The Gutter Gospel

INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------(I Will Praise You in This Storm) I have heard it said that any life worth living is one worth recording. My life has been filled with treatments for severe alcohol addiction and several stays in mental wards. I was placed on civil commitments in two states. I have suffered tremendous loss and torment due to my mental illness and addiction. I have had several major manic breaks which ended up shaking me to my very core every time. I have lived most of my life terrified of my own shadow and afraid to step into the light of God's truth and loving arms. I accepted Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior on September 8, 1988. I then questioned His ability to truly make a meaningful difference in my life, so I turned back to the gutter. Through all of the drunken, heartbreaking days and nights, God never let go. God let me run as far as I could until I reached the absolute end of myself. I became homeless and had nothing. I went from living in a homeless shelter to buying my own house in one year. Twenty-three veterans per day take their own lives. I hope by sharing my story I can offer hope to everyone who is hurting and struggling with their own issues. Everyone suffers. However, God uses broken people to minister to other hurting souls.