The Full Journey
Before
For years, I made choices that led me further and further away from the life I wanted to live. Addiction, poor decisions, incarceration, and broken relationships left a trail of consequences that couldn't be ignored.
I spent more than a decade learning lessons the hard way. What began as a series of bad choices turned into a cycle that affected not only my life, but the lives of the people around me.
There were times when the future looked uncertain and change felt impossible. But even in my lowest moments, God never stopped working.
Looking back now, I can see His direction, protection, and correction through seasons when I couldn't always see it for myself.
My past is part of my story, but it doesn't get the final say.
The Turning Point
There was a moment when everything changed.
Not because my circumstances suddenly got better, and not because the consequences disappeared. They didn't.
The turning point came when God spoke to me.
In a place where I had run out of excuses and could no longer blame anyone but myself, I was faced with a choice. I could continue down the road I was on, or I could listen and begin walking in a different direction.
That moment didn't erase the years behind me, and it didn't instantly fix the damage that had been done. What it did provide was clarity, purpose, and hope.
The rebuilding took time. The lessons took time. The healing took time.
But from that day forward, I knew I wasn't walking alone.
Looking back now, I can see God's direction, protection, and correction through every season that followed. What I once saw as setbacks often became the very things that helped shape the life I live today.
A New Life
The life I live today looks nothing like the life I was living years ago.
That didn't happen because I figured everything out. It happened because God was patient with me, faithful through the process, and willing to keep working on me long after I had made a mess of things.
Recovery wasn't easy. Rebuilding relationships wasn't easy. Learning to live differently wasn't easy. But one step at a time, God began restoring things I thought had been lost forever.
Today, I am a husband, father, grandfather, adoptive father, author, and speaker. More importantly, I wake up every day grateful for the grace I've been shown and the opportunities I've been given to encourage others.
My past will always be part of my story, but it no longer defines my future. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that no one is too far gone and it's never too late for God to do something new.
Why I Wrote Overflow
I didn't write Overflow because I have all the answers.
I wrote it because for years I believed I was the only one carrying the weight of my past. What I've learned is that shame grows in silence, and there are a lot of people quietly fighting battles they think no one else understands.
My story is proof that a bad past doesn't have to determine your future.
Whether you're sitting in a prison cell, working through recovery, struggling in your relationships, or sitting in a church pew wondering if things will ever change, I want you to know you're not alone.
I wrote Overflow to share what God has done in my life and to encourage others who may feel stuck, hopeless, or beyond redemption.
No one is too far gone. And as long as you're still breathing, your story isn't over.
Let’s Connect
If my story resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.
Whether you're interested in a speaking engagement, podcast conversation, recovery program, prison ministry, church event, or simply want to connect, feel free to reach out.
Overflow was written to remind people that no one is too far gone and that our past doesn't have to define our future.
If that message aligns with what you're doing, let's start a conversation.