Growing up in Spartanburg, I was very involved with my church and our youth group. I felt a strong connection with God. As I got a little older, I felt like I could make my own decisions and not include God in the process. I turned to alcohol and drugs, allowing those substances to influence my choices rather than letting God lead me. This lifestyle went on for 25 years. I had forgotten entirely what God’s love felt like to me. I had replaced God’s love with my addictive lifestyle.
I ended up going to prison in March of 2018 for a felony DUI resulting in death. My lifestyle—riddled with addiction and a series of bad choices—had finally brought me to a place I never thought I would be. I was facing 50 years in the department of corrections, and God saw that I would only be sentenced to 5 years.
As I was going through my time in the Department of Corrections, I had to find my way back to God. I had to allow Him to rebuild my mind, body, and soul brick by brick. As the years went by, I was able to rebuild my relationship with God and allow Him to grow my faith and my love for Him.
Today I complete each day putting God first and allowing Him to show me His grace and the love He has for me. I am very grateful for a second chance in life and my awesome relationship with God.
Going to prison was the best thing for me. I needed to be broken and rebuilt. I am thankful to JUMPSTART ministry for being a part of rebuilding my life. I knew I needed a big support system coming out of prison, and I get that every day with God’s love and the JUMPSTART ministry.