The Recovery Testimony of our House Manager, Everett

Here's his recovery testimony:

“Kaizen” is the Japanese spiritual philosophy of becoming one percent better every day. On the day of this writing, I have been free from the imprisonment of alcohol and addiction for 1345 days, one day at a time and only by God’s Grace. What a blessing, indeed! 

When I began my recovery in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, it was the worst day of my life by a lot. I didn’t think I deserved God’s Grace, but God thought otherwise. I didn’t know what to expect or what sobriety would look like after over 40 years of self-imposed destruction. I had a lot of remorse and hated the person I had become. 

My fellows in AA loved me until I learned to love myself and guided me on my journey. I am forever grateful and now I look back on that day and look at it as the best day of my life by a lot! They told me all I would have to change was everything so no pressure there, haha. But not all at once...A little further from my last drink every day, and my willingness to be teachable and honest with myself. My beloved sponsor Barry told me early on, that thinking was not for me because I always had a retort for what he was trying to reveal to me. Something like “yes, but I think this or that”. He told me to knock it off and listen as a student, not a teacher. Painfully slowly I began to change one day at a time, sometimes 5 minutes at a time. I turned my will and my life over to the CARE of God who gives me strength and inspiration. He guides me. Now I feel like I am finally walking towards the light instead of away from it. Thank God I'm Free!!! 

-Everett W.