Good news

It has been a year of struggles. None of which had to do with alcohol.
In the end, all is good!

Run & hide

I took a drank and kept it up for hours, sometimes days. I wanted no part of my life.

Going nowhere

As a drunk I got nowhere quick. I was never able to get ahead because I hid behind the bottle.

Be not afraid

Be not afraid! We only have to conquer the first drink. Recovery is nowhere near as tough as constant drunkenness.

The view

The view from above the influence is quite breathtaking.

Formula

Think a little, pray a lot, laugh when you can and never again take a drink!

Biggest loser

You drink, you drive and eventually somebody loses.

The end

Drinking ends the moment you decide. It is a decision that can never be forced upon you.
The sooner you decide the quicker the misery comes to an end.

Drink!

I did not reach for my first drink. It found me by accident. An innocent encounter with an unknown. Early adolescence, skewed emotions and dangerous compulsions.
I was born an alcoholic. That first drink just confirmed it.

Gods grace

Gods grace is the people He places in our life when we need them most.

What was I thinking?

I wasn't. I was only focused on drinking, getting drunk and staying drunk.

Just a reminder

Two of my books will be available for free digital download the remainder of 2012. Please visit...
www.jaykolo.com/news/html

Empty bottle

I reached for the bottle in hopes of realizing my dreams. All that ever poured out was shame.

Mother

My mother unfortunately felt the brunt of my drinking. I was mean, obnoxious, irresponsible and for a time I loved alcohol more than my own mother.

Gotta have it

I'm dying for a drink. Years later I'm just dying.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve for me used to be a drunken disgrace. I was normally passed out long before midnight.
Now I have a blast at home with my wife and kids. And I usually am up and in the gym by 7am New Years morning.

I drank

I drank because after awhile it was all I knew. Chaos, depression, remorse and pennilessness seemed perfectly normal. When you drink to excess there is no such thing as normal.

Darkness

The darkest night I ever spent was being hungover on a sunny summer afternoon.

I live

I live, I learn, I no longer drink. I grow and love in spite of how I used to be. Nothing compares to God's incredible grace.

I'm sick

I'm sick, but as long as I'm sober I'm getting better and better everyday.

My books

Two if my books designed to enlighten and inspire will be available for free download until the end of 2012.
Please visit...
www.jaykolo.com/news.html

2013

I pray that those of you who need sobriety the most find a way to start 2013 in a sober manner.

Equals

We're all equals here. Some of us just struggle to stay away from that first drink. When the desire to drink is no longer present limits do not exist.

In my heart

When I was in recovery I gave God a chance not because of how it made sense in my mind, but how it made sense, in my heart

From me to you

For the remainder of 2012 I am offering free downloads of two of my books. "The Terminal Game" & "The Seldom Visited Side" are now available for no cost at
www.jaykolo.com/news.html

The power of two or more

I have overcome much. Little have I overcome on my own.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all! May peace, joy and hope be with you this holiday season.

Blind & deaf

I drank to excess and became emotionally blind & deaf to the self destruction that was slowly crippling my will, desires, dreams and spirit.

Drinking and driving

I did it over a thousand times. To often I did it while in complete blackout. Even today I still live with the shame that I had so much arrogance and so little disregard for human life.

Drinking humor

One of my many past drinking habits was that I seldom bought:)

Me first

Drinking was a me first based lifestyle. Sobriety has slowly turned me into a what can I do for you type of guy.

No drama

Living without drama was the hardest part of early sobriety. I had been used to rocking the boat for so long that the tranquil waters of an alcohol free life made me a bit uncomfortable.

Tracking Santa

I am tracking Santa at
www.noradsanta.org
Being sober never felt this good!!

God is love

God is love and those who love you can and will lead you to the sober land.

Now what

After struggling to stay away from alcohol for the first 365 days I asked myself the question "now what?
The answer was stay sober, pray, be myself and do whatever I could do for others.
That proved more than enough to keep me sober for another 16 years and counting.

So many people

So many people, so little time, so much alcohol, so much misery

Far away

When I drank I was so far away from the truth that alcohol became my only reality.

Friends

When we are born our friends are near or soon to be. Those who can save us wait patiently as we stumble to come to God.

Spirit

The human spirit is stronger than any addiction on earth. Healing begins the moment you allow others to see what you are afraid to look at.

Who we are

For the dark days past and the hope of light to come may we always have something in common.

I drank alone

I drank alone but I got sober because of so many incredible people that I let inside.

Our paths cross

The people that God placed in my path early in my recovery made it possible for me to be in your path now.

So very busy

I have been so very busy with family matters, Christmas cheer and my January contribution to Serene scene magazine.
It's all good and it all revolves around the power of sobriety.

I found sobriety

I found sobriety in recovery. I invited God into my life. I asked Him to remove from me that nasty desire to constantly drink. I prayed daily. I helped others in whatever way I could (even if it was just a smile or holding the door). And finally I surrounded myself with people who were sober.

I see

I see a beautiful wife, smiling little faces and a cute puppy wagging its tail and I know this is not a house under the influence.
It all changes when the bottle disappears.

I'm surrounded

When I drank I was completely alone (even in the middle of a crowd). The isolation was painful and further fueled my wild relationship with alcohol.
In recovery I was surrounded by people who cared and showed great concern for my future and well-being.
I am convinced that God placed key people in my life at specific moments.

That first drink

My first drink at the age of thirteen was indescribable. For the next twenty years each and every drink I took was miserable and with it came brutal remorse.

It's time

It's time to stop thinking and start doing. It's time to stop talking and start walking. There are two ways to go. Towards that first drink or towards sobriety.

If I can, you can too!

I can is something I learned in treatment. I can't for too long had been the norm.

Tough times

Tough times have been knocking at my door recently. The temptation to drink however has been absent. With the support of others and clear sober thinking I know that tough times never last that long.

Recovery

Recovery is the most painful place on earth where an alcoholic can begin to feel better.

Without hope

A man without hope is usually a man with a drink in his hand.

My current thought

"This too shall pass" is all I can think about lately. I feel God is preparing me for something and He is going about it in a bruising way.

Sickened

I am sickened by who I used to be and grateful about what I've become.

Live and learn

These two things are nearly impossible for a drunk to master.

Not so difficult

Difficult times are not as difficult when you have the love and support of others. There is no love or support to be found when alcohol is your master.

Love

I never felt loved until I began to love myself. That did not happen until I stopped loving the bottle.

Never again I pray

If I drank I would quickly find my way back to a place that is all to familiar and better to be forgotten.

My path

Those who were placed in my path during my recovery pointed me directly towards sobriety.

Thank you!

Sometimes I am amazed at the kindness and goodwill of others.
Thank you for helping by allowing me to help you.

My toughest days

My toughest days as an alcoholic were the times I experienced painful remorse. Alcohol caused me to do and say many terrible things. When the buzz wore off I saw wreckage of my drunkenness.

Restless

I roamed and wandered continuously when I drank. My restless soul missed out on so much.

My past

The wreckage of my past remains a part of who I am. My future however is sober and offers hope to many others looking to rebuild their lives and for that I am forever grateful.

The struggle

You bet I still struggle. And one thing I have learned how to do as I struggle is stay sober!

I ran

I ran so far away that I got lost and I made the mistake of trusting alcohol to get me back.

So much in common

I have so much in common with many of you. The only thing that separates you and me is one drink. Actually, the first drink to be more exact.
Give up that first drink and the possibilities become endless

Paralyzed

Alcohol was a ball & chain that I learned to live with and eventually adore. Until one day when I could move no more.

Bully

Alcohol bullied me when I was young. When I began to grow older alcohol became my master. I knew better than to let alcohol get the best of me. But I am an alcoholic and knowing better is no match for alcohol.
God and the wonderful people he placed in my path turned out to be all I would ever need to conquer my demons.

17 years!

17 years sober and giving all the glory to God!

Existence

"Good morning to a world in which I no longer belong".
This is what I said the day I decided to let alcohol take away my existence.
For some of us, alcohol takes away our existence when we have our very first drink.

Prayer

I experience peace and joy in direct proportion to the amount I pray and serve others.

Problem

I had a problem and I drank to make it go away. It went away for awhile, and when it came back it brought about 30 more problems along.

Sobriety

Sobriety is often imitated and needs to be duplicated.

Good morning?

I used to say good morning to the bottle or a beer. Now I say good morning to God, family, friends and the gym.

Connection

This life is definitely connected to something more. And whatever comes along I want to be a sober participant when it happens.

Big problem

I was aware for a long time that I had a big problem yet I was not ready, willing or able to do anything about it.

Nuts and bolts

Prayer is what gets it going, and it is what holds everything together, when it all seems to be falling apart.

Do it!

Do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, as long as it takes you away from alcohol!

Home

Drunkenness, I've been there. Sobriety is where I live now.

Faith

I'm running on nothing but faith up here in Wisconsin and its long past due. More to be revealed!

Alone

If you think you can't sober up alone you are right. Minutes before taking my own life I shouted out to God. Within hours he placed a small army of people in my path who gave me the strength, courage and wisdom to get where I am today. If you ask for God's help in sobering up He will see to it that you never have to go through it alone.

Grace

I am not half the man I claim to be. I tip my hat to God! For His grace has kept me alive and given me hope.

So imperfect

So imperfect am I that my finest thoughts seem to push me into chaos. Sobriety has been kinder to me than I have been to myself.
Hoping to do more of Gods work than my own. I have a purpose in this life and that purpose is unknown to me.

Far from perfect

I am far from perfect even after 17 years without a drink. I may anger, ignite and irritate a great many around me. But at the end of the day if I can lay my head down without a drink I have another day to smooth out the rough edges

Absolutely nothing!

Periods of homelessness. Having absolutely nothing, because I gave it all to alcohol. That was the worst part of being a drunk.

Sometimes...

Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to have a drink or two and walk away completely satisfied.

Untimely death

I have personally known several people who have died from out of control drinking but, I have never known anyone who died from sobriety.

It's 2am

It's 2am and I can't find my next drink. I am burning with fear and my mind is racing. Racing to a place were fear, lack, homelessness and even suicide exist. I need a drink to quiet my thoughts. I need to dry out to find out again who it is I really am.

Interference

He stands in my way when I reach out to others. My philosophy is to give to you what was given to me.

Christmas

All I want for Christmas is for you to be sober.

Darkness

One day alcohol turned off the lights and I was completely in the dark. All I could see was years of failure. That is when I sensed that death was near. And yet I still craved a drink. The insanity of my drinking owned me!

Remorse

Remorse is all that remained the day after I would surrender to the bottle. Remorse is what nearly killed me. The bottle beat me up and remorse was its weapon of choice.

Faith

Faith without sobriety is a constant battle of hopelessness and remorse.

I'll say it again

Pray early, pray often!!
Prayer is personal, powerful and life changing.

Permanent

Sobriety needs to be as permanent as alcoholism itself.

Hard stuff

Trying to find sobriety on your own is like trying to find more alcohol after 4am!

Glamour-less

Sobriety is not fun. Sobriety is not glamorous. Sobriety is not popular and sobriety is not easy. But for a certain percentage of us sobriety is necessary!

A time to adjust

I was born sober and I will die sober and with Gods help I will make the necessary adjustments in between.

The sober life

Faith and tolerance. Two things that are tested long after the bottle is gone.

Shameful

My most shameful moments as a drunk were spent behind the wheel of a car. Drinking, driving and the month of December were a bad mix for me. The holidays were a big excuse for me to drink beyond excess and drive in blackout conditions. I am grateful to have never killed anyone or myself throughout the 1000 plus times I drove drunk.
If you must drink this holiday season please don't drive!