TOM BOYLES- 

My early childhood was spent living in an alcoholic home. My mom worked in bars, and when my dad wasn’t working, he was drinking. I either wouldn’t know how they were going to be when they came home or I would have to spend the night somewhere else. When I stayed home, there was the possibility of seeing a drunken fight. At 10 years old, I moved into my uncle’s house where I started to going to church. I always felt forced to go because the only alternative was the alcoholic lifestyle. My uncle was able to give me a more stable home, but as I got older, dealing with loss and death became an issue. 

After my grandmother and step-dad died, I felt lost and blamed god. As an adult, I left home to do as I pleased and turned to drugs, alcohol, and girls to be happy. All these things did was turn me into a shell with a fake smile. 

At age 19, I was sent to jail. I decided I needed to slow down, but tried to handle it on my own. After meeting my wife, I thought life would be divine.... I was proven very wrong. Not even a year later, a fire claimed the lives of my brother, father, and 3 close friends. Later the same year, my wife and I suffered a miscarriage, which pushed me to tell God I would never come back to Him. 

The following spring, my mother passed unexpectedly, and that was the worst hurt had ever gone through. My wife kept suggesting we try going to church. I told her I’d give it a shot. We tried one church that made me feel very uneasy and unwelcomed, but I knew I needed God because all other options had failed me. The moment I stepped into Overflow, I could feel the acceptance and love. I knew something was different from that moment. 

Now I look back and see how God has taken me from being lost, alone, and feeling like nothing to being an instrument for Him. He has blessed me with a loving family, a career, a home, and amazing friends. While my own musical ambitions that were meant to bring myself glory had failed, I now have the opportunity to use the talents He gave me for His glory on the worship team and in a Christian band with fellow members of Overflow. The more I try to make life about being closer to God, the happier and more fulfilled I feel with His blessings. No matter what you’ve done or been through, God is right there and His love never fails.