What if all you knew as a teenager was abandonment, abuse and drug dealing? How would that shape your perspective and choices? Paul Ybarra takes us right into his home and his life as a teenage drug dealer in California in the 80’s. You will hear how his life spiraled out of control, as the stakes got bigger and bigger. He also shares the beautiful way the Lord stopped him in his tracks, called him out of that life and put him on a new path.Psalm 1:2-3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”**Special Note: Because this is a family-friendly podcast I want to take just a moment to let you know this podcast contains some sensitive content that might not be safe for young ears. If you have young kids listening, please take note and consider putting in earbuds. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3R3EZ5JTopics Shared:Low rider truck club parents, San Jose in the 70’sCharismatic stepfather, big strong partying familyLearned class in the hood Raised Jehovah’s Witness, stepdad was in leadership and nice at homeLight switch to narcissism and major abuse, molestationShame and guilt as a familyElders didn’t believe the family, coverup ensuedPremeditated evil and double life JailedFresh start in Yakima, Wa. & MabtonMom spirals down, with cocaineCreated a cool imageLoved by a family14 yrs old, feeling abandoned by his momShe chooses another man over her childrenGiven a ticket back to CaLIVING THE GANGSTER LIFESTYLE, GANG BANGER:His Mom moves back and becomes a secret Taco Bell madam, with a prostitute ring.Even the high school counselor gives up on himSo he goes hard into the lifestyleHigh rolling, living the Snoop Dog Video lifeStarts tweaking, and going hard on drugsLoses everything, and loses trust on the streets, depression sets in, and he tries to forget everythingGets sober for a minute, finds a girlfriend who he wants to help and gets right back inA String of jobs, and refuses rehabTwo thirty day stints in county jailCHANGED BY THE LORD:Mike Williams and his helpSuicidalBinging, and doing a paper routeA Cry out to GodQuitting cold turkey, no uppers, no weed, and starting a New sales jobAffair with a young Christian womanReputation lostGets soberHis boss invites him to church, first man he respects since the age of 12.1/09/2005 goes to the altar, salvation New life, and then backsliding begins, back in California A friend helps bring him back and repentanceA year of purificationMeets his wife at churchThree months later marriedSold out for GodMINISTRY:Set Free MinistriesLive-streaming on PeriscopeRecovery is for everyoneCoaching ministry beginsKingdom Linked NetworkSpiritual Father to ManyTHE P.S. Questions Answered:The Importance of Discipleship How The Pandemic Has Changed HimPaul Ybarra Links:Website: Kingdom Lined Network, Connecting Community, Building the Kingdom https://www.kingdomlinkednetwork.com/Facebook Group: We Are Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearecommunitygroupPodcasts to check out: Activate Your Next Level Mindset Podcast with Coach Paul, Coach’s Corner with Paul Ybarra, On The Go Podcast With Paul YbarraPaul’s Book: 100 Power Tips to Set You Free: https://www.amazon.com/100-Power-Tips-Set-Free/dp/1513686631Resources: The Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 & Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Paul Ybarra Quotes:“I just found the easy route, because my brother was out there in the streets. The lifestyle was selling dope, making some money, sell a whole lot of weed and have fun, and smoke weed. Right about that time is when gangster rap had just hit the market, in the late 80’s early 90’s, and you just live the lifestyle. The lifestyle soon became by the time I was 17 in high school, selling dope in school.”“My mom had a job at Taco Bell, and along the way, she actually became a madam for this secret prostitute ring that was in Taco Bell. So it was part of the franchise, and she was making a huge amount of money, rolls of money was coming home every night. At 16 years old, I thought ‘I guess this is how we do life. So I was slinging dope in school. We would go to Taco Bell and get 5 to 10 bags of free food. It was like this junior mafia basically, all my home boys making money, doing the things.”“I was a senior. One day I went to school and my counselor called me into the office and he said ‘Paul, what do you plan on doing with your life? All you do is come here and sell dope. Why don’t you just drop out. And I was sitting there thinking, ‘But you are my counselor, really?”“We lived it, we spent it, boats, cars parties, like a Snoop Dog video, that’s what we lived. And through that, built a lot of respect in the streets. I was never in a gang, p erse, just gang-banged, always wearing red, a northerner, the whole nine, that’s who I was.”“So basically, you have two different roles in the street. You have the thug and you have the money makers. I was part of the money maker crews, but we didn’t do the dirt.” “I turned a crazy leaf and lost everything.”“I was no longer the dope addict. I was no longer the home boy that sells dope. I was no longer the connection. I was Paul Ybarra.”“Back then I was a home boy. I’m surrounded by nothing but white boys. I thought they were narcs. I thought it was a set up, because I was high, I was tripping. Then I found my little crew, they were all from Lodi, little Mexican homeboys and white boys that were cool homeboys. We all thought we were surrounded by narcs.”I quit cold Turkey. That was my only escape. So we get on a sales crew. I know all the spots. I learned how to sell cleaner, and I learned it well.” “I I got kicked out of my apartment. I moved in with a friend of mine who lived out in the country, but that trailer that was out there was infested with rats. I literally had to cover myself with a blanket like a cocoon to go to sleep. And one Saturday morning I said ‘God whoever you are, if you just give me a better job, I promise to serve you however you see fit. And that same day….”“Recovery is for everyone. So how do I brand this to where I can reach people that aren’t in recovery, but help them deal with the abandonment, the mindset, the rejection, the spirituality?”Related Episodes:Ep. 31- “All Joking Aside” BIG Dave Eberthttps://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/podcast/all-joking-aside-big-dave-ebert/——————————————For more everyday extraordinary faith stories: https://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/*FREE APP* Letters From Home Podcast has its own downloadable app., with all of our episodes in one easy place. 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