Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Barry Steed, Mike Stone
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR00060A
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00:10 Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery
00:13 My name is Cheri! 00:14 What I love is the moment somebody turns it over, 00:17 the moment somebody steps into recovery, 00:19 Join us as we look at some of that stuff. 00:48 Welcome back! 00:49 We are going to do the program a little bit different this time 00:52 because I want to introduce you to a couple people. 00:54 So we are going to start immediately with testimonies. 00:57 This one cracks me up. 01:00 I usually ask someone, when I first meet them, are you drugs, 01:04 alcohol, recovery, what is your drug of choice? 01:08 I have never, Mike, not one time, had someone look at me 01:12 and say, oh acid. 01:14 When you said that, I was just thinking, so how is your brain? 01:19 Not very good. 01:20 So on that note I want to say thanks for joining us. 01:25 We will have a vote at the end of the program to see how 01:28 good it was. 01:29 So when I think about that, I say for one, people who 01:34 don't know what acid it, let them know what is Acid? 01:38 What are you talking about? 01:39 It is like a speed, you trip. 01:42 Like hallucinating, that kind of thing? 01:44 Yeah! So it makes me think you were 01:47 like a 70's kid? 01:48 Yeah, the late 70's early 80's. 01:52 Tell us a little bit about how your family was, where did you 01:57 grow up, those things and then how did you step into addiction? 02:01 Well I grew up in a small town, I wasn't grown up in church. 02:07 It started out alcohol, weekends get a bunch of buddies together 02:14 and we would go camp and alcohol and... 02:17 When I moved to a small town I moved from LA to Idaho. 02:20 Which was a culture shock to me, but I get to Idaho and I'm 02:24 thinking, Oh look at these little kids, how cute are they? 02:27 They could be 8 or 9 years old and were drinking like 02:29 a fish already. 02:31 Yes, we started real young, I was probably 10 or 11 02:35 when we started. 02:36 Took in alcohol, it was alright, I didn't like the taste of 02:43 a lot of it so we decided to try drugs and started out with 02:48 marijuana and that was good for awhile. 02:51 Then it is like your immune system gets use to it 02:55 and then it took so much to get you back to the high that 02:59 you was at so we decided to do other things. 03:04 So when somebody says it must of been that your home life was 03:08 horrible or whatever, was it, home life was not? 03:10 No my home life was great. 03:12 Good parents? Good parents yes! 03:15 They would do anything for me. 03:16 You were just bored in a small town? 03:17 That and being popular with the others. 03:23 I wanted to be in the crowd. 03:25 I had never ran around with kids my age. 03:31 I ran around with older kids. 03:32 Had to do the things they did or I thought I did. 03:39 So pretty so you are drinking smoking weed, trying other 03:42 things to get the same high. 03:43 A lot of people don't know like what you just said, 03:47 sometimes your system just gets use to a certain level of 03:50 high and pretty soon you have to change to something else. 03:53 It's the addiction part of it. 03:56 The marijuana was probably great for a year. 04:01 But then I would have to smoke no telling how much to get back 04:09 to the level, so I thought I would take speed or something. 04:12 Then it was speed and Marijuana, drinking and do all of it. 04:17 You get back up to your level. 04:19 For how long? Because pretty soon that doesn't work anymore? 04:23 No, probably a year or two. 04:26 Then that is when I got on acid. 04:29 It was the ultimate high. 04:33 With hallucinogenics were you doing like speed, smoking weed, 04:38 drinking and that stuff, you could be out for 12, 15 hrs? 04:41 No, probably not that long, the acid, yeah! 04:44 You see I am talking about my own highs. 04:46 Because I am like, you can do it. 04:48 Nah! the marijuana and speed nah, they were just hours. 04:54 I guess we took enough of it our bodies were used to it. 05:00 But the acid, yeah, you would be gone, 15 or 20 hours. 05:05 Just for people who have not been in that lifestyle, 05:08 I know that drugs and alcohol are not the only thing that 05:14 happened to us in lifestyles like that. 05:16 So did you deal with anything else that tweaked you as far 05:19 as relationships and that stuff? 05:21 You start lying to your folks, that is a given. 05:25 Yeah, that and I lost my dad at an early age. 05:28 How early? 05:32 Well not early, probably 17 or 18. 05:37 What happened? 05:39 Had a heart attack. 05:41 It was probably the worst thing that threw me over the edge. 05:46 Where I started, that it was all I wanted to do. 05:51 The drugs and alcohol. 05:54 Anything that you did not have to look at that? 05:56 Yeah, just to get away. 05:59 How was your mom handling the death of your dad? 06:03 She was really strong, she really was and she handled us. 06:09 She took care of us, I was one of six kids. 06:14 I was the smallest, youngest but she did an excellent job. 06:22 Did your mom, when did she come to the point where she said 06:25 Mike I think something is wrong? 06:28 Your drinking too much, or you you're gone too much, or your 06:32 I mean did she to get to that point? 06:33 She never did. 06:34 Did you play it off then? 06:36 I played off pretty well and when I would do that 06:40 I probably would not come home for a day or two. 06:42 I would be gone, but she I think she knew but then again 06:51 with everything else that was going on, I don't know. 06:54 She never did. 06:59 She never said, what's up? Are you okay? 07:02 She let me go down my own path and like I say we wasn't 07:12 raised in church so I didn't know, finally my junior year 07:22 I met my wife now, but we was dating and 07:27 she was a church girl. 07:30 Saying let me date that guy, over there on acid, drinking 07:34 smoking weed, I think I like that guy. 07:36 It took me longer than just that. 07:37 I chased her quite a while. 07:41 You know it is really funny is you see the nicest girls 07:44 all of sudden say, you know I like that guy. 07:46 I'm like, what made you think that? 07:48 Yeah, but she quick going to church for awhile. 07:54 My addiction was all I wanted to do. 07:59 I mean that I held a job. 08:00 So she quit going to church when she was dating you? 08:03 Did she start using with you? 08:05 Yes, she did but she would still 08:10 Let me just say one thing because I think this is 08:12 incredible Mike, for people to understand. 08:17 Did you feel like you were actually freeing her up? 08:21 No, know I do not think I was freeing her up. 08:25 What did you think, because you do not think you are 08:27 doing something bad or evil? 08:29 Is like for an addict... 08:31 Again I had no church background, nothing. 08:35 I did not know her situation and when we started dating and she 08:45 started using, I thought it was pretty neat. 08:49 Right, I guess the reason I want to say that is because I come 08:53 from a background of addiction. 08:54 I think sometimes when somebody sees their kids going around 08:59 people that are using, they think it is more sinister of how 09:03 somebody get you to use. 09:04 If you do not have a church background, you don't even know. 09:07 It is like there is nothing in you that says this 09:09 is a wrong thing. 09:10 I'm just, like lighten up and have a drink. 09:13 It is not a sinister thing, I am not trying to hurt anyone. 09:16 It is we don't know. 09:18 I guess the reason I want to say that out loud is that I want 09:22 to educate folks, unless you are going to give them your liver 09:28 when they trash and theirs, don't give them a drink. 09:30 Do you know what I mean? 09:32 I mean, later on I found out her parents had talked her 09:37 and told her about me. 09:38 I'm sure they did. 09:41 You don't need him at all this. 09:42 Because they were afraid. 09:47 She, we ended up, we had a kid. 09:51 Were you married yet? 09:53 No! but after we found out she was pregnant we did get married. 09:59 My drug addiction kept going that is when she said, 10:05 it's time to get back in the church, our life has 10:09 got to change or it is never going to work. 10:12 Drugs had me and I was tore up. 10:17 By that time you were addicted? 10:19 Yeah, I couldn't quit. 10:21 I tell her yeah I'll quit and I could not quit. 10:26 Every Sunday she would drag me to church. 10:29 I would sit back, this is easy. 10:34 I go and I do not feel any conviction or nothing. 10:37 You could nod out. Yeah! 10:41 I guess the turning point was when we went to church one 10:46 Sunday she turned around and said she wanted to go 10:50 to a Teen Challenge meeting at a church in Harrisburg. 10:54 They was going to have a dinner then Teen Challenge was going 11:00 to get up. 11:01 I don't know if anybody knows about Teen Challenge? 11:03 You should talk about that, because Teen Challenge doesn't 11:05 necessarily work with teens anymore. 11:06 Yeah, you're right. 11:08 They work with adults, they work with guys that say 11:10 I don't even think I have a problem. 11:12 Incredible organization. 11:15 They was put on their thing Sunday afternoon. 11:19 She wanted to go, she was always involved in Teen Challenge and 11:23 sent money and did stuff with the Team Challenge. 11:27 At the time I had no clue what Teen Challenge was. 11:32 You got it was just another church gig? 11:33 Yep, so I told her that was fine and I would go. 11:36 We will go eat and I will sit on the back pew and 11:40 you can have your time. 11:43 While we were sitting there in church service, and they was 11:48 up singing and giving their testimonies and everything. 11:51 I thought to myself, I thought if there is a God and 11:58 He saved all these people from drugs and all that, 12:01 because I was hardheaded and said let one of those 12:06 guys on the stage come down here and talk to me. 12:11 Because I did not have no clue of anybody in the church. 12:15 That way I knew God did it. 12:20 I have to know there is a God. 12:23 So I know more about the thought out of my mind and the 12:29 two guys on the stage started talking. 12:31 I thought that is strange, they are in the middle 12:33 of singing and these two guys start talking. 12:36 It wasn't five minutes and the one guy put his 12:40 microphone down and walked off the platform and 12:43 started walking down the aisle. 12:45 I thought I don't know where he is going but, I know 12:49 he ain't coming down to sit by me. 12:51 He walked right back and sat down right beside me. 12:55 No way, how cool is that? 12:57 He told me, I know you are having a drug problem and 13:02 you are having trouble with your family and all that. 13:08 At that moment, God took it all away. 13:12 Because you knew, and what's really crazy to me is when 13:16 God does that, it is like the Holy Spirit is talking in 13:18 one ear and this guy is talking in one ear. 13:21 You are just saying, alright! 13:22 I surrender! I surrender. 13:24 I give it to You. 13:26 From that point on I didn't drink or do drugs or anything. 13:34 Did you know at that moment that you are loved, 13:36 that you were safe? Yes! 13:37 Yes He did, He wrapped He has arms and yeah! 13:41 It was awesome! 13:43 That is awesome, because you know there is so much rebellion 13:47 trapped in addictions, most people don't even think that. 13:50 I am locked in. 13:52 I look at my family and know that I love them and am helpless 13:55 to do anything about them. 13:56 I know that I am destroying everything. 13:58 God just says trust Me. 14:00 Yeah, it is just unreal. 14:02 I had tried to quit on my own, and there is no way that 14:07 I would ever quit without God doing it. 14:11 I know it, and now everybody. 14:14 I was in a small town and everybody knew my reputation. 14:19 I'm sure if I saw you behind me I would want to pull over. 14:22 Just to save my insurance. 14:25 they mean now people in my community, it's took 20 years, 14:32 Let me just ask you before we get to 20 years. 14:35 I want to know when your wife knew that this happened? 14:40 that she could trust that this just happened, 14:43 that you surrendered to God. 14:45 The thing is we are going to be different. 14:46 I think that she really trusted the day I turn my heart 14:51 over to Jesus. 14:52 I couldn't wait to get to our church that she took me to. 14:57 Like I said I always set on the back pew and didn't do anything. 15:05 I was wanting to tell people. 15:09 That wasn't me, I didn't go around talking about church. 15:15 Were you still sitting in back? 15:16 Nah, I moved about half way. 15:22 That's alright, I don't want to get too close. 15:24 It might get dangerous up front. 15:26 It's been really good. 15:32 I love the fact that the joy that is even in your voice. 15:36 Did you go through withdrawals, did you do any that stuff? 15:40 None! God just said let me lift 15:42 this from you. 15:43 Yeah, He took it all. 15:44 Man, depression anything? 15:46 Nothing! That is so cool! 15:48 That doesn't happen for every body, but it happens at times. 15:51 Which is amazing. 15:53 Yeah, like I say I am one that He had to do that or I wouldn't 15:57 never have believed it was Him. 15:59 You wouldn't have made it. 16:00 So what was your, now you are going from really... because you 16:07 have been sitting in church with your wife, so you know some 16:10 What was your journey to actually see the face of God, 16:11 and see who you are? 16:13 What did that look like? 16:14 It was really neat to see where I came from and where 16:20 I was headed. 16:22 Even now where I am going, because I am still growing. 16:26 He never lets up. 16:27 No, I am still growing. 16:29 I've done a lot, but there is a lot more to do. 16:33 So how many years since that day at Teen Challenge? 16:37 20 years. No drinking, no drugging. 16:42 How cool is that! 16:44 It's awesome. 16:45 So you ended up going into church. 16:47 Did people come alongside you? 16:50 No, like I said it took a while, everybody was I give him a month 16:57 and he will be back, there is no way. 17:01 There is no way, I've seen guys do this before. 17:06 They will start to church and all that. 17:09 I couldn't explain to them that I knew God done it. 17:15 You just cannot explain that feeling to anybody. 17:21 Especially somebody that don't go to church. 17:23 Even for somebody that is listening to this program 17:27 that are drunk, stoned, they have just done some acid 17:31 and they are looking at you like there is no way. 17:33 It is hard to explain to somebody until you take that 17:36 step of faith, until you literally say, God alright. 17:40 Then you feel His presence and that changes everything. 17:44 Yeah, you can definitely feel His presence, that's for sure. 17:47 So people were leery, not sure. 17:51 Your wife was sure? 17:54 I believe she was pretty sure. 17:56 After that we got along, she trusted me again. 18:02 She worked, and while she was working I was partying. 18:08 Spending money that we didn't have and all that stuff. Exactly 18:11 She worked at a store and got home late so I would party until 18:18 I knew I could get home before she did. 18:24 I say, after that she knew where I was at. 18:26 We kept communication. 18:30 That's incredible for her too. 18:31 So your home started to become a home. 18:33 Yes! Your relationship, because you 18:35 always loved her? 18:36 Yeah! Right! 18:41 We are talking about this whole season we are talking 18:43 about when do you know that God is going to so do it for you 18:48 that He is going to teach you how to stand up and walk. 18:51 To be different, because you can't, everything you know is 18:56 messed up. Yep! 18:57 So how did you let God start changing your behavior? 19:00 Your thinking, even your desires? 19:02 You can tell because your language stops, it goes away. 19:11 Your bad language? Yes! 19:12 Not totally! I am like wait a minute. 19:19 The days that you laugh are different? Yeah! 19:22 When I turned my life over to God, I told Him as hard as I 19:28 done the drugs and stuff, I was going to live for Him. 19:31 Have the same amount of fun and show people that you can 19:36 have fun without the drugs and alcohol. 19:39 You know what is really funny is when you say that, 19:42 Somebody may get a sense of that just on the set. 19:46 Since the time you walked into this studio, you and your 19:49 friends have been laughing your head off, even at one point 19:51 afraid you were going to be the first people kicked off the set 19:55 because you could not pull it together. 19:57 So when you are saying I have that joy, I am not having to 20:01 search of it in a bottle any more, or in a pill, that I 20:05 can feel good in my own skin. 20:08 That's right, I feel good the next morning when I wake up. 20:11 That's true! 20:13 I'm not hung over? That's right. 20:15 Then trying to make excuses to people I love and all that. 20:18 How about getting into the word of God? 20:21 How was that for you because for some people that is a little 20:24 difficult. It's rough because I don't like 20:27 to read and I wasn't the education person in school. 20:34 It's rough. When I first came to God 20:38 I was illiterate, I couldn't read. 20:40 So somebody would say, we are going to study Revelation. 20:43 I always joke about this because I would turn like this and 20:45 say Okay go ahead. 20:47 They would say Revelations. 20:48 I didn't know it was in the back of the book, I can't read. 20:51 So I literally had not learned to read yet and it was really 20:56 tough when somebody gets into the word of God and they 20:58 start throwing terms around and that kind of thing. 21:01 How did God share with you what His promises are? 21:04 What the book says? 21:05 A lot of it is through people, your friends, you can read them 21:10 just like a book. 21:12 I was taught that you can't put them on a pedestal, 21:18 because they are human too. 21:21 The reading, I can read something and 10 minutes 21:26 I forget it. 21:27 But when I have been told, the CD's and the stuff on CD's 21:35 Cassettes. 21:36 So if you hear it you can retain it that way? Yeah! 21:39 Me too! So just watching people's lives, people around 21:44 you, the sermons, the CD's that you have gotten. 21:47 So you heard the word of God that way? Yeah! 21:49 A part of me thinks then did you ever reach out to addicts? 21:57 To help someone else? 21:58 I have talked to a lot of other addicts and still do. 22:05 A lot of them will give it a chance, but I don't think they 22:10 truly do because like I tell them if God ever truly comes 22:15 into your life you don't have this problem of wanting to 22:20 go back and doing it again. 22:21 They just don't do that if you are truly saved by God. 22:27 what is interesting to me is that some people get that new 22:31 nature that doesn't even like the taste of alcohol, 22:34 doesn't like to sin, doesn't have that same lean, 22:38 but for some of us that flesh is still so active. 22:42 there's a part in my own recovery that I had to say 22:46 over and over and over, I am dead to that. 22:49 I am not a heroine addict, I am a woman of God, loved by God. 22:54 For me that struggle lasted for awhile. 22:56 You know I was homeless for 10 years with a tendency to lie 23:02 and manipulate, because I was good at it, so that part of me 23:07 came up immediately and over the years God taught me to surrender 23:13 that me every time. 23:14 I think for some of us that is the way we have to do it. 23:17 With you God said, no way, I'm not going to do it 23:20 that way with you. 23:21 He had to do it that way or I wouldn't have made it. 23:27 So we are going to also hear your pastor and his testimony. 23:32 A little bit of his testimony is about you. 23:35 Then his testimony about himself. 23:37 So we are going to go and take a break and come back but I want 23:40 to say for one thank you for being on the program. 23:43 Thank you for sharing the reality that God 23:49 can just totally take it. 23:51 He sure can. 23:52 I love looking at your eyes when you are talking about God. 23:57 You are so grateful to Him and what He has done in your life. 24:02 I owe Him everything, it's all His. 24:06 I don't have nothing. Isn't that cool! 24:09 In that very statement you have everything. 24:12 I love that, we will be right back. 24:14 Stay with us! I want you to meet Mike's pastor 24:19 Because he has his own testimony like all of us do. 24:21 It is a matter of when am I going to take everything and 24:25 just say God you know what, I'm going to give it to You. 24:28 We'll be right back, stay with us! |
Revised 2014-12-17