I’m a alcoholic, and my name is Jerry W. No amount of whiskey or what ever kind of drug could get me where I thought I wanted to be. After 28 years of abusing alcohol, drugs, people and everything else, I was as miserable as misery could get.

Family couldn’t stand me, where I was, or even 1100 miles away. Friends kept asking me, “What’s wrong with you Jerry.” I couldn’t manage to tell them because I really didn’t understand it all myself. Bottle always in hand, bar rooms a muck, poppin’, snortin’, smokin’, scooti’n anything, and fun had all been robbed from me. Wife, brother and sister n’ law, two friends in prison for my habits. Best friend with both ankles broken from drugs deals gone bad from me. Didn’t care to hide, didn’t care to run, just plain didn’t care about anything, except chasing after that proverbial buzz I couldn’t find.

One day I had an idea. I was headed there any way. I went to the police station and told ‘em I was the person who could answer some specific questions they were searching. It was my stupidness that they arrested my families and friends for, let ‘em all out and take me in. I gave them a long 5th step about me and about what all I’ve done. They threw me in a psych ward. After dryin’ out, I was taken to many discussion rooms filled with crazies, drunks, addicts and such. I didn’t talk any. After 30 days the doc told me he was releasing me to out patient therapy. I blew my cork. You see, I felt safe in there locked up with all the nuts. Of course I was a bolt, you know. But the doc insisted I leave and while I was out, to check out AA.

That day of reckoning was Feb. 11th, 1993. Of course the judge sentenced me to 3 years for things I admitted to, dropping all other charges because he knew deep down I was seeking help. I was in AA doing it my way of course. 3 years sorta sober sorta straight. Probation you know. Then a relapse. 3 more bits in jail on that 2 week relapse, and I was ready to ask God for a real chance. You know what, He gave it to me. It’s a funny thing. He has kept me sober and clean since May 7th, 1996. What a sense of humor He has. He gave me back fun, He gave me back family, He even gave me back my brain.

I am a Building and Property Manager for a top 5 radio network facility. I thank God for His sense of humor. What is also a funny thing is that God saw to it that I get into a church in 2001. Once being there a month or two, the Pastor asked if my wife and I could head up a ministry to help people struggling with addiction disorders. Perhaps we could study up on the subject and come up with a plan. I told my friend (the Pastor); “I am really tired of studying up on the subject, now I am more interested in His plan.” But we have to pray about it. After praying about it, we sat down and formalized a “Twelve Step plan for Christians.” Doing a little research we found material already published, “Twelve Steps for Christians.” We took that study along with our experiences and started a seminar.

One lady in a wheel chair that was miserable. jobless, and tired of living that way, decided to join our seminar. Afterwords she found joy and happiness through God’s grace and design.. She now is a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff working for 911. Her husband is still suffering from alcoholism and jobless, her children are still lazy and jobless, but she keeps on keeping on and is now setting a example for them. She has also taken steps in supporting them in their recovery. Tough love.

Another came into the seminar struggling with addiction. He now is clean and is helping around the church and its members doing carpentry work.

Too many stories of healing to mention. Not by our faults you know. But only by the grace of God’s love, forgiveness, and strengths.

Of course we still attend Alcoholics Anonymous ourselves. We are not cured nor have we graduated from AA. All it would take would be for a little ego mixed with an insane thought to wipe away all the riches, blessings and sweet sober moments God has graced us with. Humbleness to keep working one day at a time ourselves, on a few lingering character defects and short-comings, keeps us “keep on keeping on.”