Heb 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This scripture right here has always intrigued myself personally. People would say, how to be able to have more faith, or how to maybe even exercise faith. Having faith is in my opinion a gift that is given unto people. ,is available in my opinion to everyone in life. However, nothing can be accomplished with Faith unless you take action with it. Just as anything else in life, we are the captains of our own ship. We place our dependence into what we believe or what we do not believe. That is our choice and it is ultimately that choice that our lives take in our journey during our life in the now and the after life (if you believe in a after life).

Now we would for those of us in recovery, would hope for a life not only clean and sober from our addictions, we would want a new life of freedom, change, hope, security, love, laughter, giving, kindness, etc. We wouldn't want to just exist but we would strive to become a person that we would and always basically wanted to be. With that we need to exercise faith. Faith comes from the heart not the mind. Faith comes from your soul, not your body. We need to remember that when we took our first step in recover, we did that in faith! We admitted that we were "Powerless over our addiction, and our lives had become unmanageable". With that admission we than took a leap of faith in our recovery and in the process asked For a new life without the use of drugs, alcohol, over-eating, or whatever is the addiction that you have.

One way in which to build your faith and the only way in all reality, is by doing it. By believing that what you can not see is going to happen. Some of us have heard before, "I claim it in the name of Jesus." This expression is doing exactly what building faith is, expressing your acceptance that you believe that something is going to happen without even knowing the outcome. This expression is so real, that you know the outcome is going to be exactly what your are feeling. I personally have had many experiences like this, but only when I practice it. I have to believe in order to believe. You don't have to claim it in the name of Jesus, you can just believe. Don't let us allow prejudice or resentment against a God or source to detour what we are doing here. We are learning how to build something that we have been given a gift of Faith!

I will close with this story of one of my personal experience to demonstrate the Power Of Faith!

In the year of 2001 I believe it was, I was heavy on meth and was basically in a walking blackout. I was running my own handyman business or so I thought. I was delivering a cord of wood in a town that was about 26 miles from where I lived. It was closer to 40 by the time you went north.

On our way up their I was so high, that from what I understand we got stuck with a flat tire maybe, I still am not sure about all the details, for I don't remember it. Anyway, I guess the people that were helping me and myself were at this farm house, and our cell phones didn't work so I ended up breaking out a window to get in to call for help. Well come to find out that I guess a bunch of things got stolen from there.

The next day, I had gone up with a girl to try and get my pickup unstuck or whatever and the owner was there at the house. I was wearing a pair of boots that was from inside of his house. He called the law and they came and arrested us. I don't remember a lot of it but the memories have came back from the time that I had this happen. I was scared, frightened, and they found what they said was 7 grams of meth, needles, etc. in my back pocket. I was arrested and booked and transferred into town into the local jail.

After I had got out of jail and saying I would never do that again, I ended up going right back to where I lived at the time, and in my apartment was all these items that I had no clue as to where they had came from or what they were. I looked for dope and all was gone except a ice-cream scoop that was filled with coke and meth. I got it and off I went this was in July. Come January of the next year I was spun out again so bad, that I left to run from myself. We got busted again, I had a empty bag in my pocket.

Now facing charges again, I ended up getting out and I said, something has to change. I started for the first time in my life except on other time in 96 went to A.A. I knew I needed help! I remember facing 1-20 years in prison. I also remember saying when I talked that I wasn't going to go to prison, I would end up getting a fine, and also get probation. I knew that I believed it and it was real to me.

One of the meth charges was dropped to attempted possession. I was also dropped to a different class of meth felony and burglary. I did 3 years of ISP (Intensified Supervised Probation) which I finished, paid my fines, etc. I haven't been in trouble since than although I should have been busted since.

Today, I am well over a year of being clean and sober. My health is shot due to the lifestyle in which I have lived. I am grateful for the friends that I have in my life for without them I wouldn't be where I am. My family life, well, I have shot all of those relationships, or, I have chosen to let them go for some of them are too toxic to me. I am happy today with who and what I have in my life most of the time.

I stay sober today, Just For Today, One Day At A Time,