How I Grew Up
I was born and raised in Wisconsin and had 7 brothers and 1 sister. I went to 7 or 8 different schools in my life. My Mom was a good lady but my Dad was a drinker. Alcohol was a part of growing up.
My Dad would swear at me and call me stupid and dumb. I think that it was a big part of the bad decisions that I made in my life because I didn’t think I was worth anything.
I went into a business that wasn’t a very good deal. My drinking really increased something fierce and kept getting worse and worse. I was drunk every night and didn’t remember anything. I just liked to drink and liked the atmosphere. Sometimes I’d get so drunk I’d get into fights and get thrown into jail.
My Journey in Alcohol Recovery
God had to make me humble enough to ask for help in my alcohol recovery. Even though I had a good marriage, my life was being destroyed. My drinking was out of hand and my wife had left. It gave me a little time to think about it, and I told my wife that I was going to look for a group. Then I called the mission to see if they had a program and they recommended RU Recovery Program.
I Didn’t Believe Alcohol Recovery Was Possible
Honestly I wasn’t sure I’d be able to quit drinking and told the Lord that if I came to RU Recovery Program and stayed with it, “to make Himself real to me.” Still, I ask Him, and He’s still becoming even more real, and my faith is growing just a little at a time.
I have to give God the credit for my alcohol recovery because after I visited RU, I never drank another drop. The Lord helped me give up my drinking without even missing it. My wife prayed for me steady and my kids and grandson showed me love like you wouldn’t believe. The Lord just had everything planned the right way and filled my life with other things.
RU Recovery Program has really helped me tremendously. I look forward to hearing the Word and I can communicate well with the people in alcohol recovery. I have people there who I can confide in and they’ll pray for me. The Lord has used Steve and other leaders to point me to the Word of God. Steve teaches us that a wise man falls and gets up and goes. Before I was whipped all the time, so I had no self worth and I would stay there. Church also has helped me because I need to hear the Word of God to stay where I am at. If I don’t hear the Word, it would be easy to slip back into my addiction.
Thank God My Family Helped Me & Loved Me!
The Lord helped me see my life in a different way and helped me to understand and see the goals I wanted to attain. I like to think of myself as a new person because I’m much happier than I’ve ever been and I can actually smile and joke and not be moody or holler and nag. It’s a great feeling to go to bed that way and to get up that way.
Sometimes it’s like I didn’t do the things I used to do because God has removed from my mind. I have to teach myself to think of where God has brought me and what he has brought me out of. Now I can grill out and go to the park. God has filled my time with walking and looking at nature, thanking Him for all the beautiful things that are there. I’d recommend Reformers to anybody who has an addiction.
We have 2 adult children: a son, Stacey and daughter, Beulah. I look at my wife, children and grandson differently now. I enjoy my little grandson. When I retire, I’ll be able to spend time with him and really enjoy him.
