Before I found Christ, I was in the dark, not your average darkness, but deep darkness. The sad part is I didn’t even know it. It is unbelievable how quickly things can take a turn for the worst, and I am living proof of that. Straight out of High School I turned to the bottle, but more like social drinking. It really wasn’t a problem. I never thought it would change my life forever. As time went on I found myself drinking more and more, in that I knew that I needed to slow down, so that’s what I did. Aside from being a member of the Blood gang and doing foolish criminal acts, I drank a lot less. That’s when I got reunited with my high school sweetheart. In my eyes she was the most amazing woman in the world (still to this day). We stayed together and like all couples we had our ups and downs. When we had our downs, I’d drink more as if it was the best way to calm my nerves, but all it did was get me fired up over things that occurred in the past, things that didn’t even matter. But when I didn’t drink, things were good, but no matter how bad I got she stuck by my side. We ended up staring a family and had two beautiful children-a girl and five years later we had a boy. It was like we had the perfect life-cars, money, jobs, etc. As the years past, my tolerance for alcohol was at an all time high. I’d wake up every morning to a pint of brandy and on my lunch break at work I would go to the liquor store and buy another pint—it was like I had to have it…and it got to the point where any little thing would trigger me off. I would fight and cuss my mom, dad, brother, sister, kids and the rest of the family, but I didn’t realize the pain I was causing all of them. My sweetheart and I got married and in one year I was fired from my job and she divorced me all do to my alcohol addiction. I had many chances but I did not take them. I was selfish and was lost in the devils juice. This went on for years. I have lost about six good jobs due to being drunk at work and was barely able to see my children. Things were getting way out of hand so I picked up the phone and called God’s Ranch and at this ranch I found my Lord and Savior. I won’t lie. It wasn’t easy…My first couple of days at the ranch I had major withdrawl. I could not stop shaking and I stayed dizzy. I couldn’t eat or sleep. On the fourth day I was a little better and I started interacting with my brothers and overseers on the ranch. There’s only one book allowed on God’s Ranch and that’s the Bible. The more I read the more I feel at peace and then things started to make sense. As I got sober and started reading God’s Word I found myself getting more cleansed physically and spiritually. I learned to listen more and to stay humble as it states in Proverbs 1:5 : A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise council. With that I have learned to listen more and be more forgiving. I am still on the ranch and I never felt better. I was baptized last Sunday and now my spirit is at peace. God knew about everything I went through even before I went through it and He knew that it would lead me to this place to find Him and since I have, I have no regrets. Amen

Christopher Partner