WHEN DEBBIE PATTEN'S FRIENDS

GAVE HER DRUGS FOR THE FIRST

TIME, THE MEMORIES OF HER PAST

FADED TO BLACK.

BETWEEN HIGHS, IMAGES OF HER

FATHER ABUSING HER MOTHER

FLOODED HER MIND.

HE WAS VERY JEALOUS AND

STARTED ACCUSING HER OF

ADULTEROUS AFFAIRS AND STABBED

HER IN THE CHEST THREE TIMES.

DEBBIE'S MOTHER NEVER PRESSED

CHARGES.

ALTHOUGH HE LEFT, HER MOTHER LET

HER COHIM COME HOME.

SHE DEBBIE RAN AWAY.

THEN SHE MET NEW FRIENDS THAT

INTRODUCED HER INTO POT.

WHEN I WAS HIGH, I DIDN'T

THINK ABOUT ALL THE PAST.

I AM LIKE, I LEFT HIM, HE IS

GONE FROM MY LIFE.

IT IS OVER, I CAN DO WHATEVER I

WANT TO.

THAT IS WHEN I GOT STARTED ON

ACID AND MESKKALIN, I WAS EVEN

USING HUFFING SPRAYS AND MADE

YOU BASICALLY TRIP.

I WAS ESCAPING.

AT 16 I WAS ESCAPING AS FAR AWAY

AS I COULD GET.

AS DEBBIE GOT OLDER SHE WAS

HIGH OR DRUNK.

I WOULD GET TO THE POINT, I

HATE THIS, I WANT IT, BUT I

DON'T WANT IT.

I WANTED MORE, BETTER.

SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP USING

DRUGS, SHE COULDN'T SHAKE HER

LOVE FOR ALCOHOL.

I WOULD LEAVE WORK AND SEE

THEM BEER SIGNS DRINKING.

I WOULD SAY I DON'T WANT TO

DRINK TODAY.

I WOULD DRINK TWO SIX PACKS

BEFORE I GO TO BED TO CALM MY

NERVES AND NOT THINK ABOUT

THINGS.

DEBBIE REALIZED SHE COULDN'T

GET SOBER ON HER OWN.

THROUGH THE PROGRAM SHE STOPPED

DRINKING IMMEDIATELY.

THEN SHE BEGAN TO GO TO CHURCH.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY, IS

THERE ANYONE THAT WANTS TO

ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST.

I REMEMBER MY PRIDEFUL MIND

SAYING I CAN TRY IT.

THAT IS WHEN JESUS SAID GOT HER!

STARTING REELING ME IN.

I REMEMBER LEAVING THAT PLACE

SAYING, WHAT IS THIS?

THIS IS EXCITING.

IT IS SCARY.

IT IS REAL.

AND I FEEL IT, I FEEL LOVE.

SHE GAVE HER R LIFE TO

CHRIST.

THROUGH COUNSELING SESSIONS AT

HER CHURCH, DEBBIE FORGAVE HER

FATHER, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

YEARS, SHE FELT FREE.

SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO SAY

OKAY, GOD, YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME

HOW TO FORGIVE THEM, BREAK THESE

JUDGMENTS AND DO IT THE RIGHT

WAY.

IT IS HARD TO DO AT FIRST.

I COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT GOD.

DEBBIE FOUND OUT HER FATHER

HAD LUNG CANCER.

A FEW MONTHS LATER, HE CALLED

DEBBIE AND ASKED HER TO TAKE HIM

TO CHURCH.

HE ACCEPTED JESUS RIGHT

THERE.

WE GOT TO BE SO RESTORED.

I GOT THAT LITTLE TIME LEFT TO

JUST LOVE ON MY DAD AND BE WITH

HIM AND HE PASSED AWAY IN 2000.

I WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED IN A

MILLION YEARS I COULD LOVE MY

FATHER THE WAY I DID BEFORE HE

PASSED AWAY AND FORGIVE HIM FOR

ALL THE THINGS HE EVER DID.

DEBBIE IS NOW MARRIED AND

STILL FREE FROM DRUGS AND

ALCOHOL.

IT WAS ONLY THROUGH THE WORD OF

GOD SHE WAS ABLE TO FORGIVE.

THE LORD WANTS US TO FORGIVE

BECAUSE IT SETS OUR HEARTS FREE.

HE KEEPS PUTTING MORE ICING ON

MY LIFE THAT I CAN HOLD ON TO.

IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER.