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Rebuilding with Rock: Rock Nunez's Path to Breaking Chains Ep.117

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Rebuilding with Rock: Rock Nunez's Path to Breaking Chains Ep.117

In this episode of ARCast, host Booda shares a deeply inspiring conversation with Rock Nunez, who transformed his life after battling addiction for over two decades. Rock talks about his early years, the devastating spinal injury that led to addiction, and the subsequent struggle with various substances. He highlights the critical role of mentorship, including the love and support from his family, community involvement, and rediscovery of faith. Now, as a successful podcaster of 'Breaking Chains with Rock,' he aims to give back by sharing his story and uplifting others in the recovery community. This episode is a testament to the power of gratitude, surrendering to a higher power, and the profound effect of community and love in overcoming addiction.

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Rebuilding with Rock: Rock Nunez's Path to Breaking Chains Ep.117


Booda: Good morning, good afternoon, good night. Wherever you are in the world listening to this, this is the ARCast. My name is Booda, and today guys, man, I am so excited. I gotta, I gotta show gratitude to God today, uh, being able to work here and see some of the clients that come through here.

And when they leave the amazing things that they start doing with within the community, man, it's a, it's a beautiful thing. Staying connected on Facebook, social media. And the other day I'm on Facebook and I'm doing my thing. A gentleman that, You know, I would see him around every now and then, we chopped it up every now and then, but bro, this dude graduated and he hit the ground 150 miles an hour running, doing fantastic.

He's been on his grind, he started his own podcast called Breaking Chains With Rock. It's incredible. We're going to put all of his links and everything in the show notes of this episode. So you guys can go check them out. You guys can share it with your friends and family, but it is an honor today to have my brother in the studio with me, ladies and gentlemen, give it up to our homeboy, Rock Nunez.

What's up, bro? How you doing, 

Rock: man? I'm doing well. I'm feeling great. Uh, I'm real grateful to be here. Thank you for inviting me, Booda. 

Booda: Yes, sir. 

Rock: First off, I want to thank God for this opportunity. Without him, I would be nothing. And second, I want to thank the ARC for being the foundation for this new beginning.

Booda: That's awesome. Shout out to Mike. Mike Ziprich, if you're out there, brother, he is the owner of ARC. This dude is incredible. He does all of these amazing things throughout the community to try and make this place feel like home. 

Rock: Absolutely. The one thing 

I do remember being a client here, Was, uh, being, uh, welcomed.

Booda: Yeah. 

Rock: Cause, once you get here, a lot of the people, they'll tend to feel anxious, a bit scared. You know? Uncomfortable. But, even with that being said, uh, my first day here, um, I really felt at home. You know, I knew that it was time for healing. So I, uh, I embraced it. And like you said, I hit the ground running.

Uh, I didn't take nothing for granted. I was all ears dog. I mean, I, I put my hands on, I sat on my hands and I just listened. 

Booda: That's incredible. 

Rock: Yeah, and that led to a lot of new opportunities, and it really feels good to 

be back, bro. 

Booda: That's cool. That's awesome, man. No, it's a pleasure to have you in this podcast, Breaking Chains with Rock.

That is such a great name for the podcast, man. And I mean, the very first episode did fantastic. How's that whole, how's that journey been for you, man? 

Rock: You know, it's been something that I never imagined because I used to be ashamed of everything that was in my past that was so dark. I used to be ashamed to be open about what really went on in my addiction, especially with, uh, having, you know, that pride problem.

I used to have so much pride, you know, that ego. Once I learned to throw the. The Pride Out the Window. Um, I was able to open up and I realized, you know, being on a different path, walking with God now, that the testimony is extremely important. There's a lot of people that need to hear it. Even though we hear a lot of testimonies, sometimes different stories hit different people.

So that's where it all 

began. 

Booda: That's beautiful. And right now, I know this episode won't be out for a while, but today, it is Monday the 5th of August, right? And I saw online that you guys were getting ready to post your second episode. How many episodes have you guys recorded already so far? 

Rock: Yeah, I've recorded two.

I just 

released my second episode. Um, the mission is to release at least once a week. . Um, you know, I've been making a lot of TikToks. It's actually been something I've been focusing on a hundred percent. You know, I really, uh, enjoy doing it. Um, I have a lot of passion for this because it's been part of my life.

For the last 20 years. So there's a lot to be said and through, um, the community I've surrounded myself around, it's, uh, been real encouraging, you know, it's a lot of people that can really, uh, I'm sorry, relate and that been in the same, uh, environment and have been broken. And now these chains have been broken.

All these chains that used to hold me back from these opportunities have been broken and I'm at peace. And. I'm ready for, for what the future holds now. I'm really excited. And, um, I can't wait to, uh, you know, see what tomorrow 

holds. 

Booda: Yeah, that's beautiful. Hey, you know for anyone listening, you know the two episodes I mean, I'm telling you the first one got so much traction and he's killing it.

He's got the video. He's got everything It was an incredible episode the first one I haven't had a chance to check the second one But it just shows that God is with you guys man, because you said it's a small team But the way that people were gravitating towards it even the the young lady up front that I just met was like, who's coming?

Who's the guest today? I told her it's going to be Rock Nunez and big old smile on her face, but she said she had seen some of the clips, started sharing it. So we're going to hopefully man, we'll get those numbers up a little bit too. You know what I'm saying? 

Rock: Absolutely. Like 

you said, it's a two man team.

Um, but that's a lot of things start, you know, a lot of these, um, uh, Big stories start off in a basement or a little room, you know, so I can relate. And, um, what I've learned though is, uh, just having that drive, you know, the only thing that can stop you is that negativity. So, um, I'm, I'm, I'm ready, bro. And, um, I appreciate the opportunity to come and I'm learning some things already as, uh, I'm sitting here with you watching how you do your thing and the success that the ARCast has, has been through.

And, uh, I know there's 

a lot more to come. 

Booda: Heck yeah, man. Well, hey dude, you know, uh, typical fashion of the ARCast, you know, it's all about Sharing the testimony opening up about things that we've experienced. We go into the weeds a little bit We go into the flowers to where you're at now today But in hopes that whoever is listening on that other end is gonna take something amazing from your story, right?

That's what it's all about that your testimony is gonna help change somebody's lives. So let's start from the beginning Brock I want to start from the beginning little a little tiny rock bro pebble. All right, we'll start from the beginning Where are you from homie? Where were you born? 

Rock: I was born in Douglas, Arizona, 

bro.

Douglas, but I was brought to Tucson when I was only a few months old. . So I consider myself a local for sure. You know what I'm saying? I'm 39 years old. I just turned 39, um, about a week ago. 

Booda: Oh, happy birthday. 

Rock: Yes. Uh, so, um, just to be able to say I'm 39 and been through everything I've been through, I, it puts a smile on my face.

I have a lot of friends that have been through the. I won't say the exact same journey, but similar journeys that didn't make it past 30, you know, some of them didn't make it past 25, you know, so, um, I'm just, 

I'm happy, bro. 

Booda: I'm happy for you, brother. I'm very happy. And, you know, so you are a local, for sure.

You came here at such a young age. What was your family dynamic, brother? Did you have both of your parents growing up? 

Rock: I was 

blessed to have both my parents. And, you know, my parents are divorced, but they still have a good relationship, you know. And that's what I like to tell people, is, you know, not everyone, Not everybody that has, uh, been part of the addiction process comes from a broken home.

I came from a loving home. Okay. I mean, the love that my home provided was overwhelming, bro. The support they provided was overwhelming. I mean, I, I want to say I had a perfect childhood. 

Booda: That's great. 

Rock: Even through the problems and trials and tribulations and all that, I mean, I had, it was just, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

And even though I came from that background, I still fell. I still fell. I mean, there's, there's a huge story behind that and it has nothing to do with my upbringing. . But that just shows you that you can come from a loving background and still fall to this dark side. 

Booda: Wow. Okay. Yeah, we're gonna get into it, man.

And you know, you're absolutely right. It's, it's, it comes in so many different shapes and forms. Now it's, it's, it's completely different for every single person. When you were coming up as a young boy, like you said, your house was filled with love. You had this amazing family. Were you an only child? Did you have any siblings as well?

Rock: Yes, I have a younger sister. She's, uh, five 

years older than me, uh, younger than me. And, uh, her name's Claudia Nunez. 

Booda: Shout out. 

Rock: Shout out to my sister. I love you. Thank you for all your support. 

Booda: All right. 

And, and how was it growing up with, like, as far as your academics and stuff? Were you a good student?

Rock: Man, let me tell you, I was a straight A student, bro. 

Um, I was basically, um, I didn't get my first B till like 10th grade, and I didn't get my first C till like 11th grade. 

Booda: Wow, really? 

Rock: So, and I graduated, um, I was one credit short of graduating with honors and that was due to the counselors. They messed up on my scheduling in the beginning of the year and they told me, you know, you take these courses because I took honors classes in high school and um, when it came down to it, I thought I was going to get the, the honors.

The sash, the yellow sash, and I was one credit short, but I mean, it didn't bother me. I still graduated like top 15%. I want to say 

Booda: that's great. 

Rock: You know, like, um, and that's, uh, due to my parents, you know, um, being there pushing me, uh, trying to get me to my full potential. 

Booda: Did you do sports? Anything like that?

Rock: Oh, bro. I boxed, I boxed from the age of 12 to about 16, 17. I played baseball, soccer, and basketball growing up. 

Booda: Wow. How long, how long did you, how long did you keep boxing for just those few years? 

Rock: Yeah, but I mean, we would always fight in the backyard, in the front yard, me and all my neighborhood friends here in, uh, South Tucson, Desert Shadows.

Uh, we would have boxing tournaments. I remember, uh, my mom's carport being, uh, all full of blood. She'd get home yelling at me.

Booda: Remember 

backyard wrestling. 

Rock: Bro, it was like that, but with gloves, 

bro. 

Booda: That's crazy. 

Rock: You know, and we would just put, uh, we would just put names in a hat and then pick out the opponents.

Yeah. 

Booda: Just start scrapping right there. 

Rock: Yeah, bro. You know, uh, so I literally like, man, if I could describe my childhood, bro, I'll say the Sandlot. 

Booda: That's cool. That's a good childhood, 

bro. 

Rock: I'm telling we'll go to Desert Shadows Park and play homeroom derby and just talk smack to each other You know I'm saying sometimes it'll be 20 of us out there, you know, yeah So that's why I'm saying like my my my upbringing bro.

It's the greatest memories, bro. It's the greatest memories So, you know, that's why it's so important, you know, to, you know, raise your children the way my parents raised me, because without that kind of love, when I fell, I wouldn't have been able to bounce back the way I did. 

Booda: That's biblical too.

Rock: Bro, that backbone was incredible. You know, it's, it's real. That's why I tip my hat to all those people in recovery that don't have that support and are still pushing. God bless you, man. I, I'm, we rooting for you. 

Booda: Absolutely, man. So, I mean, I, I'm, I'm picturing, like you said, the Sandlot. I'm thinking about, you know, you have your friends, you're out there, you're doing all this cool stuff.

Were you ever into gangbanging, anything like that? Or did you stay away from that when you were a young kid? 

Rock: This is the crazy part, bro. I lived in a neighborhood where, um, there was a bunch of gangs. There was a bunch of drug dealers and a lot of these people were my friends. And the crazy part would, I would be in a table at a friend's house and they'd be chopping up drugs.

And I'm like, they're doing my homework, you know, but at the same time, I had no idea that I was just creating. Uh, basically getting molded into it little by little, you know, I would be scared to like touch the drugs and, and to do them, you know, uh, but I was part of that environment and it became like a norm for me, you know, because my friends were selling drugs at 13, 14 years old.

You know, and smoking weed and all that stuff. And I would be scared to do that. Plus my boxing coach wouldn't let me, you know, he would find out, you know, and I was real disciplined, you know what I'm saying? But it was all around me, bro. Uh, and I didn't get into any of that gang stuff or things like that until, I mean, I want to say I was about like 19, 20 years old.

I didn't realize that I was part of a gang, you know what I'm saying? . So I, I like, but we were, we're a big old gang just out there, you know, Doing what we weren't supposed to be doing. 

Booda: And it's so true. I mean, I applaud the fact that you had this amazing discipline. That's one of the things that, you know, I look at my wife and how she is with our kids.

I never had that type of encouragement because you know, my mom and a single family homes type of thing. It's almost like when Pac says mom made miracles every Thanksgiving, you know what I'm saying? It really was like that. My mom was always struggling with stuff, but you know, She always says that that was one of the best things that her parents ever did was keep, keep the kids busy and keep them in activities and things like that because it kept them out of trouble.

But even with that, you know what I'm saying? That you could still, you could still get molded little by little. And that's what was going on with you. 

Rock: Yes. It, 

it happened out of nowhere too. You know, I went on to Phoenix college when I was 18, but I had just shattered my spine. So I went check this out, bro.

I had spines, uh, cervical fusion, my 18th birthday on July 30th and I started college a month later. All right. Heavily medicated, bro. You know what I'm saying? They put, they put a metal plate in my spine. They put screws, they put pins, they put bars. I mean, I was so basically I was in so much pain. I had to get one of those, um, backpacks with wheels on them.

You know, heavily medicated. You know what I'm saying? So that whole, my whole world got flipped upside down when I was 18. When the doctors first got me on pain meds, because it was an overwhelming amount of prescription medication. Right. And, um, instead of like tapering me off, they were just dumping more on me, bro.

Booda: That breakthrough pain, bro. 

Rock: And it's incredible. The, the. Feeling that that feeling you get when you when you have real pain and you start taking these painkillers and You're at ease, you know, so you become accustomed to feeling Okay, um, painkillers instead of, you know, let's deal with the pain and gradually taper off so you don't have to live, you know, being addicted to these things.

I didn't know what addiction was, bro, because I didn't even smoke weed, you know, in my teens, you know, I mean, in high school, like there was some house parties where I would have some alcoholic beverages or whatnot, you know, but, uh, and I think I smoked weed once or twice, you know, in my teens, you know what I'm saying?

But once I got on those pain meds, and I found out what a withdraw was, I didn't know what to 

do. 

Booda: So, a couple questions just going back a little bit, uh, when it comes to like your family dynamic, was there ever addiction in your family that you saw growing up? Like, not your homies, not that type of stuff, but in your actual family, did anyone struggle with that?

Rock: I never saw my dad 

struggle with alcohol because he was such a hard worker. 

Booda: Okay. 

Rock: So I didn't see it as, as an addiction, you know, because there was, there was no way of me seeing my dad as a, as a drunk because he never got wasted like that, but now that I'm older, I just know that he basically was so immune to the alcohol, you know, he just knew how to be, uh, basically calm, you know, he never, you know, my dad never beat my mom.

I'm, I'm lucky. You know, because a lot of parents that grew up with alcoholic, uh, family members, the violence, the domestic violence is for sure, you know, and my dad was able to control that part, but I didn't see a problem because not only did he have. Uh, nine to five, but he would always pick me up from school when he could, or whenever he wasn't working, drop me off, or he would, uh, take me to baseball practice or, or basketball practice or boxing practice.

And he would stick around these practices, you understand what I'm saying? . But now that I'm on this side, I'm like, damn, my dad was heavily addicted, you know what I mean? And. I just, like I said, that's why it was such a loving home. He was able to control it to a certain degree. 

Booda: Yeah. And I think that's a, like a culture thing too.

If your dad's a hard worker, was he out in the sun doing that type of stuff? It's, I think of like so many of my tíos fit that same characteristic where it's like, You know, it's just like a habit. You get home on, not even on a Friday, it's just typically, you get home, you have a couple beers, and you just always see them with that all the time, and you never see, really, there's never really a head change, or a head, like, there's not a change in them because they're so immune to doing it, just consistency, little by little, that it's like, it doesn't even phase them, and you just, it's like, like they're drinking a soda, or a tea, or something, like, it doesn't even affect them.

Rock: Yeah, it doesn't, 

you know, and now that I, now that I'm older, I do see that, especially people that work in construction, right? They'll be like, I deserve this beer, you know, but in the back of their head, I mean, not in the back of their head, but basically their mind is saying, you're withdrawing. You need this beer.

. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, okay. You deserve it, but your body's telling you, you need this right now. 

Booda: Yeah. That's all perspective. That's true though. 

Rock: And it's, you know, and, and see the alcohol part, it's, you know, you might be able to manage it, but when something happens in your life, like a death in the family or just something that stresses you out, you're going to start drinking, you know, alcohol.

more or stronger alcohol. And that's when it unravels, you know? So everybody has a time where, you know, whatever they're addicted to, something's going to happen. And you're just, you're not going to be able to control it at all, 

bro. 

Booda: Oh, so deep. That is so deep. You guys rewind back and listen to that one more time.

That is 100 percent true, man. Um, and it's crazy because, you know, I start thinking even about what you said, how you were molded little by little. It's like a seed. It's just planted right until the right time and then it just blooms out of control and starts taking over your life. You said 18 years old is when you had this surgery.

Your 18th birthday, July 30th, right? What happened that you had to get that surgery? Was it a car accident? What was going on? 

Rock: Yeah, I 

was in very bad rollover. Okay. And, um, basically when that happened, I stopped boxing. I couldn't box no more. You know, I used to box at Centro del Sur, Aslan gym in South Tucson.

Booda: That sounds serious, bro. 

Rock: Yeah, bro. Check this out. World class trainers. . Um, I used to, basically we had a bunch of amateur fights that weren't really, um, they weren't like taped or anything like that, you know, but I was doing extremely well. Okay. And I used to run from. My house, Desert Shadows, to Aztlan Gym, you know, a few miles away.

And then from there, we would run to A Mountain, through the Santa Cruz River, and back. Before that, I had soccer practice. And then after the running, I would box. You know what I mean? So I was running about 12, 15 miles a day. You know, my coach is like, you want to be a world champion? You want You want to go 12 rounds, you better run a mile for every round.

And then I took that to heart and we started doing it, me and a couple of my buddies, you know, and, um, it was all a part of that discipline, you know what I mean? And so like all that, that's why coaches in the community for the, for the youth is so important. All of that's still in me, bro. 

Booda: That's good. 

Rock: You know what I'm saying?

It's still in me. So I take that with me wherever I go. 

Booda: I think that's a beautiful thing. I see it with my son and this is the first experience for me. He's a 49ers 10U, right? Sahuarita. And every time I see him with the coaches, bro, it's like. It's, it's a blessing. It's like, thank God that there's these good male figures that are teaching him this discipline too, on top of everything that we're trying to, to instill in him too, because it's like you said, hopefully when they get older, they won't fall too far away from it, because those words of encouragement are going to be right there at the tip of their head, you know what I'm saying?

Going back to this injury. I mean, the medication played a role. Like you said, they gave you all of these medications, but how did your, your mental health struggling at this time, brother, I'm sure the depression of feeling like your career was going to end or something like that, especially when you're as active as you were doing as much as you were.

And then all of a sudden, boom, rock stops. You know what I'm saying? How did that take a toll on your mental health? 

Rock: Man, I had to think 

about that one because you're right, you know, I was thriving and when that happened to me, it was just complete darkness. The doctor told me, basically, you're not going to be able to do A, B, C, D, and you know what I'm saying?

The whole alphabet type deal. You can't, you won't be able to lift more than 10 pounds. You know what I mean? You won't be able to, you know what I mean? Yeah. He put limits to me and I took that to heart. You know, I'm not saying don't listen to your doctor, but you'd be surprised how the human body recuperates if you let it.

Booda: Yeah. 

Rock: And that was my problem. I didn't let it. You know, I was 18 years old. I had never broken anything and I shattered my spine the first time I broke anything. So I was unaware of how important it is to heal correctly. And once they got me on these pain medications and I went to Phoenix college, um, I was living on campus at ASU campus and I met some, some youngsters there from Virginia and they had a family in Tucson and we had a quick conversation and they moved me into their dorm, bro.

Booda: Wow. 

Rock: Their, their, their, their dad's millionaires, right? And they're like, bro, we love you. Come through. And I'm like, okay. So one thing led to another. And because I was so intoxicated, bro, on these pain medications, I wasn't really concentrating on my school, on my schooling, on my education. You know, I'm like, I'm young, you know, I was like, I can make up this year later.

Like it was that bad. They had me so heavily medicated. It took over my way of thinking. It was my first time on pain meds. They put me, they put me on 30 milligram oxycodones and 15 milligram oxycodones. They put me on 40 milligram oxycotins. They put me on somas, valiums. 

Booda: This is all simultaneously. 

Rock: Yes, bro.

You know me and I had never taken anything like this. So I was walking numb, you know, and 

Booda: jeez. 

How horrible. I mean, and, and, and I don't know, dawg, this is a whole different, you know, conversation too with that. But I think about, I had a, I had a Nana, rest in peace to my Nana. She passed away in 2020 within a couple months of each other.

All of a sudden she goes to the doctor to get checked out. She's stage four breast cancer. One last Thanksgiving with us and she was gone, bro. She was gone. And all I keep thinking is like, especially at 18 years old, you're so young, you're so impressionable still. If a doctor tells you, yo, rock, you can't do A, B, and C, and D anymore, right?

What's your, what's your number one thing that you're gonna think? Because you're, you're kind of like, You're gonna trust your doctor. Because that's what we're brought up to. This person went to medical school for 20 some years. They obviously know what they're talking about. So whatever medication you give me, these aren't illicit street drugs.

This is stuff that's prescribed from a healthcare professional that's supposed to have your best interests and your best health in mind, right? And, and it's just, it's, it's just To give somebody that young that much of medication. I do I agree 100 percent and not saying not to trust your doctor But bro, God gave you a brain for a reason and Google to like do your research on something, right?

Would you agree with that? 

Rock: Yeah, absolutely at the time I had no idea because it was that whole opiate pendant epidemic or a pandemic. , you want to call it? So Now I see that these doctors Well, I'm saying certain doctors were doing it for their own benefit because it was bringing them income. You understand?

And there's proof of this. 

. 

You know, I'm sure there's compensation for this. You know what I'm saying? Like they literally put limits to my success and I was vulnerable. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, I was just a little pup, bro, and I'm just, you know, and I think about it, you know, a lot of people will be looking at that past, right?

And making excuses to be miserable, self pity and all that, but the things I've overcome, I'm telling you, I didn't even know I was depressed, bro, because I had never been depressed. To me, it was just, you know what? The pills took the depression away. You know what I'm saying? So I like they, right when I got that surgery, they put so much medication in me, I didn't feel the depression until they cut me off my script.

So once they had me hooked like a junkie, bro, I felt the whole depression instantly, just, I mean, broken as can be, bro, with all the support, all the love. It didn't matter. 

Booda: That's deep. I love the way that you articulate your feelings, bro. Like you're, you're, I love, I'm so happy you got your podcast. It's going to be fantastic, I'm telling you.

You know, um, how, how did your parents react to this, man? Like seeing their young boy like that, did they realize it was as bad? Did you, did you even realize it was as bad? Or did none of that picture fully developed until that script was cut off? 

Rock: Honestly, so the surgery, you know, I shattered my C3 and C4, which is pretty high up your spine.

Like you shatter C2, you might be paralyzed. C1, you might die. You know what I'm saying? It's pretty, it's pretty high up there. So my parents knew that I was in pain. They saw me wake up from surgery and all that stuff. It felt like somebody got a hammer and just went at my neck, bro. When I woke up from surgery, you know what I mean, in between your spine, you have fluid and my C3 and C4 were crushed.

So it was bone rubbing on bone, feel me? So that's why they had to put all that hardware. And once they installed the hardware, our, our, our bodies are not made to have metal in them. So it was rejecting it, of course, you know, so my parents were like, you know, well, there's an understanding why he's on so much medication.

And once the pain goes away, then, uh, you know what I mean? We'll be able to manage it better, but they had no education on addiction. You know what I mean? Because they had never been through anything like this. So they didn't know any better. So I definitely didn't know any better. 

Booda: You said that the doctor cuts you off.

Well, was this just an abrupt change? Like, was this one thing started getting regulated that they just decided, you know, we're not, we're your scripts getting cut off? 

Rock: Well, the crazy part is once I got cut off, once you're put in that survival mode, you do whatever it takes to get more, right? So I found more doctors.

Booda: Wow. 

Rock: I was able to jump in with doctors and manipulate them. Yeah. Man, let me tell you, there were some doctors that were like, I won't take patients under 30. I got in. I was able to get my way in, bro. You know what I'm saying? Uh, I had medical records up the yin yang, you know what I'm saying? And when I was able to smooth talk these doctors, you know what I'm saying?

And I'm not going to say any names, but I went through so many different doctors. So basically if I got cut off right away, I was able to find a doctor within a day or two. Wow. Because it was all about the money. You know what I'm saying? I remember these lines outside these clinics were just ridiculous, bro.

These doctors were jam packed and I'm sure we've seen these videos and they've made movies about it. That movie, uh, painkiller and, and you know what I'm saying? Bro, it's, I mean, I can, man, those movies hit me deep. I was in the middle of all of that. I, I, I lived through all of that and so did a lot of my people, you know?

So. Yeah, bro, I remember, I remember them cutting me off and then, and then when, when they really cracked down on that. When it was really hard to get a medication from a doctor, that's when I switched to heroin. 

Booda: Wow. And at that point, were, were you afraid of trying those types of drugs since you had no experience with them?

Or did it, was the desperation of needing to feel better just so high that it didn't even matter at that point? 

Rock: That, yes, that part. I was desperate, you know, I was desperate. There was a time, you know, And it's crazy now that I think about it, I was taking 40, 30 milligram oxycodone a day. 

Booda: 40? 

Rock: 40. And these are the American ones.

Okay. 40 of them, bro. A day. And then that's not like, there is days where I took 40 of those and probably like 10, 15, 15 milligram oxycodone, right? And then eventually they gave me those medications. And. 80 milligram Oxycontin with Fentanyl patches. I was getting Fentanyl patches when I was 25 years old.

They're 72 hour patches. You slap them on like your rib cage or whatever. Then you're popping pills at the same time, you know. So when I got cut off from all of that, I can't explain bro how your body shuts down. So the desperation to try something like heroin, it didn't scare me. There was no fear.

Because I knew that it was in the same family, opioid family, so I was willing to do whatever it took to feel, I wouldn't say back to normal, but to take that sickness away. 

Booda: And at this time, you know, you said that your education had gone down the tubes, right? You just were, you were struggling with that?

Were you working? Were you able to hold a job? Or were you just home? 

Rock: Well, 

honestly, there was times where I would have like a Like a run where I would have a job, you know, I worked for the city of Tucson. Yeah, I worked for the state I was an employee at DES bro. Little case worker there, you know You know I'm saying I was able to get some pretty good jobs, you know But like we said something happened during that little time frame right that stressed me out Right?

And I had to increase the dosages, where maybe I took my script too fast, and my doctor's like, you ain't getting no more. So boom, then I became an alcoholic. Ooh. Bro, yes! I had, bro, there was, in this whole 20 years of my addiction, I was an alcoholic, I was addicted to cocaine, I was addicted to meth, I was addicted to heroin, I was addicted to opioids, I was addicted to benzos.

Booda: You know, I, um, I know you've referred a couple times to a situation, like, and you said it earlier. When, when people experience a loss or there's something really traumatic that happens, it takes your usage to a whole nother level because of the stress, because of the depression. The situation that you're referring to, is that something you'd be willing to elaborate on a little bit?

Or, you know, just, I'm just curious. 

Rock: Well, tell 

you the truth, sometimes it was simple things like if I had a girlfriend and it was a breakup, that right there dawg. , and you know what sometimes I would feel embarrassed to talk about that But the more I would come to different rehabs because I trust me I went to detoxes I went to different rehabs or whatnot, you know, and you know, I'm I'm honored to say that the ARC did it for me 

Booda: Yeah, 

Rock: you know shout out to the ARC.

Booda: Heck yeah, shout out to the ARC. 

Rock: For 

real dawg. 

Booda: Yeah, and I apologize I know I'm not too good at asking those questions because I know sometimes Not all of the weeds and all of that bad stuff that we go through needs to be spoken about, right? Because we all experience traumas. But my whole thing was just like if it was something relatable to the listener, that would be able to strike a chord with them.

Like, oh yeah, you know, I've been through this or I've lost this person or whatever it may be. So thank you for opening up about that, man, and being transparent. But yeah, I completely get it. So just something like that. And it's not a simple thing. Breakups are probably one of the biggest triggers for a lot of people.

Rock: Yeah, you know, and it's at the time, especially being under the influence, you know, you get with somebody and, um, you forget about the whole reason you, you get a partner. And the whole time that I was doing these drugs, the only reason I had, uh, different girlfriends was it was convenient for both of us in our usage.

There wasn't really no real love there, bro. I can say that I have love for them and at the time I would, I said I was in love with them, but if I was sober, would I feel the same? Probably not. . You know, so that's why it's extremely important for people to stay sober and work on themselves a little bit.

You know, and, and, uh, this time around I didn't do that, you know, I, I, you know, I got into like a relationship and she's a great person, you know, there's nothing wrong with her, you know, but I just knew there came a time where I was like, you know what, I'm getting ahead of myself. I know better. 

Booda: Smart. 

Rock: That conviction.

You know, I mean, um, to all the believers out there, you know, Holy Spirit activated, bro. 

Booda: That's it. 

Rock: Straight up. 

Booda: And, and, and that could, you know, those situations too, especially when it's incredible how the, how the enemy works, right? You're, you're using, you have Other people around you that are using, it could easily complicate even more having a baby with this person.

And then you, you know, all those struggles that come from that situation. You know, was that ever part of your testimony? Did you have any children or anything at this time? Or was it just you still by yourself at this time? 

Rock: I 

had my 

first child at 21. 

. 

And Like I said, I didn't know any better, you know, she's a blessing.

Everything now is a blessing, you know, at the time you're excited about it, but then when it gets real, it stresses you out, you know, and that was that first, I think that was one of the first times where I was like, man, you know, I broke up with the mom. When she was a baby, like not even like one, you know, so that was like my first real breakup.

And you know, I seen a lot of people leave the rehab because their better half or whatnot that's not at the rehab is giving them a hard time and they're stressed out and they're scared. They're scared to, uh, break up with him. So they feel like they, they, they gotta be there with him instead of acknowledging the fact that me not being well, isn't going to do us well.

You know what I'm saying? And so, I mean, I had a couple of talks with a couple of people here that were like, I'm leaving and they're like, um, my boyfriend needs me, I'm like, You need you. 

Booda: That's real. 

Rock: You need you and it took me a very long time to realize it So I get it, you know, I don't you know, try to uh talk too much down their throat But I'm gonna say something bro, cuz I'm 39 years old now.

, so, you know, I got some experience, bro , no, and uh, it's something that um now I feel like um I'm not entitled to it, but it's something that I feel like I was put on this path for is to try to encourage people that get discouraged from the smallest things. People relapse for the smallest reasons.

That's why it's so important to start your day joyful. Joyful bro, you know, like sometimes we wake up a little cranky or whatever, but find something to make you joyful. I wake up in prayer, uh, gratitude every morning, you know, get my cup of, of Joe and, uh, I stay connected, bro. You have to stay connected every single day.

It's so important. Simple, right? One day at a time, make sure your day is goes well. And if it doesn't go well, make sure you end it well. You know what I'm saying? You can have a terrible day, but end it well, man. 

Booda: Very wise, brother. Wise. God is with you, man. It's awesome. Uh, you know, uh, the words that you're speaking, it's so true for anyone out there.

If you're in a relationship too, that's one of the biggest things that I see here. People that are struggling, their boyfriends or girlfriends. It's like when, when you're in a relationship with somebody, you know, it says in the Bible, two people come and they become one flesh, right? Your, your opposite person should be there to encourage you and to, and want you to be clean and want you to be, you know, the best version of yourself.

I remember being a tech on the floor in the phone room. We had a phone room at the time on this side. And the, and you know, we'd have people come in and out. So I would be talking, No, hey, they're on the phone. Come back in five minutes. Come back. And I remember one, one woman was on the phone with her man, brother.

And I just remember her being like, No, there's no other guys here. It's the tech. It's the tech. He's just here. No, no. And dude, she ended up hanging up that phone. And because this fool was celoso, she left homie, never saw her again. And all I kept thinking was like, what kind of man is that brother? Your wife is here.

You have children right now. His job is supposed to be home to be taking care of these babies while, while mom is getting better. So that way the unit is stronger and better and full of, of, of, of that. You know what I'm saying? Of that love. And it's just, it's crazy how people can get intercepted like that and taken away.

Rock: Yeah. It's, it's critical, man, because you know, this whole addiction, uh, process, um, once you get sober, a lot of people that get sober for the first time, they feel like, you know, like they've, like they're done. You know, and I'm like, you better hold on, man. You're about to feel all these emotions, you know, and just because you're physically sober, your mind is still healing.

And, you know, you gotta be, be prepared for, um, a lot of, uh, basically like your, your, your body's going to, Give you anxiety, bro, just naturally anxiety. You know, people come and, you know, when they leave, they're on a pink cloud. And sometimes the day they leave rehab, they're so used to the schedule here and having all this support in this bubble, especially here at the ARC, you know, it was a beautiful thing, a beautiful thing, you know.

Honestly, it was one of the best experiences of my life, bro. I remember being here with people and they had nothing negative to say. And I had to say something, you know, I said, perspective, brother, you know, or sister perspective, you know, I'm going to tell you right now. When I was here, I would tell him, you know, two months ago.

I was so far gone, you know, the last person you would expect here trying to motivate others was me But I was open to the fact that there's people here that care and want better for you. 

Booda: Yeah, that's awesome That's so awesome man and and take us back to that that moment I know you said that you came in here three times like on your own to get clean 

Rock: Well twice I didn't make it past the detox , which is usually like three to five days or whatnot.

Booda: Yeah, 

Rock: and and see that's I'm so glad you brought this up Those two times that I admitted myself here at the ARC to the detox. I came with a girlfriend. 

Booda: Oh, okay

Rock: So check this out. This is huge. I came with a girlfriend right and if you want To know about how your better half is doing while you're both admitted here, you have to sign the waiver, right?

To be able to communicate with them or whatnot. I didn't know about that. So we both admitted ourselves, right? And I'm like, I'll see you when we get sent to, um, what is it called? 

Booda: Residential. 

Rock: Residential. I'll see you there in, in three to five days. Just stay strong, you know? So I'm here and I was trying to be on the Vivitrol shot.

So they're like, no suboxone. You're gonna have to go seven days sober completely off of all these things I was on I was like, I used I wouldn't be able to go two hours So I lasted two days here right and with all the anxiety all the depression all the withdrawals I'm like she left I know she did and guess what I checked out 

Booda: That was the enemy dude talking 

Rock: You know what I'm saying? 

Booda: Yeah, 

and I was right She left like five hours before I did bro. 

Oh for real. 

Rock: Yeah, bro. 

Booda: I thought maybe she was here 

Rock: No, but you know what? I'm saying though. Why why because I wasn't concentrating on myself I was I was more worried about her bro, you know Because I was so used to being around her and you know that part where like you're like she's gonna run off and you know It's so it's just just the wrong.

I was in the wrong environment I had no business being with somebody like that if we were both You know what I mean? So, and that happened the second time too. The second time I lasted four days and, and, um, so I was almost there, right? So I felt better, right? But out of nowhere, like your body's just gonna break down, you know, you're gonna get struck with anxiety that you cannot control if you don't have the necessary tools to cope with that.

So I left. And she had checked out like an hour before me, bro. What are the chances, man? But the day I came right with, you know, with nobody. 

Booda: This last time? 

Rock: Yes. I didn't come with a girlfriend or a wife or whatnot. It was just me, bro. That's what it took 

for me. 

Booda: And what was the situation that made you, before you came in these doors, this third time, were you already like, I'm done?

Or did that start change happen once you were here as a client? 

Rock: Oh, bro, I was 

incarcerated, right? I thought I was facing all these charges or whatnot. I was on the run, so they finally got me. You know, unfortunately, I've been arrested about 24, 25 times. Feel me? And, um, so this last time, I'm sitting in my jail cell, right?

And I have a, uh, visit. And I go talk to this lady and she's like, Hey, I'm from this, uh, program. And, uh, it's the early release program. And I'm like, what? And she's like, you know, obviously you told us you had problems, the issues with substance abuse. Would you like treatment? Or do you want to do your time?

You know what I'm saying? Literally they provided me two options, bro. And right there and then I did not hesitate. I said, sign me up. She told me you have court in two days. You're going to the ARC rehab. You'll be there in 48 hours. I said, run that. . Yeah. I, I'd never had been so excited to, to, to get help, you know?

And man, I, I was incarcerated for like, 45 days and then this happens to me, , you know, and I'm a true firm believer that there was people out there praying for me, bro. 

Booda: Amen. 

Rock: Praying for me. And I'm not talking about one. I mean, groups of people. . You know, and now I know because I've met a lot of them and they'll say simple things that humble me, bro.

They'll be like, we were praying for you. And this is like a lot of people, bro. And that really struck me. 

Booda: That's cool. 

Rock: Yeah. 

Booda: So, 

so you came, you came here, you did the court and you stayed here for detox, a residential IOP. You stay, how long were you here? 

Rock: I was here. Um, I think 130, 131 days. 

Booda: Up until that point.

Hearing 

God's voice, was that something that was a common thing for you or had you, had you kind of been tuning it out? Like, did it finally reach you in your heart and your soul that last time you were here? Did you hear God moving in your heart and soul? 

Rock: Yes, I did and Man, 

it's crazy how God works because we had a little Bible study at the hotel.

Check it out. It was only like three of us out of everybody, bro. There is like, well, how many people at the, at the hotel side? There's like 70 people or something like that at the hotel side. And there was only like three of us. And this is a trip. The two people besides me that invited me to Bible study, they relapsed.

But 

they brought me closer to God, bro. Even though I, I had my community, you know, um, on the streets that been saved, you know, that went to different churches. Um, it's now Zion City. Mm-Hmm, . Okay. 

Booda: I love Zion City. 

Rock: You know what I'm saying? I mean, shout out to Zion City, shout out to Agape, shout out to all those, the door, all those churches.

You know what I mean? All just. Shout out to everybody on the God squad, real talk. And these two people that brought me into the Bible study really got me locked in. And what a trip that I just, I know for a fact that they relapsed. So, you know what I'm saying? It's, I still trip out about that because they were the foundation to that, bro.

I remember opening up the Bible and they're like, start up with, start out with, uh, reading Psalms, you And I fell in love with it bro. It spoke to me like I now I used to like listen to people talk like the bible Will speak to you. I'll be like the bible's boring. You don't even have pictures 

Booda: Yeah I feel you! 

Rock: You know what i'm saying?

It really takes It really takes a God shot, bro. It really does because I opened the Bible and it was speaking to me, bro. It brought wisdom to my life. You know, like I was so mindful out after that, bro, extremely mindful. I was really, I would see people and I could just see who was broken. I could see it, bro.

You know, I'm like walking around and I'm like, this person needs a hug or, or come to me. Let me, let me, uh, let me chop it up with you real quick and not trying to force it down their throat. I was able to navigate my words correctly. 

Booda: Wow. That's incredible. So it reminds me of Jesus speaking in parables, right?

Where he's talking about the, the sower, like the, uh, I don't know the exact scripture off top, but you know, the story where God's talking and people are like, What is, what is he talking about, right? And, and there's a few of them that are hearing it, and it's transforming them because they're actually understanding what Jesus is saying, and these other people are not, they don't get it.

And it's like, and it's true in that sense of like, when you are ready, or when God is ready for you, maybe, you know what I'm saying? He finally allows you to hear it. , and I mean that like, I don't mean just hear it, I mean hear it, like open your heart to it. 

Rock: Yeah, he's been ready for us. It was my part.

I had to fully surrender. You know, I fully surrendered, bro. I remember having a conversation with God and I told God, I said, I know you're real because I'm still here, you know, but if I'm due for greatness, you know, just speak to me, you know, speak to me. I'm willing to give up everything that I believe was for my own entertainment.

I'm done being selfish, you know, and that's when everything changed, you know, um, the obedience part, you know, there's a lot of things I do slip on, you know, sometimes I still use cuss words or whatnot, uh, but I'm starting to transform a lot of things, bro. See, now I realize my mind is the soil and conversations and music are the seeds.

You got to be careful what you listen to. You got to be careful when people are glorifying things that are not for you. Because we're so caught up in this world and people, you know, they want to be part of what's trending. They don't want to be different. You know what I mean? All this music, um, that's glorifying violence, drug usage, being disrespectful, uh, being disrespectful to men and women.

And, uh, you know, it's, you know, we grew up, we grew up in that environment. That's all we know. Cause we didn't have any guidance. 

Booda: Yeah. 

Rock: God knows your heart. You know, and it's true, I hear music like that, and just because I don't choose to listen to it, if I hear it in the background, I'm still like singing it.

You know what I'm saying? And that tells you how much impact it really has on us. You know, um, my nephews and nieces and whatnot, they're really young, and I, they'll be eating dinner, and then they'll repeat little verses of songs, and I'm like, repeat what you just said. With no beat. So you can hear what you're saying.

Are you, are you, are you really about that? Are you posing? 

Booda: Yeah. 

Rock: You know, I, I, I was at a men's group, um, you know, as Zion city, uh, better, uh, beta men's group. And we were talking about that, you know, being a poser. I was a poser my whole life trying to fit in somewhere because that's all. That's, that's, that's what I thought was good for me.

I had to be a part of something, you know, I was posing, bro. I was a poser, you know? 

Booda: Yeah, it's, it's very, very true. And it's getting scarier too, man. Like not to go off to off topic too much, but it really is scary. Raising kids in this modern day and age with the social media stuff. I mean, the internet was bad enough, bro.

And having the phone in your pocket and all these kids scrolling and ah, it's just, it's rough. It's a rough world. So got to pray for all the young kids out there. I know a lot of them are just starting school. Like I said, it's, it's the beginning of August. It's probably going to be out a lot later, but.

You know, we got to send a prayer to all those kids out there, man, for real. 

Rock: Most definitely. Um, 

uh, one thing I just, I want to start off the school year with is trying to get them to, um, basically do something simple as like writing a journal, even if it's, uh, you know, a paragraph a day so they can see.

How they're growing every day, you know? So I started writing a journal, you know, and, um, it's crazy. Not only is it like self reflection, but you see your growth on paper. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And it's crazy because before I started the podcast it was, uh, I was writing I said man, I got I got some goals.

I want to accomplish and Um, I just need help because I don't have all the resources But that's not gonna stop me from pursuing what I'm pursuing and then I get a messenger click from one of my boys And he's like, you know Hey, we should start a podcast. I'm like, 

no way, bro. 

Booda: That's awesome. 

Rock: You know what I'm saying?

And, uh, man, you of all people know how much, uh, time and effort it takes to, to, to, uh, do these podcasts, you know? And it, it's, uh, it's something that, Um, that you, you need to love doing, you know, I, I love doing it now, even though I just started, so I can imagine how, how it makes you feel. 

Booda: Yeah, absolutely.

You know, and, uh, it's, it's, it's a great thing to feel. Uh, my experience with, with, with, uh, with this type of stuff was me being in the music industry for a while or trying really hard to be in the music industry, but the, the difference was it was all about me. Yeah. It was all about me, the videos, the music, everything was, you know, me, me, me, me, me, me type of thing, right?

And then this has been such a, it was crazy because it was a situation that happened where I completely was like, yo, I'm done. I don't ever want to touch this music stuff again. I was depressed. It's like, What's my purpose? What am I supposed to do? And when the time was right, man, I mean, the, the owner was like, Yo, we really want to do a podcast.

And it was, that was God working. That was God working right there. And it's been a completely different journey now. You know what I mean? So now it's just, all right, I'm in this boat. We're both in this boat, right? You and I in the middle of the ocean and God's controlling the wind. Where do you want us to go?

I'm not, I'm not sailing this anymore. This is all you. 

Rock: Man, it's a blessing to find 

your identity, and I'm sure you found it. I can see it, bro. You know, you identify as someone who's here, that has compassion for people, that wants to let, uh, give, basically, um, educate the community on what's real. On what's going on out there and why it's going on out there and where it comes from and how, what we can do to fix it.

So. 

Booda: Heck yeah, man. Thank you, brother. And I mean, your podcast, Breaking Chains With Rock. I just, I feel like it's such a perfect title. Such a perfect title, bro, for the, for the podcast and the fact that everything, you know, is coming together. What, what, what's going on like with your life now? Talk about the podcast a little bit.

Talk about what your goals are for the future. What are some of the things you're working towards now? 

Rock: Well, basically, like I said, um, I just started this podcast. Like I said, uh, Breaking Chains With Rock on YouTube. 

Booda: Yeah. 

Rock: You know, uh, subscribe on, uh, my YouTube channel. 

Booda: Yeah, we're gonna put all those links in the description of this episode.

So you guys go to that link and you check it out, man. It's video. It's like you're a part of the conversation right there with them. 

Rock: For sure. Uh, 

you know, I just started TikTok. So I got some TikToks going. What I have. Plan for the future, bro, is really everything to do with the recovery community, bro. Um, I got both feet in the door, bro.

Booda: That's awesome. 

Rock: Real talk. I'm going like full throttle with this. I work on this every day, bro. Every day. I I'm taking notes every day. I'm focusing on what I can do to keep pushing forward. I'm trying to start a movement just like you started, you know, like if, you know, basically your movement's already pushing, bro.

So if I come into your movement, we're just going to push harder. You know, and I love the, the connection here. Um, I appreciate the love and, uh, that's my, uh, that's my main goal. My main objective is, uh, just to create a foundation for the broken, the lost, the confused, the hopeless, you know, um, I feel you, I was out there, bro.

I was homeless. I was homeless. I had a home to go to, but because I was so broken, I had so many chains locked on me. I couldn't even make it home. 

Booda: It's horrible. That's horrible. And, and Rock, what are the relationships like now with your family? Like when they, they see everything you're doing now, your mom, your dad, your sister, what's their response to you now?

They're like, yo, who is this person? 

Rock: Yeah. That part. I mean, it's, It's a lot of love. No, they just encourage me. They always knew I had it in me. And, um, they're just, they're, they're, uh, I mean, like you said, it's crazy when you have all these other things going on in your life that you thought you were going to take off with, and then you get put in this situation.

I mean, It's crazy. Don't miss that opportunity. Don't miss that shot. Once your heart feels it, um, and it feels like it's going to be hard, but you have a, uh, you have like, uh, compassion for it. You have a commitment for it. You know? I mean, Just stick with it, bro. Cause in the beginning I was like, man, my boy's like, yeah, this podcast and, and whatnot, and let's do this.

And I'm like, let's start this movement. But I had no idea how we're going to do it, but there's nothing else to do it. But to do it, I said, all right, let's meet up tonight. And we got started, you know, shout out to my boy Orlando Ramos at AZ, uh, AZ Crown Productions. He's a, he's a photographer as well. He does podcasts for the youth football here in town, Pop Warner, you know?

So, you know, if it wasn't for him, bro, I wouldn't have started that. So, you know, if it's like you said, it's crazy how people just reach out. There's so many people affected by this addiction, uh, pandemic that's going on, you know, even if it's, you don't have to have a loved one that's affected by it. It could be a coworkers loved one.

Yup. 

And that affects your work environment. You know, it's crazy. You know, you, you, you have a mom that's just broken or a dad or a sister or brother that's broken, that's going through it. They might have two, three family members that are out on the streets. And a lot of this addiction now, it's not just like addiction of people at home.

They're lost in the streets, bro. It's even worse. I remember when I was younger, homeless people were older. 

 

Rock: You remember that? 

Booda: Yeah, I remember and they didn't look they just look like they're wearing like dirty clothes They didn't look all unmangled and everything like that. They just look like they were out in the Sun all day, 

Rock: you know now it's like Broken in spirit bro broken in spirit.

I mean it literally changes their body posture, bro They're all lean back bro or lean forward and and I've been there bro. I've been there. That's why you know I, that's why there's so much compassion for it because I know how they feel. I know exactly how they feel, bro. 

Booda: Yeah, man. Nah, dude. I mean, what a, what a blessing that, that you're here and that you're on the other end of this spectrum and you're doing fantastic.

I guess my last question for you, dog, before we end this podcast is like. What could you say to somebody out there? Like, I mean, is, is there even anything you can say to somebody to offer them hope? Well, what's a piece of advice you could give them? 

Rock: Man, do it now. Whatever you're going through, whatever addiction you're going through.

Whatever mental problems you're going through, be aware of those problems so you can start fixing them. Be aware of all those things that are bothering you. That's why for me it's so important to write a journal. Write down how you're feeling. You know, write it down and do some research. If you know, get yourself some help.

There's so many different resources out here. I'm not going to try to shove anything, any belief systems into people, but once I let go and let God, I started thriving. Man, I started thriving. I mean, I've never been so uplifted in my life. I've never been so happy while being healed. Cause when you're getting healed, there's all kinds of issues mentally, physically, whatnot.

But man, surrendering to God, following Jesus had me shining, bro. I just felt a light. You know, and I couldn't let go and I'm just getting started, you know, and a prayers to everybody going through mental illness, going through addiction, going through stress, going through anxiety. I mean, surround yourself around a community.

That's going to uplift you, that's going to be there for you, that's going to acknowledge your problems and help you through them. 

Booda: Hey man, 

Rock, this is, uh, it's been a huge honor to have you on here, man. Before we go, you know, and I'm asking you this because I just feel something in my heart is saying this, but how about you and I say a prayer, bro, for all of the listeners that are out there.

You down? 

Rock: Yeah. 

Booda: All right, man. So, you know, for anyone who's out there, if you're in your car, whatever it may be, you've got to say a prayer for all of us here at ARCast. Go ahead and bow your heads. Make sure you're not driving though. Keep your eyes open, but you know for everyone who's out there, you know, just bow your heads and you know, I just want to thank God come to you with gratitude Lord today for bringing my brother Rock here.

I'm so thankful for his transformation and for the platform that you've given my brother to be able to speak to people that are out there that are lost, God, in hopes that you could bring them back again. And I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm thankful for ARC and for everyone here, you know, that's allowed this amazing change in people's lives, God.

But you know, for those that are still out there in the streets, we ask that you comfort them, that you touch their heart, just the way like my brother Rock said, and then that you allow them to open up their heart and mind to the fact that they gotta do this now. There's no time better than right now, man, and, uh.

You know, we thank you for the blessings that you do for us on a daily basis. Just continue to watch over your soldiers out there and, and, uh, let's recruit more souls, man. Let's get more people to you. We love you. We thank you in Jesus name. We pray in Jesus name. We pray. 

Rock: Amen. 

Booda: Yes, sir. 

Rock: Thank you, brother.

Booda: Yes, absolutely. Ladies and gentlemen, man, give it up to our brother, Rock Nunez. Hey, remember one more time, ladies and gentlemen, all of you guys out there, Breaking Chains with Rock. Breaking Chains with Rock. We're going to put all of the links To everything that he's doing, his Tik TOK, social media accounts.

We're going to put everything in the show notes of this episode. Remember we can, uh, if you guys want to show some love, you can send us a text message. Feel free to send us some positive affirmations about any of the episodes that you've heard here on the podcast. And we will, uh, we'll be sure to share those messages of love and joy with, with, uh, with our guests and stuff, but until next time, man, thank you guys so much for sticking with us on a weekly basis for all of the listeners, wherever you're at.

We hope you're doing fantastic. We'd love to have you on here to share your testimony and we will definitely see you guys next week. Much love and God bless. Peace.