WE WERE ACTING LIKE COLLEGE

STUDENTS AND YOU KNOW PARENT

BODIES.

YOU CAN'T KEEP UP THAT KIND OF

LIFE STYLE.

THIS IS A, A LONG ROAD DOWN A

BIG BLACK HOLE.

REPORTER: ERIK AND MARY

MARRIED IN 1998.

WE WERE HEAD OTHER HEELS NOR

EACH OTHER AND SAW A DRIVE.

WE KNEW WE COULD MAKE A LOT OF

MONEY AND DO GREAT THINGS.

REPORTER: BOTH HAD SUCCESSFUL

CAREERS, ERIK A REAL ESTATE

DIRECTOR AND MARY A CREATIVE

DIRECTOR FOR A REAL ESTATE

COMPANY AND ARTIST.

THEY WORKED HARD AND PLAYED

HARD.

WE WERE ALWAYS OUT HAVING A

GREAT TIME.

I WAS FOCUSSED ON MAKING A

LOT OF MONEY HARD.

WE WERE BOTH DRINKING THEN.

ALL OF OUR FRIENDS DRINKS

REPORTER: BEFORE LONG THEY

HAD THEIR FIRST SON, ZACH.

IS THIS ALL WE WERE GIVING

HIM.

I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THEM.

ERIK DECIDED TO PARLAY THEIR

WEALTH.

I THOUGHT I COULD EARLY

RETIRE.

I WAS BEING SOMETIMEMID BY CITY

OFFICIAL MEMBERS AND FAMILY

MEMBERS.

I DECIDED TO DRINK MORE

REPORTER: 2006 THEIR SECOND

SON WAS BORN.

WHEN THE BANK KEPT CALLING

WITH NO SALES.

I WAS SEEING THE WRITING ON THE

WALL COMING.

I LITERALLY DRANK MYSELF TO PASS

OUT.

WE WENT FROM THIS JOVIAL

SOCIAL DRINKER TO SOMEONE

PASSING OUT AT 5:00.

I COULDN'T AROUSE HIM.

WE WERE HAVING ARGUMENTS THAT

WERE HE WOULDN'T REMEMBER THEM

THE NEXT DAY.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DRINK ANYMORE.

I HATED IT.

I STARTED TO LOATHE THE WHOLE

LIFE STYLE.

I STARTED TO REALLY HATE

HIM

FOR

CHECKING OUT WHEN HE SHOULD BE

DEALING WITH THINGS.

IT SCARED ME.

I WAS THINKING THIS ISN'T WHAT I

SIGNED UP FOR.

HE WAS GETTING TO THE POINT I

DIDN'T WANT HIM TO TAKE THE

CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLES,

SOMEONE TOLD ME THEY TOLD HIM

DRINKING AND DRIVING.

SHE LITERALLY HAD TO TAKE ME

ASIDE AND SAY TO ME IT IS EITHER

YOUR BOOZE OR US.

THAT IS WHEN I REALLY DID START

TO HAVE AN EPIPHANY THAT THIS

SOCIAL CRUTCH TURNED INTO A GOT

TO HAVE IT IN THE MORNING

ADDICTION.

AFTER MARY TOLD ME I WOULD LOSE

EVERYTHING I HAD, BEING THEM,

MARY AND THE BOYS IT WAS TOO

MUCH FOR ME TO BEAR.

I TOLD HER I WOULD STOP DRINKING

REPORTER: MARY BEGAN A SEARCH

FOR HEALING.

I WENT TO MY UNCLE'S CHURCH.

I BROUGHT ZACH TO THE SERVICE.

OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS TRUE,

ALL THE STUFF I HEARD.

IT ALL GELLED AT ONE MOMENT.

I FELT THE POWER OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT COME ON ME.

IT WAS DRAMATIC

REPORTER: ERIK SAID GOD WAS

WORKING ON HIS HEART, TOO.

I GOT INTO THIS DAILY BREAD

BOOK AND HAD DEVOTIONALS.

THEY STARTED TO SINK IN.

THAT IS WHAT I THINK WHAT REALLY

HELPED ME START TO FOCUS MORE.

WHEN I STARTED READING THE

DEVOTIONALS, IT MADE ME READ

MORE WHERE THE PASSAGE CAME

FROM.

IT WASN'T OVERNIGHT WITH

ERIK.

I HAD TO TRUST GOD DAY BY DAY BY

DAY AND PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF

ANOTHER.

IT CAME IN MILLIMETERS.

IT DIDN'T COME IN LEAPS AND

BOUNDS.

REPORTER: WITH TWO CHILDREN

NOW AND NO. 3 ON THE WAY AND NO

JOB PROSPECTS, BANK FORECLOSED

ON THEIR HOME IN 2006.

THEY WERE FORCED TO SELL

EVERYTHING THEY OWNED AND LIVE

IN A CAMPER WHILE ERIK LOOKED

FOR WORK.

WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE

HEADING BUT WERE CONFIDENT GOD

WOULD LEAD US.

WE HAD TO REBUILD OUR

MARRIAGE BUT GOD WAS THE

FOUNDATION WE PUT OUR MARRIAGE

ON.

THEN WE BUILT UP FROM THERE.

THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED,

COMPLETELY CHANGED THE WHOLE

MARRIAGE.

WE DIDN'T COUNT ON EACH OTHER TO

FILL OUR NEEDS.

WE COUNTED ON GOD TO FILL OUR

NEEDS AND RESPECT AND HONOR EACH

OTHER.

WOW, WHAT A CONCEPT, I KNOW.

IT WORKS.

IT DOES.

REPORTER: AFTER LIVING IN THE

CAMPER FOR SEVEN MONTHS, ERIK

FOUND A DEVELOPMENT JOB IN

DURANGO, NEW MEXICO, THEY LOVE

THEIR NEW HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS.

THE LORD BROKE IT DOWN FOR US

IN SIMPLE TERMS.

I AM GOING TO HELP BREAK YOU

BACK DOWN SO YOU CAN RELEARN

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TOGETHER AS

HUSBAND AND WIFE.

IT IS PAINFUL, YES.

I WILL BE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF

THE WAY.

WE ARE ABOUT TO CELEBRATE OUR

14TH YEAR OF MARRIAGE.

I ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT WANT IT

ANY OTHER WAY THAN TO GO WHAT WE

HAVE GONE THROUGH TOGETHER WE

ARE SO MUCH MORE TO EACH OTHER

FOR EACH OTHER NOW THAN WE EVER

WOULD HAVE BEEN REGARDLESS OF

HOW SUCCESSFUL WE COULD HAVE

BEEN IN THE MONETARY AND

MATERIAL WORLDS.

MARY IS WHO I MARRIED.

I FEEL VERY BLESSED TO HAVE MARY

IN MY LIFE.