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References to The Three Cornerstones and The Four Core Needs used by permission from John Emra, Life Is Full of Choices, Inc.

Paul Hilleary. Use of story used by permission of Paul Hilleary.

Bill Fine. Use of story used by permission from Mark Mendenhal.

Janet Simoneau, my sister. Use of story by permission from Janet Simoneau.

Perry and Mark Rice. Use of story by permission of Perry and Mark Rice.

Elmer Childress, my Dad. Use of story by permission of Elmer Childress.

Ken and Vicki Bell. Use of story by permission of Ken and Vicki Bell.

Perry Rice and Colleen Miranda. Use of story by permission of Perry Rice and Colleen Miranda.

Mark and Karin Rice. Use of story by permission of Mark and Karin Rice.

Mike Feldman. Use of story by permission of Mike Feldman.

Greg Large. Use of story by permission of Greg Large.
Dave Wise. Use of story by permission of Dave Wise. Ronda. Use of story by permission of Ronda Graves.

Larry Hurst. Use of story by permission of Larry Hurst.

Pastor Keith Kettenring. Use of story by permission of Keith Kettenring.

Tommy Lee. Use of story by permission of Tom Reyes.
Big Son Tom. Use of story by permission of Tom Eliff.

Quote by Dr. John Bridges in Defence of the Government of the Church of England, 1587, is in the public domain.

A variety of stories are presented in the book to illustrate important points. All the stories are true. Some of these are direct accounts for which permission was obtained for their use. Others for which permission was not obtained employ fictitious characters and events in order to protect the identities of those involved. Any resemblance to actual names of people, situations, companies or events is purely coincidental.

The Addict’s Choices is a refreshingly transparent and unique look into the mindset of an addict. The title makes it clear that an addict is not a simple victim, but does have choices. The strength of this book is that it presents practical tools for anyone seeking hope and freedom.

John presents different examples of the biblical concept of “put off” and “put on”, where each of us—whatever our addiction—has a choice to either follow the philosophy of this world and our own desires, or to be transformed by renewing our mind according to God’s Truth.

John reminds us that when we mix God’s will with our choices, failure and pain is the result. It’s about submitting to Him and His Word completely where we can find victory, healing, and freedom.

My prayer is that this book will help churches begin to address the reality of addiction among its members, whether it is addiction to substances, sex, food, people’s approval, or something else. We can no longer keep our head in the sand thinking that our own members do not struggle with various addictions.

This book could be the catalyst to helping churches begin to openly discuss those things that enslave us. We cannot fulfill the command to “carry one another’s burden”

(Galatians 6:2) without being open about the issues that face us today. This book will encourage the discussion of such issues in the spirit of grace.

I have known John Childress for almost eight years and for almost two of those years he and his wife, Sally, have lived with us in community. I knew of his history, and as he became more familiar with the concept of “Life Is Full of Choices” I kept saying, “You should write a book.” In 2011 he started putting words on paper.

When he asked me to read his book I discovered the extent of his history and was blown away by how God had saved this man from the poor choices of his youth.

John is honest and forthcoming about his life and the power of his choices. This is a well written narrative. The high point of the book is when the redemptive power of God becomes a reality and the choices that follow are God-centered.

I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking release from their own addiction issues or dealing with someone who is addicted.

John, with simple vulnerability and daring, opens up his life for all to view. What we see is a personal war being waged for a soul God desired for Himself but a soul that kept giving itself to hollow and worthless pursuits. John highlights the choices he made which contributed to the downward spiral into an addiction cesspool. But we also see glimmers of the grace of God as John recounts numerous times he was spared from fatal disasters until the “hounds of God” captured him.

Hope is offered through reflections at the end of each chapter for those combating addictions. This story of redemption and deliverance challenges us to make good choices lest we also entrap ourselves in addictive pursuits.

In the reality of John’s story, we observe the necessity for sound choices, the consequences of poor choices, and the hope of the best choices in a life emancipated by the grace and goodness of God. Read it and find help for the choices you make today.

This is a great book. It reaches into the desperate worlds of addiction and through relating John’s life experience, tells us how to make right choices and find deliverance!

For anyone who has made the poor choice of addiction, there is truly a better way. Read and respond to John’s life story and perhaps you will be helped, or be able to help others who are in the grip of addiction.

I would like to dedicate this book to the Lord I chose to follow, and to the great work He does in all who choose to accept His pardon.

I dedicate this book to each person who seeks help and deliverance from addiction, no matter its depths. I firmly believe that the Lord can help any who call upon Him if they so choose.

I also dedicate this book to my wife, Sally, with whom the Lord has so blessed me.

The Lasting Lesson: “Addictions start out small, sometimes just as experiments, but tend not to stay that way.”

The Life Application: “Addiction substitutes the bad for the good and always leaves the addict with less and hungry for more of what doesn’t ultimately satisfy.”

The Living Choice: “… what better choices can you make to start a new life not dependent on drugs?”

The Lasting Lesson: “One bad action usually leads to others, only the next ones are worse.”

The Life Application: “Why do you think that using drugs motivates a person to use more drugs?”

The Living Choice: "... what better choices should be made now?”

The Lasting Lesson: “…no matter the cover-up, whether from parents, friends, or changing the ‘smell,’ there is no getting away from the effects of poor and unwise choices.”

The Life Application: “what would motivate someone to ignore the right to encourage the wrong?”

The Living Choice: “Truth telling can hurt. Is truth telling ever not worth the risk?”

The Lasting Lesson: “… a drug-induced illusion is still an illusion, an avoidance or retreat from real life.”

The Life Application: "Why do you think that living in the ‘real,’ though sometimes hardest, is in the final analysis far superior to living in ‘fake?’”

The Living Choice: “What are the big choices for you now and what paths will you choose make that will help you choose to become the person God wants you to become?”

The Lasting Lesson: “Losses become even greater when drugs are used to deaden the pain.”

The Life Application: “Part of life is remembering and accepting the lessons our memories teach.”

The Living Choice: “We can choose to learn from everything that happens to us.”

The Lasting Lesson: “A change of location doesn’t necessarily include a change of heart.”

The Life Application: “Roots of faith often call to us in our loneliest moments.”

The Living Choice: “I have learned that when we listen to God, He helps us even when we can’t help ourselves.”

The Lasting Lesson: “Conforming means fitting into your surroundings. If the surroundings are negative, then negative consequences are the results.”

The Life Application: “Negativity breeds and promotes more negativity.”

The Living Choice: "The best results that poor choices produce are always less than the results that great choices provide.”

The Lasting Lesson: “I choose to believe that seeking spiritual enlightenment apart from knowing the one, true God will always leave you empty and unfulfilled..”

The Life Application: “All things that sparkle are not gold.”

The Living Choice: “Choosing a better path leads to the preferred destination.”

The Lasting Lesson: “… seek associations with people who are grounded and uplifting, those who are not pursuing drugs as their means of coping with life.”

The Life Application: “A mentor should be a person you trust for all the right reasons.”

The Living Choice: "A mentor who cares is a mentor who loves and seeks to give himself or herself away for a great cause.”

The Lasting Lesson: “Poor choices and their consequences build on one another.”

The Life Application: “An environment can shape or encourage better choices.”

The Living Choice: “When your environment changes, hopefully for the better, you are still confronted with life’s daily choices, and they can be good or bad.”

The Lasting Lesson: “I believe that choosing to become part of a group that wants to grow together in understanding God’s plan and His will can be a great choice.”

The Life Application: “Old habits can die hard even in new and encouraging environments.”

The Living Choice: “In any environment the best choice is for one to choose to share with a new found family, to be dependable, and to look out for the needs of others.”

The Lasting Lesson: “Choices that appear on the surface to be good will probably not produce positive outcomes if, underneath the surface, life-altering, negative choices and habits are allowed to remain.”

The Life Application: “Combining what we believe is God’s will with unlawful and dangerous habits doesn’t work.”

The Living Choice: “Through the tough times, stay connected with those who can help you because they are being helped.”

The Lasting Lesson: ““Choices appear whenever life presents options for us to consider.”

The Life Application: "Choosing to put yourself in a precarious situation, especially if you are not prepared physically, mentally, socially, or spiritually is not wise."

The Living Choice: "I choose to believe that God grants His wisdom to those who ask Him for it sincerely."

The Lasting Lesson: "Stealing is against God's law and it's against man's law."

The Life Application: "When one negative choice motivates another negative choice, life-altering results can come into play."

The Living Choice: "Treasures for a fool are those that too often are easily and often unlawfully acquired and then too quickly spent."

The Lasting Lesson: "When you think you know what you are doing but you continue to choose unwisely, who is in control? I choose to believe that wisdom means you are allowing God to be in control and you know why you are making better choices."

The Life Application: "I am unalterably convinced that God will never play you, lead you on, use you, or lie to you."

The Living Choice: "Addiction is the opposite of freedom, and I choose to believe that God wants you to live in His freedom."

The Lasting Lesson: "A cycle of addiction continues when the chains that bind you are not broken, and I choose to believe that only God can break those chains."

The Life Application: "If you see that you have surrounded yourself with nothing but the tools you've used that have contributed to your own destruction, that realization may be God calling you to Himself. This was my experience."

The Living Choice: "People who have become obsessed with pornography, drug and alcohol addiction, and violating the law usually seek their own kind. It's the wrong choice."

The Lasting Lesson: "Life's dreams should never be short-circuited by poor choices."

The Life Application: "Get involved in better surroundings."

The Living Choice: "Don't wait to make the choice you should make, especially the one about drawing nearer to God if you become convinced that this is the best choice."

The Three Cornerstones

The Four Core Needs

The Lasting Lesson: "I choose to believe that life really begins when God is allowed to live in and through you."

The Life Application: "The Four Core Needs are part of everyone. The Three Cornerstones are life-giving principles that once applied, meet those needs."

The Living Choice: "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Introduction to the Seminar

This is an intensely personal book that tries to convey my journey from choosing the depths of addiction to choosing the heights of deliverance found only in a relationship with God. In that journey, I have found less evidence that addiction is a disease, and more evidence that it is simply sin, which is a choice. This truth may not be very popular but that does not change the fact that it is a truth, one which I have discovered and experienced in my life.

I choose to believe that sin is the most powerful and awful of all addictions. All drugs pale in comparison.

Heroine will kill the body, but I choose to believe that sin will kill the soul. After experiencing addiction for most of my life, I chose to believe that the person who dies in sin, apart from God and without the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ, will spend an eternity separated from His love. I believe that that condition is far worse than any addiction before death.

Have you ever thought about what sin really is? I chose to believe that sin is what separates us from the love of God. Sin is any thought or action that is contrary to the will of God.

In contrast to the hold of sin and in my case, the addiction to drugs and pornography it included, I could see where the Lord Jesus had actively pursued me throughout my life. I believe that because you are reading this book, He may be pursuing you no matter what you’ve done, no matter the sins you may have committed, no matter where you are in your life’s experience.

This is my story. In it you will witness struggle, pain, wrong choices, and negative consequences. You will also see victory and deliverance. I am telling my story because you may see yourself in my experience. If you do, you may wish to consider doing what I did to rid yourself of addiction.

In all of this I am continually blessed by what I believe is God’s insistence that I come to His feet, because I am convinced that He is the One who rescued and redeemed me. My victory over addiction became reality when I chose to follow Him. For me, that was the best choice I could ever make.

I hope you consider choosing to heed His bidding, too, if you sense His call, and learn what it means to know Him fully. You may see from my story that this may be the best choice you can make, too. It changed my life. I believe it can change yours.

John Childress and his wife, Sally are missionaries serving with “Life is Full of Choices” founded by John & Sheryl Emra, located in East Los Angeles. John and Sally conduct their missions work throughout Southern California, the United States, and Europe. They present a three-part seminar on addictions and addictive behaviors to churches, addict’s recovery groups, and all organizations dedicated to true recovery of the addict.

This book contains my story, but I imagine that it may include elements of your story, too, especially if you have been, or currently are, addicted to drugs and other sinful behavior choices. Facing these, and admitting that you need help, can be one of the greatest challenges for a person who has made the kinds of wrong choices I made. This book is designed to help you achieve these goals.

To help you process the information you are about to read, and to act upon it, I have included statements and questions at the end of each chapter with spaces for answers and notations. I invite you to use these sections to make this book personal to you as together we explore what it means to go from the depths of isolation to the heights of deliverance.

The comments and questions that follow each chapter are divided into three sections. The first is entitled The Lasting Lesson. The morals or central truths of the story you have just read are explained here.

The next section is called The Life Application. Truth is simply an understood theory until we apply what we’ve learned as a part of our life’s narrative. This section challenges you and me to embrace our “take away” lessons and to consider changing our thinking and acting.

The third section is called The Living Choice. This section inquires, “What choices have you made?” “What choices should you have made that would have been better for you?” Further, it asks, “What choices will you make now to improve your situation and choose to become even more of the person God really wants you to be if you want to follow Him?”

Use these sections to help yourself on your journey of deliverance. Unless you and I change our behaviors, the status quo is all we’ll know.

Affection: Anything we do to make a child or an adult feel
good about themselves

Discipline: The actions that are taken to instill an
understanding of what’s right and wrong, in order to shape
our character so we learn how to make healthy choices

Perhaps this was also your experience—especially if in 2013 you are, or were, about 59 years of age. I grew up in the cocktail generation, well towards the end of it to be more precise. It was like the Dick Van Dyke Show: folks got off of work, went home, and mixed a carafe of very dry martinis. The choice to drink was not only accepted, but from my perspective as a kid it was encouraged, perhaps even required. Not only was there the nightly cocktail hour, but also the occasional cocktail party, where on a couple of occasions I was even drafted to play bartender and waiter. I watched the adults around me choose drinking as part of enjoying social interaction and, being a perpetually overweight and introverted teenager, this choice appealed to me, too.

About the time when my parents’ cocktail parties reached their peak, I discovered marijuana, or specifically, hashish. Though it was not a martini, it was a mood-altering substance and using it helped promote similar social interactions for me. I loved my parents and their actions always were important to me. Consciously and uncon-sciously I tried to emulate them in my own way.

I must have looked like a fool sucking on a carrot, but there I was standing off the back porch, outside my parent’s home in North Hollywood, California with a carrot pressed to my lips, trying to figure out how to inhale and get this hashish, or hash, to burn so I could smoke it. I had gotten the hash with my friend, Paul, from down the street. Neither one of us had ever smoked anything, let alone smoked marijuana. We had gotten a couple of grams of hash, a hash pipe, and some extra pipe fittings from a friend of Paul’s. I got some of the hash and some of the pipe fittings, and necessity being the mother of invention, I got a carrot out of the fridge and a drill bit from my Dad’s tool chest. I drilled out the carrot from the small end almost all of the way to the other end and then drilled it down from the top. I had a bowl from the pipe parts we had gotten; it was about ¾ inch in diameter at the top. It necked down to about a third of an inch and was threaded so it would screw in place. I tested it out. It seemed to be airtight and I thought it would function as a pipe. I got a little piece of hash, about ¼ inch in diameter, and put it into the bowl. Then I got one of my Mom’s butane lighters and attempted to figure out how to hold the pipe, light the hash, and inhale all at the same time.

It was really hard at first. It seemed for a while that I just could not get it to work. I looked at the pipe I had made and wondered what the heck was going on! So, I ran through the procedure again in my mind on the proper way to hold the pipe, inhale, and light the hash, and gave it another try, and bam! The next thing I knew I blew out a big cloud of smoke. Success! I waited a few minutes... and nothing happened! So, I tried it again; this time it was a little easier, it only took me two or three tries to get it to work, and then I blew out another big cloud of smoke. Again I waited a few minutes, but still nothing. I could not feel any affects at all. Maybe there was something wrong with this hash, I was not feeling anything, although, honestly, I had no idea what I was suppose to feel.

At this point in my life I don’t believe I had ever drunk enough alcohol to feel its effect much; I’d consumed just enough to taste it and discover that what my parents drank tasted nasty. So I had no point of reference as to what I was supposed to feel like with hash, but I was willing to experiment and find out.