"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;" Revelation 12:11

My story is one that points to Jesus.

I grew up in church and have a great family. During my sophomore year of high school found acceptance when I started drinking. I found that people liked me because I drank. So I started to develop a reputation as a partier. This rolled over into making the decision to move to Chico, Ca for college and my drinking really started to escalate.

I was charged with a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) when I was eighteen. Shortly after that a friend of mine overdosed and died. This should have been a wake-up call but wasn’t. I continued to drink.

In 2010 I was 21 when I really started to feel alone. Women and alcohol were not fulfilling. I felt empty. I turned to more alcohol and fell into depression. Then my actions caught up with me and found myself in jail again with another DUI.

I went to St. Helena Rehab and got sober. I moved back to Oakdale, CA with my parents.

I was able to start a company and got plugged into the church. I was seeking God and got baptized in the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, sobriety didn’t last long; I turned back to alcohol after about 3 months. My business was unsustainable after a year and a half.

I ended up in another court-ordered outpatient rehab program. I soon failed a drug test and ended up in an inpatient program. I continued to drink thinking I could get it under control. I started another company and was having success. Got offered a good job with a big company and went out celebrating with a friend. Not sure what exactly happened to this day but my vehicle was destroyed in a collision with a fence and a tree. My friend was driving my vehicle last I remember however I was the only one at the scene of the accident when the cops arrived. I received another DUI in 2012.

This was the time I really plugged into the church. I got sober and was praying constantly to get off of this DUI since I was fighting it. If you have ever gone through something and turn to God, that’s when he really reveals Himself to you. I was praying and seeking God. It was one of the most stressful times in my life. “How am I ever going to get a decent job and become something if God doesn’t show up and change the outcome of this?” God didn’t allow me to get off this DUI, I was charged. I was mad at God. Ask and I receive… what a joke.

During this time I got sober and decided that if I was going to do anything with my life I was going to have to go back to school and finish my degree. Sobriety only lasted one semester of college. Things were going good and were getting good grades and fooled myself into thinking drinking wouldn’t hurt me again. I was deceived even after all that I had been through. Basically my whole adult life I have been enrolled in a DUI program or doing some type of work program. But during this particular time, I was flying under the radar without getting into trouble. I finished my bachelor's degree. Got into a master’s program and was having a few years of success. On the outside things looked ok. But inside I was a mess, drinking every day and destroying every relationship with the people closest to me.

Finally, I was arrested again in 2016 for the last time facing another DUI. I remember crawling into a bottle of alcohol after I bailed myself out of Jail. I remember praying, “Lord my whole life has been filled with disappointment and misery, what am I supposed to do now?” He said submit to me and I will change your life.

So October 1, 2016, I entered into Teen Challenge and God slowly started to change me. I remember being so mad at myself and at God. How can he let me go through this? I am his child. But I realized He is not going to make gravity stop because of me. I still must reap what I sow.

Once I began to surrender, He began to change me.
Everything is not great in my life but life is far better than it was. I am still trusting Him for some major promises to be fulfilled in my life. I am standing in faith expecting.
I have over three and a half years sober and praise God for that; I didn’t think this could happen.

I am plugged into ministry serving whenever I can. I have been in four different countries serving God with SOTC and will be going to Belize again in a few weeks to serve the King of Kings.

All the things I have been through have made me a better man. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. I have been through a lot but the Lord is making me wiser and continually transforming me.

I thank God that my testimony is what the Word of God says the blood of Jesus does for me. I thank God for saving me.