CWSA - Guest: Pastor Jim V. (Pt. 1)

CWSA - Guest: Pastor Jim V. (Pt. 1)

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This conversation between host Terry Hanna and Pastor Jim V, affectionately known as Pastor V, leans straight into that question with decades of hard-won experience. You'll hear Pastor V trace his journey from "Jimmy Muscle" on the railroad to a man with over 40 years in recovery and ministry.

He talks about early drinking and drugs turning a "reasonably normal family" upside down, the chaos of working while intoxicated, and the unmanageability that eventually landed him in a psychiatric unit. A turning point came when a psychologist told him, "You need to avoid all alcohol and any street drugs, and you're going to be okay," which hit him "like a two by four." The episode keeps a strong spiritual thread.

Pastor V explains, "I believe that God led me to recovery. Recovery led me back to God. And God introduced me to his son, Jesus Christ," framing the 12 spiritual principles and steps as rooted in scripture. Terry and Pastor V talk about addiction as a family disease, the broken hearts it causes, and the hope that comes through faith, community, and honest recovery work.

One of the most moving moments is Pastor V sharing how his youngest daughter died from a heroin overdose after nearly 20 years in recovery. Instead of abandoning sobriety, he chose gratitude as the meeting topic on his deck, wanting to be "grateful to have her in my life for 21 years." He admits wondering why tragedy drew him closer to God rather than pushing him away, yet he stayed with God and with recovery.

This episode reaches out to anyone feeling helpless or hopeless in addiction, reminding them that church doors and recovery meetings "are always open" and that, as Terry says, Pastor V "lost his daughter, but he never lost a day of recovery." If you're wondering whether you can keep going after deep loss, this conversation might be the encouragement you need today.