Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday Morning Moments with

John O'Leary.

We record these each week so that you and I can begin our days and these weeks in awe and on fire with the bursts of inspiration.

And this one's going to begin with a quote that I heard last week, and here it comes.

My name is James.

And with that statement, the man in front of me smiled warmly, extended

his hand, and shook mine firmly. And then from this seemingly ordinary introduction,

launched a conversation with an amazing man who clearly lives in joy and radiates love.

And hearing his story, though, it was impossible not to be moved profoundly

by his journey and the desire to do more through life. Let me tell you more about it. Growing up in East

St. Louis, James was raised in a community that struggled economically, certainly, but also in a home

that enveloped him in love.

His father was a respected pastor, and his mother strived tirelessly to raise her children well.

Through their guidance, James graduated near the very top of his class in high school and received a college scholarship.

And yet, and we all know this one, in life, a few decisions can change the entire trajectory

of our lives.

At college, James got in with the wrong crowd, began making some bad decisions, and each

mistake compounded upon the previous one.

By his early 20s, he had dropped out of college,

was addicted to alcohol and drugs, was living on the streets, was sleeping under bridges, and was

eating out of trash cans. His life was over. Until at his lowest point cut off from the world and feeling utterly way down by it he looked up to the

sky and he cried out god if i'm going to stop you're going to need to help me and it was the beginning

...