. Once I realized how much He was helping me, I leaned into Him even more for support.

My wife also noticed the change in me during my last week in rehab and decided to give me another chance after a few weeks of her seeing that the change in me was truly an act of God. I was no longer a negative person that hated every aspect of my life. God made me realize that I love my wife and that I want to grow old with her. He opened my eyes to see that I care about her and my kids, wanting to listen and help them through rough times. I want to laugh with them and make memories that I will actually remember. He gave me the desire to be a good role model for my kids, as a man and as a husband. I want them to see how God has changed me and that miracles do happen.  

God gave me a sober mind for the first time in 29 years. I had no idea how to really handle the hard stuff in life and I was severely tested in January of 2025. My sister lost her battle with cancer and there is no way I would have survived this without God's perfect timing and knowing that she was finally healed and in His presence. If He hadn't had His hand on my life 3 months prior, not only with helping me get through rehab, but the events that led to me checking myself in, I would not have been able to cope with my sisters passing as an active alcoholic.

My wife and I started attending LEFC the Sunday after I got out of rehab and in February, we started attending the Re|Engage program. Re|Engage not only brought us both closer to God but made us a stronger couple. God has surrounded us by Christians that didn't judge our journey when we shared it with them, but instead have embraced us and have helped us in our walk with Christ.

It is because of God's love and grace that I have made it these past 7 1/2 months without anger, hate, manipulating those around me, cravings, or relapsing.

One of the verses my dad always prays is Isaiah 53:5 "by His stripes, I am healed" and thank you Jesus... because BY YOUR STRIPES, I AM HEALED!