Prologue, Part 1, Part 2,  Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

I have my husband’s full support and permission in sharing the details of our story. He and I are completely different people now and are eager to share our story of redemption, because our desire is that God would use it to give others hope.

When I went back home for our baby’s doctor’s appointment, Will and I were ready to get back together. Because of the scare of possibly losing his family, he was ready to do everything he could to not give into temptation. Miraculously, we were only separated for about 3 weeks.

We went to counseling and stayed accountable to the few people who knew our situation. One time, about a month after we got back together, he didn’t come home.  I confronted him and told him I wouldn’t put up with this again; if it happened again, I’d leave again. That was the last time it ever happened.

About 3 months after we were reconciled, Will got a revelation from God. God wanted to deal with the root of the issue, and Will was ready to respond. He realized that because of his broken relationship with his earthly father, he didn’t view God as a loving father. He pictured God as almighty, all powerful, and way out there somewhere, but not a God who could have an intimate relationship with him, who would care about the little things, and love him no matter what. Once he understood God in this new way, the bondage of sexual sin was broken off of him! He was on fire for the Lord and acted like a different person.

A month later, God wanted to reward us for being committed to the covenant of our marriage. We found out I was pregnant again! When we learned it was a boy, we quickly settled on a name that meant, “Gift from God.” Since then, we’ve been blessed with 3 more children, and we just celebrated our 13^th wedding anniversary. The Lord Thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save… Zephaniah 3:17.

If someone you love is struggling with addiction (a sinful habit they can’t break), something I learned from our story is this. Usually a Christian’s addiction stems from one of two wrong belief systems. Either they have a tainted view of who God says they are, or a misperception of who God says he is.  Pray for God to give them a revelation of who he made them to be and who God really is. The reality of those two things has the power to break addiction. What keeps us in bondage? Satan’s lies about us or his lies about God. Remember what he said to Eve? “Did God REALLY say…” Then he convinced her that what God said wouldn’t happen (Genesis 3:1-19). Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Satan deceives, kills, steals, and destroys, but Jesus came to give us abundant life, life to the fullest. He’s so ready and able to open up people’s spiritual eyes so the truth can bring their freedom.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:17-19a