December 8, 2025 • 47 mins
A husband and wife trace their separate descents into drugs, alcohol, abuse, and shame—and the moments where surrender to Jesus turned survival into purpose. Charlie and Taylor share how recovery, church, and service keep their marriage steady and their faith alive.
• childhood divorce, trauma and early rebellion
• eighth grade weed and alcohol leading to harder drugs
• blackouts, DUIs, probation and playing the system
• abusive relationship dynamics and making an exit plan
• overdose after childbirth and losing child custody
• homelessness in a U-Haul and a bathroom surrender
• meeting through AA, choosing a church and baptism
• jail ministry, prayer at work and daily dependence on God
• practical recovery rhythms that keep us sober and united
• why silence is the real gateway and how to ask for help
Father, I pray if there be anyone out there today that is just feeling hopeless, they're struggling, they just need help they pray a prayer like this... Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I ask you, Lord, to come into my life and save my soul. I repent of my sins and I recognize that you died on the cross so that I could be forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. Amen
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:05):
Welcome to Beyond Sunday.
I am your host, Pastor Lee Day,and our pastor Christ Family
Outreach Church, CFO, locatedright here in Amelia County,
Virginia.
On this episode of BeyondSunday, we are going to hear
from a wonderful husband andwife team.
They have just recently beenmarried.
Charlie and Taylor O'Brien.
How are the two of you doingtoday?
SPEAKER_00 (00:26):
Doing great.
Doing well.
SPEAKER_01 (00:28):
Better than I deserve.
Yeah, I agree with that myselfas well.
And I want to say just thank youfor the two of you coming in, uh
sitting around the table so wecan share your story, your
testimony.
And you guys didn't meet tilllater in life, but there's a lot
of similarities in yourtestimony that was taking place.
And just want to just kind ofwant to warn the listeners
before we get into this thing,because they may have some
(00:48):
little ones uh in the vehicle asthey ride down the road.
Um, you guys are gonna be raw.
This is real, this is this isreal deal testimony here.
And we're not glorifying the sinby any means, but we want to
share what you guys went throughbecause we're gonna give glory
to God the Father who bought youguys out of it.
Amen.
And I think that's that's what'sso impactful about a testimony
(01:10):
from a brother and sister inChrist.
You guys were born in completelydifferent states.
Taylor, you were born inVirginia.
Yes, Charlie, you were born inthe great state of Connecticut.
Yes, sir.
Uh Charlie, let's let's getgoing with you, my brother.
Okay.
Uh, you were about five yearsold when your parents got
divorced due to your dad'salcoholism.
Correct.
Um, your mom took you to churchevery once in a while, but in
(01:30):
your testimony, you said thatyou never felt a connection.
Absolutely.
As a kid, you begin stealing alot, both from stores and and
from people.
I know you said in yourtestimony that stealing helped
feed your ego and it it wouldgive you things that you did not
already have.
But what I'd like to ask youright now, Charlie, is how much
of this stealing and and thingsof this nature, how much of it
(01:52):
do you think might have been uhrebelling from not having your
dad in your life?
Was any of that connected?
It it definitely could haveplayed a part.
SPEAKER_04 (02:00):
Um, I guess I never really thought about that.
And it was more so to makemyself feel more important than
I was.
Okay.
And to have things I couldn'tget.
To give yourself someself-worth, self-value.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
Exactly.
Taylor, your parents divorcedwhen you were just four.
Yes.
And you felt like you had apretty normal childhood.
You played sports, you hadfriends, good grades.
Your testimony says you hadpresence under the tree, right?
Yes.
Just kind of kind of kind ofthat home that that a lot of
children will want to have.
Uh, but you went on toexperience some childhood trauma
early in life.
Um, you had found your dad withhis mistress mistress, and she
(02:34):
would later become yourstepmother.
Yeah.
You had also experienced somesexual trauma, which you believe
later in life caused some ofyour body image issues, right?
Yes.
Um, along with a lack of respectfor your own personal body.
SPEAKER_00 (02:47):
Definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
Taylor, could you take a moment, sister, and share
with maybe a girl, a teenager, awoman out there who might be
listening right now and they'restruggling with body image
issues, what helped you and howcan it also help them?
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Once I got to the point where I started really
digging into the word and Irealized that God was my true
father.
SPEAKER_02 (03:14):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (03:15):
Um, I started receiving the love that I always
wanted and needed.
And then there's, you know, thatverse in verse in there where
it's like you're made perfect inhis image.
SPEAKER_01 (03:27):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (03:28):
And it really stuck with me.
unknown (03:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:31):
Um and you are worthy and you are beautiful,
how however he created you.
And for me, opening up tosomebody really helped.
SPEAKER_02 (03:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:44):
Um and getting deeper down into the trauma.
So not running away from thetrauma and not using other
things to cope with the trauma,but to just finally deal with
it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:58):
So part of what you're saying too is there's
there's a time in your life,Taylor, where you you came to
realize that Jesus Christ isenough.
Yes.
And his love is all the love youneeded.
Exactly.
And that love is what broughtfulfillment into your life.
Yes.
Amen.
Charlie, you began drinking andsmoking weed in in the eighth
grade.
Correct.
Yeah.
And and it continued onthroughout high school.
(04:21):
What was it?
Was it your friend's circle?
Was it your desire to exitreality and life?
A little bit of both.
I don't know.
What was it that kept youturning back to the drugs and
alcohol and not just shaking it,shaking it off of you?
SPEAKER_04 (04:32):
It was definitely uh a little bit of both.
Um, my group of friends, wedefinitely glorified that.
We felt um felt it was a kind ofa way to cut loose and uh and
just do exactly what we wanted.
We um there were no consequencesto to the drinking and drugging
early on.
And um, because of that, it justcontinued and intensified
(04:55):
throughout high school and andon the way to college.
SPEAKER_01 (04:57):
So you guys were getting away with it, so you
just kept rolling in it.
SPEAKER_04 (04:59):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (05:00):
You you wrestled in high school.
Yep.
And according to your testimony,you could have gone on to
wrestle at a smaller college inVermont.
Correct.
Right.
But you decided to go to WestVirginia because, in your words,
it was the number one partyschool in the country at the
time.
Absolutely.
And they also had a goodfootball and basketball program.
Yep.
Right.
So, Charlie, knowing what youknow now in 2025, uh, let's
(05:21):
Monday morning quarterback thisthing for a moment, right?
In the situation room, if youwill.
If you could go back and talk to17 or 18-year-old Charlie, what
would you tell him?
SPEAKER_04 (05:31):
To seek out some advice from from older people,
to um to not just go offimpulses, to think about my
future more than the moment.
Um, I felt like I was gonna beleft out if I didn't go to a a
fun college.
Yeah.
And um, and that was all I caredabout, really.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
Taylor, you once told your mother in middle
school that you would neversmoke weed.
SPEAKER_00 (05:53):
I did.
I remember it in the car.
SPEAKER_01 (05:56):
You gave her your word.
Yeah.
So I'm guessing as a mom caringfor her daughter, did she just
bring that up and and introducethat topic to you, or is that
something you know?
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
I have two older brothers, and I had a brother at
the time that was doing it alot.
And so I knew the smell and Iknew, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:12):
And um, yeah, I just never thought I would do it.
I never I thought I was, youknow.
SPEAKER_01 (06:17):
So you give her your word that you're not.
SPEAKER_00 (06:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
But that all changes when you get into high school.
SPEAKER_00 (06:21):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
Um, why was that?
And how old were you when youfirst got high?
Why why make that change?
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
The first time I ever got high, I was 14.
Um, I, you know, I think a lotof it was I wanted to fit in
having the two older brothers,and they were very popular, and
I wanted to have lots of friendslike them.
I wanted, I wanted to be cool,you know, what I thought was
cool.
SPEAKER_03 (06:46):
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:47):
So I and then, you know, there was that curiosity
of like, well, what does it makeyou feel like?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
You wanted to test those waters.
Yes.
Yes.
You're you're drinking though,Taylor, got to the point of you
blacking out because you woulddrink so much.
Um at the age of 18, youreceived your first charge of
possession, and then you beginto drink alone.
Yes.
And there may be some people outthere that are going through
that right now, maybe somepeople that don't understand
what that means and why.
(07:14):
Why would you drink alone?
Share with the listeners why.
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
I at that point I was smoking every day.
And once that got taken awayfrom me, um, I was put on
colors, and so I had to passdrug tests.
So I basically knew that Icouldn't smoke anymore.
But I knew that I could get awaywith some drinking.
So I started to just I wanted tofeel something, you know, again.
(07:42):
So I was like, well, I can dothis to, you know, feel
something else or to fallasleep.
Or right.
SPEAKER_01 (07:50):
So you found something to replace what had
gotten taken from you in theweed, right?
Yes.
You you had to report toclasses.
You kind of just mentioned that.
You you had a probation officer,but in your testimony, you say
that you're still playing thesystem and you're good at it.
Yes.
Right?
You're getting away with somethings, a lot of things.
Yes.
Uh one time leaving a wedding,you were actually driving your
vehicle down the wrong side ofthe road.
(08:12):
Praise God, you or no one elsegot hurt.
Amen.
SPEAKER_02 (08:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Uh, and you were pulled over that night by the
cops.
You you made a promise thatnight when you get back to the
hotel room, correct?
Share with the listeners aboutthat promise and if you kept it
or not.
SPEAKER_00 (08:26):
Yeah, so this one, yikes.
All right, so after um basicallythe cops they ended up very
nicely charging me with a umopen container charge, and they
told me that they would leave itat that if I could find two
people sober, one to pick up mycar and one to take me home.
(08:47):
So I quickly tried to find twopeople, sober people, and they
came and we went back to thehotel room, and you know,
everybody was very concerned forme, and they weren't happy that
I drove.
Nobody knew I left the wedding,I just left.
Um, so when I got back to theroom, you know, in a lot of
hotels, there's a Bible in thedrawer.
SPEAKER_03 (09:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
And we pulled it out, and I had a friend ha had I
basically sweared on the Biblethat I would not drink and drive
again.
And again, I broke that promise.
So Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
Well, you later got into a single vehicle car
accident, right?
And you had been drinking, yes,the promise broken, and and you
are also on prescribed Xanax aswell, correct?
That the judge makes you attendclasses once a week, but you're
still working the system.
Correct.
Because you were drinking everyday and had even been using some
(09:37):
cocaine at this time in yourlife, correct?
Yes.
So from weed to alcohol to nowsomething as hard as cocaine.
Do you feel like the both of youguys, let me ask both of you
this question.
Do do you guys feel like weedwas, as so many people call it,
that gateway drug for you guys?
Like, what's your opinion onthat?
SPEAKER_04 (09:55):
For me, it definitely was.
Um, it kind of just lowered theinhibitions for me and then took
it was it was just putting afoot past the line, but once I
went past that line, it justopened the doors for a lot of
other things.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
It was so so so much easier to go to the next yard
line.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
How how about you, Taylor?
SPEAKER_00 (10:12):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's clear too.
Like once I couldn't do it, Itried something else, you know,
or not trying something else.
I'd already tried that, butreplacing it.
So it's it's very clear that youknow starts out somewhere.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
What what I would like to sayfor anyone listening out there,
regardless of their age, who maybe tempted to smoke some
marijuana, or maybe they've juststarted, or maybe they've been
in it for a while and it's justnot it's not doing what it once
did when they first got into itand they're considering looking
to that next step.
I I would I just want to take aminute and encourage them, just
(10:45):
set it down.
Just just be just be done withit.
Just be absolutely done with itso that it does not slowly creep
in and take over, take over yourlife and lead you into deeper,
darker worldly passions anddesires.
Taylor, I'm gonna ask you thesame question I asked your
husband Charlie here.
If you could go back and speakto 14 to 27-year-old Taylor,
(11:07):
let's jump into that age rangeof your life for a minute.
If you could go back and speakto 14 to 27-year-old Taylor,
what would you tell her?
Because between those ages, youhad smoked, you had drank, you
had taken prescription pills,cocaine, psychedelics, right?
What would you tell 14 to27-year-old Taylor?
SPEAKER_00 (11:23):
Tell her to slow down.
I'd tell her to slow down andtalk to somebody.
I think, you know, during thattime of my life, a lot happened.
Yeah.
And instead of getting the helpthat I needed, I just continued
to use.
(11:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:44):
You just you're just burying and covering up feelings
that you don't want to dealwith, right?
Definitely.
It's very interesting that thatyou said the same thing that
Charlie said.
Talk to somebody.
How so obviously you guys beingin the type of circle where
people are using and abusing,how many, how many people do you
think fall under that samecategory that just didn't go
talk to somebody?
(12:04):
What's your thought on that?
SPEAKER_04 (12:06):
A lot.
I mean, out of my 20 good friendgroups, I think 17 of us went to
rehab, a couple are dead.
Um we just kind of looked ateach other instead of seeking
outside help or finding someonewe could talk to and look up to.
It was we yeah, like weglorified God getting messed up.
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, I th and I think that's so important, like
when we come to Christ, thatwhen we see these people who are
obviously sick coming intochurch, they're they're burdened
by bondages and addictions.
Like these are the people, theseare the people that Jesus came
for too.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, these are the people thatspiritually mature folks need to
have their eyes open and readyto see and receive.
(12:46):
Not just see, because it's easyto see, right?
But but to receive, to see andreceive and to make them feel
welcome when they come into thedoors of the church house, God's
house, so that they can feelthat this is a safe place, that
they're not gonna just judge meright out the door, but they're
gonna walk this journey with meand and and show hope and love
(13:06):
and redemption and healing andbeing rescued and set free in
the name of Jesus.
Yeah, and so I, you know, that'sour job as Christians.
Because, like y'all are sittinghere, again, if you could Monday
morning quarterback it, youwould say just get help.
Talk to somebody.
Yeah, stop burying it, stophiding it.
Right.
So I held everything to myself,you know.
Just open up and ask for help.
(13:27):
Did do you feel like one of thereasons that you held it to
yourself, Charlie, was becauseyou didn't want to be judged,
you weren't done with it, youdidn't think you thought someone
was gonna drop the hammer onyou, all of the above.
Like, what are some of thereasons you felt you didn't go
get help?
SPEAKER_04 (13:40):
Yeah, all the above, I mean, alcoholism runs very
deep in my family, and so Ididn't want to admit that I had
a problem.
That was a big, big thing earlyon.
I thought I had control of itand I thought it showed
weakness.
Um yeah, just tried to handle itmyself and that didn't end up
working.
SPEAKER_01 (13:57):
Yeah, yeah.
Taylor, why do you think thatyou were just burying it and not
talking to people about it?
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
Um I think for me, like when it comes to some of
the trauma, um it's weird.
I almost wanted to protect otherpeople.
Um, so I think that really keptme from talking about it for a
long time because I it's like Iwanted myself to hurt more than
I wanted them to hurt, which iskind of crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (14:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Buying buying into that lie fromthe enemy, right?
Yeah.
Uh Charlie, your freshman yearwent pretty smoothly in college.
Yep.
But once you moved out of thedorms and got off campus, uh the
your testimony says that thedrinking, the drugging really
took over in your life.
How many days a week?
(14:44):
How many days a week were yougoing out and partying?
SPEAKER_04 (14:47):
Uh probably about four to five, and then it
steadily increased.
During the end of my time atWest Virginia, I was going out
about six days a week.
Okay.
Wow, that's that's prettyintense.
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
Yeah.
All of those partying, drinking,drugging, smoking, absolutely,
yeah.
Getting it getting into trouble,right?
Um, you you you even gotarrested multiple times.
Yes.
Uh during this point of yourlife, but but still no wake-up
call.
Do do you feel that there weretimes where like where someone
was just knocking on your doorand you weren't listening, or
was nobody was nobody aroundseeing what was going on?
(15:20):
Like how does that work out foryou?
I kind of hid it.
SPEAKER_04 (15:23):
I mean, the only person my mom knew I kept
getting in trouble and gettingarrested.
She felt that because I sharedit with her, she didn't want to
share it with anybody else.
And she was going through herown demons at the time.
And so it was kind of like ourlittle secret.
And then uh yeah, I mean, myfriends were probably the ones
who were most concerned aboutme.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Yeah.
So again, it comes down tonobody's talking about it.
Yeah.
And then and then if you doshare it with someone and
they're not able to help you inthe way that you need help,
you've shared it, but it didn'tgo to the right someone who was
equipped to help you.
Yes.
That's one of the reasons I likethe life recovery class at our
church because you get you getpeople in there that have
struggled with all types of ofabuses or all types of
(16:04):
addictions or different traumasin life, whether it be physical,
uh, sexual, whether it be drugaddiction, alcoholism, and and
and people can get in a room andthey can just share with other
people and be real and get helpand see what God's word has to
say about it.
Yeah.
Uh when when you went home forsummer after your junior year in
college, let's go there,Charlie.
(16:25):
Okay.
You get home for summer afteryour junior year in college, and
you realize that your mom has adrinking problem as well.
Yes.
So this is running deep now.
And you you mentioned earlierthat there's alcoholism in your
family.
Uh so you take mom to rehab.
Correct.
You were the one who had to dealwith the realtor.
Well, man, when I read this partin your testimony, I was blowed
away.
I'm like, man, great day.
(16:46):
You know, just you figure rightright here, how old are you,
junior in college, roughly?
19.
So 19 years old.
20.
Yeah.
19, 20, give or take, right?
So you got to take mom to rehab.
Yeah.
You then you then come back.
You've got to deal with arealtor to sell the house.
Uh, you had to pack everythingup.
Yep.
Right?
You get it all in the storage,but you did not choose to learn
a lesson yet.
Correct.
(17:07):
What what did this experiencedrive you towards?
It's either gonna, it's eithergonna make you better or worse.
How does this experience 19,20-year-old Charlie having to
having to really step up and bebe a be a man and do more than
what really you should have hadto do at that point in life?
Yeah.
What does this do to you?
SPEAKER_04 (17:23):
Um, it pushed me farther away, like more into the
drinking and the drugging andand that entire lifestyle.
Um, so I mean, at that time Iwas after I put my mom in rehab,
and I started stealing from her,started stealing from her bank
account, um, started sellingdrugs, anything I could,
anything I could sell to makemoney off of.
And um It just pushed me furtherdown the the wrong path.
(17:46):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:47):
Yeah, and it's gotta be a tough spot to to be so so
bought into what you're doingthat you're willing to steal
from your own mother.
Yes.
And I'm sure you're probablyjustifying it to some degree,
you know.
Absolutely.
Well, if she's doing this orshe's not here, what whatever.
You know, at this point in yourtestimony, it says that there's
daily cocaine usage going on.
(18:07):
Yes.
Um, selling the drugs that youjust mentioned, there's oxy,
right?
So a lot of things happening inthe life of Charlie.
You ended up failing out of WestVirginia University.
Correct.
And you you moved to Virginia.
SPEAKER_04 (18:19):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (18:20):
What was your headspace like during the move?
What are you what are youthanking coming to Virginia?
Where are you at?
SPEAKER_04 (18:25):
So my dad, I kind of let my dad in on a lot of what
was going on with my mom.
And um, he had told me a coupletimes, hey, why don't you get
out of there and move down here?
And so eventually I did.
And um, I didn't know anyonedown here, just my my dad and my
stepmom.
And so I was I was actuallyreally looking forward to it.
I was looking for a geographicchange and thinking that getting
out of Connecticut would solve alot of problems.
(18:47):
And uh when I came down here, Idid pretty good for about a
month or so, and then startedmeeting people that I used to
hang out with back home and thenwas right back off to the races.
SPEAKER_01 (18:56):
You left one circle, found another circle eventually,
but the circles uh mirrored eachother.
Yeah.
I brought me wherever I went.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh you end up getting a job at alocal golf course, yeah, and it
doesn't help you towards gettingbetter.
Why not?
SPEAKER_04 (19:11):
Well, it was a great job, and I got around a lot of
good people, but um I was onlyreally working four hours a day,
and the the members were lettingme drink with them, and and I
got paid in cash.
So it was just a combination ofeverything for a good alcoholic
and drug addict.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Yeah, so to something that that that Taylor
had said, she said that shewould tell her younger self to
slow down.
Yes.
So something about this fastpace uh the way of living, you
didn't you didn't have to worklong.
You got cash.
Yep.
These guys are are letting youdrink with them, right?
And so I I'm just picturing thatCharlie's back into this fast
paced action again of doing whatCharlie wants to do.
(19:46):
Without a doubt.
Yeah.
During the next few years,Charlie, you began using heroin
daily?
Correct.
Yes.
And you did go on to graduatefrom VCU with a business degree.
Yes.
Congratulations on that.
In your testimony, you mentionedum right.
Right when you graduated, youran out of the theater where the
graduation was being held.
Explain to the listeners whatyou were doing immediately after
(20:07):
graduation.
You run out through the cars inthe street, you meet somebody.
What are you doing as you're asyou're weaving through the cars?
SPEAKER_04 (20:13):
Yeah, so I went and met my girlfriend at the time
and and got some heroin fromher.
And uh I'm ducking in betweenthe cars, taking a sniff, and I
pop up and and see my dad,stepmom, and sisters walking
down the street and just they'resmiling ear to ear.
They're so proud of me.
Yeah.
And uh, and little did they knowI was a full-blown heroin addict
at the time.
SPEAKER_01 (20:33):
Yeah.
How how do you how do you feelin that moment, or do you
remember?
Like, did you feel guilty?
Were you just like, ah,whatever, man?
It's just another another day inthe life of Charlie, or or how
did you feel?
SPEAKER_04 (20:42):
Yeah, it was more so just covering my own butt, you
know, like making sure theydidn't know exactly what I was
doing.
Um, and then it just kind ofmoved right on past it.
I didn't really think about ituntil I got got sober.
SPEAKER_01 (20:53):
Yeah, it really just shows the power of the drug.
Absolutely.
You know what I mean?
And as you said earlier,marijuana was that gateway for
you, man.
Yep.
You know, so we could trace itall the way back to that.
But now here you are, whichshould have been one of your
greatest moments in in thatparticular chapter of your life,
and you worried about your nexthit and covering up from your
parents, yeah, from your family.
Taylor, I'm gonna come back toyou um for a moment here.
(21:14):
When you were 21, you were in anabusive relationship.
Yes, and you had a gun held toyour head multiple times and
even had been abused physicallymultiple times as well, correct?
Yes.
Let me just ask you this why notleave?
Uh, what was holding you there?
Because there's odds are there'ssome people going through
something very similar rightnow.
(21:36):
And I would love for you to justkind of share with them because
maybe a light bulb can go offfor someone out there and say,
man, that's me.
You know, like as I'm sittinghere listening to this lady
Taylor, like it sounds so muchlike my story.
And maybe hearing your storycould help them make the move
and not have to go through it aslong as you did, Taylor.
So uh just a couple questions.
(21:56):
Why not leave?
What was holding you there?
And what would you tell thatwoman who may still be
struggling uh with making theright decision right now?
SPEAKER_00 (22:04):
So I think the ultimate reason why I didn't
leave is you know, we would alsodrink together, and a lot of
this, a lot of the times that hewould get to this really
physically abusive state, hewould be drunk.
And so I tried to kind of say,well, that's not really him.
SPEAKER_01 (22:23):
Make excuses for him.
SPEAKER_00 (22:24):
Right.
And you know, I also honestly Ithought I could save him, but
you know who saves Jesus saves,you know.
So I could not do that.
That was not my work to do.
Um and I would say, you know,for me, if I finally had a
breaking point where I just waslike, What am I doing?
You know?
(22:44):
Yeah, and that night I actuallycalled my best friend and I told
her, I said, You come heretomorrow morning and you come
get my things with me.
I don't care if I try to talkyou out of it.
Yeah, you're gonna, I need yourhelp, come get me.
SPEAKER_03 (22:59):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
And she did.
SPEAKER_03 (23:01):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (23:02):
And so definitely again, asking for help, you
know, ask for help.
And I know it's hard, and I knowthat you might also feel like
you can save this person, butthe truth is like only Jesus can
do that.
And until the Holy Spiritconvicts that person, then you
(23:22):
know, there's not much else youcan do, but honestly walk away
from it.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
Amen.
One thing I got from that thatpiece that you just mentioned
there, you called somebody, butyou called somebody that was
willing to do something aboutit.
SPEAKER_02 (23:32):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:33):
You know what I mean?
And and I think that that's soimportant.
If we're gonna talk to someone,talk to somebody that's willing
to do something about it andhave our backs.
And like you said, even if youget here in the morning, I don't
want to go, pull me out thehouse with you.
Yes.
When when COVID hit, Taylor,your drinking that was already
bad, escalated and got evenworse.
(23:54):
Yes.
And you got to the point towhere you were drinking for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And when you were at work, wherewould you run to when it was
time for lunch break?
SPEAKER_00 (24:05):
So I would actually run to the liquor store to get a
quick fix.
SPEAKER_01 (24:10):
Yeah.
So to me, that's that's like,okay, we've we're beyond
problem, right?
And and you you're you're goingto get your fix at the liquor
store.
It comes down to the point towhere you thought you had lost
your job, and your mom, your momhas to come and and get you your
your job later on ends upworking with you, right?
Um, but your mom has gotten tothe point to where she was
(24:32):
extremely worried for herdaughter, yeah, as she should
be.
And you were at the point whereyou could you couldn't hide the
drinking any longer.
It it had just consumed you,correct?
100%.
So she takes you, mom takes youto the hospital where you're
admitted and you're evaluated,and your blood alcohol content
was 0.45.
SPEAKER_02 (24:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (24:52):
Legal level, 0.08, but you're 0.45.
Yeah.
And most people at this pointwould have been dead.
SPEAKER_00 (24:59):
Definitely.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (25:00):
I mean, so can we just say it's a miracle that
you're here at the table withCharlie and myself?
Amen.
You know, I mean, so we thankGod for that.
I mean, that that is a miracle.
Yeah.
In your testimony, it says thatthe hospital that you were at
said that you were the secondhighest level that they had ever
seen.
Yes.
I mean, that's incredible.
I mean, that that's absolutelyamazing that that you are still
here.
(25:20):
So that just tells me that evenin even in one of your darkest
hours, God the Father is notdone with Taylor.
No.
And I just think that's abeautiful thing about our
Heavenly Father.
And maybe there's some peoplelistening that just feel like
life is not worth living.
But if you're still here, God'snot done with you.
If you're still listening, Godis not done with you.
Amen.
(25:41):
Amen.
Uh, Taylor, your your life is atestimony, really, Charlie,
yours as well, of God sparingthe two of you.
And it's a miracle that the bothof you are are here here
tonight, uh, recording thispodcast with me around this
table.
But Taylor, what do you feel?
What do you feel, Taylor, whenyou think about just like your
whole life and what God walkedyou through in this journey?
(26:04):
What do you feel when youconsider how blessed you are to
still be here?
Like, what what what what whatcan even come into your mind?
I mean, I can't I can't evenimagine.
So I'm just gonna ask you.
Like, because I would think thatthere's been times in your life
where you sit back and think,like, wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:18):
Yeah, well, there's probably a lot of times I um
could have died, to be honestwith you, in that period of my
life.
I mean, from just doing recklessthings to too many drugs to too
much alcohol.
Yeah.
I mean, it's it's truly ablessing that I am here today.
And I'm so grateful for that.
(26:39):
And what he is continuing tobless me with.
And I feel like the higher myfaith gets, like faith to faith,
glory to glory, like the moreblessings I'm seeing.
SPEAKER_01 (26:51):
Amen.
And yeah.
And the beauty in that is likeyou guys are both serving the
Lord now.
You you guys are sold out forChrist.
You know, you're you're living awalk that he's calling you to
walk and being a light in a darkworld.
You guys, because of yourtestimony, can can go touch and
have impact on people.
Charlie will talk about that ina moment on on what you do once
a month, right?
(27:12):
Uh before we before we getthere, Charlie, you go from
drinking to drugging to usingcrack and heroin daily.
Yep.
You you overdose the day youreturn from the hospital.
When I when I read that in yourtestimony, I was like, okay, so
this lets me know where mybrother's at.
You know, like this tells me howbad he is.
So so your firstborn son, yeah,he's born.
(27:36):
Correct.
You guys come back from thehospital, you you got him with
you, yeah, right?
And and you've got your dealerwaiting in the driveway, yeah,
so that you can get a fix,right?
And then you end up overdosing,correct?
Correct.
Because of it.
Uh your your girlfriend at thetime and the mother of your two
sons, you guys, it gets so badthat y'all go on to lose custody
(27:58):
for a while.
SPEAKER_04 (27:59):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (27:59):
Yes.
But but now talk talk about aredemption story, right?
Because now, Charlie, you'veyou've got you've got your boys,
Taylor.
You're now you're now awonderful mother to these two
boys.
I see you guys at our churchevents, man, and y'all are just
like one big happy family.
And I and it's like, man, what ablessing for you guys, but also
for these boys.
Absolutely.
(28:20):
You know, the the boys workedtheir way through three
different foster families.
Uh, Charlie, you were you wereliving in the back at one point
of a U-Haul truck for sixmonths.
What was that like?
Miserable.
I was getting ready to staymiserable, bro.
I was getting ready to say it.
You took it out of my mouth.
SPEAKER_04 (28:35):
Yeah, it was miserable.
I mean, anytime I parked it, Iwas afraid they were gonna come
pick it up and tow it because II didn't pay the bill on it.
Yeah.
Um you're just running with it.
Yeah, just running with it.
Yeah, yeah.
So so you totally miserable.
SPEAKER_01 (28:47):
Yeah, you you lived in that for six months until
they did come to pick it up.
Correct, yeah.
Uh you you end up you end uphitting your knees in a bathroom
and crying out to God for help,Charlie.
Walk us through that moment inthe bathroom.
SPEAKER_04 (29:00):
Yeah, um it's surreal thinking back on it now.
Um to be honest, right beforeright before that was the last
time I used.
And uh I went back to thetreatment center and uh was
getting ready to take a shower,and I was just staring in the
mirror and I was like, I can'tdo this anymore.
(29:21):
And uh was crying, um and andthen just hit my knees and I
begged God for help.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
Yeah, I didn't yeah.
And he answered.
Any answer and and that's thebeauty in it.
When we when we truly cry out toGod for help, he always answers.
Yeah, he he he knows andexamines our hearts, and when he
sees a heart that is trulyrepenting and apologetic for
where they've taken their ownself, like he sees that, and
(29:50):
that's so that's where therescue story starts, you know.
Taylor, you end up coming toJesus Christ as well, and in the
spring of 2023, God brings thetwo of you guys together.
If I remember right, didn't Iread um that the first date was
at an AA meeting?
Did I read that right?
Yeah, that's right.
So walk me through that.
Like, how does how does thathappen?
(30:10):
Did y'all know you were goingthere together?
Was it like, hey, do you want togo?
You just met each other there.
SPEAKER_00 (30:14):
We had already met in through AA.
Okay, and then um, well, I tookit upon myself to find him on
Facebook.
Then um, he messaged me first.
Yeah, and so then we kind ofwent from there and he picked me
up from my house, and I'll neverforget it.
(30:36):
He brought me a flower peninstead of flowers.
He brought me a flower pen, andI still have that pin to this
day.
That's awesome.
So, yeah, and it'll never die.
Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01 (30:46):
If it had been if it had been a flower, right?
If it had been a flower, oddsare it'd been trash by now,
right?
So that's extremely special.
That's awesome.
Yeah, so so you guys were bothreally in your recovery journey
um early on together and begindating one another.
Yeah, you're you're bothattending a church in
Chesterfield, Virginia.
(31:06):
But Taylor, uh, you end upgetting invited to a Bible study
at our church here in Amelia atCFO.
And then eventually you end upasking Charlie to attend a
Sunday service at CFO becauseyou were kind of you kind of
felt torn between both churches,right?
SPEAKER_00 (31:20):
Yeah, I was definitely going back and forth.
But you know, doing the Biblestudy, I was making a lot more
connections.
And I just it was just somethingI was like, and actually I'll
I'll say this.
So the Bible study was the baitof Satan.
SPEAKER_01 (31:37):
Yes, which we're currently doing it in right now.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:39):
And I did not know this.
And um, my friend, she sent methe link.
I bought the book and it came inthe mail.
And when I opened it and Istarted reading it, I was at the
time in the fourth step ofrecovery, which is dealing with
your offenses.
And that's exactly what thisstudy is on.
And I just knew in that momentthat God just I felt this like
(32:02):
sensation, like God was there,like he was there, and he said,
I got you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:07):
Praise God.
Yeah, praise the Lord.
So you you really felt hispresence in that moment, and you
know that this is where Godwants you to be.
SPEAKER_02 (32:13):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
So you end up inviting Charlie to come out on
a Sunday service.
Am I right in saying that?
And in in the testimony, itsays, if I've got this right,
it's January 7th of 2024.
Yes.
Yep.
Charlie, that's your first daycoming out.
It is.
And and something specialhappens in the service.
Just kind of walk us throughwhat took place on that Sunday
for you.
SPEAKER_04 (32:33):
Yeah, so at the end of service, um, Pastor Lee
called us up for anyone whowanted prayer.
And uh Taylor and I went to thefront of the church with a big,
large group of people, and um,and then he asked if anyone
wanted to get to know Jesus.
And uh and my hand went straightup, and uh, he called me up on
stage and we repeated thesinner's prayer with him, and uh
(32:55):
I just felt the Holy Spirit justkind of go all through my body
and just kind of felt this warmfeeling and got very emotional
um when I was repeating it andjust praise God and just knew I
was at home.
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome, brother.
That's awesome.
I just remember you being upthere.
Uh as you said, the the HolySpirit just hits you and you
feel his presence in your body,you begin to cry, you know, and
it's just it was just abeautiful moment, man.
Absolutely beautiful moment.
Yeah, uh now talk about abeautiful moment.
A few a few months later, thetwo of you get baptized at
church.
SPEAKER_02 (33:26):
Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:27):
Uh and that was special because Charlie, I got
to baptize you first, and Taylorwas in the pool with us in the
baptismal pool.
You get to help baptize Taylor,which, which I just think is
just amazing, you know, and andhow beautiful is that?
Because not everybody can say,Hey, I I I baptized my wife.
Now, you guys weren't marriedyet, you know, but not everybody
(33:47):
can say, I baptized my wife, orI was in the pool when my
husband got baptized.
Right.
I I just think that that isthat's that's that's such a
gift, hearing as a listener'shear the the two paths that both
of you guys journeyed on.
I don't think it's any accidentbecause I know God doesn't, God
doesn't make accidents.
Yeah, you know, he it's likeGod's not like, uh-oh, well,
(34:10):
check that out.
Wow, this is something thatCharlie and Taylor got together
and they and their past, youknow, their their their
backgrounds were so likesimilar, you know what I mean?
Like from the jump, like heknew, you know, from the very
jump, from the very get-go, heknew.
And I just I just feel like inso many ways, it's so that you
guys are gonna be strongertogether.
And absolutely when when onegets weak or one struggles, or
(34:33):
one, you know, one's goingthrough something, the other one
can understand it in a differentway that a lot of people really
can't understand, you know.
So I just see it as as Godproviding strength for each one
of you through through theentire marriage for the rest of
your lives.
I mean, how cool is that thatGod God did that for you guys?
Yeah, you know, that that youhave one another to lean on.
(34:55):
Yeah, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (34:56):
It really is.
SPEAKER_01 (34:57):
Absolutely.
Charlie, share with us how longhas it been because you started
you started really early inlife.
How how long has it been sinceyou've been drug and alcohol
free?
Do you do you know the date orlike a time for November 11th,
2022?
November 11, 2000, 2022.
Yeah.
So you guys have been marriednow.
We kind of mentioned this in thebeginning of the podcast,
(35:18):
Charlie.
You you got you guys beenmarried now since this past
September.
Correct.
So a lot of people say y'all arestill newlyweds.
Share with the people wherey'all went to the honeymoon.
Where'd you go?
Went to Jamaica.
And y'all got out right beforethe big hurricane.
Yeah, praise God.
But praise God y'all got home.
You know, y'all got out right intime.
Y'all, y'all were some of theblessed ones that were able to
do that.
Once a month, Charlie, and Irelated to this uh uh a few
(35:40):
minutes ago, but we'll talkabout it now.
Once a month, you go back intothe jail system and you help
other people who are strugglingwith addiction.
What's that look like?
SPEAKER_04 (35:49):
So it's really amazing.
Um, so when I was locked up inChesterfield, every Monday they
would bring AA meetings into thejail.
And uh that's actually where Imet my sponsor in that same room
that we hold them in today.
And uh I get a chance to go backonce a month and and kind of
bring some experience, strength,and hope to the guys.
SPEAKER_01 (36:09):
And that's powerful.
It is, it's it's powerful.
So you're going back sowing goodseed, godly seed on fertile
ground, just like someone cameand sowed seed into your life.
Absolutely.
Yeah, Taylor, what do you do fora living if you don't mind?
SPEAKER_00 (36:23):
I'm a cosmetologist.
SPEAKER_01 (36:24):
Okay, so is there opportunities with people just
because so you're seeing people,right?
Uh opportunities in your line ofwork as well to share the
gospel, to shine the light.
How does that work for you?
SPEAKER_00 (36:35):
Yes, definitely.
I mean, people come in all thetime and talk about their
struggles and things like that.
And it does, it gives me anopportunity to sometimes share
my story if they're struggling.
Um and I've actually I had ayoung guy come in one time and I
won't share what he shared withme, but it was the first time I
(36:56):
was able to pray over somebody.
Wow, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (36:59):
And um but that's big growth.
SPEAKER_00 (37:01):
Yeah, that was so that was really, really, that
was just really nice.
And I he you could tell he wasvery grateful for it, and he
walked out feeling good.
And amen.
SPEAKER_01 (37:12):
Praise God.
So that's the beauty of livingour faith and shining the light
of Christ out loud.
We're not to take it and hide itunder a desk or a bed.
We're to where to set it up onthe stand, right?
And let that light shine.
So when when when someone comesto Christ, it's it's like boom,
there it is.
God's got another, another setof hands and feet, another,
another mouthpiece out in thecommunity.
(37:34):
And when people come you knowacross our path, we get to shine
and we get to share the love ofJesus and we get to share hope,
which is what we're doing inthis in this episode right now.
We're sharing hope with anybodythat's willing to listen and
share the link, you know.
Right.
Uh Taylor, in your testimony,you said that um to stay strong,
here's a list of things.
And I'm just gonna go over thelist that you said because I
loved it.
I loved it.
(37:55):
I loved it.
In your testimony, you said youstay strong, the two of you
together, because you guysattend church together.
You you serve in the church, uh,you read God's word, you attend
life recovery, you you spreadthe light of Jesus Christ.
These are all things that keepthe two of you strong together,
right?
Now, you said the followingthing, Taylor.
I'm gonna quote you for a minutebecause it was so good.
(38:16):
I was like, I I gotta Taylorquote this thing.
So here's my Taylor quote, okay?
You said this and I quoteTaylor.
I personally feel the closest toGod when helping others and
serving him.
I don't just rely on God to keepme from drinking again, but I
rely on him in every aspect ofmy life.
He is my healer, my provider, myprotector, and so much more.
(38:38):
He is everything to me.
Unquote.
And when I read that, I was justlike, that is so powerful.
That is so powerful.
It's the truth.
Yeah, amen.
And and and you've walked it,you know, like you have walked
it through through through uhsexual abuse, physical abuse,
um, the whole, you know, uh bodyshaming and feeling different
(39:00):
ways about about you, you know,yourself, the the drugs, the
alcohol, the numbing of things,the not the not talking to
people when you should havetalked to people, like you've
walked such a dark journey, andChrist is the one that has
rescued you.
You you are his daughter, and heloves you and he he he died on
the cross for you, he redeemedyou.
(39:22):
And what I love about it is isyou see that and you know that.
Yeah, and you're you're livingproof, you're a living testimony
of that.
And and I just think it's it'sit's amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
Thank you for sharing it.
Yeah, Charlie, you said, becauseI got a Charlie quote here.
Uh I'm gonna drop down a Charliequote on the listeners.
You said this, and I quote, Ihit my knees in the morning and
ask God for help daily.
We pray as a family and thankGod for everything that we have.
The only reason I am here todayis because of God's grace.
(39:53):
He has given me a chance to be ahusband and a father.
And then you go on to say thisthese.
Are the things that I alwaysprayed for, but never thought
was possible.
When I finally got out of theway and let God do the driving,
they became a reality.
Yeah.
And folks, I'm here to tell youtoday that there is hope
(40:16):
available, and his name is JesusChrist.
And I know that the two of youwould agree.
Touch on that, on that thoughtfor a minute, Charlie.
Um, that quote where you said,These are the things that I
always prayed for, but neverthought it was possible.
SPEAKER_04 (40:30):
Yeah.
Um, I mean, like, before I hitmy knees that night in the uh in
the treatment center, uh, theonly time I really prayed were
what I call like foxholeprayers.
You know, you're in jail andyou're like, God, if you let me
out, I'll I'll never do thisagain.
And and you said it perfectly.
God knows what's in our heart.
And he knew he knew how genuineI was in that moment, and then
(40:52):
that's that's right when hestepped into my life.
Um but I can still remember intreatment, um, praying to God
and asking to make me a uh helphelp form me into be a husband,
a father, uh, a better, a betterperson.
And he's slowly molding me intothat.
SPEAKER_01 (41:08):
Yeah, amen.
It's a daily journey, isn't it,Charlie?
Absolutely.
It's a daily, daily journey.
Well, we begin this episode withCharlie.
So, Taylor, I'm gonna let youclose it out with with a
thought.
I'll go back to one of yourquotes here.
Um, I don't just rely on God tokeep me from drinking, but I
rely on him in every aspect ofmy life.
(41:28):
So, what's that look like whenyou wake up tomorrow?
What's that look like for you inthe life of Taylor O'Brien?
SPEAKER_00 (41:35):
Well, for me, uh first of all, when I do dig into
the word, I always ask him toopen my heart, my eyes, my ears,
whatever it is.
Yeah.
Um, I ask him help there toteach me.
Um, I ask him, you know, when Iget anxious through things to
give me the strength to getthrough them.
(41:58):
Yeah.
Um, I mean, even, you know,raising two kids now.
SPEAKER_01 (42:04):
Um Yeah, because you went from not being a mom to all
of a sudden bam, right?
Having two boys, having twoboys.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
Yeah, which I wouldn't trade it for the world,
but I mean, they're really coolboys, by the way.
SPEAKER_01 (42:15):
They're awesome.
Anytime I can have a littleconversation with them at
church.
I mean, it they're cool kids.
They're they're they're coolkids.
SPEAKER_00 (42:21):
But you know, every mom knows and every dad knows
it's hard raising kids.
And so I've definitely had toask him for the guidance through
that.
And like, you know, what am Isupposed to be doing here?
Like, am I doing this right?
So, I mean, I I really ask himfor help in everything.
SPEAKER_01 (42:41):
I mean, and that's how it really should be.
Yeah, you know, uh we we weshould be seeking his counsel
for all things, for all things,and that's why you guys are
where you're at today.
Yeah, because you you yousurrendered, you you cried out
to him, you realized the waythat you were doing it just
wasn't working.
Do you guys think is it a fairassessment to make that if you
(43:03):
guys would have kept on the pathyou were on, it probably would
have resulted in death?
SPEAKER_04 (43:08):
Oh, without a doubt.
I I overdosed at least six,seven times.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
And uh, like I said, that Iwouldn't be here if it wasn't
for God's grace.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:19):
Six or seven overdoses and live to tell about
it.
Yeah.
You know, we we had said earlierhow Taylor is a miracle, and she
is, and how just as much you aswell.
I mean, that's man, that'sknocking on death's door right
there.
Yeah.
That's knocking on death's door.
I could I could only imaginethat when you get it, get an
opportunity to worship the Lord,it's it's it's gotta be it's
(43:41):
gotta be easy to give him praisewhen he's bought you through
something, something like that,you know.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (43:47):
I was just talking cry and worship all the time in
a great way.
SPEAKER_01 (43:50):
Yeah, in a great way.
SPEAKER_00 (43:52):
It gets me emotional.
I'm just so grateful.
SPEAKER_01 (43:54):
I hear that.
I was just this week talking toan individual and just kind of
having conversation about whatworship looks like and just this
person, you know, they're theythey just don't feel like they
need to sing, you know.
And and I was just asking, youknow, why not?
You know, well, I just don'twant to sing in public, or um, I
don't really sing at all is whatthey were talking to me about.
(44:16):
And I said, Well, you know, ifif being in public is the issue,
I want to remind you that Jesuswent to the cross for you in
public.
Amen.
You know, his his hiscrucifixion was not a private
matter.
Yeah, you know, it was extremelypublic.
What they did to him was public,and it how they how they how
they whipped him and beat himand scourged him and and and
(44:38):
ripped the hair out of his face.
I mean, putting the putting thecrown of thorns on, you know,
it's it's so public that westill talk about it today.
Right.
You know, it's extremely public.
And so what I was sharing withthis individual was this brother
in the Lord, if Jesus could dothat publicly for you, then then
don't you think that you cansing publicly for him?
(45:00):
You know, if if he didn't worryabout who was to his left and
right and in front and behindwatching him be crucified in
public, then should we beworried about who's beside us,
in front of us, behind us whenwe go to sing out loud in a
worship or praise service?
And so I can only imagine thatwhen someone is truly saved,
truly redeemed, truly set free,it becomes that much easier to
(45:24):
just profess publicly, eventhrough song, that Jesus is Lord
and King.
Yes.
Amen.
Well, I just want to personallysay thank you for the two of you
coming in here around thistable, sharing your testimony.
I know it's given hope forpeople and it will continue to
give hope for people.
And I know God's not done withyou guys.
He's gonna, as you mentioned,Taylor, faith to faith and glory
(45:45):
to glory.
He's gonna continue to raise youguys up and continue to walk you
through these levels of faiththat he has given you guys
knowledge and wisdom so that youcan go forth and shine brightly
for him in his glory and hisname.
So let's pray.
Father, I'm grateful for thesetwo here.
Lord, what amazing, amazingtestimonies that they have.
(46:08):
And you're not done.
You're not done building uponthese testimonies.
And Father, I thank you for themiracles that they are sitting
here at this table, sharing whathas taken place with them and in
their lives and through theirlives.
Father, I pray if there beanyone out there today that is
just feeling hopeless, they'restruggling, they just need help.
(46:28):
God, I just pray that they woulddo as Charlie and Taylor has
mentioned, that they would justgo find somebody.
Father, that it just wouldn't bea somebody.
It would be a special somebodythat's willing to take action
along with them, just likeTaylor's friend was willing to
come get her that next day.
Father, I pray that they wouldbe willing to steer them in the
(46:49):
right direction.
I pray that they would be justlike Charlie, where he would he
would cry out to Jesus for help.
That it would just come to thepoint to where you're at the end
of the rope and you know youare, and you just need to do it
a different way.
And maybe there's some peopleout there that that are not
saved and they they they rightnow in this moment want to ask
Jesus Christ to be Lord andSavior of their soul.
(47:11):
And if that's you, I justwelcome you to say a prayer like
this (47:14):
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I ask you, Lord, to come
into my life and save my soul.
I repent of my sins and Irecognize that you died on the
cross so that I could beforgiven in Jesus' name and
blood.
Amen.
God bless you guys.
Until next time on BeyondSunday.
Thank you guys so much forcoming in.
Thank you really.
(47:35):
Absolutely.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday.
I am your host, Pastor Lee Day,and our pastor Christ Family
Outreach Church, CFO, locatedright here in Amelia County,
Virginia.
On this episode of BeyondSunday, we are going to hear
from a wonderful husband andwife team.
They have just recently beenmarried.
Charlie and Taylor O'Brien.
How are the two of you doingtoday?
SPEAKER_00 (00:26):
Doing great.
Doing well.
SPEAKER_01 (00:28):
Better than I deserve.
Yeah, I agree with that myselfas well.
And I want to say just thank youfor the two of you coming in, uh
sitting around the table so wecan share your story, your
testimony.
And you guys didn't meet tilllater in life, but there's a lot
of similarities in yourtestimony that was taking place.
And just want to just kind ofwant to warn the listeners
before we get into this thing,because they may have some
(00:48):
little ones uh in the vehicle asthey ride down the road.
Um, you guys are gonna be raw.
This is real, this is this isreal deal testimony here.
And we're not glorifying the sinby any means, but we want to
share what you guys went throughbecause we're gonna give glory
to God the Father who bought youguys out of it.
Amen.
And I think that's that's what'sso impactful about a testimony
(01:10):
from a brother and sister inChrist.
You guys were born in completelydifferent states.
Taylor, you were born inVirginia.
Yes, Charlie, you were born inthe great state of Connecticut.
Yes, sir.
Uh Charlie, let's let's getgoing with you, my brother.
Okay.
Uh, you were about five yearsold when your parents got
divorced due to your dad'salcoholism.
Correct.
Um, your mom took you to churchevery once in a while, but in
(01:30):
your testimony, you said thatyou never felt a connection.
Absolutely.
As a kid, you begin stealing alot, both from stores and and
from people.
I know you said in yourtestimony that stealing helped
feed your ego and it it wouldgive you things that you did not
already have.
But what I'd like to ask youright now, Charlie, is how much
of this stealing and and thingsof this nature, how much of it
(01:52):
do you think might have been uhrebelling from not having your
dad in your life?
Was any of that connected?
It it definitely could haveplayed a part.
SPEAKER_04 (02:00):
Um, I guess I never really thought about that.
And it was more so to makemyself feel more important than
I was.
Okay.
And to have things I couldn'tget.
To give yourself someself-worth, self-value.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
Exactly.
Taylor, your parents divorcedwhen you were just four.
Yes.
And you felt like you had apretty normal childhood.
You played sports, you hadfriends, good grades.
Your testimony says you hadpresence under the tree, right?
Yes.
Just kind of kind of kind ofthat home that that a lot of
children will want to have.
Uh, but you went on toexperience some childhood trauma
early in life.
Um, you had found your dad withhis mistress mistress, and she
(02:34):
would later become yourstepmother.
Yeah.
You had also experienced somesexual trauma, which you believe
later in life caused some ofyour body image issues, right?
Yes.
Um, along with a lack of respectfor your own personal body.
SPEAKER_00 (02:47):
Definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
Taylor, could you take a moment, sister, and share
with maybe a girl, a teenager, awoman out there who might be
listening right now and they'restruggling with body image
issues, what helped you and howcan it also help them?
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Once I got to the point where I started really
digging into the word and Irealized that God was my true
father.
SPEAKER_02 (03:14):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (03:15):
Um, I started receiving the love that I always
wanted and needed.
And then there's, you know, thatverse in verse in there where
it's like you're made perfect inhis image.
SPEAKER_01 (03:27):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (03:28):
And it really stuck with me.
unknown (03:31):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:31):
Um and you are worthy and you are beautiful,
how however he created you.
And for me, opening up tosomebody really helped.
SPEAKER_02 (03:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (03:44):
Um and getting deeper down into the trauma.
So not running away from thetrauma and not using other
things to cope with the trauma,but to just finally deal with
it.
SPEAKER_01 (03:58):
So part of what you're saying too is there's
there's a time in your life,Taylor, where you you came to
realize that Jesus Christ isenough.
Yes.
And his love is all the love youneeded.
Exactly.
And that love is what broughtfulfillment into your life.
Yes.
Amen.
Charlie, you began drinking andsmoking weed in in the eighth
grade.
Correct.
Yeah.
And and it continued onthroughout high school.
(04:21):
What was it?
Was it your friend's circle?
Was it your desire to exitreality and life?
A little bit of both.
I don't know.
What was it that kept youturning back to the drugs and
alcohol and not just shaking it,shaking it off of you?
SPEAKER_04 (04:32):
It was definitely uh a little bit of both.
Um, my group of friends, wedefinitely glorified that.
We felt um felt it was a kind ofa way to cut loose and uh and
just do exactly what we wanted.
We um there were no consequencesto to the drinking and drugging
early on.
And um, because of that, it justcontinued and intensified
(04:55):
throughout high school and andon the way to college.
SPEAKER_01 (04:57):
So you guys were getting away with it, so you
just kept rolling in it.
SPEAKER_04 (04:59):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (05:00):
You you wrestled in high school.
Yep.
And according to your testimony,you could have gone on to
wrestle at a smaller college inVermont.
Correct.
Right.
But you decided to go to WestVirginia because, in your words,
it was the number one partyschool in the country at the
time.
Absolutely.
And they also had a goodfootball and basketball program.
Yep.
Right.
So, Charlie, knowing what youknow now in 2025, uh, let's
(05:21):
Monday morning quarterback thisthing for a moment, right?
In the situation room, if youwill.
If you could go back and talk to17 or 18-year-old Charlie, what
would you tell him?
SPEAKER_04 (05:31):
To seek out some advice from from older people,
to um to not just go offimpulses, to think about my
future more than the moment.
Um, I felt like I was gonna beleft out if I didn't go to a a
fun college.
Yeah.
And um, and that was all I caredabout, really.
SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
Taylor, you once told your mother in middle
school that you would neversmoke weed.
SPEAKER_00 (05:53):
I did.
I remember it in the car.
SPEAKER_01 (05:56):
You gave her your word.
Yeah.
So I'm guessing as a mom caringfor her daughter, did she just
bring that up and and introducethat topic to you, or is that
something you know?
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
I have two older brothers, and I had a brother at
the time that was doing it alot.
And so I knew the smell and Iknew, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:12):
And um, yeah, I just never thought I would do it.
I never I thought I was, youknow.
SPEAKER_01 (06:17):
So you give her your word that you're not.
SPEAKER_00 (06:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (06:19):
But that all changes when you get into high school.
SPEAKER_00 (06:21):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
Um, why was that?
And how old were you when youfirst got high?
Why why make that change?
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
The first time I ever got high, I was 14.
Um, I, you know, I think a lotof it was I wanted to fit in
having the two older brothers,and they were very popular, and
I wanted to have lots of friendslike them.
I wanted, I wanted to be cool,you know, what I thought was
cool.
SPEAKER_03 (06:46):
Yeah.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (06:47):
So I and then, you know, there was that curiosity
of like, well, what does it makeyou feel like?
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
You wanted to test those waters.
Yes.
Yes.
You're you're drinking though,Taylor, got to the point of you
blacking out because you woulddrink so much.
Um at the age of 18, youreceived your first charge of
possession, and then you beginto drink alone.
Yes.
And there may be some people outthere that are going through
that right now, maybe somepeople that don't understand
what that means and why.
(07:14):
Why would you drink alone?
Share with the listeners why.
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
I at that point I was smoking every day.
And once that got taken awayfrom me, um, I was put on
colors, and so I had to passdrug tests.
So I basically knew that Icouldn't smoke anymore.
But I knew that I could get awaywith some drinking.
So I started to just I wanted tofeel something, you know, again.
(07:42):
So I was like, well, I can dothis to, you know, feel
something else or to fallasleep.
Or right.
SPEAKER_01 (07:50):
So you found something to replace what had
gotten taken from you in theweed, right?
Yes.
You you had to report toclasses.
You kind of just mentioned that.
You you had a probation officer,but in your testimony, you say
that you're still playing thesystem and you're good at it.
Yes.
Right?
You're getting away with somethings, a lot of things.
Yes.
Uh one time leaving a wedding,you were actually driving your
vehicle down the wrong side ofthe road.
(08:12):
Praise God, you or no one elsegot hurt.
Amen.
SPEAKER_02 (08:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Uh, and you were pulled over that night by the
cops.
You you made a promise thatnight when you get back to the
hotel room, correct?
Share with the listeners aboutthat promise and if you kept it
or not.
SPEAKER_00 (08:26):
Yeah, so this one, yikes.
All right, so after um basicallythe cops they ended up very
nicely charging me with a umopen container charge, and they
told me that they would leave itat that if I could find two
people sober, one to pick up mycar and one to take me home.
(08:47):
So I quickly tried to find twopeople, sober people, and they
came and we went back to thehotel room, and you know,
everybody was very concerned forme, and they weren't happy that
I drove.
Nobody knew I left the wedding,I just left.
Um, so when I got back to theroom, you know, in a lot of
hotels, there's a Bible in thedrawer.
SPEAKER_03 (09:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
And we pulled it out, and I had a friend ha had I
basically sweared on the Biblethat I would not drink and drive
again.
And again, I broke that promise.
So Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:16):
Well, you later got into a single vehicle car
accident, right?
And you had been drinking, yes,the promise broken, and and you
are also on prescribed Xanax aswell, correct?
That the judge makes you attendclasses once a week, but you're
still working the system.
Correct.
Because you were drinking everyday and had even been using some
(09:37):
cocaine at this time in yourlife, correct?
Yes.
So from weed to alcohol to nowsomething as hard as cocaine.
Do you feel like the both of youguys, let me ask both of you
this question.
Do do you guys feel like weedwas, as so many people call it,
that gateway drug for you guys?
Like, what's your opinion onthat?
SPEAKER_04 (09:55):
For me, it definitely was.
Um, it kind of just lowered theinhibitions for me and then took
it was it was just putting afoot past the line, but once I
went past that line, it justopened the doors for a lot of
other things.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
It was so so so much easier to go to the next yard
line.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
How how about you, Taylor?
SPEAKER_00 (10:12):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's clear too.
Like once I couldn't do it, Itried something else, you know,
or not trying something else.
I'd already tried that, butreplacing it.
So it's it's very clear that youknow starts out somewhere.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
What what I would like to sayfor anyone listening out there,
regardless of their age, who maybe tempted to smoke some
marijuana, or maybe they've juststarted, or maybe they've been
in it for a while and it's justnot it's not doing what it once
did when they first got into itand they're considering looking
to that next step.
I I would I just want to take aminute and encourage them, just
(10:45):
set it down.
Just just be just be done withit.
Just be absolutely done with itso that it does not slowly creep
in and take over, take over yourlife and lead you into deeper,
darker worldly passions anddesires.
Taylor, I'm gonna ask you thesame question I asked your
husband Charlie here.
If you could go back and speakto 14 to 27-year-old Taylor,
(11:07):
let's jump into that age rangeof your life for a minute.
If you could go back and speakto 14 to 27-year-old Taylor,
what would you tell her?
Because between those ages, youhad smoked, you had drank, you
had taken prescription pills,cocaine, psychedelics, right?
What would you tell 14 to27-year-old Taylor?
SPEAKER_00 (11:23):
Tell her to slow down.
I'd tell her to slow down andtalk to somebody.
I think, you know, during thattime of my life, a lot happened.
Yeah.
And instead of getting the helpthat I needed, I just continued
to use.
(11:43):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (11:44):
You just you're just burying and covering up feelings
that you don't want to dealwith, right?
Definitely.
It's very interesting that thatyou said the same thing that
Charlie said.
Talk to somebody.
How so obviously you guys beingin the type of circle where
people are using and abusing,how many, how many people do you
think fall under that samecategory that just didn't go
talk to somebody?
(12:04):
What's your thought on that?
SPEAKER_04 (12:06):
A lot.
I mean, out of my 20 good friendgroups, I think 17 of us went to
rehab, a couple are dead.
Um we just kind of looked ateach other instead of seeking
outside help or finding someonewe could talk to and look up to.
It was we yeah, like weglorified God getting messed up.
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, I th and I think that's so important, like
when we come to Christ, thatwhen we see these people who are
obviously sick coming intochurch, they're they're burdened
by bondages and addictions.
Like these are the people, theseare the people that Jesus came
for too.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, these are the people thatspiritually mature folks need to
have their eyes open and readyto see and receive.
(12:46):
Not just see, because it's easyto see, right?
But but to receive, to see andreceive and to make them feel
welcome when they come into thedoors of the church house, God's
house, so that they can feelthat this is a safe place, that
they're not gonna just judge meright out the door, but they're
gonna walk this journey with meand and and show hope and love
(13:06):
and redemption and healing andbeing rescued and set free in
the name of Jesus.
Yeah, and so I, you know, that'sour job as Christians.
Because, like y'all are sittinghere, again, if you could Monday
morning quarterback it, youwould say just get help.
Talk to somebody.
Yeah, stop burying it, stophiding it.
Right.
So I held everything to myself,you know.
Just open up and ask for help.
(13:27):
Did do you feel like one of thereasons that you held it to
yourself, Charlie, was becauseyou didn't want to be judged,
you weren't done with it, youdidn't think you thought someone
was gonna drop the hammer onyou, all of the above.
Like, what are some of thereasons you felt you didn't go
get help?
SPEAKER_04 (13:40):
Yeah, all the above, I mean, alcoholism runs very
deep in my family, and so Ididn't want to admit that I had
a problem.
That was a big, big thing earlyon.
I thought I had control of itand I thought it showed
weakness.
Um yeah, just tried to handle itmyself and that didn't end up
working.
SPEAKER_01 (13:57):
Yeah, yeah.
Taylor, why do you think thatyou were just burying it and not
talking to people about it?
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
Um I think for me, like when it comes to some of
the trauma, um it's weird.
I almost wanted to protect otherpeople.
Um, so I think that really keptme from talking about it for a
long time because I it's like Iwanted myself to hurt more than
I wanted them to hurt, which iskind of crazy.
SPEAKER_01 (14:24):
Yeah, yeah.
Buying buying into that lie fromthe enemy, right?
Yeah.
Uh Charlie, your freshman yearwent pretty smoothly in college.
Yep.
But once you moved out of thedorms and got off campus, uh the
your testimony says that thedrinking, the drugging really
took over in your life.
How many days a week?
(14:44):
How many days a week were yougoing out and partying?
SPEAKER_04 (14:47):
Uh probably about four to five, and then it
steadily increased.
During the end of my time atWest Virginia, I was going out
about six days a week.
Okay.
Wow, that's that's prettyintense.
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
Yeah.
All of those partying, drinking,drugging, smoking, absolutely,
yeah.
Getting it getting into trouble,right?
Um, you you you even gotarrested multiple times.
Yes.
Uh during this point of yourlife, but but still no wake-up
call.
Do do you feel that there weretimes where like where someone
was just knocking on your doorand you weren't listening, or
was nobody was nobody aroundseeing what was going on?
(15:20):
Like how does that work out foryou?
I kind of hid it.
SPEAKER_04 (15:23):
I mean, the only person my mom knew I kept
getting in trouble and gettingarrested.
She felt that because I sharedit with her, she didn't want to
share it with anybody else.
And she was going through herown demons at the time.
And so it was kind of like ourlittle secret.
And then uh yeah, I mean, myfriends were probably the ones
who were most concerned aboutme.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Yeah.
So again, it comes down tonobody's talking about it.
Yeah.
And then and then if you doshare it with someone and
they're not able to help you inthe way that you need help,
you've shared it, but it didn'tgo to the right someone who was
equipped to help you.
Yes.
That's one of the reasons I likethe life recovery class at our
church because you get you getpeople in there that have
struggled with all types of ofabuses or all types of
(16:04):
addictions or different traumasin life, whether it be physical,
uh, sexual, whether it be drugaddiction, alcoholism, and and
and people can get in a room andthey can just share with other
people and be real and get helpand see what God's word has to
say about it.
Yeah.
Uh when when you went home forsummer after your junior year in
college, let's go there,Charlie.
(16:25):
Okay.
You get home for summer afteryour junior year in college, and
you realize that your mom has adrinking problem as well.
Yes.
So this is running deep now.
And you you mentioned earlierthat there's alcoholism in your
family.
Uh so you take mom to rehab.
Correct.
You were the one who had to dealwith the realtor.
Well, man, when I read this partin your testimony, I was blowed
away.
I'm like, man, great day.
(16:46):
You know, just you figure rightright here, how old are you,
junior in college, roughly?
19.
So 19 years old.
20.
Yeah.
19, 20, give or take, right?
So you got to take mom to rehab.
Yeah.
You then you then come back.
You've got to deal with arealtor to sell the house.
Uh, you had to pack everythingup.
Yep.
Right?
You get it all in the storage,but you did not choose to learn
a lesson yet.
Correct.
(17:07):
What what did this experiencedrive you towards?
It's either gonna, it's eithergonna make you better or worse.
How does this experience 19,20-year-old Charlie having to
having to really step up and bebe a be a man and do more than
what really you should have hadto do at that point in life?
Yeah.
What does this do to you?
SPEAKER_04 (17:23):
Um, it pushed me farther away, like more into the
drinking and the drugging andand that entire lifestyle.
Um, so I mean, at that time Iwas after I put my mom in rehab,
and I started stealing from her,started stealing from her bank
account, um, started sellingdrugs, anything I could,
anything I could sell to makemoney off of.
And um It just pushed me furtherdown the the wrong path.
(17:46):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (17:47):
Yeah, and it's gotta be a tough spot to to be so so
bought into what you're doingthat you're willing to steal
from your own mother.
Yes.
And I'm sure you're probablyjustifying it to some degree,
you know.
Absolutely.
Well, if she's doing this orshe's not here, what whatever.
You know, at this point in yourtestimony, it says that there's
daily cocaine usage going on.
(18:07):
Yes.
Um, selling the drugs that youjust mentioned, there's oxy,
right?
So a lot of things happening inthe life of Charlie.
You ended up failing out of WestVirginia University.
Correct.
And you you moved to Virginia.
SPEAKER_04 (18:19):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (18:20):
What was your headspace like during the move?
What are you what are youthanking coming to Virginia?
Where are you at?
SPEAKER_04 (18:25):
So my dad, I kind of let my dad in on a lot of what
was going on with my mom.
And um, he had told me a coupletimes, hey, why don't you get
out of there and move down here?
And so eventually I did.
And um, I didn't know anyonedown here, just my my dad and my
stepmom.
And so I was I was actuallyreally looking forward to it.
I was looking for a geographicchange and thinking that getting
out of Connecticut would solve alot of problems.
(18:47):
And uh when I came down here, Idid pretty good for about a
month or so, and then startedmeeting people that I used to
hang out with back home and thenwas right back off to the races.
SPEAKER_01 (18:56):
You left one circle, found another circle eventually,
but the circles uh mirrored eachother.
Yeah.
I brought me wherever I went.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh you end up getting a job at alocal golf course, yeah, and it
doesn't help you towards gettingbetter.
Why not?
SPEAKER_04 (19:11):
Well, it was a great job, and I got around a lot of
good people, but um I was onlyreally working four hours a day,
and the the members were lettingme drink with them, and and I
got paid in cash.
So it was just a combination ofeverything for a good alcoholic
and drug addict.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Yeah, so to something that that that Taylor
had said, she said that shewould tell her younger self to
slow down.
Yes.
So something about this fastpace uh the way of living, you
didn't you didn't have to worklong.
You got cash.
Yep.
These guys are are letting youdrink with them, right?
And so I I'm just picturing thatCharlie's back into this fast
paced action again of doing whatCharlie wants to do.
(19:46):
Without a doubt.
Yeah.
During the next few years,Charlie, you began using heroin
daily?
Correct.
Yes.
And you did go on to graduatefrom VCU with a business degree.
Yes.
Congratulations on that.
In your testimony, you mentionedum right.
Right when you graduated, youran out of the theater where the
graduation was being held.
Explain to the listeners whatyou were doing immediately after
(20:07):
graduation.
You run out through the cars inthe street, you meet somebody.
What are you doing as you're asyou're weaving through the cars?
SPEAKER_04 (20:13):
Yeah, so I went and met my girlfriend at the time
and and got some heroin fromher.
And uh I'm ducking in betweenthe cars, taking a sniff, and I
pop up and and see my dad,stepmom, and sisters walking
down the street and just they'resmiling ear to ear.
They're so proud of me.
Yeah.
And uh, and little did they knowI was a full-blown heroin addict
at the time.
SPEAKER_01 (20:33):
Yeah.
How how do you how do you feelin that moment, or do you
remember?
Like, did you feel guilty?
Were you just like, ah,whatever, man?
It's just another another day inthe life of Charlie, or or how
did you feel?
SPEAKER_04 (20:42):
Yeah, it was more so just covering my own butt, you
know, like making sure theydidn't know exactly what I was
doing.
Um, and then it just kind ofmoved right on past it.
I didn't really think about ituntil I got got sober.
SPEAKER_01 (20:53):
Yeah, it really just shows the power of the drug.
Absolutely.
You know what I mean?
And as you said earlier,marijuana was that gateway for
you, man.
Yep.
You know, so we could trace itall the way back to that.
But now here you are, whichshould have been one of your
greatest moments in in thatparticular chapter of your life,
and you worried about your nexthit and covering up from your
parents, yeah, from your family.
Taylor, I'm gonna come back toyou um for a moment here.
(21:14):
When you were 21, you were in anabusive relationship.
Yes, and you had a gun held toyour head multiple times and
even had been abused physicallymultiple times as well, correct?
Yes.
Let me just ask you this why notleave?
Uh, what was holding you there?
Because there's odds are there'ssome people going through
something very similar rightnow.
(21:36):
And I would love for you to justkind of share with them because
maybe a light bulb can go offfor someone out there and say,
man, that's me.
You know, like as I'm sittinghere listening to this lady
Taylor, like it sounds so muchlike my story.
And maybe hearing your storycould help them make the move
and not have to go through it aslong as you did, Taylor.
So uh just a couple questions.
(21:56):
Why not leave?
What was holding you there?
And what would you tell thatwoman who may still be
struggling uh with making theright decision right now?
SPEAKER_00 (22:04):
So I think the ultimate reason why I didn't
leave is you know, we would alsodrink together, and a lot of
this, a lot of the times that hewould get to this really
physically abusive state, hewould be drunk.
And so I tried to kind of say,well, that's not really him.
SPEAKER_01 (22:23):
Make excuses for him.
SPEAKER_00 (22:24):
Right.
And you know, I also honestly Ithought I could save him, but
you know who saves Jesus saves,you know.
So I could not do that.
That was not my work to do.
Um and I would say, you know,for me, if I finally had a
breaking point where I just waslike, What am I doing?
You know?
(22:44):
Yeah, and that night I actuallycalled my best friend and I told
her, I said, You come heretomorrow morning and you come
get my things with me.
I don't care if I try to talkyou out of it.
Yeah, you're gonna, I need yourhelp, come get me.
SPEAKER_03 (22:59):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:00):
And she did.
SPEAKER_03 (23:01):
Amen.
SPEAKER_00 (23:02):
And so definitely again, asking for help, you
know, ask for help.
And I know it's hard, and I knowthat you might also feel like
you can save this person, butthe truth is like only Jesus can
do that.
And until the Holy Spiritconvicts that person, then you
(23:22):
know, there's not much else youcan do, but honestly walk away
from it.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
Amen.
One thing I got from that thatpiece that you just mentioned
there, you called somebody, butyou called somebody that was
willing to do something aboutit.
SPEAKER_02 (23:32):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (23:33):
You know what I mean?
And and I think that that's soimportant.
If we're gonna talk to someone,talk to somebody that's willing
to do something about it andhave our backs.
And like you said, even if youget here in the morning, I don't
want to go, pull me out thehouse with you.
Yes.
When when COVID hit, Taylor,your drinking that was already
bad, escalated and got evenworse.
(23:54):
Yes.
And you got to the point towhere you were drinking for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And when you were at work, wherewould you run to when it was
time for lunch break?
SPEAKER_00 (24:05):
So I would actually run to the liquor store to get a
quick fix.
SPEAKER_01 (24:10):
Yeah.
So to me, that's that's like,okay, we've we're beyond
problem, right?
And and you you're you're goingto get your fix at the liquor
store.
It comes down to the point towhere you thought you had lost
your job, and your mom, your momhas to come and and get you your
your job later on ends upworking with you, right?
Um, but your mom has gotten tothe point to where she was
(24:32):
extremely worried for herdaughter, yeah, as she should
be.
And you were at the point whereyou could you couldn't hide the
drinking any longer.
It it had just consumed you,correct?
100%.
So she takes you, mom takes youto the hospital where you're
admitted and you're evaluated,and your blood alcohol content
was 0.45.
SPEAKER_02 (24:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (24:52):
Legal level, 0.08, but you're 0.45.
Yeah.
And most people at this pointwould have been dead.
SPEAKER_00 (24:59):
Definitely.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (25:00):
I mean, so can we just say it's a miracle that
you're here at the table withCharlie and myself?
Amen.
You know, I mean, so we thankGod for that.
I mean, that that is a miracle.
Yeah.
In your testimony, it says thatthe hospital that you were at
said that you were the secondhighest level that they had ever
seen.
Yes.
I mean, that's incredible.
I mean, that that's absolutelyamazing that that you are still
here.
(25:20):
So that just tells me that evenin even in one of your darkest
hours, God the Father is notdone with Taylor.
No.
And I just think that's abeautiful thing about our
Heavenly Father.
And maybe there's some peoplelistening that just feel like
life is not worth living.
But if you're still here, God'snot done with you.
If you're still listening, Godis not done with you.
Amen.
(25:41):
Amen.
Uh, Taylor, your your life is atestimony, really, Charlie,
yours as well, of God sparingthe two of you.
And it's a miracle that the bothof you are are here here
tonight, uh, recording thispodcast with me around this
table.
But Taylor, what do you feel?
What do you feel, Taylor, whenyou think about just like your
whole life and what God walkedyou through in this journey?
(26:04):
What do you feel when youconsider how blessed you are to
still be here?
Like, what what what what whatcan even come into your mind?
I mean, I can't I can't evenimagine.
So I'm just gonna ask you.
Like, because I would think thatthere's been times in your life
where you sit back and think,like, wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:18):
Yeah, well, there's probably a lot of times I um
could have died, to be honestwith you, in that period of my
life.
I mean, from just doing recklessthings to too many drugs to too
much alcohol.
Yeah.
I mean, it's it's truly ablessing that I am here today.
And I'm so grateful for that.
(26:39):
And what he is continuing tobless me with.
And I feel like the higher myfaith gets, like faith to faith,
glory to glory, like the moreblessings I'm seeing.
SPEAKER_01 (26:51):
Amen.
And yeah.
And the beauty in that is likeyou guys are both serving the
Lord now.
You you guys are sold out forChrist.
You know, you're you're living awalk that he's calling you to
walk and being a light in a darkworld.
You guys, because of yourtestimony, can can go touch and
have impact on people.
Charlie will talk about that ina moment on on what you do once
a month, right?
(27:12):
Uh before we before we getthere, Charlie, you go from
drinking to drugging to usingcrack and heroin daily.
Yep.
You you overdose the day youreturn from the hospital.
When I when I read that in yourtestimony, I was like, okay, so
this lets me know where mybrother's at.
You know, like this tells me howbad he is.
So so your firstborn son, yeah,he's born.
(27:36):
Correct.
You guys come back from thehospital, you you got him with
you, yeah, right?
And and you've got your dealerwaiting in the driveway, yeah,
so that you can get a fix,right?
And then you end up overdosing,correct?
Correct.
Because of it.
Uh your your girlfriend at thetime and the mother of your two
sons, you guys, it gets so badthat y'all go on to lose custody
(27:58):
for a while.
SPEAKER_04 (27:59):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (27:59):
Yes.
But but now talk talk about aredemption story, right?
Because now, Charlie, you'veyou've got you've got your boys,
Taylor.
You're now you're now awonderful mother to these two
boys.
I see you guys at our churchevents, man, and y'all are just
like one big happy family.
And I and it's like, man, what ablessing for you guys, but also
for these boys.
Absolutely.
(28:20):
You know, the the boys workedtheir way through three
different foster families.
Uh, Charlie, you were you wereliving in the back at one point
of a U-Haul truck for sixmonths.
What was that like?
Miserable.
I was getting ready to staymiserable, bro.
I was getting ready to say it.
You took it out of my mouth.
SPEAKER_04 (28:35):
Yeah, it was miserable.
I mean, anytime I parked it, Iwas afraid they were gonna come
pick it up and tow it because II didn't pay the bill on it.
Yeah.
Um you're just running with it.
Yeah, just running with it.
Yeah, yeah.
So so you totally miserable.
SPEAKER_01 (28:47):
Yeah, you you lived in that for six months until
they did come to pick it up.
Correct, yeah.
Uh you you end up you end uphitting your knees in a bathroom
and crying out to God for help,Charlie.
Walk us through that moment inthe bathroom.
SPEAKER_04 (29:00):
Yeah, um it's surreal thinking back on it now.
Um to be honest, right beforeright before that was the last
time I used.
And uh I went back to thetreatment center and uh was
getting ready to take a shower,and I was just staring in the
mirror and I was like, I can'tdo this anymore.
(29:21):
And uh was crying, um and andthen just hit my knees and I
begged God for help.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
Yeah, I didn't yeah.
And he answered.
Any answer and and that's thebeauty in it.
When we when we truly cry out toGod for help, he always answers.
Yeah, he he he knows andexamines our hearts, and when he
sees a heart that is trulyrepenting and apologetic for
where they've taken their ownself, like he sees that, and
(29:50):
that's so that's where therescue story starts, you know.
Taylor, you end up coming toJesus Christ as well, and in the
spring of 2023, God brings thetwo of you guys together.
If I remember right, didn't Iread um that the first date was
at an AA meeting?
Did I read that right?
Yeah, that's right.
So walk me through that.
Like, how does how does thathappen?
(30:10):
Did y'all know you were goingthere together?
Was it like, hey, do you want togo?
You just met each other there.
SPEAKER_00 (30:14):
We had already met in through AA.
Okay, and then um, well, I tookit upon myself to find him on
Facebook.
Then um, he messaged me first.
Yeah, and so then we kind ofwent from there and he picked me
up from my house, and I'll neverforget it.
(30:36):
He brought me a flower peninstead of flowers.
He brought me a flower pen, andI still have that pin to this
day.
That's awesome.
So, yeah, and it'll never die.
Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_01 (30:46):
If it had been if it had been a flower, right?
If it had been a flower, oddsare it'd been trash by now,
right?
So that's extremely special.
That's awesome.
Yeah, so so you guys were bothreally in your recovery journey
um early on together and begindating one another.
Yeah, you're you're bothattending a church in
Chesterfield, Virginia.
(31:06):
But Taylor, uh, you end upgetting invited to a Bible study
at our church here in Amelia atCFO.
And then eventually you end upasking Charlie to attend a
Sunday service at CFO becauseyou were kind of you kind of
felt torn between both churches,right?
SPEAKER_00 (31:20):
Yeah, I was definitely going back and forth.
But you know, doing the Biblestudy, I was making a lot more
connections.
And I just it was just somethingI was like, and actually I'll
I'll say this.
So the Bible study was the baitof Satan.
SPEAKER_01 (31:37):
Yes, which we're currently doing it in right now.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:39):
And I did not know this.
And um, my friend, she sent methe link.
I bought the book and it came inthe mail.
And when I opened it and Istarted reading it, I was at the
time in the fourth step ofrecovery, which is dealing with
your offenses.
And that's exactly what thisstudy is on.
And I just knew in that momentthat God just I felt this like
(32:02):
sensation, like God was there,like he was there, and he said,
I got you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:07):
Praise God.
Yeah, praise the Lord.
So you you really felt hispresence in that moment, and you
know that this is where Godwants you to be.
SPEAKER_02 (32:13):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:14):
So you end up inviting Charlie to come out on
a Sunday service.
Am I right in saying that?
And in in the testimony, itsays, if I've got this right,
it's January 7th of 2024.
Yes.
Yep.
Charlie, that's your first daycoming out.
It is.
And and something specialhappens in the service.
Just kind of walk us throughwhat took place on that Sunday
for you.
SPEAKER_04 (32:33):
Yeah, so at the end of service, um, Pastor Lee
called us up for anyone whowanted prayer.
And uh Taylor and I went to thefront of the church with a big,
large group of people, and um,and then he asked if anyone
wanted to get to know Jesus.
And uh and my hand went straightup, and uh, he called me up on
stage and we repeated thesinner's prayer with him, and uh
(32:55):
I just felt the Holy Spirit justkind of go all through my body
and just kind of felt this warmfeeling and got very emotional
um when I was repeating it andjust praise God and just knew I
was at home.
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Yeah, yeah, that's awesome, brother.
That's awesome.
I just remember you being upthere.
Uh as you said, the the HolySpirit just hits you and you
feel his presence in your body,you begin to cry, you know, and
it's just it was just abeautiful moment, man.
Absolutely beautiful moment.
Yeah, uh now talk about abeautiful moment.
A few a few months later, thetwo of you get baptized at
church.
SPEAKER_02 (33:26):
Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (33:27):
Uh and that was special because Charlie, I got
to baptize you first, and Taylorwas in the pool with us in the
baptismal pool.
You get to help baptize Taylor,which, which I just think is
just amazing, you know, and andhow beautiful is that?
Because not everybody can say,Hey, I I I baptized my wife.
Now, you guys weren't marriedyet, you know, but not everybody
(33:47):
can say, I baptized my wife, orI was in the pool when my
husband got baptized.
Right.
I I just think that that isthat's that's that's such a
gift, hearing as a listener'shear the the two paths that both
of you guys journeyed on.
I don't think it's any accidentbecause I know God doesn't, God
doesn't make accidents.
Yeah, you know, he it's likeGod's not like, uh-oh, well,
(34:10):
check that out.
Wow, this is something thatCharlie and Taylor got together
and they and their past, youknow, their their their
backgrounds were so likesimilar, you know what I mean?
Like from the jump, like heknew, you know, from the very
jump, from the very get-go, heknew.
And I just I just feel like inso many ways, it's so that you
guys are gonna be strongertogether.
And absolutely when when onegets weak or one struggles, or
(34:33):
one, you know, one's goingthrough something, the other one
can understand it in a differentway that a lot of people really
can't understand, you know.
So I just see it as as Godproviding strength for each one
of you through through theentire marriage for the rest of
your lives.
I mean, how cool is that thatGod God did that for you guys?
Yeah, you know, that that youhave one another to lean on.
(34:55):
Yeah, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_04 (34:56):
It really is.
SPEAKER_01 (34:57):
Absolutely.
Charlie, share with us how longhas it been because you started
you started really early inlife.
How how long has it been sinceyou've been drug and alcohol
free?
Do you do you know the date orlike a time for November 11th,
2022?
November 11, 2000, 2022.
Yeah.
So you guys have been marriednow.
We kind of mentioned this in thebeginning of the podcast,
(35:18):
Charlie.
You you got you guys beenmarried now since this past
September.
Correct.
So a lot of people say y'all arestill newlyweds.
Share with the people wherey'all went to the honeymoon.
Where'd you go?
Went to Jamaica.
And y'all got out right beforethe big hurricane.
Yeah, praise God.
But praise God y'all got home.
You know, y'all got out right intime.
Y'all, y'all were some of theblessed ones that were able to
do that.
Once a month, Charlie, and Irelated to this uh uh a few
(35:40):
minutes ago, but we'll talkabout it now.
Once a month, you go back intothe jail system and you help
other people who are strugglingwith addiction.
What's that look like?
SPEAKER_04 (35:49):
So it's really amazing.
Um, so when I was locked up inChesterfield, every Monday they
would bring AA meetings into thejail.
And uh that's actually where Imet my sponsor in that same room
that we hold them in today.
And uh I get a chance to go backonce a month and and kind of
bring some experience, strength,and hope to the guys.
SPEAKER_01 (36:09):
And that's powerful.
It is, it's it's powerful.
So you're going back sowing goodseed, godly seed on fertile
ground, just like someone cameand sowed seed into your life.
Absolutely.
Yeah, Taylor, what do you do fora living if you don't mind?
SPEAKER_00 (36:23):
I'm a cosmetologist.
SPEAKER_01 (36:24):
Okay, so is there opportunities with people just
because so you're seeing people,right?
Uh opportunities in your line ofwork as well to share the
gospel, to shine the light.
How does that work for you?
SPEAKER_00 (36:35):
Yes, definitely.
I mean, people come in all thetime and talk about their
struggles and things like that.
And it does, it gives me anopportunity to sometimes share
my story if they're struggling.
Um and I've actually I had ayoung guy come in one time and I
won't share what he shared withme, but it was the first time I
(36:56):
was able to pray over somebody.
Wow, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (36:59):
And um but that's big growth.
SPEAKER_00 (37:01):
Yeah, that was so that was really, really, that
was just really nice.
And I he you could tell he wasvery grateful for it, and he
walked out feeling good.
And amen.
SPEAKER_01 (37:12):
Praise God.
So that's the beauty of livingour faith and shining the light
of Christ out loud.
We're not to take it and hide itunder a desk or a bed.
We're to where to set it up onthe stand, right?
And let that light shine.
So when when when someone comesto Christ, it's it's like boom,
there it is.
God's got another, another setof hands and feet, another,
another mouthpiece out in thecommunity.
(37:34):
And when people come you knowacross our path, we get to shine
and we get to share the love ofJesus and we get to share hope,
which is what we're doing inthis in this episode right now.
We're sharing hope with anybodythat's willing to listen and
share the link, you know.
Right.
Uh Taylor, in your testimony,you said that um to stay strong,
here's a list of things.
And I'm just gonna go over thelist that you said because I
loved it.
I loved it.
(37:55):
I loved it.
In your testimony, you said youstay strong, the two of you
together, because you guysattend church together.
You you serve in the church, uh,you read God's word, you attend
life recovery, you you spreadthe light of Jesus Christ.
These are all things that keepthe two of you strong together,
right?
Now, you said the followingthing, Taylor.
I'm gonna quote you for a minutebecause it was so good.
(38:16):
I was like, I I gotta Taylorquote this thing.
So here's my Taylor quote, okay?
You said this and I quoteTaylor.
I personally feel the closest toGod when helping others and
serving him.
I don't just rely on God to keepme from drinking again, but I
rely on him in every aspect ofmy life.
He is my healer, my provider, myprotector, and so much more.
(38:38):
He is everything to me.
Unquote.
And when I read that, I was justlike, that is so powerful.
That is so powerful.
It's the truth.
Yeah, amen.
And and and you've walked it,you know, like you have walked
it through through through uhsexual abuse, physical abuse,
um, the whole, you know, uh bodyshaming and feeling different
(39:00):
ways about about you, you know,yourself, the the drugs, the
alcohol, the numbing of things,the not the not talking to
people when you should havetalked to people, like you've
walked such a dark journey, andChrist is the one that has
rescued you.
You you are his daughter, and heloves you and he he he died on
the cross for you, he redeemedyou.
(39:22):
And what I love about it is isyou see that and you know that.
Yeah, and you're you're livingproof, you're a living testimony
of that.
And and I just think it's it'sit's amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
Thank you for sharing it.
Yeah, Charlie, you said, becauseI got a Charlie quote here.
Uh I'm gonna drop down a Charliequote on the listeners.
You said this, and I quote, Ihit my knees in the morning and
ask God for help daily.
We pray as a family and thankGod for everything that we have.
The only reason I am here todayis because of God's grace.
(39:53):
He has given me a chance to be ahusband and a father.
And then you go on to say thisthese.
Are the things that I alwaysprayed for, but never thought
was possible.
When I finally got out of theway and let God do the driving,
they became a reality.
Yeah.
And folks, I'm here to tell youtoday that there is hope
(40:16):
available, and his name is JesusChrist.
And I know that the two of youwould agree.
Touch on that, on that thoughtfor a minute, Charlie.
Um, that quote where you said,These are the things that I
always prayed for, but neverthought it was possible.
SPEAKER_04 (40:30):
Yeah.
Um, I mean, like, before I hitmy knees that night in the uh in
the treatment center, uh, theonly time I really prayed were
what I call like foxholeprayers.
You know, you're in jail andyou're like, God, if you let me
out, I'll I'll never do thisagain.
And and you said it perfectly.
God knows what's in our heart.
And he knew he knew how genuineI was in that moment, and then
(40:52):
that's that's right when hestepped into my life.
Um but I can still remember intreatment, um, praying to God
and asking to make me a uh helphelp form me into be a husband,
a father, uh, a better, a betterperson.
And he's slowly molding me intothat.
SPEAKER_01 (41:08):
Yeah, amen.
It's a daily journey, isn't it,Charlie?
Absolutely.
It's a daily, daily journey.
Well, we begin this episode withCharlie.
So, Taylor, I'm gonna let youclose it out with with a
thought.
I'll go back to one of yourquotes here.
Um, I don't just rely on God tokeep me from drinking, but I
rely on him in every aspect ofmy life.
(41:28):
So, what's that look like whenyou wake up tomorrow?
What's that look like for you inthe life of Taylor O'Brien?
SPEAKER_00 (41:35):
Well, for me, uh first of all, when I do dig into
the word, I always ask him toopen my heart, my eyes, my ears,
whatever it is.
Yeah.
Um, I ask him help there toteach me.
Um, I ask him, you know, when Iget anxious through things to
give me the strength to getthrough them.
(41:58):
Yeah.
Um, I mean, even, you know,raising two kids now.
SPEAKER_01 (42:04):
Um Yeah, because you went from not being a mom to all
of a sudden bam, right?
Having two boys, having twoboys.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
Yeah, which I wouldn't trade it for the world,
but I mean, they're really coolboys, by the way.
SPEAKER_01 (42:15):
They're awesome.
Anytime I can have a littleconversation with them at
church.
I mean, it they're cool kids.
They're they're they're coolkids.
SPEAKER_00 (42:21):
But you know, every mom knows and every dad knows
it's hard raising kids.
And so I've definitely had toask him for the guidance through
that.
And like, you know, what am Isupposed to be doing here?
Like, am I doing this right?
So, I mean, I I really ask himfor help in everything.
SPEAKER_01 (42:41):
I mean, and that's how it really should be.
Yeah, you know, uh we we weshould be seeking his counsel
for all things, for all things,and that's why you guys are
where you're at today.
Yeah, because you you yousurrendered, you you cried out
to him, you realized the waythat you were doing it just
wasn't working.
Do you guys think is it a fairassessment to make that if you
(43:03):
guys would have kept on the pathyou were on, it probably would
have resulted in death?
SPEAKER_04 (43:08):
Oh, without a doubt.
I I overdosed at least six,seven times.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
And uh, like I said, that Iwouldn't be here if it wasn't
for God's grace.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:19):
Six or seven overdoses and live to tell about
it.
Yeah.
You know, we we had said earlierhow Taylor is a miracle, and she
is, and how just as much you aswell.
I mean, that's man, that'sknocking on death's door right
there.
Yeah.
That's knocking on death's door.
I could I could only imaginethat when you get it, get an
opportunity to worship the Lord,it's it's it's gotta be it's
(43:41):
gotta be easy to give him praisewhen he's bought you through
something, something like that,you know.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (43:47):
I was just talking cry and worship all the time in
a great way.
SPEAKER_01 (43:50):
Yeah, in a great way.
SPEAKER_00 (43:52):
It gets me emotional.
I'm just so grateful.
SPEAKER_01 (43:54):
I hear that.
I was just this week talking toan individual and just kind of
having conversation about whatworship looks like and just this
person, you know, they're theythey just don't feel like they
need to sing, you know.
And and I was just asking, youknow, why not?
You know, well, I just don'twant to sing in public, or um, I
don't really sing at all is whatthey were talking to me about.
(44:16):
And I said, Well, you know, ifif being in public is the issue,
I want to remind you that Jesuswent to the cross for you in
public.
Amen.
You know, his his hiscrucifixion was not a private
matter.
Yeah, you know, it was extremelypublic.
What they did to him was public,and it how they how they how
they whipped him and beat himand scourged him and and and
(44:38):
ripped the hair out of his face.
I mean, putting the putting thecrown of thorns on, you know,
it's it's so public that westill talk about it today.
Right.
You know, it's extremely public.
And so what I was sharing withthis individual was this brother
in the Lord, if Jesus could dothat publicly for you, then then
don't you think that you cansing publicly for him?
(45:00):
You know, if if he didn't worryabout who was to his left and
right and in front and behindwatching him be crucified in
public, then should we beworried about who's beside us,
in front of us, behind us whenwe go to sing out loud in a
worship or praise service?
And so I can only imagine thatwhen someone is truly saved,
truly redeemed, truly set free,it becomes that much easier to
(45:24):
just profess publicly, eventhrough song, that Jesus is Lord
and King.
Yes.
Amen.
Well, I just want to personallysay thank you for the two of you
coming in here around thistable, sharing your testimony.
I know it's given hope forpeople and it will continue to
give hope for people.
And I know God's not done withyou guys.
He's gonna, as you mentioned,Taylor, faith to faith and glory
(45:45):
to glory.
He's gonna continue to raise youguys up and continue to walk you
through these levels of faiththat he has given you guys
knowledge and wisdom so that youcan go forth and shine brightly
for him in his glory and hisname.
So let's pray.
Father, I'm grateful for thesetwo here.
Lord, what amazing, amazingtestimonies that they have.
(46:08):
And you're not done.
You're not done building uponthese testimonies.
And Father, I thank you for themiracles that they are sitting
here at this table, sharing whathas taken place with them and in
their lives and through theirlives.
Father, I pray if there beanyone out there today that is
just feeling hopeless, they'restruggling, they just need help.
(46:28):
God, I just pray that they woulddo as Charlie and Taylor has
mentioned, that they would justgo find somebody.
Father, that it just wouldn't bea somebody.
It would be a special somebodythat's willing to take action
along with them, just likeTaylor's friend was willing to
come get her that next day.
Father, I pray that they wouldbe willing to steer them in the
(46:49):
right direction.
I pray that they would be justlike Charlie, where he would he
would cry out to Jesus for help.
That it would just come to thepoint to where you're at the end
of the rope and you know youare, and you just need to do it
a different way.
And maybe there's some peopleout there that that are not
saved and they they they rightnow in this moment want to ask
Jesus Christ to be Lord andSavior of their soul.
(47:11):
And if that's you, I justwelcome you to say a prayer like
this (47:14):
Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, and I ask you, Lord, to come
into my life and save my soul.
I repent of my sins and Irecognize that you died on the
cross so that I could beforgiven in Jesus' name and
blood.
Amen.
God bless you guys.
Until next time on BeyondSunday.
Thank you guys so much forcoming in.
Thank you really.
(47:35):
Absolutely.
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