(continued from About Us)
About Mike
The clichés and multiple meetings may get you temporarily clean and sober but you won’t be permanently free until you let God come into your life and remove all the warped tendencies that we act out as we ‘party through life’. Please don’t misunderstand me when I speak about ‘other than Christ-centered’ recovery programs. 
I have been there. I was court ordered to a 12-step program for over nine years when I was a younger more anxious man.
There were two factors that must be mentioned. The first is that you could not prove to me that I had a problem. The second is that since I knew I was okay, then there was no need to change my self destructive habits. Countless people with good intentions warned me that one day I would kill myself or someone else. One day I did kill someone. That was the day I ‘caught’ my eleventh drunk-driving. The twisted truth is that it wasn’t until I got my twelfth drunk driving that I admitted to myself that I had a problem.
The traditional 12-step programs never address the truth that recovery by definition is to be returned to a normal or improved state after a setback or loss. I can’t think of a better definition of addiction than a setback resulting in loss.
The 12-step programs refer to addiction or dependency on drugs, alcohol, etc. as a disease. I was led to believe that there were some diseases that were incurable. There is not a doctor on earth that will deny the fact that the human body was designed to heal itself. When we add toxins to an otherwise healthy body and mind then the bodies’ natural healing ability is limited and will eventually be unable to recover from the abuse. Then I learned the truth about healing. I found out that there is a supernatural way to get healed regardless of the hopeless condition that the body is in. For a more thorough explanation, please go to Why Christ-Centered?
Allow me to explain; addictions are defined as a “state of physiological or psychological dependence’ which says to me that we become addicted in our bodies and our minds. I submit to you that the human spirit is dragged into this madness along with the mind and the body. There is nothing that affects our minds and bodies that does not also affect our spirit. You cannot divide the three parts of the human being. Where most people miss the mark is thinking that the physical body is the predominant of the three. You can’t live without either of the three but the most prevalent is the human spirit.
About Susan
A lot of what I was going through had a root cause due to being sexually abused by my father beginning in my preschool age. When we have traumatic situations in our lives, it tends to distort our self-image and everything else is seen through the dirty lenses, in my opinion. I kept looking for relief for the pain and all the places I looked for it I found more emptiness. I was circling the drain in slow motion! Even though the sexual abuse stopped when my dad stopped drinking when I was young, the air was still not healthy at home. When I was a teenager, there were a few incidents with dad that were "very inappropriate" that shook what foundation I had. I did well in school, had some close friends but as a teenager, I was out of control. No surprise, I turned to boys, alcohol and drugs. I allowed myself to be taken advantage of and verbally abused in relationships that should have never got past the first glaring "red flag". This made me feel worse which took the already low self-esteem down another notch. Unfortunately the nice guys seemed boring. More poor decisions... more trying to relieve the pain...
Fast forward 20 years! A nice Christian woman that I worked for named Ann told me about Jesus and how much He loved me. Where had He been all my life?!. I had just married my daughter's father who was not a Christian and I gave my life to Jesus. Although he didn't want anything to do with "church stuff" he did acknowledge that it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I started to change. The first scripture that I ever grabbed on to was Jeremiah 29:11. The NIV translation reads: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. A HOPE AND A FUTURE!!! He has plans for me and He has plans for you! I had such a hard time learning to rely on and trust God! Often times our perception of God is based on our perception of our own earthly father. Needless to say, I never had much of a desire to have God in my life as a young person. I saw Him as the one who sat in heaven looking at me with shame, disappointment and the pointed finger of punishment. When I focused on God, things changed. I was becoming a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 in the New King James translation reads: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. It doesn't happen overnight, and I only prolonged it further with my stubbornness and lack of willingness to let go and trust Him. God has His own timetable too!
Ten years into the marriage, all was not well. I found myself going through a divorce, facing back surgery and looking for a full-time job after being a stay-at-home mom for 9 years. Guess what! With everything upside-down in my life, I was able to trust God through what seemed like a mountain. The really awesome part is that I was able to forgive my ex-husband and I made a decision not to be angry over the situation. Without all the bitterness and anger, I was walking in the perfect joy and peace that only God can give us! I found an awesome job and started it the day before my last physical therapy appointment after my back surgery. At night when I could not sleep, I used a PDA with Quick Verse (a computer program with the Bible on it) and would read it in the dark. My daughter and I attended a divorce recovery group at our church and I am so grateful for that experience. God was taking care of us! I was allowing Him to take care of us. We can come to Him in any situation, just as we are. We don't have to clean up and get it right before we can come to God. We can cry out, surrender and allow Him to do the rest. Yes, we do have our part, but he is gentle, loving, patient and He has such a compassion for us when we are hurting. I don't care how horrible we have been in our past, no matter what we have done, nothing is too horrific for God to forgive and He wants to throw His arms around your shoulders while you cry out to Him, "take it away. I am tired, I am hurting, I am sick, I am weary and I don't want to live another day like this." All He needs is your permission and He moves right in. Imagine all the anger and bitterness replaced with joy, rest and peace! Matthew 11:28-30 in the New King James version reads (these are Jesus' words): 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
A year later I met Mike and found out that we have a shared passion for recovery. We love sharing with others that life should be full of joy, purpose and peace and God wants us to have the desires of our heart. Since I met Mike, who is now my wonderful husband and best friend, I have learned so much more about Jesus and that He loves me so much.
A while back at LifeChangers Recovery, we were going through one of our women's studies in our Sunday night meetings. The chapter we were going through was on forgiveness and the day after Christmas He put it on my heart to call my dad and tell him that I forgive him and that I was praying for him. I hadn't talked to him in over 20 years and he was a bit surprised to hear from me but I know it opened some doors for him and it closed some doors for me. I had forgiven him in my heart years ago but had never told him that. Yes, what he did is still wrong, but I don't hold him negatively anymore. This released the anger, there are no more nightmares and I can get on with my life. What a good life it is! John 10:10 in the New King James version reads: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I now look at my abundant life through my "Jesus-colored" glasses and I give Him all the glory! I invite you to do the same=)