Excerpt from Decision Points
Since leaving office, former President George W. Bush has been living quietly in his home state of Texas and working on his highly anticipated memoir, Decision Points. In it, he outlines the most critical personal and political moves he made that defined his eight years in the White House. In this excerpt, President Bush gives readers a glimpse inside his mind during three challenging moments: his personal battle with alcohol, his path to finding faith and what he calls "the worst moment in my presidency."
Quitting DrinkingIt was a simple question. "Can you remember the last day you didn't have a drink?"
...Laura's little question provoked some big ones of my own. Did I want to spend time at home with our girls or stay out drinking? Would I rather read in bed with Laura or drink bourbon by myself after the family had gone to sleep? Could I continue to grow closer to the Almighty, or was alcohol becoming my god? I knew the answers, but it was hard to summon the will to make a change....
...I awoke the next morning with a mean hangover. As I left for my daily jog, I couldn't remember much of the night before. About halfway through the run, my head started to clear. The crosscurrents in my life came into focus. For months I had been praying that God would show me how to better reflect His will. My Scripture readings had clarified the nature of temptation and the reality that the love of earthly pleasures could replace the love of God. My problem was not only drinking; it was selfishness. The booze was leading me to put myself ahead of others, especially my family. I loved Laura and the girls too much to let that happen. Faith showed me a way out. I knew I could count on the grace of God to help me change. It would not be easy, but by the end of the run, I had made up my mind: I was done drinking.
How President Bush found his faith
Excerpted from Decision Points by George W. Bush. Copyright © 2010 George W. Bush. Reprinted by permission of Crown Publishers.
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