THE DEVIL CAME DOWN TO HOUSTON LOOKING FOR A SOUL TO STEAL AND IT WAS MINE!!!My personal addiction recovery story continues...

MY THOGHTS: Hello world.....Im back again. I appreciate all of your comments very much.Please feel free to comment here or if you want to be private email me at danielisatruesoldier@aol.com.
 This blog seems to be reaching people that I would have never even imagined it would reach and for that I am inspired to keep posting! Thank you again for reading and I hope you continue to be inspired. Today Im going to share a paper that I just wrote for school. This paper explains a lot of what i have already learned in class about helping others overcome addiction. I feel strongly that you will also benefit from reading it. Remember that God is your Father in Heaven and he loves us all very much. That is who you are. YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH....EVEN GOD! NEVER FORGET THAT YOU ARE A UNIQUE CHILD OF GOD...THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER EXACTLY LIKE YOU. LIFE IS A MIRACLE IN AND OF ITSELF.. BE YOU AND.LOVE LIFE!!!  Here is my paper......

“A Few Things I’ve learned Since Mid-Term”

By: Daniel Blankenship

I have learned so many things in this class since mid-term that I have decided to write

about many of these lessons. I will also start off by saying that I have been in recovery

for almost 3 years now, and I went through a six-month treatment facility and I have

learned more here in this class than my entire time in treatment. I do realize that this is

the right time for me to hear it. I feel very strongly that God has put you were you are,

and that I am meant to be in this class at this time. I am a firm believer that God truly is

involved in the very details of our lives. I appreciate very much the passion and

enthusiasm that you have for helping others. Your impact in this world for good is very

powerful. Mr. Lewis, “You are doing good”!!!

The “is a handicap a curse or a blessing?” lecture hit home for me. I mentioned in class

that I have a nephew (Travis) that has a traumatic brain injury, and I deal with him on a

daily basis. He was in a car accident when he was eleven, and has had to learn to do

everything over again. He will be 24 this month. He was in a coma and couldn’t eat, or

walk. Through lots of therapy, hard work and determination he can now do all of those

things. Although his speech never returned and he can’t use his right arm functionally, he

has an unusual gift to communicate. Through your lecture you helped me realize just how

much of a blessing he has been and continues to be in my life. He is such a blessing in

my life, and in all those who are around him. He stays upbeat and positive most of the

time. I realized that I will someday soon be able to give this same lecture to clients and

use Travis as an example. Much like you used your friend that was in the motorcycle

wreck and became a victim instead of a victor. I have been watching you and listening to

you very closely. In this lecture I learned how to help clients make the connection

between others with handicaps and in the handicap of addiction. I have learned haw to

help them make the connection between someone with a physical handicap and in

themselves as they strive to overcome addiction. I have learned how to help them realize

that you can either become better or bitter. I have learned from you how to help clients

realize that they can actually use the adversity in their lives as stepping stones to reach

their full potential. I have learned how to help others see drug addiction in a different

light with a different perspective.

Again I just can’t stress enough how much I have learned in your class. It’s as if I was

brought into this class by divine intervention. Well, its not “as if” it is real. You made a

comment that “there are hundreds of people depending on you to become an educated

counselor to help them through their problems”. That comment hit me in the heart

because I can feel that it’s true. I have learned from you that if I can create the right

relationship and environment that the client will be the expert. It is my job to help them

stumble upon their own truths. The counselor that is the quietest is the best counselor. I

will be a “Fisher of Men”! I will be friendly to the clients, but not their friend. My mind

has been opened by you to become as educated as I possibly can on ALL theories of

psychology and in counseling others. I have realized the power in teaching clients many

diffirent theories and topics and allowing them to think for them selves. I will never just

shove one theory down their throat and expect them to embrace the theory that I am most

passionate about. I will help them find their own path.

I have learned that the family as a whole will play a large role in recovery. I have learned

that a dysfunctional family will work against a member trying to change for the better. I

have learned that a person will often do really well in treatment because they are pulled

out of the current or “whirlpool” that a family naturally creates. And many times once

they are released if not separated from the family they will be trying to swim upstream so

to speak. A lot of times its just better to separate until necessary adjustments are made.

As counselors we need to help clients realize that as adults we need to learn to meet our

own needs. I have learned that as professional counselors we need to help clients pay

attention to their thoughts and focus on the positive thoughts. We need to find out what is

really going on in their minds. I have learned that it is good to be dramatic when working

with clients in a group setting and to get them involved and excited about their recovery.

Now I know why Dr. Phill says “I want you to get excited about your life” before every

show!

I have learned that as a counselor we should realize that the person that is struggling the

most in recovery is the person that needs our help the most. It takes effort and sincere

care and concern to reach these individuals. As a counselor I will treat each individual as

the unique person that they are. I will help them discover the reality and miracle that we

are all unique individuals, and there will never be another exactly like you. I have learned

that each of us is a spiritual being and that on the inside most addicts feel the same,

whether they are successful or not. This is why you may hear someone say “I’m stupid or

I’m ugly”, this is coming from how they feel on the inside. I have learned that if I don’t feel

good on the inside I may constantly look for something on the outside to help me feel

better such as work, food , sex, power, or money. We need to work on how we feel on the

inside, work on feeling good on the inside. As counselors we will help clients change

how they feel on the inside. As a recovering addict it is necessary to change how we feel

on the inside so that we can accept the great things that come from recovery. As children

we are programmable, but as we grow older we are self programmable. We must be very

careful what we tell ourselves. As a counselor I will ask clients to think about the things

they were told as a child and help them change their perception of themselves. I will be

the one that helps get the ball rolling. I have learned the importance of working with

clients on the “feeling level”, and the importance of helping them realize their own hopes

and dreams. Recovery is rediscovery, finding out how you really are. I have learned that

once we develop “core beliefs” we naturally reject information that goes against those

beliefs. We will attract what we believe that we deserve in life. This is why a woman that

has prayed for a good man may reject him once he appears in her life. She rejects him

because of what she feels on the inside. I have learned that the past is unchanging, it is

only our perception of it that changes.

Anger is a big issue for us as human beings. It is necessary to become as educated as

possible in understanding anger. Understanding anger can literally save a person from so

much sorrow and even save them from prison or death. Once we understand that we all

have anger we just need to recognize it, own it, and then discharge it in a positive way we

will be much better off. Since mid-term I have learned so much about helping others and

myself along the road of life. I am a firm believer that we are not just human beings

having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I

will strive to help my clients realize that they are unique and that they truly have a life

purpose. I have learned from you the value in teaching others by my own experiences. I

will work hard to develop my own unique counseling style that will hopefully impact

others as much as you have impacted me. Thank you again Mr. Lewis for choosing to be

a positive force for good in this world.  I am a much better person because of you, and I

already know that I will use a lot of your teaching style as a professional. Your influence

for good in this world is immeasurable. These are just a few lessons I’ve learned from

you since mid-term.                  

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT: 

 

SCRIPTURES TO PONDER: JOHN CHAPTER 14


MY PERSONAL ADDICTION RECOVERY STORY CONTINUES......

After a few days, I was finally able to separate from John. I went back to Salt Lake and picked up my vehicle. I went home and packed my bags, gathered what little money I could, and hit the highway! I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew that I was going out of state. I was on the run! I was still strung out on Meth, and very scared. I ended up in Grand Junction, Colorado when I called home, only to be informed that the local news channels were broadcasting my picture, and name as “UTAHS MOST WANTED”!!! They said that I was a murder suspect, and considered to be armed and dangerous! I made arrangements to meet up with my father, and speak with an attorney. We immediately made arrangements for me to turn my self in. The attorney thought it would be best if we gave a statement to the media, so against my better judgment we prepared a statement to give to the K.S.L. news channel. It was all live on television when I turned myself into the Salt Lake City authorities on May 13^th, 2007, Mother’s Day!

I was booked into the Salt Lake City Adult Detention Center charged with several first degree felonies. If convicted each charge carries five years to life in prison! I was charged with Murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated burglary. I served fourteen months there at the Salt Lake City Detention Center.  John told the police that he was with a friend at the time of the murder, and that he bought the gun from me the day after on our way to wendover! John was arrested with the murder weapon on him a short time later. John was arrested as soon as the injured women found the courage to speak up and tell the police that they knew who shot them. As you can imagine, at first they were scared for their lives, so they were not talking. In June of 2008, I agreed to testify against John in the event that the capitol murder case went all the way to trial. I plead guilty to a burglary charge. I also agreed to wait until after the murder trial to be sentenced.  

After fourteen months I was finally released from the Salt Lake City detention center, my brother Davis was there to pick me up. We headed south down Interstate 15 to my sisters beautiful home in Highland, Utah. I was so happy to be free! It was a warm sunny day and most of my immediate family was there to greet me. They were already gathered together celebrating my nephew Dallas’ birthday. It was such a warm and beautiful feeling to be reunited with my family. And you can imagine just how delicious that steak dinner was after eating that jail food for so long. I was so happy to be free!

 I had been praying that I would be able to find employment, and sure enough just a few days later I ran into an old missionary friend that owned and operated his own business. I ended up going to work for him at “Western Paving” through the entire summer. Would you believe that the job even came with golf privileges at a near by golf course? Once again I was living a happy, productive, and sober lifestyle. The job was a seasonal job, so once the winter time came, the job was over. About this same time my parents had decided to move back to Texas to escape the freezing cold winters in Utah. My Dad decided to open a bar-b-q restaurant in N.W. Houston, Texas. When “B.J.’s Brisket & Rib Company” opened for business, my father invited me to come and work for him. I accepted his invitation, and I was so excited to be moving back to Texas. I hit the highway very excited to start life over again back in Texas. I moved back in with Mom and Dad. I tried to work with my Dad, but it turned out to be very difficult for me to work with him. I began to hang around old friends and before long I started the vicious cycle of addiction all over again. I was using meth again!   

I will now share another spiritual experience with you for two reasons. #1 reason:  It is my hope that you will be able to relate to me by reading my experiences, and that your desire to change your own life will grow stronger. #2 reason:  One of the main objectives of this book is to help you to realize that this war between God and Satan is a reality. The experience happened like this…I had been awake for several days high on meth when I found out that my sister, and her family were planning to move back to Texas. They were scheduled to arrive at their new home the following day, and they needed my help to unload. My desire to be there to help them was very sincere, and very strong. I knew I needed to get some rest and show up clear minded. I was at a motel in N.W. Houston hanging out and getting high with an old using buddy of mine. I was just about to leave the motel and return to my parent’s home to get some rest when my buddy offered me $300.00 to give him a ride down the road. I agreed to pick him up at a pre arranged spot. I arrived at the pre arranged spot, and just a few minutes later, he came running up with a stack of one-hundred dollar bills! He had a bad habit of setting up drug deals and running off with the money! The next thing you know we were back at the motel with a large quantity of drugs. After a while I remembered that my sister was coming into town, and that I needed to rest. I was too messed up to drive home, and it was way too loud in the hotel room for me to sleep. We then decided to rent the room next door. I just really wanted to be there to help my sister and her family, and my desire to get some rest was very strong. I some how mustered up the will power, and courage to push the drugs aside and go get some sleep. I retired to my new room alone, locked both doors (there was a jointing door that would allow us to go from one room to the other). I began to think of my sister and her family, and my desire to get some rest grew even stronger. It was at this point when I was alone in that room that I begin to realize that I was going to need help from above if I was going to have any chance at being there on time to help my sister. I decided to take a quick shower, and this is where the spiritual experience began. Realizing that I needed God’s help, after I turned on the shower and the warm water was running, I kneeled down right there in the bath-tub, and began to plead with my Father in Heaven to help me. I was only able to get out two or three short sentences when immediately my tongue was bound so that I could not speak!!! Some strange force and power from the unseen world of spirits took complete control of my entire being! I tried to break the captive powers by jumping out of the tub, but I did not have the strength or power to do so. The water pressure began to change from high to low, and move up and down! At this moment of great fear I begin to see an unearthly like light begin to appear right in front of my face. This light became brighter, and brighter and commanded my attention! It was as if an angel of light was appearing to me. I was still down on my knees with my hands crossed, and I was being forced to raise my bowed head to pay attention to this bright light. For a brief moment I actually had a good feeling come over me, as if this was going to be a positive experience. Then instantaneously the good feeling was gone, and so was the light. This very real and thick black darkness took its place. I could actually see this thick and almost tangible cloud of darkness in front of me. At this moment of great alarm I had this feeling of extreme fear that overcame me. My mind and body was filled with terror, and I instantly knew that Satan was there! I could FEEL his evil presence! The devil came down to Houston looking for a soul to steal, and it was mine!

  I begin to see my life flash right before my eyes. I actually saw in my minds eye my parents standing over me crying and grieving over my dead body. There I was on my knees in this bathtub of a run down cheap motel room with this vision of my own dead body being viewed by my parents. I believe it was that vision, and the terrible feeling inside of me that gave me the strength to finally break the captive powers of the adversary. I could not stand the thought of my parents finding me dead in that motel. I was finally able to jump up and run to unlock the door and seek help. I knew that the devil himself was there with me in that motel room! I was now scared to death to be in this motel room alone with the devil himself. I will never forget that thick darkness or the extreme feeling of fear and terror that came over me. I have learned for myself that evil forces are real. I have also learned that the power of prayer is real. Why else would this evil influence attack me right when I began to pray?     

 

Thank you again for reading....I hope you have been uplifted and encouraged to be better and keep on keeping on down the road of life....Please feel free to leave a comment here or email me privately with any message or comment that you might have. My email is danielisatruesoldier@aol,com.                                                                                                               

Be a true soldier in Gods Army....My story continues....this is the craziest part of my story!!!

My thoughts:  Hello again and Thank you for reading my blog. I have had such an awesome response. I am thankful it is helping others. Hows life going in your neck of the woods?   I am doing well. I am growing stronger every day in every way! I feel more and more purpose in my life as I attend school to become a licensed counselor. I know God has led me back to school, and it sure feels nice to know that I am in the right place doing the right thing .  Life is so much sweeter when you are sober and addiction free. It is worth every effort to overcome your addictions.
I have learned that some of us just need to keep it simple, so I say that if you will put forth honest effort and say sincere prayers that you will be granted the strength to obstain from your addictions. It may take some time, but if you will just put forth honest effort and pray sincerely, you will be granted the strength to overcome. HONEST EFFORT AND SINCERE PRAYER WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!  I know that through honest effort and sincere parayer God opens up doors and blesses our efforts.
In my opinion as we strive to overcome our addictions, we should not expect perfection at first only improvement. Usually we develop our addictions over a long period of time, so we should not expect to overcome them over night. God will take the desire to indulge away very quickly for some, but for some it takes time. Be patient with yourself and focus on improvement not profection. The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step... Just keep on keepin on! I am a firm believer in the 12 steps. They really do work if you will work the steps. well they are not for everyone, but they definitely worked for me!
For school I was aked to read a book called "The lost Years" (Surviving a mother and daughters worst nightmare)  by: Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry. It is a true story about overcoming addiction. I thought it was a great book. I would reccomend it to anyone that is going through addiction or knows someone who is. In the book both perspectives are portrayed (the addict & the co-dependent)  I know that I was inspired by their story. 

Scripture of the day: Hebrews 11: 1-40


Words of encouragement:

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up.”

~Les Brown~

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“Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.”

~Unknown~

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“Fall seven times, stand up eight.”

~Unknown~

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“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

~Winston Churchill~

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“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.”

~Unknown~

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My story continues:

 While I was gone on my mission, my parents decided to relocate to Utah from Houston to help with Travis, so I also relocated to Utah once my mission was complete. I started college two days after my arrival in Utah. I tried out for the golf team at Salt Lake Community college, and I made the team! I was attending church regularly, and making the transition from missionary life to college student quite well. I was leading a happy, productive, and sober life. At this point I had been clean from drugs and alcohol for over three years. I had been home from my mission for approximately one-year when I planned a trip back to Houston to visit old friends. Because I had been clean from alcohol and drug use for over three years, I thought it would be no big deal to visit an old friend who was the music D.J at a local bar. I thought I was strong enough to resist the temptation. By the end of the night I had let my guard down and had a few drinks. Those few drinks turned into a lifestyle of drinking and smoking. I know now that I should have never let my guard down the first time.

It wasn’t long after arriving back in Utah that I was drinking at a party, and I was introduced to methamphetamines. I became addicted to meth in a very short period of time, to be honest I became addicted the very first time I tried it! At first while I was using meth I was productive, and could accomplish all sorts of projects, but it wasn’t long and I would stay awake for days at a time and accomplish absolutely nothing! I was “spun-out” going in circles and going no where really fast! My life “spun” out of control! I quit going to school, and I could not hold down a job for any length of time. I was arrested for another D.U.I. and put on probation. I was still using meth while I was on probation, so I ended up violating probation and serving seven months in the Salt Lake County Jail. While I was using meth I also was charged with “forgery” for taking my own mothers debit card! Yes, I was that addicted that I would take from my own mother!!! Call it a coincidence if you like, but both arrests “just happened” to be on April 19^th, which is the same date B.J. was killed! That was another wake up call, and it helped me to realize that God is so much involved in the details of our lives, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from using again. Upon my release from jail I did stop using for a while. I actually landed a decent job at the golf course, and I was playing golf again. I was playing often enough that I decided to turn professional, and try to qualify for the “Utah Open”. My father and I played in the qualifying round together; we both missed the cut by just a few strokes. When the golf season ended because the harsh, freezing cold winter, so did my job. I was out of work and within one month of not working I was back on the streets and back on meth once again. Once again I was addicted to the devil’s dust.  I was also addicted to the lifestyle of fast money, fats cars, and fast women! I was living life in the fast lane, and involved in all sorts of drug, and alcohol use. My mom kept trying to tell me, “Daniel, if you don’t change your lifestyle, something very bad is going to happen to you, its not a matter of IF its going to happen, its just a matter of WHEN”. And boy was she ever right!

While I was staying sober and working a full time job, my father bought me a really nice vehicle, with leather seats, it even had touch button four-wheel drive. It was very nice. I would use my vehicle to get the drugs I wanted without having to come up with cash by providing rides to those who had my drug of choice, and needed a ride. We would just trade; I’ll give you a ride if you will hook me up with some dope, that’s pretty much how it went.  Well I had met this couple who was in the business of selling all types of drugs, and they didn’t have a vehicle, so it worked out great for me, or so I thought. I was so lost in that world of self deception it was scary. I was hanging around the wrong crowd and I was about to find out first hand just how evil these people were. It was on April 28^th, a Sat night, when I decided that I wanted to get high on meth. I contacted the couple that I knew that might be willing to trade some meth for a ride, and sure enough, they did need a ride. Well, it was John’s girl-friend that was home and needed the ride; John was not there at the time I arrived. Their main drug sales came from crack cocaine, so they would buy large quantities of powder cocaine and then cook it up into crack, and then sell it. Sarah needed a ride to “re-up” on the powder supply, so in exchange for some methamphetamines, I gave her a ride.

It was April 29^th 2007, a Saturday night that quickly turned into Sunday morning. It was just John’s girl-friend, my self, and the lady that she bought the cocaine from. It was a small apartment. I was just hanging out waiting while they were smoking and talking. When Sarah got the phone call, I could see the look on her face that something was very wrong. She hung up the phone and then reached into her pocket and pulled out $180.00 cash, and asked me if I would return the money to this irate woman for her. She went on to explain that this woman had given her the money for meth, and that because she hadn’t returned with the meth yet, this woman thought she was being robbed. This irate woman had already sent people to Sarah’s house, and physically assaulted her room mate. That was what the phone call was all about. Sarah may have been a drug dealer, but she wasn’t one to run off with your money. She was not planning to steal this woman’s money. Sarah asked me to return the irate ladies money, and I said I would do it. We were concerned about my safety, so they wanted me to take one of their friends with me, as well as pick up John and take him with us too. These two guys talked me into taking the money up to the ladies house and getting her to open the door, and then they would show up after. To my knowledge they never discussed what they were going to do once they got into the house. I assumed that they were going to threaten her, and maybe take her money. I went and knocked on the ladies door while John and the other guy parked the vehicle. She let me right in, and I had a really bad feeling, so I told her that I had half the money and that we needed to leave to go get the other half. She was trying to get ready to leave when there was a knock at the door. I knew it was John and the other guy, but I DID NOT KNOW that they were going to come in with their guns drawn! This other guy that I am leaving nameless for many reasons decided that he was going to torcher this lady! He made her sit on the couch, and forced a sock in her mouth! He was scaring her by telling her that he was going to kill her entire family if she told anyone what was happening. He begins to burn her over and over on her arms with a lit cigarette! He also forced her to smoke the crack pipe! This poor lady was so scared that she was having an asthma attack. I saw her inhaler there next to her and asked the unidentified guy if she could use it. He let her use her inhaler to catch her breath. She had a little dog in her lap also. We found out later that it was a service dog to help with her anxiety.  They had asked me to look out the windows to keep a look out if anyone was coming, so that’s what I was doing. I saw a man pull up out front, and they told her not to answer the door. This man knocked for a few minutes, and then drove away. A short time later a man and another woman showed up. This time they wanted her to let them in the house. As soon as they came into the house they were commanded at gunpoint to sit on the couch and be quiet. Then they forced gags into their mouth also! It seemed like we were there for an hour at this point.

 I was in the back bedroom looking out the window when the unidentified guy came back there and asked me if I had ever done any thing like this before. I told him, “no I have not, why do you ask”? He then handed me his gun, turned and ask John for his gun, and handed me that gun also!  He said, “I want you to come out here and point the guns at this man”. I knew I wouldn’t actually pull the trigger, but I did walk out there and point the guns at the man. When I walked around the corner and looked at this man in his eyes, it was as if he could see in my eyes that I wasn’t going to use those guns. He immediately spit the gag out of his mouth, jumped up out of his seat, and grabbed the unidentified guy in a head lock, and yelled out , “if your going to kill me , then go ahead and kill me”! I was not going to pull the trigger, that’s for sure, but John reached over and took his gun out of my hand. John then yelled out, “Let him go, let him go!” but the angry man only squeezed tighter, holding the unidentified guy in a head lock. Not even thirty seconds went by and John put the 40 glock pistol to this mans head, and BANG, he pulled the trigger!!! The man was dead before he even hit the ground! I immediately turned for the door and ran! I was in shock!  I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was wearing flip flops that day, and I ran as fast as I could around the corner into a small grocery store. I then came out of the store and begin walking down the street, by this time I could hear all of the sirens. John pulled up next to me, and said, “Get in, hurry, and get in”. I jumped in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and we drove off.

John had his gun in his lap, and was very calm and collective, as if he had done this before. I on the other hand looked like I had just seen a ghost! John quickly informed me that he had to kill everyone! He said, “I could not leave any witnesses, I had to kill them all, I shot the women too!” I couldn’t believe my ears, but it was true, after he shot that man point blank in his head, he then shot him again point blank in his head after he had hit the ground! John then turned the gun on the women. He shot one of them eight times, and the other one seven times!!! Would you believe that he even killed the ladies service dog that was in her lap? Well, he did! He had an extended clip, a total of seventeen shots.

 As we were driving down the road John told me that I needed to stay close to him, until he said otherwise. I didn’t realize that he was out of bullets, so at the time I felt it would be best to comply with his demands. We drove back over to the woman’s house were Sarah (Johns girlfriend) was waiting. The unidentified guy that was with us showed up there also after running several miles all the way back.  A short time later John had a friend show up in a stolen car, with stolen license plates. John, myself, John’s friend- Stacy, who brought the stolen car, and John’s girl-friend loaded into this car and took off to Wendover, Nevada ( a nearby casino town).

 The next thing you know we were at the casino watching the headline news, “killers on the loose, triple homicide in S. Salt Lake City”. I was still in disbelief, and in shock. I just couldn’t believe that John had actually committed murder right in front of my face! I felt so bad. I was horrified and terrified!

We found out later that the man died, but both women had lived!!! I was so grateful to hear that the women lived. It is a true miracle that those two women lived after being shot so many times! I know God spared their lives. I don’t know about you, but I believe in miracles! To this day I feel terrible for the man that lost his life that day. Although I did not have any intent to harm anyone I know I should not have been doing the things I was doing that day. I want to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to that man’s family. I am very sorry for your loss and I wish God’s richest blessings upon your family.

I will continue to post more as folks read it..Thanks again for reading my blog. I hope you have been inspired in some way. God Bless!

  

Be a true soldier in God's army....my story continued.

MY THOUGHTS: Hello, I am back again. THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG!  My first week of school has been busy, but very educational. I am already learning so much about the counseling world. It seems that the "world"  has come up with many diffirent theories on how to overcome our problems. I would say that most of these theories are good, but in my mind everything always comes back to God! I have learned from the scriptures that God actually gives us all diffirent weaknesses, so will humble ourselves and turn to Jesus Christ, and then when we humble ourselves and tap into the power of Jesus Christ; He will turn our weaknesses into our greatest strengths! The keys to overcoming addiction and any weakness are found in humility and faith in God. To be humble is the oppisite of prideful. To be humble means that we are willing to listen and learn new things. When we are humble then we are willing to take the action to do whatever it takes to stop the self destructive behavior. When we are humble we are willing to get down on our knees and pray to our Heavenly Father. I truly believe that addiction is a spiritual matter. What I mean is that we all have a spirit body inside of our physical body. It is our spiritual health that is most important. If you are spiritualy strong you are much more capable of standing strong in the face of temptation. When you are spiritualy strong you are able to have self control. To become spiritually strong one must exercise spiritually. We exercise spiritually by reading God's word and by prayer and fasting. We exercise spiritually also by choosing the right in the face of temptation. Temptation is the opportunity to choose the wrong or choose the right. When we choose good over evil we are exercising spiritually.
It is true that a spiritual war was started in heaven before we ever came to this earth. Satan rebelled against God and the battleground has been moved here upon this earth. This is why I am writing a book to explain the reality of Gods army and Satan's army! We are all involved in this war and our very own souls are at stake!!! It is our freedom to choose who's army we will fight in. You are actually choosing each day who's army you are in by the choices you make! As for me and my house we will choose to be all we can be as true soldiers in God's army! What about you?
One point I am trying to make today is that the world can teach you all sorts of great information, but eternal truths, or God's truths will be the most effective in overcoming addiction. I firmly believe that God's words will help you change behavior faster than any other words will! This is why I choose to participate in the addiction recovery program that has been created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this program the original 12 steps have been adapted into a framework that coincides with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our higher power is recognized specifically as God and Jesus Christ. If you would like to learn more about the program you can go to lds.org.
 I also want to make the point that God will win this war! Satan's destiny is already determined, but as for you and I it is yet to be determined. You must choose to live rightously to have the protection of God's armor. You see, our choices are really all we have to offer God that is not already His. He owns and operates EVERYTHING, except our freedom to choose. Our freedom to choose is a free gift that He will never take from us. This is one of the main purposes of life, to be tested. This is why God allows the devil to tempt us , so we can have oppisition and opportunities to grow. We are sent here to learn of good and evil and then make a choice as to which we will follow.   
I hope you will learn from reading my story that when you choose good that God grants you the strength to stay on His side of this spiritual battle that we call life. When you choose the right you feel good. When you choose the wrong you feel bad! Well most of us do anyway. Yes bad things happen to good people, but God always grants you the peace and strength to get through our trials if we turn to Him. I hope this encourages you to seek out Gods will for your life and then pray to have the strength to carry it out. He is your living Father, He will lead you, guide you, and protect you as you draw near to Him. He will also bless you with an inner joy and peace that the world cannot couterfeit. It is my testimony that Jesus Christ lives and loves us all. I know God is our Father and He is involved in the very details of our lives.


Scripture of the day: EPHESIANS 6:10-18



WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:  This is a poem that was written for the theme of my book....Its called:           "Im a True Soldier"

I’m a true soldier, that’s what I am, saved and sanctified, by the blood of the Lamb, fighting each day, on my road to recovery, and along the way, I made a discovery, it’s a spiritual world, where this battle is held, and when fighting this battle, I am often compelled, to give into my flesh, or an evil spirits temptations, but I must be strong, and meet the Lords expectations, for He would not have me weak, living in sin, so in prayer to Him, is how each day I begin, Jesus loves me, now and forever, of this I’m sure, but there’s times that I’m weak, and its hard to endure, and during these times, He helps me to be strong, to put things in perspective, right where they belong, this spiritual battle I fight, is one fought everyday, one that the devil would win, if he had his way, his temptations are many, but none can I afford, because when I give into them, it hurts Jesus my Lord, Yes, IM A TRUE SOLDIER, and may I always be, ready to fight temptations many forms, on my road to recovery.  

Here is more of my personal story: 

B.J. was only 23 years old when he died. I was 21 at the time. In dealing with B.J.’s death,  I turned to more drugs, and more alcohol. You could say that my drinking and drug use went from bad to worse. It was at this point in my life that I had another spiritual experience. I want to share this experience with you in hopes that your faith in Jesus Christ will grow stronger. I was living my weed smoking, beer drinking life style when my sister Missy called one day and said she needed to speak to me. She said that she had something very important to tell me, but that it needed to be in person. One day soon after that phone call she came over to my house and this is what happened. Missy explained to me that she had been inspired by God to relay a message to me. She told me that Jesus Christ wanted me to know that He knows me personally, and that he has a special love for me. She said that the Savior of the World desires for me to turn my heart towards Him. She said that He wants me to imagine a door with a small window in it, and that I should picture Jesus looking at me through this window. She went on to say that Jesus is watching me at all times, and that he is very aware of me as an individual. This door is a unique door, she said because on this door there is only one door handle. This door only opens from your side Daniel. Jesus has great blessings in store for you, but you have to open the door, He has no door handle. You must open your heart and let Him in. Here is how the spiritual experience happened. Missy said to me, “Daniel, I was promised that the Holy Ghost would tell you that what I am saying to you is true.” As she spoke those words to me, my entire body, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, was filled with the Holy Ghost. It was such a powerful force and such overwhelming feelings that I immediately burst into tears. The Holy Ghost pierced me to the center of my soul! It was an indescribable feeling, a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful, warm feeling. I instantly knew without any doubt that Missy’s words were true. I came to know for myself that Jesus Christ really is alive today, and that He is aware of me as an individual. I had gained a sure witness that left such a powerful impression on my soul that I will never forget it. I know that Jesus Christ lives! I KNOW THAT HE LIVES AND LOVES ME!  I have learned that the door Missy was speaking of actually symbolizes my heart. You see, Jesus Christ also knocks on your heart and desires for you to open it up for Him to come into your heart. We learn this from the book of Revelations chapter 3 Verse 20. Jesus said, “behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.”  Jesus Christ loves and knows each one of us as individuals, and He is constantly there to heal our hearts. I know Jesus Christ lives, and that He is very aware of our individual circumstances. He knows us better than we know ourselves. YES, JESUS KNOWS YOU AND LOVES YOU TOO!

You would think that an experience like that would be enough to get me to change my ways, but it wasn’t. I continued to drink and use drugs even after that experience. It was New Years Eve in 1999 when the Lord decided to give me a wake up call. I was driving home in the middle of the night after being out partying all night when I was pulled over and arrested for D.U.I. Let me tell you, the Harris county jail, in Houston, Texas is no place to ring in the New Year. You wouldn’t think that one could have a spiritual experience inside of such a crazy place, but I did. While I was sleeping in that jail B.J. (who had been dead for almost two years) spoke to me in a dream! B.J. told me that he too was in some sort of bondage, and that he needed me to “bail him out”.  When I woke up, I instantly knew that B.J. really was in spirit prison and that I needed to prepare to go through the Temple of the Lord in behalf of him. Inside the Temples we perform saving ordinances for those who have passed on into the spirit world that can no longer do it for them selves. I knew that I needed to clean my act up and do what I had to do to help my brother. This spiritual experience inspired me, and gave me the motivation to change my life. It took some time, but I cleaned my life up, and in the process of cleaning my life up I was inspired to prepare to serve a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   

I received my mission call, and was called to serve in the English speaking, Connecticut, Hartford mission. This mission covered all of Connecticut and Rhode Island. I went to the MTC (missionary training center) in the year of 2000. A short time later I flew out to Hartford Connecticut. I ended up serving in places like Groton, East Haven, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. I also lived all over Rhode Island while I was on my mission.  I grew to know and love New England. I worked hard and served an honorable two-year mission that included much success and many spiritual experiences. My mission has been by far the most rewarding two years of my life so far! If you have the opportunity to go on a mission for the Lord, I encourage you to do so. You will be so blessed for serving the Lord full-time!

Just before my mission was complete, my sister’s oldest son Travis was in a terrible car accident that caused a very severe traumatic brain injury. His accident left him in a coma and unconscious for many weeks. Once he awoke he was left unable to use any part of his body, he couldn’t hold his head up, sit up, and move his arms or legs; he couldn’t move his eyes or blink at will. He had a feeding tube, had to wear diapers, had a shunt in his head, and was confined to a wheel chair. Through Travis’ determination, faith, and hard work, countless hours of therapy, he has been blessed to overcome all of those things. Although he has an unusual gift to communicate with his spirit, his speech has yet to return. His right arm has had some movement come back, but he cannot use it functionally. Travis is a true soldier in God’s army and living proof that through hard work and dedication we can recover from just about anything!

I will continue to share more of my story each week... My purpose in sharing my story is because it is in the sharing of our personal stories that we ignite hope in one another. When we share our personal stories then others can see that we are just real people with real problems.If I can change well then so can you!!!  I hope that someone is uplifted and decides to change their life beacause of my story. I will continue to post atlaest once a week. Thank you for reading my blog. God Bless!!!    

Be A True Soldier in God's Army: Be a True Soldier in God's Army....more of my stor...

Be A True Soldier in God's Army: Be a True Soldier in God's Army....more of my stor...: Hello and good day to you! PLEASE REFER ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT STRUGGLES WITH ADDICTION TO THIS BLOG. THIS BLOG IS ALSO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ...

Be A True Soldier in God's Army: True Soldiers in Gods Army.....My first blog post....

Be A True Soldier in God's Army: True Soldiers in Gods Army.....My first blog post....:  Hello world! My smart, beautiful, creative, and loving sister Missy Ashton has created this blog for me and encouraged me to start blogging...

Be a True Soldier in God's Army....more of my story!

Hello and good day to you! PLEASE REFER ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT STRUGGLES WITH ADDICTION TO THIS BLOG. THIS BLOG IS ALSO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE DEALING WITH SOMEONE THAT IS STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION. Thank you to everyone that is reading this blog, I really appreciate it and I sure hope you are uplifted and inspired in some way. I figure it will be helpful to others to not only share my addiction recovery story with you, but also to let you in on a little of what is happening in my life today.

I was injured on the job a few months ago and I have been in physical therapy for weeks now. My most recent job is assembling (BOP's) which are blow out preventers that go under an oil rig. Yes, a BOP is the same piece of eqipment that failed and caused an explosion and oil spill in the gulf! It has been a great job that pays well, but since I hurt my lower back at work I have decided to go back to school. I figure I need to work more with my brains than with my back! I feel like God is leading me to change my direction in life. I am going to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. I will work with others struggling with addiction. The goal is to one day own and operate my own treatment facility. My first day of school is Monday. I am 36 yrs old and going back to school!!!  So if your thinking of going back to school or learning a trade of some sort I encourage you to get started today. I am doing it with a positive attitiude and so can you! They say life is all about your attitude, it will make you or break you...Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it! JUST DO IT!!

Whatever you are going through in life remember that you are not alone...we are all in this together...and never be ashamed to reach out and ask for help. We all need help at diffirent times in our lives.  Most important remember that God is literally your Father and He is ALWAYS there for you. It is also important to remember that some blessings are conditioned on you asking for them, this is why the scriptures repeat so often the phrase, "ASK AND YE SHALL RECIEVE". Because God wants to hear from His children, He wantys to hear from YOU! Dont forget to pray today my friends. Never under estimate the power of prayer. Prayer is one of our most powerful weapons in this spiritual warfare we call life.  God hears and answers your sincere prayers. I know its true!  I remember when God answered the prayer of someone through me and it was such a cool feeling to realize that God answered someones prayer through ME! I was in a substance abuse treatment facility when it happened. I had been having frequent gospel conversations with this young man also in the treatment facility. His name was Gary. One night in my dream I saw Gary down on his knees praying to God. I didnt really think much of it, but the next day I told Gary that he was in my dream. I told him that in my dream he was wearing a shirt and a tie and he was praying to God. Gary became really emotional as he explained to me that the night I had the dream he had been down on his knees praying to his Heavenly Father. Gary siad that he specifically asked God to answer his prayer in a dream! All of the sudden it was clear that God had infact not only heard Gary's prayer, but He also answered his prayer! God really does hear our prayers...Im not sure how He does it...I just know that He does!!! That is just one example. I have had many really cool  experiences with the power of prayer. When we pray we should pray from our hearts and not use vain repetitions. If you have never learned to pray or forgotten how, well I will teach you now. Just follow this simple pattern : 1 Adress your Heavenly Father,2 Give thanks for whatever your thankful for,3 Ask for whatever you feel you need, and 4 close in the name of Jesus Christ. Thats it! Just be sincere!
  By the way I would like to say that I really appreciate it when you comment here on this blog. It really means a lot to me, so please leave your comments. Have you ever had an experience when God has answered your prayers? Have you ever been the answer to someone elses prayer? I know you have. It happens all the time and we dont even realize it! If you feel like you want to share an experience that you have had with prayer PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT HERE! Remember others are inspired by your experiences. Also please feel free to share whatever you may be going through in life or any uplifting exerience, and please LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BLOG (good or bad) please keep it clean...Thank you!

The scripture for today is: MATTHEW 6: 5-8....   To encourage you to open your scriptures I will only put the reference to the scripture. Its your job to open your Bible and read it. Remember the words of God have more power over the hearts of men than anything else. Gods words have the power to change your life!


Words of encouragement:

“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.” – Unknown

“If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” – Flavia Weedn

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

“You must do the think you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Time heals all wounds.” – Common Saying

“Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don’t look back at it too long. Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come.” – Og Mandino


Now I will post a little more of my personal story. I will continue to post a little at a time untill you know my entire addiction recovery story. Well you will know a lot of it anyway......I firmly believe that when we are just real with eachother, and we share our real life stories we are empowered and we ignite hope in eachother, so here is the next part of MY STORY.....

My brothers were not into golf like I was. My older brother B.J. has always loved animals, and has always been very gifted working with animals. B.J. was always finding some sort of animal and bringing it home. I remember B.J. coming home with rats, cats, birds, dogs, even deer! So it was really no surprise when one day he showed up at the driving range with his new pet chicken. B.J. gave this chicken a name and a home at the family driving range. We called her “Homie- the- chicken”. It wasn’t long and this chicken was pooping all over the pro-shop and everywhere. Somehow B.J. trained Homie the chicken to hang her rear end into the trash can while she pooped! Homie also spent much of her time sitting on a bunch of cracked golf balls thinking they were her eggs about to hatch! I will never forget Homie-the-golf-ball-hatchin-trash-can-poopin-chicken!

I mention B.J. and Homie the chicken because it was around this same time in my life that B.J. convinced me to smoke marijuana with him. I was still in jr. high school .This was such a big mistake in my life because once I started smoking weed my life changed for the worse. My motivation and ambition to practice golf faded away. I started doing worse in school, I begin to smoke cigarettes and my life just took a turn for the worse. I was no longer living just for golf, now I was out looking for a party all of the time.  Marijuana proved to be the gateway drug in my life. It is true that the inner voice deep down inside of me would tell me that it was wrong to smoke, but the more I smoked the more that inner voice faded away. Shortly after I tried marijuana, I tried alcohol, and by the time I was in 10^th grade I had experimented with L.S.D., mushrooms, ecstasy, and cocaine! B.J.’s influence played a large role in a lot of those experiences. My mom’s younger brother “Ted” lived with our family off and on for all of my young life. I hate to say it, but Uncle Ted was a drug addict. I believe it was Ted’s influence that had B.J. using drugs at such a young age. As Bj’s drug problem got worse his influence on me became worse and worse. I don’t blame him for my own mistakes; I am just saying that my older brother’s influence definitely had an impact on my life. B.J. has always been very wild and crazy. By the time he was 18 yrs old he had already been arrested several times and graduated criminal boot camp. B.J. was off and on drugs after that. He eventually had a big marijuana leaf tattooed on his back that said “Texas Redneck”. B.J. swore that he would go out in a bang some day, he also swore that he would smoke weed until the day he died, and that he did! It was on the 19^th of April in 1998 on a beautiful Springtime Sunday morning when B.J. got the call. He was in the shower getting cleaned up for church when a group of friends called and invited him to the lake. They had planned to bar-b-q, play volleyball, and water ski, and have some good old Texas lake-side fun. B.J. couldn’t resist the offer, so he decided to skip church and join the party. This was the worst mistake of his life! He and his solid white pit-bull named “Arnold” jumped in the car with a group full of friends. The driver had been up all Saturday night drinking, and getting high before he showed up that Sun. morning. After a long day of partying, and lakeside “fun”, the driver was even more intoxicated for the drive home. In the pursuit to drop B.J. off back at home, the driver began to drive at speeds over 150 M.P.H.! B.J. loved to drive fast, so he an Arnold were in the back seat laughing, and enjoying the ride. Although several of the other guys in the car were pleading with the driver to slow down, he just drove faster and faster. By the time the driver noticed the sharp curve in the road, it was too late. He tried to steer the car back onto the road, but he over corrected. The road turned, but the car kept on going straight. The over correction to try and get back on the road at such excessive speeds caused the vehicle to shoot completely across the road and collide with a giant tree stump. B.J. went flying through the air and he was killed instantly when the car landed on him! Everyone else in the car, including Arnold, lived and suffered only minor injuries.

There are many life lessons to be learned from B.J.’s death, but one of the most powerful lessons I learned was about forgiveness. You see, at first I wanted to get revenge on the driver of the car. I blamed him for killing my brother, but in reality it was my brother that chose to skip church that day and get in the car with an intoxicated driver. It took me some time to realize that I needed to forgive. I realized it when we were in court for the sentencing of the driver and the Judge asked my Dad if he had any words to say. My dad surprised everyone when he told that judge that he believed that this young man was a child of God, and that prison would not rehabilitate him. My dad said that this young man deserves a chance to turn his life around. The judge couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and to be honest I couldn’t believe it either.  That’s when it hit me that I needed to forgive him, and I did. The judge sentenced him to many years of probation. The young man turned his life around and is now sober, and today he is a successful member of society. I have learned so much from B.J.’s death over the years. I have learned that “we live to die, and we die to live in a different realm” (Russell M Nelson). In other words I have learned that death is just as natural as being born!  We never stop living, even after we die, life is everlasting! God’s plan is an ETERNAL plan! I know B.J. is very much alive in the spirit world today, along with good old Uncle Ted. It wasn’t long after B.J’s death and Uncle Ted also passed on into the world of spirits.

There you have it.....I will post more as people read it.....Thank you so much for reading my blog. REMEMBER YOUR COMMENTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!! 

True Soldiers in Gods Army.....My first blog post...an intro to my story!

 Hello world! My smart, beautiful, creative, and loving sister Missy Ashton has created this blog for me and encouraged me to start blogging, so here goes. ...
I am a  recovering alcoholic and drug addict that has a burning desire to help others overcome addiction. I also desire to share the hope and happiness that I have found in my life by turning to the Lord. I desire to be a light in this world filled with so much darkness and bring encouragement into the lives of others in whatever way I can. So I figure this blog is a perfect way to reach people all over the globe! Well if I just reach out to one person and help that person change for the better in some small way well then I have been successful!
I have been working on a book now for sometime. This book is called "True Soldiers in God's Army" (Twelve Steps to Understanding Lifes Spiritual Battle & Overcoming Addiction). I have written the entire book, but at this point I am still in the process of finding a publisher or raising the money to edit and publish the book myself . I will not stop untill this book is materialized and in the hands of addicts and prisoners all over the world!!! I know the book is inspired by God and He is guiding me through this process so I am very confident. My faith in God is real and active!
In this book I tell my own personal story in hopes that others will be able to relate with me and find the courage to change. I figure I will begin this blog by just being real and sharing my own story a little at a time. I will also post scriptures and words of encouragement throughout the week to hopefully brighten your day and help you along the road of life. Please share with me your questions, thoughts, and feelings about whatever is on your mind. Im here to be a friend to all...  The scripture for today is: John 3:16....For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." How does it make you feel to know that our Father in Heaven Loves us that much? It brings joy to my soul to think that the creator of the universe loves ME!!!


Words of encouragement:  

                         

“I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah” ~ David, King of Israel & Judah

“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away’.’’ ~ Abraham Lincoln, 16^th President of the United States of America 

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty” ~ Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during WWII 

"... tie a knot and hang on"

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. “ ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States of America 

Here is the beginning of my story.....

                                                           

      I hope that by sharing my personal story that you will relate with me as just a real person that has been through a lot of the same things that you have. It is by sharing our stories that we ignite hope in one another. It is by sharing our personal stories that we encourage others to believe in themselves, and to have the courage to change. I am just a real person with real problems and if I can change, well then so can you! Here is my story…

 I have been running from the cops since the day I was born! I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. We were literally in a high speed chase on the day I was born! On November 27^th 1976 my dad was speeding to the hospital while my mom was in full blown labor with me. My mom was about to give birth to me right there in the passenger seat. My dad was speeding along trying to get us to the hospital when he saw the police lights in his rearview mirror. We were being pulled over for speeding, so my dad pulled over and tried to explain to the officer that his wife was in labor and that he needed to hurry to the hospital. Well, I guess the officer was taking a little too long, because my dad hit the gas pedal and left that cop standing right there on the side of the road! It was a high speed chase all the way to Herman hospital there in Houston, Texas! The officer had to be persuaded not to ticket my father once we arrived at the hospital.  So, it really is true, I have been running from the law since the day I was born!!!

I come from a long line of Texans. I am a 7^th generation Texan. One of my great Grandfathers’s actually purchased a piece of land from the republic of Texas, when we were our own country! Texans are very proud to be from Texas incase you didn’t know. I always say, “You can take me out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of me”. I love to travel, but Texas will always be home to me.

I am the middle child of five children. There were four boys and one girl. My sister “Missy” is the oldest. Then there was “B.J”. Then me “Daniel”, then “Davis”, and the youngest is “Ben”.  We are all only two to three years apart, so we have all always been close friends. We spent our elementary school days in NW Houston, Texas.  My father “Bob” always made pretty good money, so we never had to go without the things we needed to live comfortably. My father has always been a man of God. When I say, “Man of God” I mean he was in church every Sunday, and he didn’t just talk the talk, he actually walked the walk.  I mean he was a man of his word and he was honest, and hard working. He made sure that come Sunday morning, we were in church. My father loved the game of golf with a passion and he played golf until the day that he died. He actually passed away while he was playing golf! He was on the 7^th hole when he had heart failure at the age of 60. I love that man, and miss him very much.  It is my father that taught me by example how to stand strong and brave as a true soldier in God’s army. My father was a righteous God fearing man and he left a legacy behind that makes me want to be a better person every day. I love you Dad!

My mom, “Paula” was what you would call a “stay-at-home” mom; she has played a large role in my recovery by just always being there for me and loving me no matter what.  I have said more than once that, “it was the love that she had for me when I didn’t even love myself that has had more of an impact on me than anything else.” I have always been very close to my Mom. I guess you could call me a “momma’s boy”. My mom is loved by everyone. She has a special gift to love everyone unconditionally. Maybe it was the fact that her father was so abusive to her that she is so loving and forgiving to everyone, I’m not for sure, but I am for sure that I am very thankful to have a mom that taught me that love is one of the most powerful forces in this world. My parents tried to have us in church every Sunday. They taught us about God and His eternal plan. They taught us how to pray and to recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost. In fact soon after I was baptized at the age of eight I had a spiritual experience that I will share with you now. One summer day I was walking down a creek side all alone. I was just walking along throwing rocks into the creek enjoying the Texas summer sunshine, when all of the sudden I was compelled by some strange force to turn and run as fast as I could. When I say I was compelled, I mean some powerful force outside of my self literally caused me to turn and run! When I looked back at where I had been walking, I saw a giant six foot snake lying right in my path! At that very moment I knew I had been protected by a higher power. I knew that God was aware of me, and that the Holy Ghost has the power to warn us of danger. It was a big snake and it would have bitten me! I would have walked right onto that snake if it wasn’t for the influence of the Holy Ghost. I have known since that day that God is real and that the Holy Ghost has the power to warn and protect us. I know it’s true!

I fell in love with the game of golf around the age of eight. My dad was a member of a private C.C. that I would play at every chance I got. During the summer, my Dad would drop me off before daylight on his way to work, and I would play golf all day long, and I loved every minute of it. He would pick me up on his way home from work. I was in jr.high school when my Dad leased a popular driving range in N.W. Houston, TX. I practically lived on that driving range. I loved the driving range. If I was not at school, I was at the golf course, or on the driving range. I begin to make pretty good money for a fifteen year old. I would go up and down the tee box and clean golf clubs for five bucks a set. My Dad also paid me to pick up, and clean golf balls. He taught me everything I needed to know to operate the driving range. A lot of my time at the driving range was spent practicing golf.  I would hit a thousand balls a day sometimes! I was in love with golf. I was playing in the H.G.A.( Houston Golf Association), as well as the A.J.G.A. (American Junior Golf Association). Let’s just say that golf was pretty much my life.

Ok....there is the beginning of my story....I will continue my story as people begin to read it. Thanks and have a blessed day!