“I was becoming exactly what I hated the most.”

I remember thinking these exact words as I was sitting in a jail cell in 1998, shaking from an addiction to cocaine.

My dad and my mom both went to prison. Now, I was headed in the same direction as they were, and I would not be there for my kids. Then I remembered, a few years before, J.J. Ramirez would come to parties our gang was having and tell me Jesus loved me.

The Moment God Changed Me

As I was lying on my bunk, I began to cry and started saying “God if you are real, change me. I‘m tired of living like this.” One thing is for sure, He heard my cry and came into my life. Now, as I look back, I see how that was a pivotal point in my life. I can say today that God has dramatically changed my life. It took a preacher to go to the streets and tell me that God’s love was what I needed.

“In my generation, mistakes were forgiven. In my kids’ generation, their destiny will be fulfilled.”

I now have four awesome kids and a beautiful wife. I was speaking one night at S.O. S. Friday night service, and I described my Fridays growing up. To me, fighting and getting drunk was normal. Now I see that it’s not. My kids don’t have to fear if Daddy will come home drunk, and beat their mother, or even come home at all. They know that on Fridays we go to S.O.S. so their Daddy can lead worship and minister to people that used to be like him.

Freedom and Forgiveness

The cycle of alcoholism and abuse has broken in my family. My kids and future grandkids can know there is a God that loves them and has a purpose for their lives.

From my Dad’s generation, mistakes were made. In my generation, mistakes were forgiven. In my kids’ generation, their destiny will be fulfilled. Thank you Jesus for giving me a second chance in my life, so my kids can have a winning chance in their lives.