How Drinking Hurts Your Kids: Jasmine Connell's Story About Growing Up With an Alcoholic Mom (Part 1)

Jasmine shares what life was like growing up with a Mom who was an addict.  One of the craziest times of her life was when she was 17 and working in a bar and her mom would embarrass her by coming to the same bar and getting totally wasted.  Jasmine has a perspective that is so helpful for understanding what so many people live with growing up, a perspective that should help those who have had a more advantageous upbringing learn how important it is to show compassion instead of condemnation for others who are often simply doing the best they can do with the cards they've been dealt.

Transcript

0:00

Did that begin to put a rift between you guys? Yes it did, because throughout my life I was always really close to my mom. Like super close. And I guess it just started, I started building up walls because it was like it wasn't a mother daughter relationship anymore. It was, but it wasn't, and then it made me feel like I, If I brought it up the next day, it was it was a problem, but it was something that needed to be talked about. Yeah. Because it affected me. Yeah. But if it was talked about it, I had to pick and I felt like I had to pick and choose what I would say, so I wouldn't upset her and really, I don't think that it was so much that I would upset her. I think she would just get defensive because it really hurt her feelings, probably. Because I know that deep down my mom loved us, and tho those actions and the words that were said wasn't really her. I know that it was because she was under the influence.

Phil Shuler: 1:05

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.

2:18

hello and welcome to our podcast episode this morning. This morning we've got a special treat, something that's a little different than the usual podcast format. Most of the time, the interviewees that I have that come on share their amazing stories of how they themselves went through addiction and homelessness and just tragedy and darkness, and how the Lord got a hold of them and turned their life around. But today I have someone, Jasmine, who grew up with a mom that went through darkness and addiction, and Jasmine is here to share how that affected her and what that did in her life, and to give us a perspective that I think will help in so many ways. Jasmine, thanks for being here. Thank you. I'm super excited. When I think about things that I went through throughout my life, it is emotional, so I'm gonna prepare myself for that. It's okay. Yeah. It's okay to be emotional. I'm grateful that you are here and willing to share some things that I know will be a great encouragement and a help to a lot of people. I hope so. I really do. The reality is that there are so many people that are living with a loved one who is in addiction or in homelessness. And it's a rough place to be. I look at it in so many different perspectives today, and I really have always had a very open heart to anyone. I've never judged anybody. I was that person in school. Wow. Friends with everybody. Yeah. It didn't matter, if you wore the same brand as, this person or that person. But one thing for sure, I feel as far as someone in addiction or even, recovering today, they don't just wake up one day and say, Hey, I, I wanna do this. I wanna be homeless. I wanna be strung out on, these. Types of drugs that I mean are in this world today or be an alcoholic. Something happens I feel, in their life to make them like become to that point. I don't think they just wake up and they're like, Hey, this is how I wanna live my life. Yeah, you're yeah, you're right. And a lot of people don't, like when you're riding down, especially here in Columbus, I see so many people homeless. I feel people stereotype them, they don't wanna work, they're bums, blah, blah blah. But what about their story? Yeah. You're so right. It's, you're so right. There's a story behind, there is every person that stands on these corners. There is. And I am glad that God does not treat us the way that we treat so many other people agreed that he loves us, he accepts us. And if we only could realize all the things that are just offensive to God that are in our lives and he still loves us. Yeah, he does. So you are the daughter of Christie Connell, right? Yes sir. And now do you have some siblings as well? Some other siblings? I have a younger brother. Okay. His name is Duncan. He is my guardian angel. And he watches over us today. But my mom was a single mom to me and my brother Duncan. And, honestly, we had a great life as children. Yeah. We really did. My mom loved us. So what was it like just young, the young years, like maybe as early as you can remember? I guess my mom was superwoman. Yeah. To me. Yeah. I mean she was a single mom. I didn't really know my dad. So my mom was my mom and my dad. She got Mother's Day and Father's Day cards. Yeah. Yeah. And I never could pick one. And I don't know if I, if it was, I really couldn't pick one or if I was in competition with my brother, nah, I'm just kidding. But really we couldn't pick one. Mine were always very sentimental and his were always goofy. Yeah. Because that was our personalities. That fits your personalities. Yeah. Yeah. So as a child, she did any and everything with us. I remember going on trips with my mom at a young age. My mom taken, there were seven head of kids, all to white waters, and it flooded. The bottom fell out, and we didn't get to go. Guess what? She rented a motel. We slept in our bathing suits and we went into Whitewaters the next day. Wow. Seven kids. Just my mom. It was me, my brother, my two cousins. They were like brothers and sisters. And it was one of her friends. And I think it was even one of my friends or my, maybe my brother's friends. But that was what life was like. We did everything together. We were never not with my mom. And even when she did things when we were young, when I thought as a child going out and socially drinking with her friends, we were always with my aunt. She didn't just throw us off on anybody and everybody. Yeah. We were always safe and taken care of. And my brother spent a lot of time with his dad's mother, which was his nana and his papa. But I always went to my aunt's house. Yeah. Okay. And she was like a second mom. And I have a best friend, Ashley spent a lot of time with her'cause she's been my best friend since I was three, so we were close. Yeah. But mom, she worked and my mom went to school. But she did take jobs that were like, I mean she worked in some office jobs, but she did bartend and I feel like that was when I got older. I did start to notice, that my mom drank more than your average. Yeah. She was drinking all the way from when you were born, just the early years. Yeah. But of course, but you didn't really know any different, like you didn't No, and nothing, it never happened. And if it did, I didn't know about it, so it didn't affect me. Yeah. And that's, I guess that's okay for that. She protect us, so I never got affected until I got older. As you started to get older, as you started to maybe, be old enough to be aware of why is mom gone or why is, what's what, I don't know, maybe pre-teen, teen years what was that experience like and how did that affect you? I would say I think when I really started noticing it, I was maybe 15. Okay. Is like when it really I noticed it, but when it started affecting me. Yeah. And I would say that it, it was concerning because I loved my mom and I didn't, I feel like I didn't. It didn't fit her, the mom that I grew up with. Yeah. The image that, that you had of your mom that I saw. Exactly. You started to see things that, that didn't really match up to what you Exactly. That image. Yeah, because I never saw those sides of her. And some things were said to me because I was older and she was intoxicated of course those things hurt my feelings and then it made me feel like is that really how you feel about me? But I guess anything mind altering to me honestly isn't the truth. cause you're not in your right mind. Yeah. And I just would just push it down. I didn't really try to focus on it. So those the conversations, the things that she would begin to say they were hurtful, but you just push them down and dismiss them and Yeah, I just try. Yeah. Okay. Which is not healthy though, because you're, you're not supposed to just pretend like things Yeah. You want to ignore them. Yeah. Yeah. Where were you guys living at the time? We lived in Augusta, I would think. I think that's, and then we liked, my mom liked to move a lot. Yeah. Now where were you in your early years? Like Vidalia? Okay, and Okay, Lia. We moved one time when I was young, when my mom was going through a divorce. We moved to Dublin and I was in school there for just a couple weeks. And I was in class one day. I was actually about to take a test and I was being called to be signed out and my mom said we were moving back to Lia in Dublin's only about 45 minutes away. That was like out of the blue, out of nowhere. I didn't know we were moving. You just get pulled outta school and Wow. That's, but I think that was, that marriage didn't work because of, they both were alcoholics, I believe, I mean from the outside looking in. And I think there was things that taken, took place, but we didn't see them because we weren't there. Yeah. Okay. And went ba we moved back to Vidalia and we weren't there until, we didn't move again until sixth grade. Macon. Okay. Now your mom had serious different relationships over the years, right? She did. Was, how did that affect you the changes in those things? And then I don't know if were you ever attached or began to be pretty close to any of those men that were in your mom's life that maybe were a father figure to you? There was one in particular per gentleman, his name was Nick. He was very he did not have kids, but he was a pretty awesome guy and he was good to my mom and he was great to us. And I believe there was even like, conversations and I even said I would want him to adopt me. Wow. Wow. How old were you around then? I was in fifth grade. Wow. he genuinely cared about us and he genuinely cared about my mom. That's awesome. I know that. I just feel like that there past just didn't meet in the middle. Yeah. My mom didn't have it, had already had two kids and he didn't have any kids. So I feel and I guess that wasn't God's plan, yeah. So she ended up as leaving him and you guys kinda left and they went there separate ways and he was in school I believe he is an attorney today. Okay. He was in I think he was taking, what's the really big test that you take? The was it the bar or the lsat? LSAT maybe? I believe so. And I think once he got a really good job, he moved and I think he lives in North Carolina now. Okay. He still checks on us every now and then, but of course he's married and he has his own kids, so I respect that because I don't think his wife would be too thrilled if I was like, Hey, we miss you. But just general conversation every now and then. Yeah. How long were your mom and Nick together? I don't remember to be exact, but I know I, I know that it was I wanna say a really long time I wanna say I was in like seventh grade. Wow. Maybe even eighth. I remember, and I don't know if they, I don't know if they were still like, we didn't live with him, but they were still like socially and I don't know if you considered that together. I don't know.'cause I was young. So you guys lived with him for a long while? He moved in with us, yeah. Okay. So how did that affect you when they split and you guys just moved on? It hurt. Yeah. Yeah, it did. And as you ask about my mom having multiple relationships um, and how that affected me. I have very high standards today. I'm a single mom and I think that is because I know what I deserve and I know what my son deserves, and I'm just not gonna settle. I'm not gonna have that multiple relationships and I don't want my child to feel some of the things that I felt. Yeah. And yeah, at a young age, I don't want him to be confused or, because Hendricks's dad is not really in his life on a daily basis. And I wouldn't want him to be like, so is this guy gonna stay? My dad? Didn't, you know that? Those type of feelings. Yeah. And I just tried to, give him, I guess love from mother and father's side, like how my mom did. Yeah. When she wasn't in a relationship. How old is Hendricks? He is seven. Wow. Awesome. He's a awesome kid. And he acts so so much like my brother. And I do have some health problems. I didn't think I was gonna be able to have kids and I think God gave me Hendrix because he knew what was ahead. I don't think that it was God's plan to take my brother. I don't think that's how that works, but thinking that I wasn't gonna have kids. And then my son was seven and a half months when my brother passed away. Wow. And I just feel like that he was like, you need him, you need this kid in your life. Because my brother was my best friend and my mom being a single mom and working and going to school, I cared for my brother. Yeah. You're like a mom to him. Not I You just took care of him. I just, I cared for him. Yeah. And I remember like getting up and getting him ready, some mornings for school and stuff, making sure that he looked nice and because that's how mom dressed us. Yeah. And I guess I just, I look at it in so many different ways today, but I definitely think that God gave me Hendrix for a reason. Wow. What a blessing. Most definitely. Yeah. you were affected a lot by the multiple relationships and the moving and the, then as you said, as you, you got to be a teenager and you became a little bit more aware just the way that your mom talked and how hurtful she was with her words. continue through those teenage years and just how things affected you. I was a senior in high school. This is just a episode. I was a senior in high school and I worked at champ Sports and I also worked at a club. I was 17. I don't know why I worked at a club. Me 33 today, looking back, I'm like, wow. But anyway, I did and my mom would hang out there at the club. Yeah. And she was my mom and she would get intoxicated. And, my friends and people I work with, I. That did affect me and it was embarrassing. And then it hurt my feelings too, because it was like, you're my mom. Like I never did. Like I could always call my mom, like for example, 21st birthday, everybody says, that's when you get to drink legally. And I was able to call my mom and come and get me, but then years before that, I'm having to drive my mom home from my job. Wow. You get what I'm saying? Yeah. And I remember one time her getting really upset with me. I think she lost her cigarettes. And she wanted me to take her and it was like super late, like three or four in the morning. She wanted me to take her to get her cigarettes and I just knew that they were somewhere in the car. Or maybe she did, but I didn't wanna go. And it become like a big disagreement because I wouldn't take her to get cigarettes. And it was just because she was intoxicated and she couldn't find them. But it became something bigger than it should have. Yeah. And the words and the actions that were taking place, it hurt. Yeah. Did that begin to put a rift between you guys? Yes it did, because throughout my life I was always really close to my mom. Like super close. And I guess it just started, I started building up walls because it was like it wasn't a mother daughter relationship anymore. It was, but it wasn't, and then it made me feel like I, If I brought it up the next day, it was it was a problem, but it was something that needed to be talked about. Yeah. Because it affected me. Yeah. But if it was talked about it, I had to pick and I felt like I had to pick and choose what I would say, so I wouldn't upset her and really, I don't think that it was so much that I would upset her. I think she would just get defensive because it really hurt her feelings, probably. Because I know that deep down my mom loved us, and tho those actions and the words that were said wasn't really her. I know that it was because she was under the influence. Yeah. And she had progressively gotten worse with her drinking. And after my brother, most definitely. Yes, sir. How old were you when Duncan passed away? I was 27. Okay. So that's a little bit later down in the story. But you're as an older teenager. Did your mom realize that what was going on? Did it register to her how deeply she was beginning to hurt you? And I think so. The risk that was developing, but it wasn't discussed. Yeah. I believe that it was, and she would apologize, but still it wasn't the same as an apology today, yeah. Yeah. Because we're all human and we all say things and we might not say, it might come off a certain way you apologize about it. And the apology that I get today and the apology that I got then is definitely different. Yeah. And I feel like that is very sincere today. Yeah. Whereas before it was just trying to, I still feel like that there was a little bit of an a, a but, or an well but excuse words. Yeah. Yeah. That came after the apology. Yeah. And I know that she would also, I know that in the inside she probably beat herself up about it because I know that she loved us. Yeah, I do know that. Yeah. Can I ask you, how do you feel like it affected you not really having a stable father in your life? Like, how do you feel that affected you? Maybe in the. The decisions you begin to make as a teenager or the path that maybe you just began to take in your own life I think that, I'm trying to think how to explain it. Yeah, it hurt and I did not really date until I was, I guess talk on the phone, meet as group friends at the movies, but I don't consider that a relationship, yeah. I was just in middle school. Yeah. My first like real relationship, I was 17 and I feel like that a part of me just wanted that, if I did date someone that I wanted the forever. Yeah. Because I had never had that and I never saw that and I still today, I mean I've only had four real relationships and that includes my son's dad and that's because I am very, I'm in it. I'm determined and I'm compassionate. I'm gonna do everything I can to make something work until there's nothing left to give. Yeah. And I think, I guess that's because I've always wanted that, and I, and then now that I have a child I want that for him. Yeah. I've never experienced that, except for that. I've always had my mom except for the time period that I didn't have her. And that's because she didn't have herself at that time period. And that's because she didn't have her only other child. Yeah. As you graduated high school what was life like for you then after high school? Did you go to college? What was the I did I went to culinary school. I went to the art institute in Atlanta. I lived with my mom and the gentleman that she was dating at the time, and he was not the most healthiest person for her, but I did not know that until I moved in with them, because I didn't live with my mom. Right outta high school. Not long after I graduated I moved out. We had gotten to a disagreement and, I decided that I would just leave.'cause I thought I was grown. Yeah. Looking back I wish I wouldn't have done that. But Where did you go? I went to across the apartment complex to my friend's house. Alright. Yeah. Not very smart. But yeah to culinary school and things were not the healthiest though between my mom and that gentleman. And I went, I think I went to my aunt's or I went to my hometown to visit and I got a call and it was from Jones County Jailhouse. And it was my mom.'cause they had gotten into a altercation and apparently the officer took his side. Apparently they were friends. And my mom got arrested, so I had to go bail my mom out I overdrew my checking account. Wow. So I could bail my mom out. And they didn't date anymore after that. And I tried to commute from Macon. We moved in with my mom's sister from Macon to Dunwoody in Atlanta. And my first class was like, I think at 8 7 45 8 in the morning. I went to school all day and then I would drive home and then I would attempt to do homework or study and then get the sleep that I could get and then get up and do it again. Wow. Didn't last very long.'cause it's a hard schedule. Yeah. And I was in the middle of a semester, so I didn't, I was young, I didn't really know any options, so I withdrew and I didn't finish and get the culinary degree. That was a dream of mine. It was. That's my dream has always been to have something of my own, a restaurant, a food truck. Yeah. It's my happy place when I'm in the kitchen. Nothing else exists. So that was a big setback for me. I did go to college again. I went to East Georgia in Soton and that was just a business management kind of thing? Yeah. Associate's degree or bachelor's degree. I was going, I didn't finish with either one of them. I took a medical withdrawal at East Georgia and that was when I was 23. That's when my health decided. It's a decline. Oh, I got listeria. What is that? It's a foodborne illness. I went through five hospital stays about a year and a half in and out. They couldn't figure out what was wrong. Wow. They thought that I had meningitis, but they thought they were saying that it was viral meningitis. But they would put me on antibiotics and I would get better. If it's viral, antibiotics wouldn't have made it better. So it was in and out. And then the big blue be recall happened and I ate that every day. I was a vegetarian, so I ate this sherbert with everything. Granola. I made smoothies with it. I consumed it, and I would get admitted in the hospital and I would come home and eat it again because it is like you ever feel bad and you eat ice cream? Oh, yeah. It makes your tummy feel better kind of thing. So I always felt bad because I was sick and I would eat this sherbert because I thought that it made me feel better. But it really didn't. Wow. So now I deal with health, pro health problems today. So that's a lingering the effects of it, I guess they finally figured out what it was. So there was no positive test. It only stays in your blood for so long. A year and a half later, of course it's not gonna be there. And my mom even went over and beyond and took the last tub of Sherbert to the health department and everything. Like she tried to have it tested. That's why I said that my mom was a good mom. Yeah, because through that time period, my mom was also struggling with Graves disease, but in the mix of all that, when we would come home, she did turn to alcohol because she was stressed. That's where it started. She didn't know how to handle things right. It was just, she was a stress drinker. And I think that's why it took such a downhill with my brother, so just trying to numb it. Yeah. Stressed out. She probably even hurt for me too, just like I hurt for her, but I didn't really grieve my brother properly. So you finally got stable, with your health? Yeah, I guess you could say that. I think more I just dealt with it and survived. Yeah. And then you were just, you and your mom were living together and did you started working? I did. I believe I believed I worked at hardware pizza. I was a chef there. I was a head chef. And that's where me and my son's dad started dating. I. Does he also work there? He did. He was the executive chef and I was the head chef. Okay. And we both worked there. We had mutual friends, so we already knew each other before we dated. And I did live with my mom. And then I moved into a mother-in-law suite by myself. And she lived with Michael, which was the guy that she dated and they were in a relationship for a while when I was sick and everything like that. Yeah. They were in a relationship, so they had their own home. And I lived in the mother-in-law suite. Okay. And so you were pretty serious with the executive chef eventually. Yes, sir. We were together probably over four year. Four and a half years. Yeah. Okay. And you're just, or did you ever move in together with him? Or did you stay with your mother-in-law suite? He moved in. He moved in with me along with my mom. It was only one bedroom because her, when her and Michael were not on good terms, she would come and stay with me. Okay. Because he was the alcoholic as well, I believe. Wow. So then it was the three of you there in the mother-in-law suite? Yep. In the small one bedroom. Yes. Yes. How'd that go? That was eventful. Oh yeah. What, how I guess just there was no personal space and BJ would go stay with his mom in Mount Vernon, which is like 15 minutes. Every now and then it would just be me and my mom or I would go stay with him in Mount Vernon and then my mom would just be there hanging out with my pup. Yeah. But it was, I mean it was definitely different. In that time period I got in a car accident and broke my arm and my leg. Wow. Yeah. I have an awesome scar from that. I was in a wheelchair and my mom and Michael got back on good terms, so she went back and everybody kinda rotated taking care of me'cause I couldn't get up and walk at the time period, even though I thought that I could. Wow. Now as you experienced a lot of those hardships in your own life, did you ever begin to just get a little bit too far into the world of drinking or any kind of addictions like that yourself? Or was that, did it never really affect you the same way as it affected your mom? I have experimented with marijuana. It was never something that I had to have something that I could pick up, put down. Yeah. I considered that like a social thing. I guess as people say socially drinking never really been a big drinker. I think I can probably count on both hands how many times I've been like really intoxicated. Maybe even one to be honest. Just never, maybe I'm not, didn't care for it because I saw it a lot. Yeah. So that, that, so I didn't care for it. And even, smoking marijuana was really I guess a college thing socially, but that wasn't something that I ever became addicted to. I think the only thing that I ever really, I guess you could say addicted to is I, as crazy as it sounds, I picked up smoking black and Milds after my brother passed away. Okay. And that's really disgusting wow. And those are kind of cigarette? It's a cigar. Okay. And that lasted about, I think six months. And I was like, this is disgusting. Then you had enough of that and I didn't want it anymore. Then that's when vapes came out and I started smoking a vape and I have not smoked a vape. I don't even know, I haven't counted. I haven't been smoking a vape in quite some time now. Good. It's been over a month. Awesome. And I started out with chewing nicotine gum and because I thought, I don't wanna make my body go through withdrawals. I've never been addicted. Yeah. Addicted to anything. But there's no way that I couldn't have been addicted to nicotine because I've had it for a while now. Yeah. Like years, because I had a vape and prior to that I smoked black and mild. But I gave my mom my last piece of nicotine gum yesterday because I've had it for five days and never chewed it. So I was like, I don't think I need anymore gum. That's awesome. So I have no kinda addiction. Wow. So how did things change when Hendricks came along? So Hendricks was right at eight months when my brother passed away. And you were with your mom and I lived in Macon. Okay. And my mom lived in Delion and I don't really know, like No. You were, was Hendrick's father with you in Macon? We were supposed to move there together, but he backed out. Okay. At the storage yard when we were supposed to be moving. That's a long story. And you were pregnant at the time? No, Hendricks was just a couple months old. Okay. And, I moved to Macon by myself. My mom, I believe, was dating Rob. He owned like an Italian restaurant in Vidalia. I don't really know a lot hap just like things happened, but I can not really put it all together. Yeah. So what what was the story about Hendrick's dad and what happened that he didn't, you guys were gonna go to Macon and he didn't want to go, he wasn't faithful. Oh, yeah, he wasn't faithful. Of course I didn't know that at the time. I just thought, I really don't know why I, what I thought at the time. So much happened at the storage yard. I went, I, my granddad accidentally hit me with a car, his car, long story short, wow. There was a big commotion because BJ backed out of Mo going to Macon. So he wanted his things out of the storage unit. And Hendricks was in like the cradle, like car seat. So my grandma had the bigger seat that you move into after that, which he was gonna be moving into soon. So I walked across the storage yard to look in her car to see if that was in there. And I walked behind my granddad's car. When I looked in my grandma's car, saw the seat go to walk back across the storage yard. This was right after BJ made his big commotion. And as I'm walking across, my granddad is trying to come drive across the storage yard because he heard all the commotion and he thought he was in neutral or park whatever, and he was really in drive. So he went from park to drive and he hit me. So I flew on top of the car. Wow. And he landed in a storage unit under a moving truck? Yeah he as in my granddad. Okay. Yeah. Wow. So we both went to the er and this was right in the middle of, me moving to Macon. And BJ was, he was just backing out, creating a drama scene and Yeah, pretty much. Wow. So then it was a battle because it did hurt me. I had a sic nerve, so I couldn't walk for two weeks and my mom had to come to Macon and help me with Hendrix because he was just a baby. we'll pick back up next week and Jasmine will continue her story, which gets a little worse before it gets better. Things get a little more strained between her and her mother. particularly after the time when her brother died, her mother just went off the deep end. And you can hear more about that if you go back and listen to Christie Connell's podcast where she stares shares her story. But next week, uh, we'll dive a little bit more into, uh, what happens towards the end of the darkness and then. Just the amazing transformation that God does and the way that He beautifully brings back and restores the relationship between mother and daughter to be greater and stronger than it even ever was before. And it's a wonderful thing. You really will enjoy it. Next week, Jasmine will share a little bit more about Her thoughts and perspectives and some wisdom on what it's like dealing with a parent who has an addiction, and you'll be able to really have a better understanding of what so many people are dealing with that we just never consider or realize. She'll also share some wisdom that will be a great blessing to you and give us many things to really think about and learn from. So I look forward to being back with you again next week. God bless you We will see you then.

Phil Shuler: 36:05

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.

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2: 36:44

Thank you so much for being with us this week for the renew restore and rejoice podcast of safe house ministries, we pray that God will bless you this week. And we look forward to having you back with us again next week for a new episode.