Most people know me as Jamie Williams. I am an overcomer by the grace of God, a recovering alcholic and meth addict. As a young teenager, fourteen to be exact, i found alcohol; also experiencing in other drugs. It didn't take long for alcohol to become a dependence. When i was nineteen i tried a drug that would change my life forever. This controling drug was meth i was hooked from the first burning sensation that filled my head. The next sixteen years is a blur and is hard for me to recall. At the age of thrity-four i found myself in a hotel and I had nothing. I had lost everything: my family, wife, job, i had gone through every last cent i had. I was with a girl i didn't even hardly know. She was taking a shower and I was at the point of suicide. Crying like a child, down on my knees in the middle of this hotel room i cried out to someone that i did not know. I tested God by calling out to him " Okay God if you're really out there please give me my life back, my happiness back or forgive me for what I'm about to do." I heard the shower cut off so i jumped in the bed, dried my eyes and pretended i was asleep. Being up for days i soon passed out. Little did I know God was working in my life. The next night i was awakened by a loud knock, i had been asleep for twenty-four hours, it was the police. I opened the door to find out they had a warrant for me. Being that i was on probation for three other possession charges they had the right to search the room. Needless to say this would be my fourth and the warrant it was for a differnt Jamie Williams. For some reason i had peace, peace even knowing that i was facing some time being that this was going to be number four. Sitting in the back of that cop car i heard a voice "Do not move for i am God. Don't complain I got this."

This was on the 23rd day of December, 2007. On the 26th they called my name for visitation- "I didn't want to see that girl, they didn't arrest her, i clamed it all, leave me alone....." I went anyway. Sitting there looking through that glass i was thinking what i was going to say to her when the door opened and in walked my wife. I was in awe, i was fighting the tears back, i didn't know what to expect. She sat down with these tears in her eyes. You see she knew everything that i had been doing, even the other girl. She said to me "Jamie i forgive you, its ok." i was ok with that, after a long silence she continued "...can we work things out" ....I lost it! That was one of the greatest days of my life. You see the meth had me so convinced that she had been the cheating one. I would come home from work to see men jumping out of the windows. This was proof, but in her defence the screen had never been removed. Meth told me different, it was driving me crazy, literally. And she was there to forgive me, WOW. But i still was facing time, time that i didn't have, she would definitely find someone else- man what was i going to do when that voice reminded me "Do not complain." I didn't know how i was going to do this until that night while in my cell i read this verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your on understading." Provebs 3:5. So this was the first part of the change that I was going through. It is said that when someone changes it starts from the inside, from the heart and I find this is true. Four months had passed and I was seeing things from a differnt spectrum now, no i was and still have a long ways togo, but life seemed to make more since.

I went to court to sign a plea, a plea to serve 10 years but to do 5 with internal rehabilitation. I accepted this but something, that voice reminded me "I got this." you see God knows the hearts of mankind. I was standing in front of that judge with a public defender mind you, when he said "I don't know why I'm doing this but council approach me please." With my wife behind me just beside herself my public defender came back. "I don't know what just happended but, but Mr.Williams you're going to Promise Land Ministries in Ellijay for nine months and you have to complete 60 days inhouse SHARP Program." (which meant a couple more months to serve.)

I'm 39 now and sober, I have my life back, I am happier than ever and trully believe without a shadow of a doubt that God is real and that Jesus Christ resides in me. No, I don't and can not live a perfect life, but I do my best. Yes I, we, all fall but Christ is right there to pick us up and help me, us, to move on with forgivness that follows. GLORY TO GOD! I have hurt a lot of people in my past due to my addiction, if you're reading this and i have hurt you please know from the bottom of my heart that I am sorry. I have a beautiful family, my wife, three wonderful daughters, and yes they were probally hurt the worst, exspiecally my two oldest daughters. But God is the cause of reconcilation and I can do nothing to change my past. The love I have for them is unconditional, something I didn't understand as well as compassion, like I said God knows the heart and can make a harden heart become soft, gentle, loving a new creation. I have also lost a lot of good friends, destroyed relationships with good people and these issues I have to live with everyday of my life, not to mention the thoughts of what could have been. But I am saved and showered daily with the free gift of unmerited favor, grace, God's grace and at times like these i find my self thanking Him for answered prayes. I look back on that 22nd day of December, 2007, broken, soulless, lost in the pits of Hell, He reached in without looking at what I did or the monster that I had become and lifted me on mountain high. Thank you Jesus!!!! I have a story to tell and want to help those that are lost.? (You have to excuse my spelling I'mworking from my mobile.) Im involved in the jail ministry and i personlly think there should be a one on one for those who are scared to speak out. Please if i can help let me know.