THE DETOUR

the best place to be on a Tuesday night, am I right? (audience cheering) Yes, welcome to our online community, our correctional facilities, all bunches and bunches of 'em. We're so glad that you're joining us tonight. Gosh, I haven't been here in a couple weeks and you guys know why I missed you guys a lot. I did, like I was traveling and it was awesome and I got to go like we're Paul walked and it was awesome, but I was like, man, I kind of miss Celebrate Recovery. So I'm so glad to be back with you guys. There's nothing quite like this anywhere else. So thank you for all you do and all you bring to Tuesday nights. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Katie Hawk. (audience cheering) I'm a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. I celebrate recovery from Fierce Shame, brokenness and rejection, we added that last month, didn't we? And if you've never been to Celebrate Recovery before, let me just tell you really quick about what this is. We are a 12-step faith-based program, right? So we're kind of like an AA or an NA or something like that except for we don't just believe in any higher power. We believe in one higher power and who is that? - Jesus Christ. - That's right. Jesus Christ, we believe Jesus can do anything. We believe that you are never too far gone. We believe that he wants to reach into the pit and pull you out and walk with you

because we believe every person in this room has a calling on their life, that God has a plan for you, that you are loved and that you have purpose. And we just wanna walk alongside you and help you figure out exactly what that looks like and help you get there. So welcome if it's your first time. You may see people taking pictures, couple things I wanna say about that. Number one, we'd love to celebrate. And so we're gonna take a whole bunch of pictures at the end of the service, especially when we do our chip ceremony. And I will stand up here and I will tell you that you do not have to get your picture taken, but I'm kind of bossy and usually I don't follow that. And so if I see you trying to walk away without a picture, I'm probably gonna chase you down a little bit and make you come over and take a picture, okay? So just be forewarned. But during worship, during the service, we want you to know that these altars are sacred. And so even though we're streaming, you're not being shown. We don't have to take your picture up here. Like we want you to be able to just be comfortable, have some intimate time with the Lord without worrying about 1.2 million people watching you. Okay, it's a private time.

So feel free to come up here and worship and pray, bring some friends up here, whatever you need. If you need someone to pray with you, like we have people here, I would love to pray with you. Anyone here would love to pray with you if you're going through some things, 'cause how many of us go through some things? Yeah, how many of us have some hard days sometimes, right? And that's part of what this whole program here is about, is just walking with people and finding friends and people who will support you and people who know where you've been, right? And we're not afraid to say we're a mess here, are we? We're not afraid to say we make mistakes and screw things up, right? But we serve a God who doesn't see those things. He sees past those things. And we are so incredibly grateful for that. So tonight we are going to pray and then worship and then do y'all know who's speaking tonight? I'm so excited, Carlos Garcia is speaking tonight and we are so glad, so glad. And I heard he didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this, kind of a last minute thing, but what Eric Miller said, would be ready in season and out of season, right? So we can't wait to see what the Holy Spirit's gonna do through him tonight. So if you all would stand, please.

Okay, we're gonna do the Lord's prayer. It starts with whose father? Our father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever, amen. All right, you may have a seat. We just have a couple announcements. Angie and Ellen, you can start making your way up here for 12 steps, but while they're making their way up here, a couple things, we have revolution recovery. How many times have you guys heard us talk about that? Revolution recovery, we are so, so, so excited about it. It is a meeting not on a Tuesday night. Okay, this is a daytime meeting. to people who work in the evenings or can't be here for some reason. And so we would love to have you here. It's here on this church property back in one of the portable buildings behind us. So if you're looking for a meeting, come to this. And Ms. Sherry, who leads it, is amazing. She has AA and CR experience. And so she does an amazing job with that meeting. MRT, I don't know a lot about what we're announcing here.

Are we teaching MRT on Monday nights at 5.30? I've heard MRT is life changing. Are they learning how to do it? [ Inaudible ] Okay. Got it. Okay. Just wanted to clarify that. Sorry. So MRT is similar to like a 12 step. It reprograms your brain and how you think about things. And so it's an awesome, awesome thing that you can do. I know they're doing it in some of the correctional facilities. And so it's exciting that we get to bring it here. And so that's on Monday nights at 5.30. And it looks like it started already while I was gone. But I've heard that the leader of this, I don't know him well, but I've heard that he's awesome too. So come to that. We also have for the ladies, you guys know we have a new small group for chemical dependency. So we have three ladies small groups now, which is amazing. That's after our chip ceremony. You'll go back to one of the three small groups if you're a lady. Or you can attend setting boundaries with your children, which Ms. Jan McCoy is leading. And I've heard nothing but amazing things about that. How many of you know setting boundaries, especially with your children is hard. Yes. And there's a fine line, right? Between enabling them and loving them. And so that's going to help you learn where that line is and how to draw it.

And we'd like to invite you to church. We normally do that at the end, but I guess I'll invite you now. If you don't have a home church, we'd love to invite you here. We have three services at this campus, 8.30, 10 and 11.30. And I'm here, Cass here, Steven's here, all of tons of amazing people here. So if you want to come and you're nervous about it, come find one of us. We'd be happy to sit with you. And then we have church at our other campus across town at 10 o'clock on Sundays. We also have another CR meeting there on Thursday. Same time is here, 6 o'clock dinner, 7 o'clock service. So we'd love to see you there too. That was a lot of announcements. Okay. Men's, okay, women's multi-issue group. That's going to meet in room A today. Okay. Multi-issue A. Men's multi-issue B, B for boys. Okay, guys, you only have one group, B for boys. That's an easy one to remember. Chemical dependency for women C, C chemical dependency. That's easy. The boundaries classes meeting in room D. All right. Is that it? Okay. We got through it. All right. And she and Alan come on up here and do our 12 steps for us. [ Inaudible Remark ] Hello, your praise God. My name is Angie. I'm a thankful believer in Jesus Christ then this is.

I am Alan and I'm also a faithful believer in Jesus Christ. And I am so excited to be here with you tonight. We're going to do the 12 steps with biblical comparison. All right. And we will start with step one. We admit we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives was become unmanageable. I know that nothing good lives in me. That is in my sinful nature. Try and have the desire to do what is good so I cannot carry it out. Romans 718. Amen. Step two, we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. [ Inaudible Remark ] Okay. Step three, we made a decision to turn our wheels and our lives over to the care of God. Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in need of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship, Romans 12.1. 15. Let's return to the Lord. 15. Lamentations 340. 15. Step 5. We admit to God and ourselves and another human being to be exact natures of our wrongs. 15. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 15. 5. 16. Step 6. We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 14. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.

14. Step 7. We humbly asked him to remove all of our shortcomings. 15. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purifies from all unrighteousness. 15. First John 1, 9. 15. Step 8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. 15. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 15. Look 631, the golden rule. 15. Step 9. We have made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 15. Therefore, if you're offering your gift at the altar and they remember that you're a brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, first go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift, Matthew 5, 23, 24. 15. Step 10. We continue to take personal inventory when we were wrong and promptly admitted it. 15. So if you thank your standing firm, be careful that you don't file first Corinthians 10, 12. 15. Step 11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God and prayer only for the knowledge of His will, for us others and power to carry it out. 15. Let the word of Christ well in you richly. 15. Closhing 316. Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 15. Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore that person gently, but watch yourself or you also may be tempted, Galatians 6.1. 15. All free. Okay, we're going to do all free. 15. All free. If all the ushers will come up forward, that'd be great because I can't throw them that far. So one of the things that's always been amazing to me is how good God is, no matter how good

we've been, we don't deserve the goodness of God in any reflection of our life. The best we've ever done is still filthy rise compared to the glory of God so that as you give, you understand that God loves you so much that Jesus was a price paid. So there's nothing we can do to out give that. Give out the abundance of your heart and let God be manifesting you. Father God, we thank you for this day to be in your presence. We thank you, Father God, for this opportunity to bless you as you've already blessed us more than we can ever return. We give you glory always in Jesus' name. Amen. I was wounded. I was snuffed out. I know we're left to go hard heavy, so weak. My world will call out us and we'll turn you down. You're waiting in the ass. Thank God I had to walk through fire. You were faithful, more than able. You never lost control. You were speaking, you were reaching, and the heat of it all turns out. You were standing, I was touched. Every flag, force my faith, the infernal mind of burning, but it's set my hope ablaze. Every call will find my soul and only made my darkest day to hold my pride. Thank God I had to walk through fire. Thank God I had to walk through fire. 'Cause you said you knew, you said you want to save me. Every call will not be free. You've already gone before, you've already gone behind. In the end I know what the black can all say. Every flag, force my faith, the infernal mind of burning, but it's set my hope ablaze. Every call will find my soul and only made my darkest day to hold my pride. Thank God I had to walk through fire. Thank God I had to walk through fire. Alright, Sierra, come on, let's get to our feet. Who in here has got a pet demoted tonight? Come on y'all, let's sing it to the Lord. I saw Satan for lightning, I saw darkness run for cover, but the miracle that I just can't get over my name is registered in heaven. I believe in signs and wonders. I have resurrection power, yes I do. The miracle that I just can't get over my name is registered in heaven. Oh my praise, belong to you forever. This is my testimony from death to life. 'Cause grace rewrote my story, I'll testify. Jesus Christ the righteous, I'm death divine. This is my testimony, this is my testimony. How together comes and bothers, thought with blood and washed in water. Sing the praises of the Spirit, Son and Father. Our God will finish what He started. Our God will finish what He started. This is my testimony from death to life. 'Cause grace rewrote my story, I'll testify. Jesus Christ the righteous, I'm death divine. This is my testimony, this is my testimony. Phone We're not dead, are we? If I'm not dead and you're not done Come on guys

If you're not dead, you're not done And greater things are still to come Who I believe If I'm not dead, you're not done Greater things are still to come Who I believe If I'm not dead and you're not done If greater things are still to come Who I believe If I'm not dead, you're not done Greater things are still to come Who I believe Tested money from death to life Because grace rewrote my story I'll testify My Jesus Christ the righteous I'll justify This is my testimony Oh I'm alive This is my testimony From death to life Because grace rewrote my story I'll testify My Jesus Christ the righteous I'll justify This is my testimony This is my testimony Oh I'm alive Tested money This is my testimony

Y'all raise your hands up to the Lord tonight [Music] Your hand in every part Of my whole life from the start Jesus you have always been with me No matter where I was You found a way to show up Amen Jesus you have always been with me Y'all sing it out There's never a season There's never a place Where I am alone Where you don't show your face Right here I remember How could I forget Your faithfulness Has never left me where Would I be without you where Would I be without your love I'm amazed by all you have done Oh Jesus where Would I be without you where Would I be without your love I can't say thank you love [Music] Say you pulled me out of the grave Jesus you have always been with me Oh my life is a proof That you can make anything good Jesus you have always been for me

Oh where would I be without you where Would I be without your love I'm amazed by all you have done Oh Jesus where Would I be without you where Would I be without your love I can't say thank you love Right here I remember, how could I forget your faithfulness has never led me, there's never a season, never a place, where I am alone, where you don't show your face. Right here I remember, how could I forget your faithfulness has never led me, there's never a season, never a place, where I am alone, where you don't show your face. Right here I remember, how could I forget your faithfulness, where I have never lived anywhere, would I be without you? Well, would I be without you? Oh, I'm a lady by all you have done. Oh Jesus, well, would I be without you? Well, would I be without you? Oh, I can't say thank you love, I can't say thank you love, I can't say thank you love. How many of y'all in here tonight have a reason to be thankful? The word test is right there in front of you y'all, in the word testimony. Amen. I want you to raise your hands up to our Lord and Savior tonight and tell Him thank you. Thank you for breaking those chains of addiction, those strongholds in our lives that didn't just show up. They were placed there for the Lord to see us through, amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I want to say thank you, thank you. I have to say thank you, thank you for all you have done. Thank you Jesus. Thank you, thank you. I have to say thank you, thank you. I want to say thank you, thank you for all you have done. Thank you Lord for each and every soul in this room tonight, Father. Thank you for every soul down on their knees at the altar Lord, we pray that you hear them pleading. Thank you, thank you for all you have done. Thank you, thank you. I want to say thank you, thank you for all you have done. Thank you, thank you for breaking the chains of addiction, thank you, thank you for breaking those fears Lord, for breaking the abandonment. Thank you, I have to say thank you, thank you. I want to say thank you, thank you for all you have done. There's never a season, never a place where I am alone where you don't show your face. Right here I remember how could I forget your faithfulness. I never left me, there's never a season, never a place where I am alone where you don't show your face. Right here I remember. I remember how could I forget your faithfulness. I never left me, there could I be without you, there's never a place where I am alone where you don't show your face. ♪ I'm amazed by all you've done ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, well ♪

♪ Would I be without you, well ♪ ♪ Would I be without your love ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ Thank you, Father. (orchestral music) ♪ Would I be without your love ♪ ♪ Would I be without your love ♪ ♪ I'm amazed by all you've done ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, well ♪ ♪ Would I be without you, well ♪ ♪ Would I be without your love ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ ♪ I can't say thank you enough ♪ - Thank you, Jesus. (audience applauding) (orchestral music) ♪ I remember how you provided ♪ ♪ How you held me ♪ ♪ Through the night ♪ ♪ And I remember how you sustained me ♪ ♪ When you stepped in to save my life ♪ ♪ If I knew then what I know now ♪ ♪ I would be still and let you work it out ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, I was lost in the water ♪ ♪ But I never went under ♪ ♪ You were always on time ♪

♪ Jesus, when I went through the fire ♪ ♪ You were right there beside me ♪ ♪ You were always on time ♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, when I went through ♪ ♪ You were always, always on time ♪ ♪ And I remember how you carried ♪ ♪ When I couldn't take a stand ♪ ♪ And I remember how you loved me ♪ ♪ When I couldn't love myself ♪ ♪ Jesus, I was lost in the water ♪ ♪ But I never went under ♪ ♪ You were always on time ♪ ♪ Jesus, when I went through the fire ♪ ♪ You were right there beside me ♪ ♪ You were always on time ♪ ♪ You were always, always, always on time ♪ You are always, always, always on time. You are always, always, always on time. You are always, always, always on time. Yes, you begot. You are always on time. Thank you, God, for reminding us of life. You are always on time. There's never been a day. Never been a minute. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. There's never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you. There's never been a day. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. There's never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you.

There's never been a day. There's never been a minute. There's never been a moment that you weren't in it. There's never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you. Never been a day. Never been a moment. That you weren't in it. Never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you, Jesus. I was tossed in the water. But I never went under. You were always on time. Jesus, when I went through the fire, you were right. There's a tiny, you were always on time. You were always, always, always on time. You were always, always, always on time. You were always, always, always on time. You were always, always, always on time. Never been a day. Never been a minute. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. There's never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you. There's never been a day. Never been a minute. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. There's never been a time that you didn't see me through, God. So I worship you. Never been a moment that you weren't in it.

Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it.

Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it.

Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it.

Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. Never been a moment that you weren't in it. moment of our lives because you are there and you're always I pray that we just get what we need to fulfill ourselves and remember that you are there and that you are there for us in every step of our lives, God. And I thank you for everyone in this building world. And I pray, Jesus name, amen. (audience applauding) (gentle music) Well, I hope you're ready to be here for about two or three hours.

Psych, I'm kidding dude, I ain't gonna do that to you. Give me one second, let me, here we go. (clears throat) So my name is Carlos Garcia, and I, it's a pleasure and an honor to be up here tonight. And I was asked to do this about four or five hours ago, right before I was in between intakes, and I absolutely love, you know, just surprise. When I have you come up here and share your testimony, and then I hear that there's like 1.2 million people watching. I'm like, yeah, no pressure, praise the Lord, amen. But, you know, God's faithful, and I wanna share a little bit about my story, and I can't share 49 years of life in a 20-minute window. But what I can do is share a specific part of it. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about the beginning, and I'm gonna tell you how I got to where I became, who I am today. I know my exact sobriety day is November 19th, at 10/30 in the morning, 2018. I'm about to come up on nine years of sobriety. And, thank you. The reason why I know that exact date and time is because at 11 o'clock, I was gonna commit suicide. That day, that night, I had been high on methamphetamine for three weeks, I had backslidden, I had just completely ran from God, and I was completely just done. The enemy was lying to me, and was just telling me that I was a failure and a fraud,

and I was just done. But, we'll get there. So, I come from Long Beach, California, hey. I come from Long Beach, California. I come from my military family. My dad served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps. He did three tours in Vietnam. He's a senior drone instructor, and an old school Puerto Rican from New York. So, when I say that my dad was not the lovey-dovey type, believe me when I say that. If you see the movie Full Metal Jacket, that was my childhood. And, I knew, it was a separate fight. You know, I'm a Marine, too, but man, you shouldn't talk to a six-year-old like that, right? We teach our kids this nursery rhyme. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That is the biggest lie that you can teach a kid, because words hurt way more than getting punched in the face. There's people who are still dealing with things that their mom or dad, or someone that they loved, and cared about, spoke over their life, and it scarred them for life. So, I see it every single day when I talk to some of my men. Be careful with your words, because you never know what you're speaking into a little child. I mean, every single one of us have a story about somebody that, you know, it wasn't so much the act,

but it was the words that were spoken behind it. But, I want to honor my father, because my dad was always there, but my dad was a very hard man. I started using him when I was about 17 years old, and I first started out with a little bit of marijuana, and when I first started, it was all fun and games. It was sublime and backyard parties, and, you know, it swung a little bit of weed, and that was about it, but then later on, I started noticing that I was more accepted, while I felt more accepted, the more that I would use. So, I started putting on this mask, and I started really forgetting who I was, because honestly, that wasn't me as a person. I come from a good home. I know I look like I'm built for football, but I love Star Wars, I love to read. I can play the clarinet, little fun fact. I can play the baritone, the flute. But, I wanted to fit in, so I started putting on this mask, and started using it, and that started leading me down a dark path. When I first started, if you ever would have told me that, it'll go from marijuana to sticking a needle in my arm, and being homeless, I would have laughed in your face, because there was absolutely no way that was what I wanted from my life. But the enemy's good at that. The enemy's really good about making it seem like it's just something really small and trivial,

but it will take everything from you. The Word of God says in John 10, 10, that the enemy has come to steal. for you but yet he's so good he makes it look appealing where everybody says you should just do it just this one time how many of us have known people who have been doing really good and they got high just one time and now they're gone there's a lot of hands that could be raised in this room tonight matter of fact maybe that was your story but the devil is a liar and I want to share about me being incarcerated in about November 19th at 1030. So 2017 was an absolutely horrible year for me the enemy did his level best to kill me by God's amazing grace I got picked up at a trap house in Ibslion in Michigan I got brought down to Indiana to a true purpose but because we didn't have a drug and alcohol counselor I had to come down to Maribel, Tennessee to complete my program well to do the first 90 days of it so that way I can meet the stipulations of the court well when I came down I absolutely I absolutely fell in love with with Tennessee Rio was my first home church and I fell in love with UT because of because of the walls that energy that in that stadium had me absolutely memorized and the brotherly love that I found in the campus love can break through so many barriers so many things that that the enemy has tried to build up love truly does conquer all. So like a lot of people that come to the program I was court ordered and I got a phone call one day I got called up in the office and Michigan had reached down to Tennessee and they said Carlos Garcia you're no longer court ordered in the program you go and leave whenever you want so I got super spiritual I prayed about it for two weeks right instead of just leaving like right away okay you know what hey God that's you I'm out I prayed and I talked myself into it and I left the program went back up to Indiana and within three weeks I was sticking the needle back in my own you know within three weeks I had pushed every way everyone who cared about me and had embraced anyone who who didn't care about me they just wanted to use me remember 19th was the night was the day I was going to commit suicide looking in the mirror had been up for a while and just utterly defeated I get arrested there's more of the story but I got arrested and I got brought into the jail and I remember I was if you if you will pull up the picture of my intake photo this

show man here if I would have got released if I were to got released I would have came out on a double homicide charge somebody had lied about me and got me incarcerated and because I was on parole on probation for Michigan Indiana always does OR bar but for some reason Michigan told me told him to hold me and I'm so grateful for that so I'm in I'm in the drunk take and Sergeant Darcy me walks up and says hey Carlos I got good news and bad news I'm like cool man they're about to give me this OR bar I'm out of here he goes hey the good news is your pastor's here the bad news is your pastor's here I'm like oh man cause this is the person that I lied to stole from manipulated and my pastor walks up and it's where I'm in the booking room and I'm just I'm ashamed I'm embarrassed I'm gonna come around the corner he's gonna just completely dress me down but when I came around the corner I saw a fault I saw the father's love and he laid hands on me and he asked me what happened I just I just told the complete truth so he laid hands on me and prayed for me and prayed the prayer of Joseph over me that everything everywhere that I would go I would walk in favor and man let me tell you this I didn't call my family for the first three weeks because I was so tired of calling and hearing that you have a collect call from Carlos I hated hearing that but for three weeks I was like man my mom was worried about me she hasn't heard from me my mom's been my number one since day one my mom has been the very first woman that's ever loved me mothers you are the first woman that loves your son and so I call my mom and instead of like coming up with an excuse wasn't my fault I was hanging out the wrong people I wanted to leave but they made me stay blah blah blah blah blah I just told the truth mom I'm a drug addict I got a drug problem that was the very first step that I had to do had to be completely honest with myself and say mom I got a problem now I did it was my problem solved overnight no so little by little things started opening up for me I became a trustee and I had the opportunity to just have a real relationship with God not religion I wasn't I wasn't over my Bible just to read a couple of verses and do a little a simple check off this for the day okay I'm going to go about my business. When I was pushing cards, I was talking to Jesus. When I was washing trays, I was talking to Jesus. When I was doing laundry, I was talking to Jesus.

When I was walking down the hallways, I was singing a song that I made up on my own. Because there were some songs that you know the words too, and then some songs you don't. So I just started making up my own songs. And my own words, and one of the songs was, and I can't sing. So I don't care if you judge me, because it's beautiful to him, it's a house to go. I see you move mountains, you did it before, you'll do it again, and I just started just making up my own songs. Because I was having a real relationship with Jesus, a real relationship with the Holy Spirit, not religion, relationship. So I had totally forgotten about a charge that I had, because 2017 I had a gun charge, and I totally forgot about a third OWI, where I decided to run from the COVID-19 high-speed chase, and Michigan, that is a felony, big-time felony, right? I was so messed up, instead of giving the police officer my driver's license, I gave my probation officer's card with my name on it, told him, "God bless and the high-speed chase." Yeah, Xanax and vodka are not your friends, dude. I was making great life choices, right? So, I get in a car accident, God spared me, but I totally forgot about that. So I get extradited from Indiana back up to Michigan, and I told you about the gun charge, and I'm stressing, because Michigan, if you get to leave the state, I assign what's known as a Cobb's agreement, a Cobb's agreement is, "Your honor, I pinky promise, I'm gonna be a good boy, and I'm gonna get in no more trouble. I promise." Well, that's a lie. I picked up two more felonies out of state after I told him, "I want to come into a program to change my life." I look really good in front of this judge, right? So, I go back up to Michigan, and God showed me favor. They said, "You know, instead of sending you to eight years, which I had hanging over your head, I'm gonna send you to Saginaw, Michigan, Tri-Cap, and so it's a low-level

honor prison system. There's no fences, there's no guards. It's a good thing." So I go, "Oh, heck yeah, I'm good." Three o'clock in the morning, they come wake me up and say, "Hey, Mr. Garcia, Detroit wants to talk to you." I totally forgot about that third OWI. So I go to court, I'm in the bullpen, I'm the first one in, and I figure surely they're gonna go by alphabetical order, my last name is Garcia, so I should be in there about, you know, about four or five in. I was the very last docket called, man, it's three o'clock in the morning, comes quick. So anyways, I go before the judge, and I will never, ever forget this, this is the coldest moment. He's, he's, he's sitting behind his pulpit, he's talking to me, he says, "Mr. Garcia, for your third OWI, that's five years, uh, felony, fleeting, and looting, that's five years, six months for driving off, suspended, six months, uh, open-end talks. I wasn't trying to be cute, nor funny, but I said, "Your honor, I'm no mathematician, that's eleven years." He looked at me, he goes, "Oh, you're not a complete idiot, Mr. Garcia, you can do math, but you know, unfortunately for you, your attorney's down here, so I'm gonna go ahead and put you back in the bullpen." So I go back in the bullpen and the door closes, and that's when it got really, really real for me. I walked in that room, I said, "God, you have my undivided full attention." You know what, you know what I was saying in my heart was, "God, I'm done. Lord, you show me grace so many times in my life, you gave me so many opportunities, whether it be, um, the Marine Corps, whether it be in the medical field, whether it be, uh, in the, uh, in the union." And I threw away every single opportunity that you gave me chasing a lie, chasing a feeling, everything.

But God, I'm done playing games with you. My attorney walks in, and, uh, my family's from New York, and I'm very close to the Jewish culture, so I can, I can, I can spot a, uh, Jewish accent, and she walks up and I can't do accents good, so I'm not giving a try, but I can tell she's from New York, and she walks up, well, maybe I will try. She goes, "Mr. Garcia, I do apologize for being late, pardon my lateness," well, that's just, whatever. But, okay, it's just picture Jewish New York, right? So, I just start telling her everything that, that happened, and she stopped me, she goes, "Mr. Garcia, forgive me for saying this, but do you understand that you have a, you have a call of God on your life?" And when she said that, it absolutely floored me, I just started balling, because for the past year, I've been walking around like, you know, I wasn't walking around like a, like a game member, but when you're a car shred, you got to act tough, you got to carry yourself a certain way. But man, when she said that, I just broke down and said, ma'am, I'm-- Can you please help me? This is where the court appointed a attorney. Make a real long story short. Some people that I got close with, they had the funds to be able to hire an attorney where they can only do two years. I was facing 11 years. With this court appointed attorney, I got 60 days in jail and got sent back up to that sagging hall. And that's when a new God was working in my life. If you make a promise to God, you better fulfill it. If you're in a jail cell and you're telling God if you get me out of this, I will serve you the rest of the days of my life. Lord, I'm done.

Please help me. You better fulfill your word because he's going to fulfill his. Now, it may not be exactly how you want it to happen, but I promise you God will show up and show out. So I get out, instead of just getting out and going out, you know what, I want to smoke a joint, drink a beer, do whatever, blah, blah, blah. I made sure I had a plan. I went into a Christian halfway house up in Ibslanny, Michigan. Well, when I got out, I wanted to call Pastor Jeremy, who is my spiritual father, and I wanted to apologize to him for leaving the program early. I didn't want to come back in, but I just wanted to apologize to him. So I called PJ, and, man, Pastor Jeremy is like, he's my spiritual father, he's my best friend. He's somebody that I look up to when somebody who knows the Word of God walks in on a day-to-day basis and is the same all the time, but so when I talk to him, it was like I was drinking a cool cup of water, just refreshing to ask PJ, hey, is there any way maybe I could come back in the program? He says, hey, man, I'll tell you what, Carl, not only that, I'll put you in the fourth phase, and I'll put you back in Dane's house. I'm like, say less. Then he calls me back, says, hey, hold on, man, I got Ben Irvine might have another opportunity for you. So I'm thinking, okay, Ben. Ben calls me, and I got offered a job.

I left the program prematurely, I get arrested on more charges, did everything, did everything, the polar opposite what I told everyone that was in my leadership that I was going to do, and now they're offering me a job. I pray on it. About two months, I come down in December, I checked out the house, and I said, okay, God, if you want me to do this, I'm all the way in. My very first day, our true purpose ministry at staff was February the 1st at 1130 a.m., 2020. I was the house director up there for 21 months, and it became the intake coordinator, I did that from Indiana, and then I finally got transferred down here to Maryville, where I became the campus director. Then from that, I transitioned to a counselor. Then after that, I transitioned back into the intake coordinator to get married, to having a beautiful little girl, to now my responsibility, thank you. (applause) Hey, man, God's good. That's my favorite bully right in the middle. She's seven years old, but man, she plunks me out on a daily. Give me your shortcake, that boy, I'm just kidding. She's a handful, man, but anyways, what I do is not who I am. I am a son first. I'm a husband, second, and a father third, and one of my responsibilities, I'm a program director. I'm here to tell you right now that if you think that your

life is over, that you think that you've made a mistake that it is too big for God to fix, my friend, I'm here to tell you right now, you are exactly who God wants to use, because God uses the broken people. The word of God says in Revelation is that we will come by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. The mistakes that you have made, if you give them over to God, God can absolutely transform them in using for His glory. Because the word of God also says in Romans 828, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. You have a purpose on this life, it's not just to get high. If you're incarcerated and you feel like you've done too much, I'm here to tell you right now that God has a plan for you and that jail affords you two opportunities. Either a, you become a better criminal or you become a better person, but the choice is yours. You don't have to keep going down that path. Is it going to be easy? No, is it going to be overnight? Absolutely not. Even Jesus Christ Himself said that narrows the road and difficult is the path that leads to life. When you were out there in your addiction, were you a pansy, did you just kinda wanna get high? Or did you do whatever it took for you to do it? God put that mentality in you, but you're using it for the wrong reason. Give it to God and watch God totally transform your life. If you want this new life,

you better get up and get after it, 'cause that ain't nothing gonna be handed to you. Places like this, CR, it's full of people who will come alongside you and support you. Whether you being a pro or whether you being a support group, find some accountability. This is not a one man show. This is a group effort. If you made a mistake, amen, get up. You got our two and two, get through it. You're on 30, 30 and reset, amen, that sucks, but guess what, don't give up. (audience applauds) Listen. (audience applauds) I got 20 seconds of land is playing. I wanna go to my favorite scripture and I'm gonna be quiet. Man, a super obvious, I mean, you might wanna get that. Everyone hears your phone ringing right now. I do from the, was it my phone? Wait, dude, I was sucked. I'm talking crazy as my phone. (audience laughs) Yeah, man, I'm gonna be super embarrassing. All right, hold on, okay. He absolutely does and I'm going over by just a little bit, just let me find it, man. There we go. Ezekiel 3625, this is one of my life verses.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart and I will put my spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey all my regulation. God will give you a new heart if you want to give it up to him. All you have to do is submit. That's all you have to do, it's super simple. It's not complicated, it's a simple gospel. Thank you for telling my TED talk, I love you. (audience applauds) (audience applauds) - You know, to be honest, before I started coming to celebrate recovery, I had someone close to me that had been in and out of rehab multiple times and failed a lot of times and to be honest, I wasn't sure I believed recovery was possible. Anyone else ever thought that way for a season of their life. And then I got to come here and I got to meet people like Carlos and see that you are never too far gone, that it is never too late, that God can do so many amazing things

if you just let him and Carlos is such an inspiration. So thank you for who you are and what you do. And funny story, really quick, I get to interview people who have gone through really hard things and God's brought them out of it and Carlos was the second person that I ever got to sit down with and hear his story. The first person though was his wife, Lacey. And I sat and I interviewed her and then I got up and I walked in and Carlos was there and he was sitting in the other room and I walked in, I said, "Wow, she did a really good job." And I could just see in his eyes just how enamored he was with her and I didn't know anything and he leans over and he whispers to me, "I'm going to marry that girl one day." And I went, "Does she know this?" (laughs) I wasn't sure because I had no idea they were dating. But yeah, it wasn't shortly after that they got married and I just adore them both. So can we give him one more round of applause? (audience applauds) All right, if you guys would stand, we are going to close out with our serenity prayer. Together we start with God. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will so that I may be reasonable. And supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen. All right, you guys may have a seat. Stay for the chip ceremony, but in the meantime we're gonna say goodbye to our online audience in our correctional facilities and say we're so glad to have you joining us. And if you get out and we're not close to you, obviously you're always welcome here, but if we're not close and you wanna find a meeting there, you just celebrate Recovery.com. ♪ Have you ever heard the sound of dry bones ♪ everyone else. We're about to do our Chip Ceremony for one more time.