a sad day...

this has been edited to remove any names from the original post.

on friday, Dec 20, 2013 a death occurred. the death will be numbered with statistics of drug overdoses, which is sad.

if u know what "cheese" is, it is mixed with other potent stuff. apparently when he didn't show up for work, his manager called. when his (roommate) went to fetch him, they thought he was asleep. a (friend) went to his apartment and shook him, "u better get ur ass up, u r late for work". no response. they took a closer look and noticed that his mouth was wide open. he then proceeded to do CPR. but apparently he had been dead a while. even tho everyone offered to help him, he refused the help and continued to go down the path of drugs. and now he is gone. i hope and pray that the family and friends will have the strength to walk this painful path and give forgiveness to themselves and not blame themselves for what might have been, could i have done more.
it's not easy to let a friend walk a destructive path and watch, offering help with no response.

there is so much one cannot see when focused on a destructive path. i have noticed that one walking a destructive path can not see the good friends, life itself, and love that surrounds them. the focus is on that destructive path. how can one turn from that path? by making a choice to do it and clinging to life, good friends, and walking away from the destructive path.

is it easy? NO!

can it be done? YES!

how can it be done? that is up to the one that wants to turn from the destructive path. many try to do it on their own, believing there is no one who has experienced what they have. others reach out to family and friends for help. still others reach out to professionals.
those that turn from the destructive path on their own have a much more difficult road to travel. there is no one they can reach out to for help if they stumble or have trouble staying on the constructive path. those that reach out to family and friends may have difficulty with that but they know there is someone there they can talk to and be accountable to if they should stumble. and the ones that reach out to professionals find it is a bit easier to talk to strangers that have been down the same road and experienced similar things.

people reached out to him and offered help. i can only imagine what they felt when he quietly refused the help. i can only imagine what his friends r goin' thru right now. tho i have experienced the death of a friend, it is not the same. my friend did not die in this fashion. drugs do a "funny" thing to ya. from talking with others, drugs can make u feel invincible, confident, scared, and paranoid. they can also mask ur problems. but what i have found in listening to others, drugs make more trouble, problems, and leave u feeling lonely. and that can make u feel like no one really cares when the opposite is true.
this person had family that loved and cared about him, friends that loved and cared about him, but he brushed it aside for the drugs. he wanted the "pleasure" that drugs gave him. but in the end, the "pleasure" was short-lived and ended up killing him. now all that is left r family and friends that r saddened and hurt. time will heal the hurt and sadness but the memory will not so easily be forgotten.
the one thing i left out of the above paragraphs that is the answer to all problems is JESUS. i know the answer to one's drug problem. i know the answer that will heal all sadness and hurt. many do not want to hear the answer because they believe they have to prove themselves or just don't want to accept that answer. JESUS is the answer to all questions, addictions, problems one might experience. JESUS has helped many that have chosen to hold His hand as they turn from a destructive path to a constructive path. has it been easy? NO! is it worth it? YES! the constructive path JESUS helps us walk will heal us tho it seems to be destroying us even more. JESUS knows that until one is broken, as He himself was broken, one cannot walk the constructive path with victory. remember, in the Bible it says that JESUS was broken before He walked from the grave. once broken, JESUS was able to once again walk a victorious, constructive path.
walking the constructive path does not mean there is no more chance of a destructive path presenting itself. with JESUS holding ur hand, the destructive path is not so appealing. and if one still takes a detour, JESUS is waiting for u to take hold of His hand once again so He can help u return to the constructive path. and each time a destructive path presents itself, if u have committed to following the constructive path, following a destructive path becomes easier to deny.

choices r the key here.

JESUS will NOT force u to do anything. but He will guide u and encourage u to stay the course and walk the constructive path even when there is trouble. u see, He knows the outcome of the destructive path and there r only so many chances for one to turn from it. He also knows the outcome of the constructive path, which in the long run, will build faith and strength within.
Kevin's chances apparently were running out when he chose to take the drugs he combined together.

the destructive path leads only to death no matter how long one may live. the struggles on the constructive path builds hope, strength, faith, confidence, and a longing to live life to the fullest. the destructive path is full of lies, deceit, pain, hopelessness, and finally death. the constructive path leads to life.

which path, destructive or constructive, have u chosen to walk?

my prayers go out to the family and friends of Kevin Jesttes. may God strength, comfort, and hold them close in this time of sadness. i also pray that God will let them see that there is light at the end of the sadness. as it says in Psalms 30:5b: "weeping may endure for a night (time), but joy comes in the morning." May the family and friends of Kevin be comforted and remember the good times that brought joy to all of them.

Sandi