- [Narrator] Viola Hages is asuccessful licensed counselor.

It's a long way fromwhere she was in 1996,

in prison, battling drug addiction

and expecting her second child.

- I just felt like therewasn't no hope for me.

And that one day I wasgoing to end up dying

on those drugs.

- [Narrator] Her prisonsentence was short.

However, it was long enough for her

to know she never wanted to return.

So she got clean andwent straight to church.

- I didn't wanna take the chance

of messing up my daughter's life.

She was six months old when I got out.

I just kept telling myselfI can't do this again.

I just cannot do this to another child

'cause I wasn't therefor my oldest daughter.

- [Narrator] At first, Violahas a hard time trusting God

would take care of her.

Instead, she believed her drug conviction

would keep her from being hired for a job

that would provide for her two daughters.

- Even though I was clean and sober,

I still felt like trash.

- [Narrator] Thatchanged when she realized

how much God loves her.

- It was like I couldfeel this liquid love

just pour through me.

And I had never experienced that before.

The more he showed me how good He was,

the more I just wanted to experience that,

and I also wanted to please Him.

- [Narrator] One ofthose ways was to tithe.

Viola had learned about it in church.

- I got to see God reallyproof himself to me.

He said prove him, test Him,

and He showed me thatHe really was with me

and that tithing is a principleof His that really works.

- [Narrator] At first,Viola used a portion

of her food stamps to buy groceries

for others in need.

- It was scary at times

but I knew really too I could fall back

on my mother or father if I needed to

but I didn't want to use them.

I wanted God to show me what He could do.

- [Narrator] And he did.

In 1996, Viola was offered

and completed a free training program

to become an CNA, acertified nursing assistant.

- I was able to get the job,

not only the job, I got the certification,

which everybody was saying

they're not gonna giveyou a certification,

not with all those chargesyou have on your record.

- [Narrator] In three years,

Viola was off government assistance,

working nights as a CNA,

and supplementing her incomeby coming a hair stylist.

Still, Viola was able to carefor her daughters and tithe.

- God gives me the abilitywake up every morning

and go to the job to make that money.

And so I need to be surethat I honor him with it.

Then in 2012 as Viola startedtaking college courses online,

she finally began to see thather past didn't define her.

- I'm becoming more bolder and confident

in who God really made me to be.

I'm truly believing in myself.

- [Narrator] After seven years,

she completed a master's degree

and became a licensed counselor.

Now Viola is workingwith people in recovery

from drug addiction,and doubling her income.

- So he showed me thatthis where I wanted you.

This is your purpose and your destiny,

and I feel fulfilled and I love it.

- [Narrator] Recently, Violaincreased her giving again

by becoming a CBN partner.

- How they help thepeople in the military,

just people in need.

The stories, the testimonies

of how the people would be healed,

and they sit and pray and stuff like that.

All that, I just love that.

I can feel the sincerity

and I knew that that was a real ministry

that was doing the work for God.

And I just wanted to support that.

- [Narrator] Today Viola is still on track

for more income growth.

- It's amazing,

and I never thought in a million years

that it would be this way.

I just didn't.

But that's how it is when you serve God.

I just see him as somebody I can trust in

to take all of my problems to

so I don't see why I can'tshare my money with him,

and trust him to...

One thing I found out,you can't beat God giving.

And he's proven that to me.

So my desire is to help.

And I think the more youhave a desire to help others,

the more God will do for you,

and the more he expandsyou because of that desire,

not for selfish gain but to be a blessing

to other souls.

So that's what it's about for me.