Lost in a world of drug addiction

KELLY BOUCHARDIt’s strange but when I think of drug addiction, I think of people in much worse predicaments than I ever experienced. I would have never referred to myself as a drug addict growing up, after all, my definition of an addict was someone with a needle in their arm, incoherent, messy and beat up, living under a bridge. So the fact that all I ever did was get high on a daily basis, in my mind didn’t qualify me as an addict. Until I put that needle in my arm for the first time… then I started to think I may have a problem . All I wanted to do was party and get stoned and that’s all I did. I even bought lottery tickets in hopes of buying mountains of “coke” with my winnings… how messed up was that? Thank God my numbers never came in. I knew what I was doing was wrong but it felt so good and I really had no control. I would pray every night, apologizing to God and asking for help to get out of this.

My turning point came when I was pregnant with my Son Kenny. I was young but I knew I had to clean up my act. I know that God was protecting me during those times. I look back to specific situations and realize it truly is a miracle that I’m still alive. I realize that God had a bigger plan for me. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer 29:11. After Kenny was born, we were blessed with 2 more beautiful children. I turned my life around, raising my family, getting closer to God and helping others turn their lives around.

I really thought my addiction was a thing of the past until recently when I found myself in a place of deep disappointment. People close to me had really let me down, a couple of business deals had fallen through, my kids were all grown up and for the most part living on their own, my husband was traveling and all I could think of was going back to what I once knew, drugs. Here, I’d been clean for 27 years. I was so disillusioned by the disappointment and I felt that I had been good long enough and it hadn’t really paid off. Thank God that over the years, I had attended Bible study and got into the Word of God. During this time of weakness, I was able to look to God for strength, to draw on stories from the Bible. I was reminded of Esau who had given up his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. Was I about to give up everything I believed in for a night of getting high and then realizing it wouldn’t change any of the above situations, except make them worse? I have to be honest, it took a lot of wrestling. It took a lot of reading, a lot of supernatural strength to get through it and I did. To God be the Glory!

We know that trials are good for us, they help us learn to endure. Rom 5:3

When your Faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3

I believe I had to go through this to realize, that even as a motivational speaker and success coach, it doesn’t make me exempt from life’s challenges. Just like a doctor isn’t immune from sickness. I realized that I don’t have to do this on my own, I have a God who is able!

“NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US, TO HIM BE GLORY…FOREVER AND EVER.” EPHESIANS 3.20-21

My name is Jennie Carter, I was married for 13 years to a man, who throughout the years became very controlling, possessive, manipulative, and very disrespectful. I didn’t want that life for my children, we tried counseling to save the marriage, but to no avail. I went through a stressful divorce that ended in December 13 2006, little did I know that on December 21, 2006 will be a day that would stay with me for the rest of my life. My children were murdered by my ex-husband. My handsome son Nelson was only 10 years old and my sweet daughter Crystal was 8 years old. My life has changed dramatically, tragedies changes you forever, either for good or bad. My ex-husband murdered my children and killed himself by setting the house on fire, just to get back at me, he thought that by taking the kids away from me, I would die slowly with grief and sorrow; he accomplished to hurt me deeply but I’m still here, he did not kill my spirit, It has been very difficult to deal with it day by day but with God’s Grace and Love, I have endured the unbelievable, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” he has helped me to put one foot in front of the other, he is my therapist, I give all the Praise and Glory to God for keeping me strong, he carries me in my time of weakness, comforts me when I feel alone. All I have is Beautiful memories of my babies, I am blessed with a very supportive family and circle of friends. PRAYERS are the key to SUCCESS and FUEL to the SOUL. JENNIE CARTERI did not allow my tragedy to ruin me, I allowed the tragedy to change me in very constructive ways. I have been an advocate for domestic violence for almost 4 years, I have spoken in different events, FAU, Court house, Churches, I taught domestic violence class for a year to women who are afraid to leave, I taught them and let them know that they have options. I AM MY CHILDREN’S VOICE, I needed to make noise, I could not allow my children to be just another case of domestic violence gone bad. Things had to change, I want to make a difference in other children’s lives, so that they won’t have to endure what my children went through, losing a child is the most difficult thing that a parent could ever go through; with the help of Senator Ted Deutch, in October 2009 a bill was passed that would help children that are in A violent environment to have supervised visitations, something my children were never granted. I keep my children’s memory alive by speaking, teaching, educating and listening; after all….”I AM THEIR MOTHER” with the help of my Beautiful Guardian Angels, I will continue to do what I can to change and touch the lives of others. I challenge you to get involved and extend your arms to those in need. Don’t ever say IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO ME….……….I DID!

My goal is to plant a seed of love in everyone’s heart so that love can spread like wild flowers.

About God by Dr. Sandy Murphy

On September 6, 1974, her then husband shot this then 18-year-old mother of two between the eyes at close range with a twelve-gauge shotgun. Even though the entire right side of her face was almost blown completely away, she miraculously survived.

Today over 30 years later, Sandy Murphy is a living testimony of God’s Miracles, Mercy & Grace to the lost and hurting, especially battered and abused, women, men, and children.

Sandy has a Doctorate in Counseling Education/Marriage & Family Therapy for broken families, individuals, ex-offenders; serves in the chosen and anointed call as an Evangelist and moves by the Holy Spirit in the gift of “inner-healing” for spiritually wounded and lost souls. Sandy has been speaking professionally over 25 years.

By profession and through the spiritual mantle of an Apostle, Sandy is a Consultant and Mentor to develop various Churches and Businesses in Professional Development for Church/Ministry Excellence and Growth.

Sandy is the mother of 2 adult children: a son Tyrone, daughter, Shondra, and the grandmother of 5 beautiful granddaughters.

Sandy is also the author of : Too Bad It Wasn’t A Dream

My friend, Valorie Parker, and thousands of friends all over the planet, joined with me on multiple streams of media, including Facebook, and they prayed. And they prayed. And they prayed.

I posted my updates on my Facebook page, each time, proclaiming that I was already healed. Cancer had no place in the body that God almighty said is a holy temple to himself and he resides inside of. He said I was created in his likeness and image.

After 60 days, my docs said the tumors appeared to be slowing down but the cancer was still very active and that they might be able to prolong my life but not cure me. I told them to keep “practicing medicine” and that my God did not have to practice…. I was already healed. I could feel them rolling their eyes despite wanting to help. So, they prescribed another 90 days of chemo. YIKES! After 40 days, I thought I was dying but I had to keep going. 90 more days? No matter, God had me and I was already cured. I took the chemo.

I returned to the medical center in August and my friend and mentor, was in the waiting room. Les Brown, the world famous millionaire, was spending the day, sitting in a hospital waiting room, waiting on me. My God is Great! The results that day, “…Mr. Garcia, the tumors continue to shrink and we think we can continue to prolong your life, but we won’t be able to cure you,” they said. I responded, “Have faith and do not doubt!” They smiled and commended me on my strength.

I then told them that it was not my strength, but rather, my strength through God Almighty who is the source of all strength. I told them that the passage I used “Have faith and do not doubt” continues on and says, “…Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” They smiled and went on their business. No matter, I was already healed.

On October 23rd, I returned to the medical center for my next follow-up. After poking, prodding, and a series of tests the latest results were in.

The doc rushed into my room…. “John, John, John” was all he could say. Finally he said, “… the cancer is gone! I don’t know how – but the cancer is gone!”

I looked at him and said, “Have faith AND do not doubt.”

God continues to bless me with miracles and extended life. We will all die, but only God Almighty will decide the hour.

It is now 2011 and I continue to travel every week, sharing my story with anyone and everyone. As James Brown used to sing, “Whoa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now I feel good, I knew that I would So good, so good …..”

I continue to post updates and inspiration messages on my Facebook page. I’m finishing up my next book entitled, “You’re More Powerful Than Your Mountain!” which will be published soon.

God bless you and remember, “Through HIM, all things are possible!”

SURVIVING CANCER

All my life I’ve been a fighter; from birth being the first girl born into a family dominated by boys to fighting male classmates and the most devastating foe was to fight a disease that claimed both of my breasts. This disease had already claimed other relatives in my family; so I knew from the on set that it would be the fight of my life.

At the time I did not know what cost would be associated with this fight; many times in the past, my fights left little or no scars; but this fight cost more than I could ever imagine. It took a toll on my immediate family, especially my three sons. The two younger sons, who were 7 and 8 when I was diagnosed in 1995; was devastated, striping them of their innocence and basically forcing them to grow up overnight. My oldest son is still feeling the effects of not being present at the time of my diagnosis. One never knows the effect that it has on another person; when you’re going through the battle. When you choose to fight, you become indulged in the battle of surviving.

Now 13+ years later I can say, “that fight gave me a new prospective on life and left me with an understanding that God had prepared me to be a fighter for life and survivorship is just a part of the battle”.

Now, as I prepare to complete my first book “Life through the Eye of a Rose”, a new chapter in my life begins. I’ve been fighting all my life; now I am ready for the loving to begin.