December, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

This past year has been the most life changing experience for me. I have found my purpose in life and I don’t know that I ever really knew what purpose meant – I mean what it really meant. I have taken several steps forward, not looking back unless it was going to help prepare for the huge steps forward that I was fixing to take.

I’m thankful for the purpose in life that God has shown me and the ability to put it into action. I remember praying and asking God why me – why did I choose to use drugs, I hated drugs and saw what it did to people I care a lot about. This is what he showed me – it can take over your life and ruin it in the blink of an eye. You can lose family members and never be able to go back. Through my use I was destroying the person that I was and quickly becoming someone that I didn’t like. I didn’t know how to love myself and therefore I hurt the ones I loved the most. But through using drugs and now being 14+ months clean and sober, I am a person with a PURPOSE. I love who I am, I pray to God without shame, I help others to get off drugs, and I live life to its fullest. You see the first 33 years of my life, before I ever tried a drug, I didn’t feel that I had a purpose. I was doing for others, helping others, hurting others without realizing it, feeling down on myself, low self-esteem, and feeling less than – well NOT ANY MORE. I’m grateful for my past and even more grateful that it has had a lesson to learn to be able to help God to help others with a cruel addiction that is overflowing our country. Never feel down on the people that have such addictions – they are good people with an illness. Just take the steps to help them – especially if they come to you and say they have a problem and they need the help. I used to dream of being a nurse like my grandmother and work at a nursing home. But God had a different plan for me – I’m working at a drug rehab – who would have ever thought – me? God did and my family and my daddy who knew exactly what recovering from addiction and helping others was all about.

I came to treatment to help get off meth. My clean date is Oct. 1, 2004, but I was having the cravings, I new that if I didn’t get help I would be back on meth fast. I had already gotten myself into legal trouble and I knew that if I was going to have any kind of chance at life – I needed help fast. My mother, daughter, aunt and uncle pulled together to get me to Narconon. The cost of legal issues and the cost of rehab didn’t come cheap but my family will tell you that it didn’t matter the cost if it gave me life – and boy did it! I graduated Narconon on Feb. 11, 2005 – my daughters 19th birthday – she said it was the best birthday present she could ever have – her mommy back. I came back full force, intention without reservation. I have repaired the damage with my family and friends and my legal issues by working my conditions. I have made a decision on which side of the fence I am on. I have worked on my fair exchange and abundance exchange with my family. I have my ethics in. I have worked hard to show by my actions that I have changed and I carried that on to the courts. Back on Sept. 2, 2005 – I went open before the judge on 4 felony counts. I had family and lots of friends by my side that day, the judge voted in my favor – no jail time is necessary – I got the minimum of 5 yrs probation, I report by mail and was granted the right to return to Narconon to train to become staff. I came back to Narconon on 9/26/2005 and in 5 weeks – I made staff. I am working in withdrawal – the first step in helping people come off drugs – drug free. WOW – it’s amazing the work I put into it and the results that come from it. I now realize that I had to take the steps I had to take to get where I am today and for that – I AM TRUELY GRATEFUL.

So thank you all for standing by me and praying for me – I promise to be the best me I can be and live the PURPOSE that God intended for me to live.

With Love,
S.D.