Ronnie started out with what he describes as an amazing childhood, but things quickly fell apart when he was 12 years old and his parents divorced. At age 16 he had fallen off a cliff into hard drugs and a world of hurting himself and others. But the Lord wanted to claim and repurpose Ronnie. The Lord had a plan for Ronnie's life, and Ronnie states that everything turned around for the better when he started "listening to God instead of only talking to God."
You'll love this week's episode and hear some great life advice.
Ronnie started out with what he describes as an amazing childhood, but things quickly fell apart when he was 12 years old and his parents divorced. At age 16 he had fallen off a cliff into hard drugs and a world of hurting himself and others. But the Lord wanted to claim and repurpose Ronnie. The Lord had a plan for Ronnie's life, and Ronnie states that everything turned around for the better when he started "listening to God instead of only talking to God."
You'll love this week's episode and hear some great life advice.
my dad, he drank a lot. He was an alcoholic and that kind of, Led to him and my mom getting a divorce around the time I turned 12 And that's about the same time that you know, no excuse But I started Dibbling and dabbling in alcohol and then moved on to marijuana and then by the time I was 16 years old I had a needle in my arm
Phil Shuler:HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the Safe House Ministries podcast, where we share stories of the power of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. Safe House Ministries is based out of Columbus, Georgia, and we are a ministry that exists to love and serve people who have been affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. I'm your host, Phil Shuler, the Director of Development for Safe House Ministries here in Columbus, Georgia. Safe House serves over 1, 100 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services including 213 beds for homeless individuals and families, case management for obtaining job skills and long term employment. Over 300 hot meals every day, free clothing, and so much more. One of the most incredible services that Safe House provides is our free 9 12 month intensive outpatient substance abuse program, which is state licensed, CARF accredited, and has no wait list. Almost 100 percent of individuals staying in our shelters who follow our three phase program become fully employed within a few months. And 68 percent of individuals who stay at least one night with us End up finding work and moving into their own home. Thank you for being with us today and listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.
Phil:Good morning. This morning on the podcast, I have Ronnie and, um, I think this is the first time I've met Ronnie, but many others at Safe House know Ronnie. And of course, there were some that said, Hey. Ronnie would be a great person. He's doing really well. Get him on the podcast. He has a great story to tell. So, I reached out, and Ronnie is able and willing, and he's here this morning. So, Ronnie, thank you for being here. Uh, you're welcome,
Ronnie:Phil. my name is Ronnie. I, I grew up in Bibb City, right, not too far from here, actually. son of a mill worker, and my grandparents were mill workers. I just had an amazing childhood. Growing up camping, fishing, you know, everything that the boys like to do. I had two brothers that live with us, and we just, I mean, we just love the outdoors. my dad, he drank a lot. He was an alcoholic and that kind of, Led to him and my mom getting a divorce around the time I turned 12 And that's about the same time that you know, no excuse But I started Dibbling and dabbling in alcohol and then moved on to marijuana and then by the time I was 16 years old I had a needle in my arm That's
Phil:a fast. That's a fast trajectory. It seems
Ronnie:it is. addiction knows no boundaries, but So I spent a lifetime, I call it a lifetime in and outta prison, 28 years to be exact of how long I was behind bars and Wow. Like all in total. Like all in total? Yeah. Just so, and I'm only 52 years old, so that tells you, you know, 20, 24 of, uh, those years, you know, I've had Wow. Not be an award of the state Wow.
Phil:So, so 12 years old. It was when your parents, their marriage broke up what caused you, you think, to kind of to dive into that world.
Ronnie:Uh, just watching the older kids, um, the teenagers, you know, they would sneak down to the river and be drinking beer and stuff and then I just, you know, it just, that type of life just appealed to me and I was wondering, hey, wonder what this would be like. Fell right off into it and never imagined, the nightmare it would be.
Phil:so when you turned 16, I guess, and then you started with the harder drugs. Yes, sir. Was that when it really just started to get really dark?
Ronnie:It did. I mean, it's just like everything just started crashing in around me. I mean, I, As a small child, I grew up in the church with both sets of my grandparents. Uh, so I knew the Lord. I knew the Lord. It's just, I started running from Him. Wow. Were you
Phil:living with your mom or with your
dad?
Ronnie:Well, when my mom and dad got a divorce, my mom moved. to Alabama. All of us boys wanted to stay with our dad, but of course we didn't want to leave our home. Um, and it just, basically I was having to help take care of my younger brothers, and because my dad was always drinking, he lost his job, and We lost our house. It was bouncing around from here to there. And eventually I started moving in with relatives in different parts, in different states, uh, just to try to change. But I always fell right back into that same crowd wherever I went. Was it through your teenage years? Yes sir, through my teenage years. Wow.
Phil:And then so, so you're bouncing around, and then, did you land anywhere and stick after a while, or? I
Ronnie:always come back right here. Did you? And every time I came back, I got right back in the jail. Um, yeah, everything I did was drug related, whether it be using drugs, selling drugs, stealing to get money for drugs, whatever it was, it was all, it all centered around drugs. Uh, about six and a half years ago, I was in the county jail and I remember Chaplain Richardson coming in. He says, he said, um, we're having an art contest and the five best people in this jail are going to start an art class with Bo Bartlett. So I said, well, I'm going to enter it. And of course I was one of the five. And after a few months of being in the art class, Chaplain Richardson come to me. He said, he said, Ronnie, I got a program going on. It's through Safe House Ministries. It's called Tomorrow's Hope. Would you be interested in that? I said, sure. He said, okay, well, we're going to get you signed up for it. A couple months after that, he said, when you go back to your dorm today, go ahead and pack your stuff up. You're coming with me. Wow.
Phil:was that towards the end of your,
Ronnie:term? It was. I had went to court and they had recommended, and they had approved me to go into a program, but at the time I didn't know which one. But he told me, he said, Ronnie, you're coming with me. So, uh, I was like, oh man, I was all excited. I got out, he took, he's the one that took me straight to the Grace House. And I got in, into the classes and I mean, was doing fine. Got all the way through graduation and everything. And on my graduation night, I relapsed. It's just like when I finished the program, I relapsed again. ended up back out in the streets, for a good six months and got locked right back up. I went to RSAT and What's RSAT? RSAT is a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program. It's run by the prison system. I stayed there for 12 months. And when I got out, Chaplain Richardson said, Well, why don't you come on back over here? So, always, always left the door open for me. He said, he said, That just wouldn't be right if we just shut the, shut the door on people. He said, my door is always going to be open. So, and thank God for that, cause, here I am today. I ended up, after being there for a couple of months, I transitioned out and moved on to, into my own home, started working at Willie's Wings, and then I left Willie's Wings and went to Wynton Hardware, and I've been there ever since.
Phil:Wow. So what do you think was the difference between what happened after? the first time to the second time.
Ronnie:Well, I really set myself down and started listening to the Lord instead of just talking to him. I started listening to what he had to say and he said, he quoted Jeremiah to me. He said, Ronnie, I got a purpose for you. Wow. And your purpose is to get out there and tell your story. Everything you've ever been through. Somebody else needs to hear this. So that's powerful. It
Phil:is, it is that statement you made about Listening to the Lord instead of just talking to him. Yes. That
Ronnie:is powerful and it's I've always been one that I just wanted to talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. But whenever I sit down and I listen and he's and he revealed himself to me. He said, Ronnie, you do have a purpose. Yeah. He said, you just don't know how many lives that you could change By telling what you've been through.
Phil:So, it sounds like you're familiar with the Bible. Like, do you read the Bible on your own? You've been going to church? It sounds like you've got the word in you in
Ronnie:some way. As a matter of fact, uh, I got married, I call it recently, a year and a half ago, to my beautiful wife, Brittany. This January, we started doing the Bible in a year. And we get up every morning. Of course, we, we read and then at night we do a devotion and, we pray together. As a matter of fact, we sit out in the car and we prayed before I got out of the car. Because, really, I just want the Holy Spirit to speak through me, and just to touch all, all those around us.
Phil:That's awesome. Wow. How did you meet
Ronnie:Brittany? Well, I've known her for a long time. We knew each other back in our addiction. And then we recently got reconnected on Facebook. She was doing a program in Birmingham called love lady And after she got you know, right down to like a week left. We actually got married at the love lady I mean, there's like 400 people in attendance, you know, they threw a big it was It was so awesome. And now I mean I get to do things now that I never dreamed of as a matter of fact the first time Chaplain Richardson jumped out of an airplane. I went out right before him. Wow. That was my first time also, you know, I get the things I've only, you know, watched people do or just always wanted just Man, this is my bucket list, you know, now I get to check things off. I love that. That's
Phil:awesome Getting some adventure jumping out of airplanes, huh? Oh, I love it
Ronnie:I do.
Phil:Wow. Wow. That's awesome. over the years, were there times when you felt the pull of the Lord try to get you out and you just, maybe just didn't listen at those points? Always.
Ronnie:Always. I, it's like every time the addiction got stronger and I, Go sit back down and he would reveal something else to me and just keep on and keep on and then This last time he said, okay, this is it. I'm sending you out And, I mean, I'm just glad to say that he's redeemed me. thank God for grace and mercy because I wouldn't be here right now. Wow. I've, finally reconnected with my kids. That's
Phil:good. Are they here in Columbus as well?
Ronnie:Well, two of them are here in Columbus. and some of my grandchildren. And then I have a daughter that lives in Americas. Awesome. But yeah, they and I've just recently, got one of my daughters into the grace house. she was going through a little trouble, I got her into the grace house and it's just amazing because, like chaplain said, I'll never shut the door on you. just keep on keeping on. yeah. And
Phil:so now, where you're at walking with the Lord, walking in the light, you're able to be a positive influence to help you. Your kids to get on and stay on the right track. Yes, sir. That's good, man How many kids do you have?
Ronnie:I have three children. Okay.
Phil:All right Wow. So tell me about Wynnton Hardware where you work in. Oh man,
Ronnie:it's just so awesome. Everybody there just loves the Lord just as much as I do. we're not only a hardware store, we're also a ministry. We get to pray with people and my boss is just very understanding about everything we have going on in this. I couldn't ask for a better place of employment. Wow. Amazing. It is. I've seen people just come in there just for prayer. Yeah. They're not coming to buy something. Just coming to get prayer. Yeah. And it's It is. It's amazing. Wow. It really
Phil:is. That is amazing. That is And that is very different than most businesses in most places in the world these days. It is. I love that.
Ronnie:I also get the, now I get a chance to help other people get into these programs because once I put myself out there, then, started making myself readily available. Hey, if you need help, just call me, closed mouth don't get fed. So if you don't tell me, I don't know. True. But my mom now, her prayers have been answered because all her children, Or either now, drug free. So my, I got my, brother that's younger than me. He's at the center of hope now. and I believe whenever you go through these programs and stuff, it's good to stay tied into them. So I go up to the safe house a lot. Yeah. I go up and I just go up and talk to people and stuff and tell them what, the safe house has done for me. And It's just, that's good. It's amazing. That is amazing.
Phil:It is. And it sounds like you've got a good support structure with like at the workplace at Wynnton Hardware and staying connected at Safe House. At the Fort
Ronnie:Church, where there's a lot of us that go there. Yeah. A lot of us that used to know each other when we weren't doing right, we're now getting to see each other in a different light.
Phil:Amen. Are you involved in any kind of a service or ministry through the church
Ronnie:there? Well, we, me and my wife and two friends, we just wrapped up our last outreach, at Love and Kindness. we was doing the outreach the first Monday of, every month and we did a six months run with them. And but we still stay connected. We still go to the outreaches, and we're looking really to try to get another one going here soon.
Phil:Awesome. What is that? what is the goal of that or the focus of that?
Ronnie:The focus of that is to reach the people within that community. To let them know that there is a better way. You
Phil:just go out and have community gatherings? Just get together? Yes, sir. Cookout or something like that?
Ronnie:Cookout every time. As a matter of fact, Zaxby's where my wife works, they used to sponsor us the first of every month and they would do all the feeding for us, so. Wow,
Phil:that's awesome. Man, that's good. So let me ask you, what would you say made the difference and helped you to get free and to get on a stable footing for your life and, like some things that maybe would be a help to others to know and to hear and to receive?
Ronnie:I would say like one key word that really sticks out to me would be perseverance. Never give up. Yeah. Never give up because as, as long as you're still breathing, God's not done with you.
Phil:Amen. And I know you already gave us a huge key with listening to the Lord. Oh yes. cause he's there. He has a plan. He knows how to rescue us. We just have to let him do it. Yes sir. and yield to him. Anything else? Any other bit of wisdom or advice that you might want to give?
Ronnie:stay focused, and just remember that, there are people out there that do care.
Phil:Yeah. Amen. Amen. Any other little story from your life that you think would be neat to share or maybe, could illustrate a lesson to learn?
Ronnie:during my three years at Wynton, for six months I moved away to Birmingham. And, After me and my wife got married and I actually worked for the love lady. after six months we had something that happened, that snuck up on us and caused us to come back here to Georgia. But I remember the words, you know, it said, That what was meant to do us harm, God would make it good, and it did, and it's, I mean, I've not been happier in my life right now than I am today. That
Phil:is awesome. I love that. and I think What you paraphrased, there's a verse in Genesis. Genesis. From Joseph's life when he was talking to his brothers, he said what you meant for evil. Right. Selling me into slavery, thinking I was going to die, God meant it for good because he had a purpose. Right, yeah. And he had a plan.
Ronnie:Yeah, for the, to save lives. Yes.
Phil:It was. Yeah. That's so good, man. That is so good. I'm excited. to see where you're at. I'm excited to, to hear some of your story. Just what the Lord has done. I mean, a long time in bondage, a long time, but what a testimony to the grace of God, the long suffering of God, the goodness of God. to reach out and to still keep that door open. I love that. And I love what you're telling us about Neil, just saying that the door's always open. The
Ronnie:door's always open. Yeah.
Phil:And, uh, all it takes is just like you said, listening to the Lord. That's it. Yeah. Amen. Anything else you want to add before we close?
Ronnie:Uh, I just want to thank you for letting me get in here and just share a little bit on my story. I mean, there's so much I want to say, but it's just, I mean. It would take a lifetime, actually, so.
Phil:Yeah. Well, you got a little time if you want to share a little bit of that. What do you know? Do we still got some time? Anything else you want to add?
Ronnie:Uh, not at the moment. Okay.
Phil:All right. Well, thank you for being here. Yes, sir. you mind if I close us in a word of prayer? Yes, sir. Father, we praise you. We love you. We thank you for your grace and your goodness and your mercy. For your long suffering. I know in my own life there have been so many times when I have been so hard headed and I am grateful that you Are merciful to me the things that I'm doing wrong that I don't even realize sometimes. It's just so hard for me to see you love me, and you help me to begin to see them so that you can change me. Thank you for what you've done in Ronnie's life for the testimony of just how you've brought him back from darkness, from bondage, from heartache, from sorrow. Thank you for what you're doing in his brothers and, and siblings lives. For what you're doing in his children's life. For just what you've done in Brittany's life as well. And for the marriage that you've given Ronnie and Brittany. Bless them. Bless their marriage. May it be strong. May it stand on. Your truth and your word, may Ronnie love her with all his heart. May she love him with all her heart as well. And may they both look to you. And help his kids, get their hearts, lead them in a path of righteousness. And just use Ronnie and Brittany to be lights in this city of Columbus, Lord. That others might see, and that others might be drawn to you. And to find Love and victory and blessing in their lives. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
Phil Shuler:We look forward to being with you again next week as we share another testimony about the power and the goodness of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. if you are someone listening to this podcast that loves to hear these stories of the great things that God is doing in changing people's lives for the better, and if you would like to be a part of that work, please reach out to us You can reach us at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31,904. You can call us at seven oh six three two two. 3 7, 7 3, or you can email us at info@safehouse-ministries.com.