TODAY (and) YOU


     Today is November 30, 2013.  I just returned home from a time at mom's at the family land.  I got to see my sisters Renee and Tammy and their families.  Sister Sarah was in Lubbock with her in-laws, but she'll be at the Christmas get-together with her husband.

     (Their families take turns seeing them!) ;-)

     I'm sorta proud of the new year.  For me, I'm proud of the fact that I've lived ON MY OWN all year long!  I've also completed alot of my Internship for my LCDC.

     LCDC?  I'm working on my License for Chemical Dependency Counseling.  With that License, I'll work at a treatment facility where people want to relearn behavior that caused them to get into a abusive behavior with substances.  Already, there are many clients that I can see really do WANT the treatment and to relearn how to stay off of chemicals -- they want to stay sober.  I will be a Licensed Counselor soon so that I can help them.

     Of course, there are also clients who are just 'in treatment' because their family or their job or the law want them to be, and they intend to return to their behavior after treatment.  That's a hard reality in this world.  I know that personally because there was a time or two (or FOUR) when that was the case with me:  I just wanted to BE DONE WITH IT so I could go back to living MY LIFE.

     Eventually, it came to a place where I DID desire to turn my life around, and I'm proud to now have been sober for over 5 years.  I just turned 40, and 5 years is a good start to my LIFELONG intent to stay sober.

    Some may wonder, "Man, oh man, Curtis, why are you SO VOCAL about this demon that you're now DONE WITH?"

     HERE IS THE ANSWER:  My #2 desire is to SHOW PEOPLE that it can be done; that SOBRIETY can happen if you set your mind to it AND if you have all the tools IN your life to help you.  (And the tools OUT of your life that hurt you.)

     My #1 desire is to encourage me -- little ole Curtis C. that I can do NOTHING that will tempt me to USE again.  I go nowhere where I may be tempted, and put myself in no situations where I may be tempted.  That is, to do no run the risk of using ANY drug like alcohol, like cocaine, like marijuana.

     I want to write this also for those you who don't KNOW WHAT TO DO with 'this drinking gal" or "this drugging guy" that is in your life.  My family was loving a supportive to me FOR A LONG TIME before God had it arranged so that I could stop.  So, don't be discouraged and DON'T GIVE UP.  Sure, take care of yourself first, your emotions, your perspective, BUT help them in a way that is HEALTHY for you.

    And, let me tell you what:  there is ONE person that you can influence the most to help them do what is healthy for them and make the right decisions for them and correct the parts of their life that need correction.  ONE PERSON that you can influence the most:

         AND THAT PERSON IS YOU.