This may not be what it appears to be.
Back in the day, I could tell you exactly what it was. No question about it. However, these days, life is extremely different than it once was.
BACK IN THE DAY
wreckcreational manner.Back in the day, if you saw @papa-pepper with some sort of compressed green plant substance in his possession, it would most certainly have been marijuana. Now I'm not going to argue about whether or not there are medicinal purposes, a lot of plants have things that they are useful for. However, I used it in a recreational manner, not for medicinal purposes, and it was more like a
All day every day I live to get drunk, high, and whatever else came my way. I hoped to die in the near future so I wouldn't have to deal with life for much longer and wasted my time away chasing temporary distractions like inebriation and physical pleasure. Each day I would wake up sober, and more often than not, run right back to the bottle, the weed, the cocaine, or whatever else I could get my hands on.
I would lie, steal, and manipulate to try to get what I wanted, and I was a very untrustworthy individual. Basically, I was on the path to self destruction and I would take you along with me if I got the chance. I paid no attention to the future other than looking for my next high or pleasure, and I certainly did not want a wife or any children.
THESE DAYS
These days, I am happy, sober, and have a wonderful and loving family. I've been sober for almost nine full years now and married for over ten. @Mama-pepper and I have five @little-peppers,and rather than living a hard, violent, messed up life for myself in the city, we live a wholesome, peaceful, and relaxed life in the country.
Rather than wanting to die soon I enjoy every day of life and look forward to more. Rather than poisoning my body and negatively infecting the lives around me I now enjoy a healthy life and have a positive influence on others.
Trust me, I couldn't have done it on my own, as it took an act of God to set me free from all that I had enslaved myself to. Without Jesus I can testify that I would still be drunk and high, I would be a terrible parent and a bad example, and my marriage would not have lasted. I still remember the old me and I'm glad he's gone.
Anyway, I was feeding our goats some alfalfa hay earlier, noticed the slight resemblance to a brick of marijuana, and appreciated the incredibly different life that I live now. It made me once again reflect on where I had come from, who I had become, and how much more I enjoy every moment of my existence here these days. Thanks for letting me share, and I appreciate the opportunity I have to share our lives with all of you. STEEM ON!
here's the proof:As always, I'm @papa-pepper and
proof-of-alfalfa
Until next time…
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Thank you Jesus for saving Papa-Pepper!
No kidding!
All glory to God. Only Jesus can do that for a person.
Fully agreed! Thank Brother!
....I'm not who I was....
The miracles of God are many and we can fight him but he wins!
He trains us all.
Amen to that!
You continue to impress me. Funny, it is almost like I "saw" that guy at first, instead of who you are now. I am a medical marijuana advocate, because I devoted a career to making money lying to glaucoma patients and feel I have a little debt to society I can never repay but I can at least stop racking up the bill...
Yeah, It's interesting how you viewed me at first. Glad that you gave me a chance! LOL!
LOL! Glad YOU gave me a chance.
I don't think it was accidental, Universe does odd things to get my attention sometimes. For all the times I have been a pain in your butt, one day you will find it was worth it. I lost a lot, but Universe filled me back up with other gifts. I don't get to pick when and how they are delivered, but those who bother to be kind to me usually are glad they did. And thanks especially for the pic with the dreads and blunt... THAT should be on a T-shirt somewhere with the caption "This is your pain on drugs."
HUGS!
Very inspirational post! I wonder if it was a certain incident that made you change your ways because I know quite a few people like the old papa-pepper and we as friends tried a lot to make them see they are destroying themselves and the life of others but with no avail.
I cover more of the full story in that video, if you are interested.
Thank you, definitely going to look into it!
That was a very moving, beautiful and inspiring video, and I agree although it is very 'unfashionable' nowadays to believe in god and Jesus Christ once you lay your life in his hands things will turn for you and you can't help changing for the better. Peace and Love!
I kinda disagree with your VERY last statement...😏
I think it IS YOU! You simply needed the support of God. YOU still chose to follow what you are following. Sure, HE may be helping, but ONLY because YOU took the first step. Like you said, you had 3 very good reasons to walk out, but YOU chose not too. That's pretty awesome. "God helps those who help themselves." Sometimes that help starts just with a teensy bit of faith. 🕇
The first half of this had me all teary-eyed. But I'm glad of the outcome.
Keep asking. Keep listening, because you're right: GOD CARES.
Hugs! 😍
Thanks for checking it out. Some people do get teary eyed...
All I know is that I couldn't have done it by myself, and this life that I am currently living is not my idea, it's His. True, I had to choose to follow, but He is the one leading for sure!
winking emoji face
None of us can do it ourselves. It's pretty magical when we realize we have help. 😍
Cool
Amazing Photos
Hope you a good day
@papa-pepper
Amazing pics my friend!
What a complete life you lead. And yes sometimes it takes our past, no matter how revealing and detrimental, to open our eyes to the greatness life is.
Awesome testimony! Thanks for sharing @papa-pepper I guess God was not done with you yet and had better plans for you than you did! Praise the Father and of course Steem On!
No kidding! All glory to Him!
Looks like the new @papa-pepper is here to stay! Glad your in a great place in your life!
He better be!
That is so amazing, @papa-pepper!
I'm so glad that you found what you needed (God, support, a sweet lady, etc) and were able to find the best path for you!
I love me some weed, but it SAVED MY LIFE. So I gots reasons. 😉
I appreciated your honestly on your struggles with it AND that you don't discount the possibility that it DOES help others, though it didn't help you.
You're the best.
And that old pic of you....
That's nuts. 🙃 I never would have guessed.
I love that the world changes and that for us to THRIVE we must change with it.
Hugs!
Well, there are some other old pictures too, but we will keep them offline.
Bwhahaha! Probably for the best. 😎
Things change.., glad to hear the changed for the better. Cheers!
Thanks @macksby! Thankfully they changed for the better!
Thanks for sharing! It’s always interesting to see where people have come from and where God has led them today.
No kidding, He calls all kinds!
I bet you could sell that brick to an unsuspecting young individual for quite a large sum of dough.. or at least a larger sum of cash than it's actually worth :)
Sure, but that would dishonest on my part, and disappointing for the youth. wink
Or maybe you're just doing the youth a favor by teaching them an important / valuable life lesson? You know, like a good big brother would do ☺
Thank you for the transparency in your sharing. Praise God for the work He has done in your life, and the work you are doing in the lives of others.
The truth is the truth, and honesty helps. Thanks @swenger!
Man, God is so good. I think it is great that He can take all of us that are so dirty and broken and dust us off and put us back together!
No kidding! Amen to that! Thanks!
Hey, good work finding your new green! This one looks good on you, rad daddy.
Thank you my friend! It serves a lot of purposes!
A living testimony of Gods Grace and Forgiveness. Soon the quiver of arrows shall take aim at the world for His glory.
Amen Brother!
Happy for you! Thanks to God for all the good in your life.
This is really inspiring, thank you for sharing this. As they say, just because you stop believing in God, it doesn't mean he stops believing in you. It's great to see that you have found some wonderful purpose in life.
And kudos for digging yourself out of that ditch, I don't think it's an easy thing to do, and a lot of people don't make it out alive.
Wow, what a transformation! I can't even really recognize you in that earlier picture.
It's an amazing Father we get to serve, one who can redeem us from the places we put ourselves and help restore us to a far better life. What a beautiful story. So glad that you get to live, not wait for death, and enjoy a wonderful family and a meaningful life! Thanks so much for sharing--I hope it gives others hope that they can turn their lives around too.
That joint looks like the one famed in the song " I'll never smoke weed with Willie again".
It is amazing how the love of the lord and a good woman can turn you arround, congratulations.
Very inspiring..congratulations..
You saw that today to remind you of how far you have come. You talk about wishing you had not wasted your time until 9 years ago but that time ALL makes up who you are now.
If you had not lived that type of life not as many people now would be able to relate to you. Never forget your roots and what you learned there as in the forgetting you will lose why you are here now.
Much Love,
Snook ✿
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Nice post brother,,
Thank,
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Best regart, @irdiansyah
That clean, sober feeling really doesn't compare to anything else, does it? I am not anti-cannabis or alcohol at all, but I enjoyed reading this. I think substances such as these can and do have unique and beneficial places in the lives of many individuals. However, like you said man, if we are running away from ourselves to "numb out" the pain, there's always a very thick and heavy darkness there, it seems to me. Not to mention the destruction and damage that can be caused to relationships. I'm glad you were able to have a neat moment of clarity and appreciation. Alfalfa for the win!
A brilliant testimony. Glad to hear of your deliverance from the old you. Here is to many more happy discoveries.
Your honesty and transparency is refreshing! Glad you found your way and look at that family! Thanks for sharing that with us!!
A really nice story - from self destruction lifestyle to enjoying life!
I wishing you all the best.
You've come a long way @papa-pepper ! Wishing you and your family a long life filled with happiness and good health ! Steem On my friend !✌👍💕
I disagree. I think that if you would have stayed the way you were, you would not have lived to become a parent, not even a bad one.
Congratulations on getting to a better place in your life.
Wow, I am so touched by this story, let me say this is the most inspirational post. A lot of were carried away by the so called pleasure of peer pressure .i am so happy for you sir and thank you for sharing this.
I have a friend who is deep into the smoking weed and other substances. He now realised it is bad but he is finding it so difficult to stop.
So inspiring! There are so many people that need to hear your story and message. Thank you for proving that life is worth living!
I'd love to hear your thoughts about my recent post: This Is How My Greatest Struggles Became My Greatest Strengths
I prefer to think that this is the real you. This was always the real you. You did what most people who are young do. You went a bit crazy not thinking of the future, just living in the moment.
I was not too dissimilar ;-)
I've watched and read your previous posts about how you left your old self behind, and i think the cause of that transformation is a lot closer to you.
The love of a good woman can do wonders for a man. I know the effect it has had on me, and how it has changed me.
For those of us following your blog it is a real treat to see you as you really are, to watch your family grow and to share in that wonderful life you are building for them, and yourself.
The silent partner in all of this, rarely seen, but always present is @mama-pepper.
I think she is your savior ;-)
[note: I mean no disrespect to your faith or religion. ]
The Lord moves in mysterious ways and it is not for us to question how or why. The Lord chose you for a reason. And I for one, am grateful that he did.