This episode of the Construction Disruption Podcast features an inspiring conversation with Kevin Krestinski, who openly shares his deeply personal and transformative journey out of the depths of gambling addiction to finding a new start in life through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. His story takes us through moments of vulnerability, the destructive path of addiction, and the powerful transformation inspired by a deeper connection with Jesus Christ.
Kevin's openness provides inspiration and hope, highlighting the pivotal role of faith in overcoming life-controlling behaviors. The episode also introduces Kevin's book, 'I Was Blinded,' aimed at helping others find Jesus and overcome addiction.
Timestamps
02:52 Guest Spotlight: Kevin Krestinski's Journey
04:03 Kevin's Early Life and Introduction to Gambling
07:38 The Spiral into Gambling Addiction
12:10 The Science Behind Gambling Addiction
15:22 Impact on Family and Friends
21:25 Kevin's Legal Troubles and Jail Time
28:08 Finding Redemption and a New Path
30:46 Life Behind Bars: A Personal Journey
32:52 Finding Peace and Transformation in Solitude
34:28 Rebuilding Life: The Path to Redemption
35:29 A New Chapter: Love, Support, and Marriage
37:07 The Power of Writing: Sharing a Message of Hope
38:34 Engaging with the World: The Impact of a Personal Story
41:01 Off-Topic Delights: Travel and Guacamole
42:50 Rapid Fire Questions: Insights and Laughs
53:47 Connecting with Kevin: How to Reach Out
Connect with Kevin Online
For more on Kevin's journey or to get a copy of his book, visit www.iwasblinded.com or email iwasblindedbook@gmail.com
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This episode was produced by Isaiah Industries, Inc.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Welcome to the Construction Disruption Podcast, where we
Intro:uncover the future of design, building, and remodeling.
Kevin Krestinski:Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this opportunity to
Kevin Krestinski:come to the listeners and, and share, uh, what, what God is doing in my life.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, thank you for Todd and for Ryan and for this opportunity
Kevin Krestinski:to, to get that, this message out.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, we love you.
Kevin Krestinski:Thank you for Jesus.
Kevin Krestinski:Thank you.
Kevin Krestinski:Without him, um, we have, we have no hope.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, I'm just praying that, uh, you would speak through me and
Kevin Krestinski:speak through these guys and I'm, I'm grateful for the opportunity.
Kevin Krestinski:Lord be here with us in Jesus name.
Kevin Krestinski:Amen.
Kevin Krestinski:Amen.
Todd Miller:Amen.
Todd Miller:Thank
Kevin Krestinski:you, Kevin.
Todd Miller:So, I'm Todd Miller, Visay Industries, manufacturer
Todd Miller:of specialty metal roofing and other building materials.
Todd Miller:And today, my co host here on Construction Disruption is Ryan Bell.
Todd Miller:How are you doing, Ryan?
Todd Miller:Hey, Todd, I'm doing great.
Todd Miller:How are you?
Todd Miller:I'm doing well also.
Todd Miller:So we're recording this episode, uh, I guess just about
Todd Miller:a week, uh, before Easter.
Todd Miller:It'll probably air a few weeks after Easter, but, uh, heard an
Todd Miller:interesting story the other day.
Todd Miller:Um, so, uh, we all know from the Easter story about how Joseph of Amarathea, uh,
Todd Miller:gave his tomb up for Jesus to be laid to rest in after, uh, the crucifixion.
Todd Miller:Well, um, so, folks asked him, uh, I guess in particular Pontius Pilate asked
Todd Miller:him during that time, they said, Why are you giving up your tomb for this?
Todd Miller:You've, you've paid for this.
Todd Miller:It was to be a family tomb.
Todd Miller:Why would you give that, give that up for, uh, for this man, Jesus.
Todd Miller:And, uh, Joseph, Joseph of Marathia said, Oh, it's okay, Pontius.
Todd Miller:It's only for the weekend.
Todd Miller:Okay.
Todd Miller:Let's get going.
Todd Miller:Okay.
Todd Miller:So, um, that's had me laughing all day.
Todd Miller:I had to get it out.
Todd Miller:Okay.
Todd Miller:So thank you again, listeners for tuning into Construction Disruption.
Todd Miller:Once again, in this wonderful episode here in season two, uh, we will be doing
Todd Miller:our challenge words, where each one of us, uh, on the show has been given a word
Todd Miller:that we are challenged to work into the conversation as seamlessly as possible.
Todd Miller:And, uh, so you, the listener can be listening to see if you hear,
Todd Miller:uh, us say our challenge word.
Todd Miller:And at the end of the show, uh, we will reveal our success or lack
Todd Miller:thereof on using our challenge words.
Todd Miller:So let's get the ball rolling.
Todd Miller:So every once in a while here on Construction Disruption, we sort of step
Todd Miller:outside of the construction industry.
Todd Miller:To delve into interesting stories and really real life stuff that we hope will
Todd Miller:be of interest and value to our listeners.
Todd Miller:We're doing that this episode while our spotlighted guest today does
Todd Miller:actually have some construction industry experience in his past.
Todd Miller:We're really not here to discuss that at all.
Todd Miller:Instead, we're going to dive into his personal, um, even his very
Todd Miller:painful story and talk about how he's found a new start in life.
Todd Miller:Our guest today is Kevin Krasinski from Toronto, Ontario.
Todd Miller:Um, Kevin, interestingly, is author of a new book titled, I was blinded.
Todd Miller:I was blinded.
Todd Miller:Um, just as a teaser, uh, you can, uh, order the book and
Todd Miller:you can also learn more at www.
Todd Miller:iwasblinded.
Todd Miller:com or you can email Kevin at iwasblindedbookatgmail.
Todd Miller:com and, uh, we will have those in the show notes as well.
Todd Miller:Um, but, uh, just want to get those plugs in there and we'll share them again later.
Todd Miller:But.
Todd Miller:Kevin, welcome to Construction Disruption.
Todd Miller:Uh, it's a pleasure to have you with us here today, and I really
Todd Miller:admire you for being willing to share a very personal story.
Kevin Krestinski:It's a pleasure to be here, and uh,
Kevin Krestinski:thank you Ryan, thank you Todd.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it's a, it's a great opportunity, and I'm, I'm excited.
Todd Miller:Well, before we, uh, totally spill the beans and, and talk
Todd Miller:about the impact that a particular type of addiction had on your life,
Todd Miller:um, I'd like to go back a little bit.
Todd Miller:Can you share with us a little bit about, um, your growing up years and, uh, what
Todd Miller:brought you up to the point of where your life was really spiraling out of control?
Todd Miller:Um, so just so I can go ahead and share, I'll spill the bean.
Todd Miller:The, the addiction you have dealt with is gambling.
Todd Miller:Um, tell us, you know, how, how life started for you.
Kevin Krestinski:Well, I was born at a very early age and
Kevin Krestinski:as time went on, I grew older.
Kevin Krestinski:No, I won't start with jokes.
Kevin Krestinski:That's right.
Kevin Krestinski:I, um, I'm a prairie boy.
Kevin Krestinski:I was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, um, in Canada, in, in the.
Kevin Krestinski:I guess the Midwest, and, um, my, my father, uh, 31
Kevin Krestinski:years, he worked for CP rail.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, he was, uh, a lifelong railroader that, um, he was a chief, uh, he, his
Kevin Krestinski:last position was chief engineer for the East, but he, um, he's a civil engineer
Kevin Krestinski:by schooling and my mom was a homemaker.
Kevin Krestinski:And so, uh, myself and, uh, my brother and sister.
Kevin Krestinski:And mom and dad, we moved to various places, uh, in my upbringing and I'm
Kevin Krestinski:starting, I'm starting to think now that that had an impact on me with my behavior,
Kevin Krestinski:because I never really thought about it before, but I was in 8 different schools,
Kevin Krestinski:uh, from kindergarten to grade 12.
Kevin Krestinski:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:So.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, we, Saskatoon, then we went over to Brandon near Winnipeg,
Kevin Krestinski:Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so a lot of, a lot of promotions for dad, but a lot of, you know,
Kevin Krestinski:usually in a year and a half to two years and we would, we would move on.
Kevin Krestinski:So as far as building friendships, I, I would build friends, and
Kevin Krestinski:then I'd have to say goodbye.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, so, it wasn't, um, it wasn't easy, but I, I just, I learned to live with it.
Kevin Krestinski:It was part of, uh, we finally moved to Mississauga, which is just, uh,
Kevin Krestinski:west end of Toronto in, uh, 1981.
Kevin Krestinski:And my folks were there until, um, 2016.
Kevin Krestinski:Now they're out in Calgary again.
Kevin Krestinski:But my upbringing was good.
Kevin Krestinski:I grew up in a Christian home.
Kevin Krestinski:Mom and dad, you know, right from, from an early age, I gave my life to Jesus.
Kevin Krestinski:At age five with my mom, she led me to the Lord.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, you know, I'm, I'm five years old, so I mean, there's not much really in
Kevin Krestinski:terms of my mindset of, of what God is and who Jesus was and, and, uh, and
Kevin Krestinski:then, um, you know, I got into high school, had really non eventful years
Kevin Krestinski:in high school, and then when, when I entered the university of Toronto in
Kevin Krestinski:1987, And, uh, that's about the time.
Kevin Krestinski:I think I placed my first bet, uh, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, actually, at
Kevin Krestinski:the end of my, I went to Briarcrest Bible College in Carromport, and, uh,
Kevin Krestinski:at the end of my, uh, second year.
Kevin Krestinski:I went to the Moose Jaw Mall, and I played a lotto ticket for lotto 649 in Canada.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, and I think that was my first bet.
Kevin Krestinski:I, uh, my earliest remember, uh, memory of a bet.
Kevin Krestinski:And then, um, but it was 87 when I got to Toronto and I, I entered university for my
Kevin Krestinski:first year that I kind of spread my wings.
Kevin Krestinski:And then for the next 33 years, I just lived for myself.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, Lots of stuff happened.
Todd Miller:Very interesting story.
Todd Miller:Well, so, you know, as you, you know, you say, you know, you place that
Todd Miller:that first bet on the lottery lottery.
Todd Miller:Um, how long had you kind of started down that path before it started to
Todd Miller:kind of nag at you that, you know, maybe this was something you couldn't
Todd Miller:control was did, you know, immediately and just Keep going forward or
Kevin Krestinski:no, I, I didn't know immediately, but, but I mean,
Kevin Krestinski:the, the bet at the, the, the lottery kiosk in, in 86, um, was.
Kevin Krestinski:That really wasn't the start of my gambling.
Kevin Krestinski:I, I met a guy, I met a guy, uh, I worked, uh, my very first job, full time job
Kevin Krestinski:was working the front desk of a hotel in Mississauga, uh, the Novotel brand.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, and we, it was a brand new hotel we had just opened.
Kevin Krestinski:And so I was the first desk crew on there and I would just check
Kevin Krestinski:people in, check people out.
Kevin Krestinski:That was my job.
Kevin Krestinski:Worked there about a year and a half.
Kevin Krestinski:And there was a guy that, that headed up my security department
Kevin Krestinski:there, or our security department.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, his name was Kevin as well.
Kevin Krestinski:And he, um, He came, he kept coming to work with this big binder.
Kevin Krestinski:And I said to him one day, I said, what, what is in that binder?
Kevin Krestinski:He had it with him everywhere.
Kevin Krestinski:Like almost like a Bible, but it wasn't a Bible.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so he, he showed me that it was his handicapping,
Kevin Krestinski:um, sheets from the racetrack.
Kevin Krestinski:And so we have, um, an international racetrack in Toronto called Woodbine.
Kevin Krestinski:And it's been around for a long time.
Kevin Krestinski:The Breeders Cup has been there and, and, uh, they've had some significant
Kevin Krestinski:Queen's plate, some significant races.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, so he said, he kind of showed me this book and I, I, I thought to
Kevin Krestinski:myself, it's kind of interesting, you know, I, you, you're betting
Kevin Krestinski:on, on, on past races of horses.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, anything can happen, but, um, so I said, can I come with you?
Kevin Krestinski:And he said, well, I'm going on Saturday and I went with him and I made 40.
Kevin Krestinski:And it was easy money.
Kevin Krestinski:I was 21 years old and I thought, well, if I could go there, you know, say
Kevin Krestinski:after work or before work or whatever, depending on my shift and I could make.
Kevin Krestinski:You know, 40, 50, 60 a day.
Kevin Krestinski:It's a nice little supplemental income, but as we all know, it
Kevin Krestinski:doesn't happen every day like that.
Kevin Krestinski:And I mean, it's laughable now that 40 was what set me off, but I truly believe that
Kevin Krestinski:that first day I was hooked, um, it gave me some sort of pleasure or rush and as
Kevin Krestinski:we get into kind of the, the science of gambling and dopamine and the brain and
Kevin Krestinski:how it's affected, um, it makes sense.
Kevin Krestinski:I found something that I loved.
Kevin Krestinski:And and I loved it right away.
Kevin Krestinski:And so when it started becoming a problem was when, um, in 1991, I
Kevin Krestinski:declared bankruptcy and that was after repeated, repeated losses.
Kevin Krestinski:I had good credit.
Kevin Krestinski:Until about 1990, I had, I had probably every card that was available to
Kevin Krestinski:me, you know, with American Express.
Kevin Krestinski:I think I had 4 different cards.
Kevin Krestinski:I had all these things and I would fly to Las Vegas because we
Kevin Krestinski:didn't have a casino in Ontario.
Kevin Krestinski:We had, um, the racetrack, which was my 1st exposure.
Kevin Krestinski:But I wanted faster action.
Kevin Krestinski:So I went to Las Vegas and I and as soon as I got there, it was my playground.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, so I, I, I would, I got, I became a member of this last minute club
Kevin Krestinski:and you could the night before you could, um, book your flight and for
Kevin Krestinski:cheap, you know, 399, 349 for 4 days.
Kevin Krestinski:And that included hotel and, and, uh, your flight from Toronto, Las Vegas.
Kevin Krestinski:So.
Kevin Krestinski:I did it and I did it many times and I would go there and I'd get, you know,
Kevin Krestinski:you know, they, they'd really give it to me and then, and then I'd come home
Kevin Krestinski:and, uh, and, and I, I would start again, you know, so, um, but 1991, my
Kevin Krestinski:debts, I had good credit, but my debts kept mounting, mounting, mounting.
Kevin Krestinski:And we got to a point where I, um, I got, um, into a lot of financial trouble.
Kevin Krestinski:And so I had to declare bankruptcy in 91.
Kevin Krestinski:That was the first time that I, that I had a problem, that
Kevin Krestinski:I knew I had a serious problem.
Todd Miller:You would have been what, about 25 at that time, I guess?
Kevin Krestinski:I was born in 66.
Kevin Krestinski:So I was, uh, I was.
Kevin Krestinski:23 going on 24, 24, 25.
Todd Miller:Yeah.
Todd Miller:Okay.
Todd Miller:Pretty young.
Todd Miller:So, yeah, I, I kind of, well, tell us a little bit about,
Todd Miller:you kind of touched on it.
Todd Miller:Tell us a little bit about the science of gambling addiction and, you know,
Todd Miller:that dopamine hit and everything.
Todd Miller:I'm just kind of curious.
Kevin Krestinski:I've done a lot of homework, uh, obviously in, in, in, in the
Kevin Krestinski:last, last few years, but even when I was going through what I was going through.
Kevin Krestinski:So what happens is gambling actually is as, as addictive.
Kevin Krestinski:It's one, it's, it's in terms of, uh, mental illness.
Kevin Krestinski:And in terms of suicide rate, I think gambling is, is, is right at the top.
Kevin Krestinski:I think it's, it's more so than drugs and alcohol, um, what gambling does.
Kevin Krestinski:And it, and it did it for me.
Kevin Krestinski:It's, it was like cocaine.
Kevin Krestinski:It was like, um, An absolute blast.
Kevin Krestinski:Like I've never done cocaine.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but from, from what I've heard, um, it, it hits your, it
Kevin Krestinski:hits your brain and then you're, you're always going after that high
Todd Miller:again,
Kevin Krestinski:the frontal part of the, the, the, the brain
Kevin Krestinski:is the pleasure, pleasure center, pleasure, um, area and dopamine.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it's created in the body when you are pleasured in that area.
Kevin Krestinski:So every time, and then it got to the point, so I, I, I gambled on everything.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, I, one time I was even gambling on the internet.
Kevin Krestinski:I couldn't watch the race, but it was in Australia.
Kevin Krestinski:And all I was doing was refreshing my browser to see if I won or not.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean that you're at a very sick point when you're doing that.
Kevin Krestinski:And I'm spending real money.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but I am, uh, I'm, I'm, you know, I can't even, even watch the races,
Kevin Krestinski:so, um, but what I just had to gamble, like, it, it, the feeling that I got,
Kevin Krestinski:so I realized it's not about the money.
Kevin Krestinski:It's not about, you know, some people think I, I heard lots of time growing up.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, you know, it, it's greed, it's, you know, you wanna, you wanna get
Kevin Krestinski:the big score and stuff like that.
Kevin Krestinski:I actually just wanted longevity in, in terms of my gambling, in
Kevin Krestinski:terms of my plane, because I mean, if I could stay there all day.
Kevin Krestinski:It was pleasurable for me.
Kevin Krestinski:If I, you know, um, lost my shirt in the first hour, then I had a miserable day.
Kevin Krestinski:So then, but of course, tomorrow is always a new day.
Kevin Krestinski:So I'd figure out how to, how to get back there tomorrow.
Kevin Krestinski:But what, what it does is it just with the slot machines, slot
Kevin Krestinski:machines were never my thing.
Kevin Krestinski:I didn't like the three real slots.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but now they're multi level games where you can have.
Kevin Krestinski:Up to, I think, a thousand and twenty eight combinations with, with, with multi,
Kevin Krestinski:multi reels and multi levels and all that.
Kevin Krestinski:So every time I hit that button, because they're, they're no longer the, the
Kevin Krestinski:one armed bandits, every time you hit the button, it would give me that.
Kevin Krestinski:That, that dopamine effect, the anticipation of, of a progressive
Kevin Krestinski:or the anticipation of the next bet would be my high.
Kevin Krestinski:And I would do that over and over and over like a, like a monkey, you know,
Kevin Krestinski:just, just over and over and over.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, and I trained myself that way just from repeated.
Kevin Krestinski:Going to the casinos and and doing damage.
Kevin Krestinski:Wow.
Todd Miller:I'm curious.
Todd Miller:What did that look like as far as family and friends during these real dark times?
Todd Miller:I mean, did did they stick by?
Todd Miller:Did they know what was going on?
Todd Miller:Or did some folks say, Hey, you change or I I can't continue to hang with you.
Todd Miller:And, and let me, let me ask another question, Kevin.
Todd Miller:What do you wish they would have done?
Kevin Krestinski:I, I did my gambling in secret.
Todd Miller:Okay.
Kevin Krestinski:I never took, I never took friends with me to go do it.
Kevin Krestinski:It wasn't a social event.
Kevin Krestinski:Although, although the casinos were packed with people.
Todd Miller:Mm hmm.
Kevin Krestinski:And Vegas was packed with people.
Kevin Krestinski:And I met people and I talked, I spoke with people.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it was, it was a very alone event all the time.
Kevin Krestinski:I know now that it was my insecurity and the way that the casinos and the
Kevin Krestinski:VIP hosts, and I mean, I got to a level where, where everything was free.
Kevin Krestinski:So.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and that was in, in 2018 was my, was my peak year in terms of gambling,
Kevin Krestinski:um, losses and also some wins.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and it, it got so out of control that I consider them to be predators, to
Kevin Krestinski:be quite honest, to, to prey on people who are, who are like me, who without
Kevin Krestinski:Jesus can't stop, I couldn't stop.
Kevin Krestinski:So, uh, But getting back to your question in terms of like family and friends, my,
Kevin Krestinski:my parents, I lived at home into the 90s and then I left and then I came back and I
Kevin Krestinski:was kind of a, you know, constant drop in.
Kevin Krestinski:But, um, my parents knew it was starting to escalate around
Kevin Krestinski:1990 just before my bankruptcy.
Kevin Krestinski:They, uh, I came home from Vegas once with a lot of cash and I, and I was.
Kevin Krestinski:I showed them and I was very, you know, look what I did type thing.
Kevin Krestinski:And I remember my dad looking at me and just kind of a half smile, you know,
Kevin Krestinski:like he, he thought, oh, that's good, but we're not really happy for you.
Kevin Krestinski:Right.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, so that, that was, I, I started seeing stuff like that.
Kevin Krestinski:I didn't really have friends drop off, although, uh, I, Like, not
Kevin Krestinski:while we were friends, but I have had friends that have completely, um,
Kevin Krestinski:we don't have any contact anymore.
Kevin Krestinski:Even I have 1 guy that was in my wedding party that we don't speak anymore.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and that's, uh, that's primarily because of Jesus.
Kevin Krestinski:He's not interested in him, but, but he, um.
Kevin Krestinski:We, you know, 30 year friendship gone, you know, so, um, but in terms of, uh,
Kevin Krestinski:and how, and what I wish they would have done, it's hard because when you're,
Kevin Krestinski:when you're doing what you're doing and when I'm, when I'm gambling, um,
Kevin Krestinski:I don't really want any interference.
Kevin Krestinski:I wanted to continue my behavior and it was because I was like, you can
Kevin Krestinski:only be a slave to one thing you, you cannot, you cannot, um, I mean,
Kevin Krestinski:Jesus obviously has changed my life.
Kevin Krestinski:But you, in those days, in the nineties.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, you're either focused on maybe career or school or, you know, a girlfriend
Kevin Krestinski:or, or whatever you, you're involved in.
Kevin Krestinski:Or, you're completely committed to gambling, in my case.
Kevin Krestinski:So, it was, it was total.
Kevin Krestinski:It was 100%.
Kevin Krestinski:I just, I, I did it, like, if I was to get a grade on my enthusiasm and my,
Kevin Krestinski:my willingness to, to do a behavior, I would get an A plus in gambling.
Todd Miller:Hmm.
Todd Miller:Yeah.
Todd Miller:Not what you want an A plus in, but I hear you.
Kevin Krestinski:No, no.
Kevin Krestinski:And, you know, people, I mean, just to tag onto that, you know, people can go
Kevin Krestinski:and they, you know, they get some people win large amounts and then they leave and
Kevin Krestinski:they never come back, you know, and they don't have, they don't have what I had.
Kevin Krestinski:And, and, you know, you, you spoke earlier.
Kevin Krestinski:I want to say one thing.
Kevin Krestinski:You spoke earlier about addictions.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, I, I try not to use that word.
Kevin Krestinski:And I'll tell you why, because we, and it's nothing against
Kevin Krestinski:what you said or anything.
Kevin Krestinski:It's, it's what the world describes as an addiction.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it gives it power.
Kevin Krestinski:And, and I'll tell you, um, I've gone to a lot of 12 step means.
Kevin Krestinski:I've probably gone to a thousand of them, uh, over the course of my, my,
Kevin Krestinski:um, my gambling and then, and then in the last five years, I've been, I've
Kevin Krestinski:been, uh, absent, but, um, addiction to me, when you give it, give it power.
Kevin Krestinski:It, it's, it, it becomes like, I've heard people say that it's a disease.
Kevin Krestinski:I can't do anything about it.
Kevin Krestinski:So, so I just have to basically find some help.
Kevin Krestinski:That's going to manage my gambling.
Kevin Krestinski:Like, like, um, in Toronto, they have a big center.
Kevin Krestinski:I won't name it, but it's a big center for addiction control
Kevin Krestinski:downtown in Toronto, and they don't, they don't teach you abstinence.
Kevin Krestinski:They teach you, um, Maybe removing the problem part of the gambling, but you
Kevin Krestinski:can still do other things, you know, like if my thing is slots or my thing is
Kevin Krestinski:the racetrack, you know, bingo is fine.
Kevin Krestinski:Playing lottery is fine.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, you know, whatever, whatever it is, you can do those other things, but, but
Kevin Krestinski:you just can't do slot machines, you know?
Kevin Krestinski:So to me, that's, to me, it has to be total abstinence.
Kevin Krestinski:And, and I, um, I don't like calling it a disease because I, I, we do have a choice.
Kevin Krestinski:There is a choice.
Kevin Krestinski:The choice was for me, and I'll get into my redemption story later, but
Kevin Krestinski:my choice for me was when, when Jesus changed my heart, and then I chose him.
Kevin Krestinski:So my posture changed.
Kevin Krestinski:So instead of being a slave to gambling, I'm not a slave to Jesus.
Kevin Krestinski:I'm, I'm coming freely, but He is my focus.
Todd Miller:Very good.
Todd Miller:Well, I, I mean, I know that you had some awfully dark times in the midst of that,
Todd Miller:including doing some time in prison.
Todd Miller:Um, anything out of all that you'd like to share with us?
Kevin Krestinski:Well, the first thing I'll say is prison is horrible.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, every single day is, is terrifying and horrible.
Kevin Krestinski:I've been in a few jails, um, small sentences, you know, like I, in my book,
Kevin Krestinski:I talk about, you know, I, I kited checks, you know, I, I, I needed money to gamble
Kevin Krestinski:with, I, I don't want to give, give all the secrets of the book, but I, um, I
Kevin Krestinski:did a lot of little things that I got in trouble for and once, my very first time
Kevin Krestinski:that I was ever arrested was in Las Vegas.
Kevin Krestinski:I, um, I had a little bit too much to drink and, and I, and I, I tried to get
Kevin Krestinski:some money out of one of the kiosks.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and of course there's 50, 000 cameras in the Mirage hotel and they were
Kevin Krestinski:watching every move that I was making.
Kevin Krestinski:And I thought I was so clever because I had had a whole pitcher
Kevin Krestinski:of Long Island iced tea to myself.
Kevin Krestinski:And I was just going from stool to stool, watching these little kiosks.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and then I got really brave with my alcohol.
Kevin Krestinski:And I just thought, I'm just going to try and open one.
Kevin Krestinski:What I didn't know is that they, um, they left it open.
Kevin Krestinski:And they put some money in there that they had marked.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, within, uh, within three seconds of me lifting that, that, uh, that desk.
Kevin Krestinski:I had three armed guys on my arms that took me into the heart of
Kevin Krestinski:the, the casino, the garage and, um, and then the police came, um,
Kevin Krestinski:and that was my very first arrest.
Kevin Krestinski:That was in 1993.
Kevin Krestinski:I was, um, it was July.
Kevin Krestinski:So I, I would have been 25 going on 26.
Kevin Krestinski:or 26 going on 27.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and so, uh, I mean, I was old enough to know better, but
Kevin Krestinski:I was, I was just so messed up.
Kevin Krestinski:And, and I remember, I remember after my arrest, you know,
Kevin Krestinski:they, so they, they lock you up.
Kevin Krestinski:And then the difference is that I'm, I'm a Canadian citizen.
Kevin Krestinski:So, so, and I'm on vacation and, and, uh, what they normally do
Kevin Krestinski:in the States is they allow you to bail yourself out with 10%.
Kevin Krestinski:My bail was set at 3, 000, but because I was from Canada, they needed the whole
Kevin Krestinski:amount, and they have bail bondsmen there that will help you, but they also have
Kevin Krestinski:what's called a nine day kick out rule.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so you will see a judge within nine days, if you don't see a
Kevin Krestinski:judge within nine days of your arrest, they will, um, they'll release you.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, so sometimes they don't have enough to charge you or whatever.
Kevin Krestinski:So they, they have, they have a bit of urgency to get a, to get the charges in.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so sure enough on day nine, They called my name and I went to
Kevin Krestinski:see in front of a judge and they were going to hold me over another
Kevin Krestinski:two weeks for a preliminary trial.
Kevin Krestinski:I had, I had been able to, I couldn't call my dad because, um, it was the pay
Kevin Krestinski:phones only, um, could accept collect calls to people in the United States.
Kevin Krestinski:So, and we didn't have cell phones back there.
Kevin Krestinski:And even now you can't do a collect call to a cell phone.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, I was stuck.
Kevin Krestinski:So what I did is I, I wrote a note to the sergeant in the jail.
Kevin Krestinski:It was Clark County Detention Center that I was at, uh, right in Las Vegas.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, I mean, they don't mess around.
Kevin Krestinski:That's, that's a big jail and they've had a lot of, a lot of stuff happened
Kevin Krestinski:in Vegas, but, um, they, I got a message back that the sergeant wanted to see
Kevin Krestinski:me three days after I was arrested.
Kevin Krestinski:And he said, if you want to call your dad, you can use my phone.
Kevin Krestinski:So I went into his office, he closed the door and I was able to call my dad.
Kevin Krestinski:Now they hadn't heard from me.
Kevin Krestinski:And so he said, what's going on?
Kevin Krestinski:And I lied to him.
Kevin Krestinski:I said that I was arrested and, um, I was innocent, you know, and nothing
Kevin Krestinski:I did and, you know, playing the part and, and not, not really being truthful.
Kevin Krestinski:And so.
Kevin Krestinski:Dad said, what's, what's the next steps?
Kevin Krestinski:And I said, well, they're going to, they're going to see me before nine days.
Kevin Krestinski:So why don't I just see if they see me tomorrow or the next day or whatever, if
Kevin Krestinski:not, I'll get, and so on the ninth day, then I, I called him when I got my, um,
Kevin Krestinski:the order from the, the judge that I'd have a preliminary trial in two weeks.
Kevin Krestinski:I said, I got to get out of here.
Kevin Krestinski:So I called dad and he, he wired some money to, uh, To the bail bondsman and
Kevin Krestinski:within an hour, I was out and, um, it was an expensive trip, um, because with,
Kevin Krestinski:with the fees and everything, and then the exchange rate and, uh, and then I
Kevin Krestinski:couldn't get a flight back for 3 days.
Kevin Krestinski:They had no more flights to Toronto.
Kevin Krestinski:Those were the days that didn't go every day.
Kevin Krestinski:So they were junkets.
Kevin Krestinski:Right?
Kevin Krestinski:So I couldn't get a flight for 3 more days.
Kevin Krestinski:So I thought, what am I going to do?
Kevin Krestinski:So I thought I might as well start gambling again.
Kevin Krestinski:And it started all up again.
Kevin Krestinski:So I never learned my lesson until.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, till 2020 was when my heart changed, but, uh, I had to anyways,
Kevin Krestinski:get into, I was talking about the jail.
Kevin Krestinski:So that was my first time I did a few weekends in Toronto.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, I'd spend a, you know, a night in the holding cells or whatever,
Kevin Krestinski:but I also did 30 days and 90 days at weekends, but in, um, 2002.
Kevin Krestinski:That's what I was saying.
Kevin Krestinski:One day is terrifying.
Kevin Krestinski:I was sentenced to, um, to 15 months, which was 457 days.
Kevin Krestinski:So that's, that's a pretty good stretch.
Kevin Krestinski:And I, uh, I remember feeling completely defeated.
Kevin Krestinski:Even that didn't, didn't stop me because I continued on my gambling until 18.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, And then, because of what happened in, in 17 and 18, 2017, 18,
Kevin Krestinski:um, I had, even though I'd stopped, my last bet was January 19th of 2019.
Kevin Krestinski:So, I'm over 5 years now, but, um, there were still consequences to my actions.
Kevin Krestinski:So, on December 3rd of 19, I was sentenced to 6 months in Ontario here, and I
Kevin Krestinski:had to, uh, of that, you do 2 3rds.
Kevin Krestinski:So, I had to do 4 months, and I went up to the Supermax in Penetanguishene.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, which is north of Toronto and again, it was absolutely horrible
Kevin Krestinski:and it was also, um, 18 years later and I'm 53 years old at that time.
Kevin Krestinski:I'm 57 now, but I was 53 and 60 pounds heavier than I was in 2002
Kevin Krestinski:and it's tough enough to do jail.
Kevin Krestinski:But when you have those type of conditions.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it's, it's, it's, it's horrible.
Kevin Krestinski:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:So.
Todd Miller:Well, good news is there is a redemption story here that you've
Todd Miller:already led to, and you talked about how, um, a significant part of your story is,
Todd Miller:you know, developing that intimate life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Todd Miller:Um.
Todd Miller:Yeah.
Todd Miller:Kind of curious, how did, was that the answer to being able to stop gambling?
Todd Miller:Or, um, did you also find help you mentioned in some 12 step programs?
Todd Miller:Um, tell us a little bit about what that redemption story looked like
Kevin Krestinski:for you.
Kevin Krestinski:It wasn't jail that stopped me.
Kevin Krestinski:Although I was, I was in my cell when, when, when the Holy
Kevin Krestinski:Spirit changed my heart, which is an amazing story in itself.
Kevin Krestinski:And I did go to residential, I went to residential treatment twice.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it's, it's a 30 day program that they had abbreviated to 21 days.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, just for time restraints, I went once in 2006 and then I went again in 2013.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and it's, uh, it, but it's a secular based, uh, recovery based on, based on the
Kevin Krestinski:science and the facts and, and abstinence.
Kevin Krestinski:And I mean, there were some helpful, helpful tips there.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but it didn't ultimately stop me from gambling.
Kevin Krestinski:I, I left the second time and, uh, and I abstained for a little
Kevin Krestinski:bit, but within about five to six months, I was back at it again.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, I needed a heart change.
Kevin Krestinski:That, that is, That is the only way, you know, even I'm involved in a group
Kevin Krestinski:called Overcomers Now, and we, we discuss, you know, our issues and we share with
Kevin Krestinski:others and, and I've shared that, um, the only way to be successful in any life
Kevin Krestinski:controlling behavior, that's what we call it, um, is, is to have a heart change.
Kevin Krestinski:There, there is no.
Kevin Krestinski:There's no other way.
Kevin Krestinski:And so my story is that, you know, even going to jail for 15 months in 2002,
Kevin Krestinski:that wasn't a deterrent and I still wanted to gamble and I still loved it.
Kevin Krestinski:And I still wanted to do it.
Kevin Krestinski:And then I had consequences, like I said, from 17 and 18, I turned myself
Kevin Krestinski:into Niagara police and, uh, and, and even actually I emailed her yesterday.
Kevin Krestinski:And I shared my book with her and, uh, she was really proud of me.
Todd Miller:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:So I bet.
Todd Miller:Awesome.
Kevin Krestinski:But it's, it's, it's, um, well, what happened, what happened
Kevin Krestinski:with my, my change of heart was that.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, in, in, um, in 2020, I, uh, I was released on April 2nd of 2020,
Kevin Krestinski:and it's right when COVID hit.
Kevin Krestinski:Sometimes you have a cellmate, sometimes you don't.
Kevin Krestinski:And of the 121 days that I did a Pen a Tang, that was my actual
Kevin Krestinski:time, I did, I was sentenced to 6 months, but I did 4 months.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, 86 of those days, I was alone.
Kevin Krestinski:In my cell, which is an absolute blessing because the range the range is basically
Kevin Krestinski:where all the guys hang out all day.
Kevin Krestinski:They lock you out into the range.
Kevin Krestinski:They close your door.
Kevin Krestinski:Like, you lock your door and you can't get back into your room until I call
Kevin Krestinski:it a room, but into your cell until, um, until they open it up at 6 about
Kevin Krestinski:10 after 6 at night after we eat.
Kevin Krestinski:And then it's locked down and we go in ourself.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um.
Kevin Krestinski:And then finally you have peace.
Kevin Krestinski:Like it's so noisy and the TV is loud and it's all day long.
Kevin Krestinski:Guys play cards.
Kevin Krestinski:And I mean, I sat on this concrete bench.
Kevin Krestinski:I called it the bus stop and it's in my book, but, but the bus never came.
Kevin Krestinski:That's the joke.
Kevin Krestinski:There's no bus, but I sat there for 1200 hours, 10 hours a day for 120 days.
Kevin Krestinski:And I sometimes would read sometimes would just, it's, it's, it's,
Kevin Krestinski:it's, it's, Because it's so scary in jail, you keep your back to the
Kevin Krestinski:wall because you want to see what's, what's in front of you, because then
Kevin Krestinski:you're not surprised by anything.
Kevin Krestinski:And I mean, I saw horrific stuff in jail.
Kevin Krestinski:I won't go into detail here, but I, I, um, I was witnessing, I was a
Kevin Krestinski:witness to many things that happened that, That are, are, are terrible
Kevin Krestinski:and, um, and that's Jail Life.
Kevin Krestinski:It's, you think, you know, uh, the Seinfeld show, uh, George Costanza
Kevin Krestinski:and, and, and he calls it Bizarre World where, where everything is,
Kevin Krestinski:when he changed course and he, and everything that he used to do, he didn't
Kevin Krestinski:do, but he did the exact opposite.
Kevin Krestinski:Everything turned out for him and it's a hilarious episode, but.
Kevin Krestinski:Jail is like that.
Kevin Krestinski:It's a bizarre world.
Kevin Krestinski:It is complete opposite where you have decency.
Kevin Krestinski:There's no decency where you have a respect.
Kevin Krestinski:There's no respect.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it's, it's, uh, it's a completely opposite world and it's not like anything
Kevin Krestinski:you've known unless you've been to jail.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, and I had prayed in my life, I would say in the last two
Kevin Krestinski:decades, 20 years that even though I was enjoying gambling, I saw
Kevin Krestinski:the consequences of my gambling.
Kevin Krestinski:And I had asked.
Kevin Krestinski:The Lord in my prayer time, which was not like my prayer time today,
Kevin Krestinski:but, um, I would ask him for total deliverance from my illness.
Kevin Krestinski:And I had heard that people had been miraculously, um, cured or saved or
Kevin Krestinski:delivered from alcoholism or drugs or sex or whatever, whatever their deal is.
Kevin Krestinski:But why, why wouldn't it, why can't it happen for me?
Kevin Krestinski:You know, and, and so I prayed on that and, and nothing ever changed.
Kevin Krestinski:But you know what I've realized now is that God wanted to see my heart
Kevin Krestinski:change and wanted to see a willingness to do what he wants me to do.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, And then he did exactly that.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, sometime, I don't even know the exact day, because days
Kevin Krestinski:run into each other when you're inside, I call it, or in jail.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but it was sometime in late February, early March.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, I'll try and say this without becoming emotional, but,
Kevin Krestinski:um, I sang audibly the song Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here.
Kevin Krestinski:And he, and I was alone in my cell, cell number 16, he changed my heart.
Kevin Krestinski:And do you know that I have not had one urge to gamble since that day.
Kevin Krestinski:And, and, and of course, you know, you get out of jail and you, you, um, you
Kevin Krestinski:know, you have things, housekeeping things you have, you have to clean
Kevin Krestinski:up your life, like total destruction.
Kevin Krestinski:Right.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, we, we, we spoke last night on Overcomers about foundations.
Kevin Krestinski:And there's a couple of guys that are construction guys in our group, and they
Kevin Krestinski:were talking about, you know, making a foundation and, you know, once once
Kevin Krestinski:the corners and once if they're bad, the whole fund, the whole building
Kevin Krestinski:structure is going to be is going to fail.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, so how do you build.
Kevin Krestinski:A proper home that's going to last and basically that's a good metaphor for my
Kevin Krestinski:life is that God had to destroy the house that I had built and then he gave me his
Kevin Krestinski:foundation and now I'm building from that.
Kevin Krestinski:So probably, um, from, from, uh, 2020, when I was released until maybe
Kevin Krestinski:2022, I was kind of in cleanup mode.
Kevin Krestinski:You know, like, uh, Matt, I came home, my beautiful wife, Lisa.
Kevin Krestinski:She, she has supported me the entire time, but, um, we had, we had big bills.
Kevin Krestinski:We had lots of things.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, she was alone.
Kevin Krestinski:I couldn't even call her from jail because we only have cell phones.
Kevin Krestinski:So I, I didn't have one call to her in four months.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and, uh, and it was total separation and she came to visit me three times.
Kevin Krestinski:She would drive up to Penatang.
Kevin Krestinski:It would take her about three hours and it was during the
Kevin Krestinski:winter, there was two feet of snow.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, it was, it was a real effort for her to do that, but she has stuck with me.
Kevin Krestinski:Many women would have, would have bailed on me.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, and we've been married, this summer will be 14 years.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and I, we got married in 2010.
Kevin Krestinski:So I met her on the internet.
Kevin Krestinski:I, um, we, we had a few messages and, uh, I met her, she's a school teacher and,
Kevin Krestinski:uh, I would have never met her otherwise.
Kevin Krestinski:I lived in Toronto.
Kevin Krestinski:She lived in, she grew up in the Niagara area and, uh, we met online and we
Kevin Krestinski:met at Starbucks and, um, the rest is history, but she's, she's stuck with me.
Kevin Krestinski:I'm sure she thought many times, you know, can I handle this?
Kevin Krestinski:You know, maybe I should.
Kevin Krestinski:should separate from him.
Kevin Krestinski:Maybe not divorce, but maybe separate, you know, until he gets his act together.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, uh, it's, she's been my always, and that's what I wrote in the book.
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, so that was my, my moment.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, God completely changed my heart.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, in the last two years, now I'm getting involved.
Kevin Krestinski:And then with the book, October 23rd, I couldn't sleep and I'm lying in bed.
Kevin Krestinski:And I, I literally feel a shoulder tap and, and I heard the voice start writing.
Todd Miller:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:And in 12 days, I wrote a cover to cover and it, it, it
Kevin Krestinski:flowed into my, I wrote it on my iPhone and then I transferred it to Microsoft
Kevin Krestinski:word, but, um, little snippets here and there, you know, they just putting
Kevin Krestinski:it together and I wrote constantly for 12 days and the book was done.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so now it's been published.
Kevin Krestinski:It was, it was released on March the 1st.
Kevin Krestinski:The books finally arrived.
Kevin Krestinski:On the 20th, and, uh, and I've been asked by the publisher, shout out to
Kevin Krestinski:Kim and, and, uh, Helia Publishing.
Kevin Krestinski:They've been great.
Kevin Krestinski:They've asked me to write a second book, which is a devotional, and,
Kevin Krestinski:um, and, and they said, well, we'll look after it, you know, but
Kevin Krestinski:writing a book isn't, isn't free.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and so, uh, Lisa and I, it was our, it was our love offering, um, Um, to
Kevin Krestinski:write the first book to, to, to the Lord.
Kevin Krestinski:But, um, but, but Ahelia has said, we'll, we'll look after it.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, so now I'm, I'm on day 21 of a 32 day devotional and it's almost
Kevin Krestinski:written and it'll be released in May.
Todd Miller:Wow.
Todd Miller:That's an awesome story as well.
Todd Miller:Fantastic.
Todd Miller:Well, so, so you've written the book and as you mentioned, it just got published
Todd Miller:and, uh, and folks scores can buy it.
Todd Miller:I've, I've got my copy, I think, on, on its way to me right now.
Todd Miller:Um, the book is called, I was blinded.
Todd Miller:Um, what do you hope to the impact of that book is, uh, who,
Todd Miller:who would you like to read it?
Todd Miller:Um, what, what do you hope it, what do you hope it accomplishes?
Kevin Krestinski:It's, it's, it's been really fun, um, seeing where.
Kevin Krestinski:Where it's, it's, it's winding up.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, I, I do internet searches before I go to bed at night and, uh, and I
Kevin Krestinski:looked a couple of days ago and it was in Australia and it was in Singapore.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, it's not about money, uh, you know, like I said, it's, it was
Kevin Krestinski:a, it's a love offering, but I, I want, if I can help one person to
Kevin Krestinski:find Jesus, that's what I want to do.
Todd Miller:Yeah.
Todd Miller:So, so your goal with it really is to help people find Jesus, not so much to
Todd Miller:help them out of, out of, uh, gambling or, or whatever it is that is consuming.
Todd Miller:I
Kevin Krestinski:think, honestly, I think my, my book can help.
Kevin Krestinski:People with any life controlling behavior.
Kevin Krestinski:Okay.
Kevin Krestinski:It doesn't have to be gambling I mean my experiences that I write
Kevin Krestinski:in the book are gambling because that's all I knew for I did it for
Kevin Krestinski:33 years That's that's that's a lot.
Kevin Krestinski:You know, that's some of these young kids They're not even 33 yet that
Kevin Krestinski:that was a long time for me to do that And I like I said, I did it a plus.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean I gave it I gave it full bore.
Kevin Krestinski:So But, but I think it can help whether, whether it's drink or drugs
Kevin Krestinski:or, or sex or shopping or anything that takes your eyes off the Lord.
Kevin Krestinski:Um is a life controlling behavior and and and many people don't know
Kevin Krestinski:the lord But what i'm trying to share on this is that he's worth it.
Kevin Krestinski:He's alive.
Kevin Krestinski:Like we're gonna celebrate easter He's alive.
Kevin Krestinski:Amen.
Kevin Krestinski:He changed my life.
Todd Miller:Amen.
Todd Miller:Good stuff.
Todd Miller:Kevin.
Todd Miller:Um Wow, that is quite the personal story to tell and very emotional
Todd Miller:for everyone listening to it.
Todd Miller:That's for sure.
Todd Miller:Um, you know, we've covered a lot here.
Todd Miller:Uh, is there anything, um, that we haven't covered yet, uh, that you'd like to share?
Todd Miller:You know, maybe what's your favorite skin moisturizer is or something.
Todd Miller:I don't know.
Todd Miller:Is there anything you'd like to share here that you haven't built a cover yet?
Kevin Krestinski:You know, it's funny you say that because probably
Kevin Krestinski:20, 25 years ago, when I was younger, I used to get involved in some of
Kevin Krestinski:the skin creams and stuff like that.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, I've never really worked hard labor, so I've been blessed
Kevin Krestinski:with, uh, with good skin, but I, um.
Kevin Krestinski:It's funny you mentioned that, but one thing that I love to do, this is
Kevin Krestinski:just totally off topic, is I love to travel and, uh, and, and probably since
Kevin Krestinski:we've been married, I've gone to the Mayan with my wife, uh, 8 or 9 times,
Kevin Krestinski:we usually go, we fly into Cancun and then we're either in Acomel or, um,
Kevin Krestinski:Or close to, to Cancun, Moon Palace.
Kevin Krestinski:It was, it was, uh, my parents are members of Palace.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, one thing I love there though, they, they always bring the guacamole
Kevin Krestinski:and chips, and it's constant.
Kevin Krestinski:And my wife absolutely Loves it.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and I got to be quite a fan.
Kevin Krestinski:They make really good guac there.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, but, but that's, that's more of, um, and then we recently, we just, uh, two
Kevin Krestinski:months ago, my mom and dad are celebrating 60 years of marriage this year.
Kevin Krestinski:And so dad said, why don't you come down to Punta Cana?
Kevin Krestinski:And I'd never been to Dominican.
Kevin Krestinski:So, so we went, uh, in January and Lisa was able to get some time off
Kevin Krestinski:and, uh, We spent a week at the hard rock and it was, we had to slum it
Kevin Krestinski:for, it was, it was absolutely gorgeous resort and, um, and it was a good time.
Todd Miller:Good for you.
Todd Miller:Good for
Kevin Krestinski:you.
Todd Miller:Well, thank you again.
Todd Miller:So, uh, my goodness, I never know on these conversations
Todd Miller:how to even, to wrap them up.
Todd Miller:Because I'm so humbled, uh, that you'd be willing to come
Todd Miller:on the show and, and share this.
Todd Miller:And I realize you're doing it because you want to lead people to Christ.
Todd Miller:And, uh, so we're gonna, we're gonna pray that that happens here.
Todd Miller:That's for sure.
Todd Miller:Um, now one of the things that we do do on this show, um, and, and
Todd Miller:sometimes it seems a little weird to lead into it, but, uh, we do
Todd Miller:something we call rapid fire questions.
Todd Miller:And we tend to have a little bit of fun with these.
Todd Miller:Um, these are seven questions that we would ask you.
Todd Miller:That all you have to do is give your immediate answer to, or you
Todd Miller:can give a long answer or a short answer, whatever you want, Kevin.
Todd Miller:Um, but are you up to the challenge of rapid fire?
Kevin Krestinski:Sure.
Kevin Krestinski:Now, are these things that, that, um, the first thing that comes to mind, or
Kevin Krestinski:do I have a moment to think about it?
Kevin Krestinski:You got us,
Todd Miller:you got as long as you want.
Todd Miller:Our, our last guest, it was very interesting.
Todd Miller:He is a very analytical type and, uh, he took a while to answer the questions.
Todd Miller:He'd look around the room and he'd think.
Todd Miller:But you'll see my,
Kevin Krestinski:my eyebrows going up.
Kevin Krestinski:Yeah.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure, uh, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
Todd Miller:Cool.
Todd Miller:Well, we will alternate asking you questions.
Todd Miller:Ryan, would you like to ask the first
Ryan Bell:one?
Ryan Bell:I would love to question number one.
Ryan Bell:What is a product or service, um, that you've bought recently or something
Ryan Bell:that you may have used recently?
Ryan Bell:That was.
Ryan Bell:Really kind of splendiferous, something that was a real game changer for
Ryan Bell:you and made you think like, wow, where have you been my whole life?
Kevin Krestinski:You know, you know, something I've gotten into
Kevin Krestinski:in the last, um, when I was a kid, I collected hockey cards and.
Kevin Krestinski:Like most kids, we never took care of them.
Kevin Krestinski:We smashed them against the wall.
Kevin Krestinski:We played play, you know, flick them against the wall and then whoever
Kevin Krestinski:had the card land against the wall, um, uh, would would win the pile.
Kevin Krestinski:And I put them in my bicycle spokes.
Kevin Krestinski:Sure.
Kevin Krestinski:You could hear the little flap going and that type of thing.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but the hobby is alive and.
Kevin Krestinski:I got involved after COVID and when I was, you know, starting, I mean, 2020,
Kevin Krestinski:I had just been released from jail.
Kevin Krestinski:So it was, it was, you know, there's a bit of growing pains
Kevin Krestinski:to get back to normal again.
Kevin Krestinski:I wasn't, I never got institutionalized.
Kevin Krestinski:So I, I, I was okay.
Kevin Krestinski:You know, some guys will be in and they're in so long, they start staring
Kevin Krestinski:at the ceilings and the walls and they, they, it's, it's a real thing that
Kevin Krestinski:happens to them, but I wasn't there long enough for that to happen, praise God.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but, uh, Anyways, probably 2021.
Kevin Krestinski:I think it was, I think I've been with the, we call it breaking and we, we
Kevin Krestinski:open boxes of cards and packs of cards.
Kevin Krestinski:And now it's very different.
Kevin Krestinski:You put every card in a penny sleeve, then that penny sleeve goes into a top loader.
Kevin Krestinski:And then that top loader, if it, if the card's nice enough,
Kevin Krestinski:you put it into a one touch.
Kevin Krestinski:I mean, and you barely touch it.
Kevin Krestinski:Like it's, it's gotta be mint.
Kevin Krestinski:So I, um, I'm not sure.
Kevin Krestinski:I've been buying, you know, you're talking about Splendiferous.
Kevin Krestinski:I've been buying, um, some boxes of cards and opening those on my own.
Kevin Krestinski:And I also go on the internet with one guy.
Kevin Krestinski:I was, I was a little, you know, wondering if I don't want it, I
Kevin Krestinski:don't want it to be gambling, right?
Kevin Krestinski:So, um, but as long as I'm buying a team, I don't know what my team will be.
Kevin Krestinski:So there's 31 spots.
Kevin Krestinski:They may, they may charge 50 bucks, let's say.
Kevin Krestinski:And per spot and, and maybe they have multiple boxes.
Kevin Krestinski:So they'll have six, seven boxes of cards and, uh, And
Kevin Krestinski:then they randomly do the team.
Kevin Krestinski:So I may get the Montreal Canadiens one night.
Kevin Krestinski:I may get the St.
Kevin Krestinski:Louis Blues.
Kevin Krestinski:I may get whatever.
Kevin Krestinski:I don't know what team.
Kevin Krestinski:But I'm going home with cards.
Kevin Krestinski:So, uh, so that happened.
Kevin Krestinski:And they're called breakers, these people that do this.
Kevin Krestinski:And I got, I got a number one rookie card from 2020.
Kevin Krestinski:Very good condition.
Kevin Krestinski:I didn't get a perfect score on it, um, of Kirill Kaprizov.
Kevin Krestinski:Uh, and it was numbered to 25.
Kevin Krestinski:So there's only 25 of those in the world.
Kevin Krestinski:And I, I got, I got one of them.
Kevin Krestinski:So, I mean, talk about excitement and you watch it online and, uh, and he
Kevin Krestinski:opened the pack and he, his excitement alone, um, of opening it and then.
Kevin Krestinski:The excitement I had because I knew it was, you know, within three
Kevin Krestinski:weeks, I'd have it at my house.
Kevin Krestinski:So I had it and I, I graded it and I didn't get the 10 out of 10 that I wanted.
Kevin Krestinski:But, uh, it was, uh, it was classified as mint, um, which is, which is good.
Kevin Krestinski:It's just the 10 would have been thousands of dollars and nine out of 10 is,
Kevin Krestinski:you know, maybe a couple of thousand.
Kevin Krestinski:Very neat.
Todd Miller:Second question.
Todd Miller:Um, what is a funny childhood memory?
Kevin Krestinski:Well, my, my dad.
Kevin Krestinski:My dad will tell this story, but I'll share it with you guys.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, when I was maybe four or five, we went to, it was like a state fair.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, but it was, it was in either Saskatchewan, it was probably in
Kevin Krestinski:Manitoba because if I was four, I was in Brandon at the time.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, there's quite a few people there.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and I just stood up.
Kevin Krestinski:It was, it was a moment of silence.
Kevin Krestinski:And I started, instead of singing O Canada, I sang O Canadaog.
Kevin Krestinski:And I sang it at full volume and, uh, it was, um, and everybody heard because it
Kevin Krestinski:was quiet, like, I don't know if we were at a, a rally or at a speaking engagement
Kevin Krestinski:or whatever, but it was, um, It was, it was embarrassing probably for my parents.
Kevin Krestinski:I didn't really realize I was doing it.
Todd Miller:Oh, that's a good one.
Todd Miller:That's a good one.
Todd Miller:Well, I'm not sure what happened here, but we seem to have lost Ryan's feed.
Todd Miller:So I am going to continue with question number three, rather than alternate.
Todd Miller:Uh, what is your favorite sushi roll?
Kevin Krestinski:I love Unagi.
Kevin Krestinski:Unagi, okay.
Kevin Krestinski:Unagi is eel and it is absolutely delicious.
Kevin Krestinski:Yeah, absolutely delicious.
Kevin Krestinski:I, um, I went to Japan in 1989 on a singing tour of all things.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, there's a group called, or an organization called Continentals.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, it was a Christian group and this was at the beginning of my gambling.
Kevin Krestinski:So I had only been gambling about two years and I auditioned for
Kevin Krestinski:it and they said, come on down.
Kevin Krestinski:So I went to Santa Barbara, I did some training and we flew to Japan
Kevin Krestinski:and Korea and I sang, we did 40 concerts in 30, sorry, that's wrong.
Kevin Krestinski:We did 80 concerts in 70 days.
Kevin Krestinski:So it was a summer.
Kevin Krestinski:And, um, and I, uh, I had sushi for the first time in Japan.
Todd Miller:Wow.
Kevin Krestinski:It's very different though, than American or Canadian.
Kevin Krestinski:I prefer it here better.
Kevin Krestinski:And so, um, I, I love unagi.
Kevin Krestinski:Very
Todd Miller:good.
Todd Miller:It's funny.
Todd Miller:Whenever we would take my son to a Japanese restaurant, this was
Todd Miller:when he was just a little guy.
Todd Miller:He would always.
Todd Miller:order unagi don, which is eel on rice and so forth.
Todd Miller:And this little kid sitting there eating eel here in the States probably
Todd Miller:caught a few eyes, but anyway.
Todd Miller:So delicious.
Todd Miller:It is.
Todd Miller:So next question.
Todd Miller:Um, if you could spend a day with someone from history, who would
Todd Miller:you choose to spend a day with?
Kevin Krestinski:It would be Jesus, of course.
Kevin Krestinski:Yeah,
Todd Miller:that's number one.
Kevin Krestinski:Makes
Todd Miller:sense.
Todd Miller:Makes sense.
Kevin Krestinski:That's short and sweet.
Todd Miller:Next question.
Todd Miller:Um, what would you like to be remembered for at the end of your days?
Todd Miller:I think that's very appropriate after having a, a talk like
Todd Miller:this on reflection and things,
Kevin Krestinski:you know, I always, I always thought that, I mean, there were,
Kevin Krestinski:it's in the book, but there were two times that I thought of taking my own life.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, When I was, when I was writing, when, when I was going through what I did, and
Kevin Krestinski:I wrote that, um, I'm too much of a wimp to hurt myself, so, uh, that, that never
Kevin Krestinski:happened, but I always thought, you know, am I going to, like, I, I wondered, am
Kevin Krestinski:I going to have a heart attack while, while in the casino, you know, and then
Kevin Krestinski:they would find me there, and then that would be my legacy, you know, and so,
Kevin Krestinski:um, I always, I always thought I would be remembered as a gambler, but, but
Kevin Krestinski:now, um, and that's not for good reasons.
Kevin Krestinski:And now my story is out there and I'm, you know, I have, I have a
Kevin Krestinski:book that points to Jesus and, and.
Kevin Krestinski:It's now worth it, right?
Kevin Krestinski:All the things that I went through, like God, God can make
Kevin Krestinski:something beautiful out of ashes.
Kevin Krestinski:And I was at my, my second book is called Recovery After
Kevin Krestinski:Destruction, which is a devotional.
Kevin Krestinski:And it absolutely is that it's a destroyed, apocalyptic looking situation.
Kevin Krestinski:That the Holy Spirit comes down and says, okay, now I'm going
Kevin Krestinski:to make something beautiful.
Todd Miller:Yeah,
Kevin Krestinski:beauty out of anxious.
Todd Miller:Powerful stuff, Kevin.
Todd Miller:Okay, I will ask the next question.
Todd Miller:Um, Oh, this is a fun one.
Todd Miller:We ask a lot.
Todd Miller:If you were forced to eat a crayon, what color of crayon would you choose to eat?
Kevin Krestinski:First one came to mind was orange.
Kevin Krestinski:Yeah, I like that.
Kevin Krestinski:In terms of, in terms of Gatorade, I, I actually don't like this one very
Kevin Krestinski:much, and the blue is okay, but my favorites are the red and the orange,
Kevin Krestinski:and I, I would choose an orange crayon.
Todd Miller:There you go.
Todd Miller:Okay, your last rapid fire question, Kevin, um, who was your
Todd Miller:favorite teacher in school, and what do you remember them for?
Todd Miller:This might be a little tough with all those schools you went to, um, but,
Todd Miller:uh, who was your favorite teacher, and what do you really remember about them?
Kevin Krestinski:Well, I had, I had two, um, my, my earliest memories of
Kevin Krestinski:a really good teacher was, was Mrs.
Kevin Krestinski:Dags, uh, at, uh, at Thorn Lodge in Mississauga.
Kevin Krestinski:I was, uh, I was grade four, so I would have been nine years old.
Kevin Krestinski:She was just so great.
Kevin Krestinski:She was just, um, uh, I remember her really loving us and, and just wanting
Kevin Krestinski:to, not a Christian school, but just, just loving us and, and, and enjoying
Kevin Krestinski:children and wanting the best for us.
Kevin Krestinski:And then I went to a Christian high school in Richmond, British Columbia.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, it was called Seacliff.
Kevin Krestinski:I don't know if it's still operating today.
Kevin Krestinski:It might still be, um, her name was Elaine Bargan.
Kevin Krestinski:And she, um, she is now, she passed away, but I think it was cancer
Kevin Krestinski:that took her, but she was, she was a great teacher, grade nine.
Kevin Krestinski:So I would have been 14.
Kevin Krestinski:Wow.
Todd Miller:It's amazing the impact that those can have on us.
Todd Miller:That's for sure.
Todd Miller:And my wife's
Kevin Krestinski:a high school teacher.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and I, I hear the stories, you know, she does, she does business.
Kevin Krestinski:She does grade, grade, uh, 9, and, uh, mostly grade 11 and 12 accounting.
Kevin Krestinski:And business leadership and that type of thing.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and she's great at it.
Kevin Krestinski:And her kids tell, you know, send her little notes at the end of the year and
Kevin Krestinski:say what an impact she's had on them.
Kevin Krestinski:She shapes minds for sure.
Todd Miller:Awesome stuff.
Todd Miller:Well, and you are with this.
Todd Miller:Book also in shaping minds and impacting hearts and souls and for eternity.
Todd Miller:Good stuff.
Todd Miller:Um, so Kevin, um, thank you again for joining us for folks who want
Todd Miller:to get in touch with you, folks want you to want to buy the book.
Todd Miller:Um, give us, give us some advice on how to do that.
Kevin Krestinski:Sure.
Kevin Krestinski:The best way to get in touch with me.
Kevin Krestinski:Um, I have an email, which is, I was blinded book, all one word at gmail.
Kevin Krestinski:com.
Kevin Krestinski:And, uh, and my website is I was blinded.
Kevin Krestinski:com.
Kevin Krestinski:You don't even have to put the www, it's just, I was blinded.
Kevin Krestinski:com and, uh, it goes right to my page and you're able to, we have eBooks,
Kevin Krestinski:we have, uh, paperback and soft cover and an audio book is coming.
Kevin Krestinski:I don't think it's going to be my voice.
Kevin Krestinski:It's probably an actor, but it's coming down the line and people can listen to it.
Todd Miller:Awesome.
Todd Miller:Good stuff.
Todd Miller:Well, and we will put that in the show notes as well.
Todd Miller:Uh, so I want to congratulate all three of us.
Todd Miller:We were able to work in our challenge words.
Todd Miller:I'm not sure if the listeners picked up on it, but Kevin, your word was.
Todd Miller:Guacamole . Yeah.
Todd Miller:You told a great story to work that in.
Todd Miller:Um, you know, I kind of cheated, so my word was moisturizing.
Todd Miller:I think I used moisturizer.
Todd Miller:So it's close though.
Todd Miller:And, uh, Ryan, it's a derivative.
Todd Miller:Yeah.
Todd Miller:Ryan had the word splendiferous, which, uh, he worked at extremely well also.
Todd Miller:So, uh, good stuff.
Todd Miller:So thank you again so much for joining us, Kevin.
Todd Miller:This has been a pleasure.
Kevin Krestinski:I appreciate you, Todd, and, and, and Ryan and, uh.
Kevin Krestinski:My main focus today was to let God speak through me.
Kevin Krestinski:Awesome.
Todd Miller:Good stuff.
Todd Miller:Thank you so much to our audience for tuning into this episode of
Todd Miller:Construction Disruption with Kevin Krestinski, author of I Was Blinded.
Todd Miller:Please watch for future episodes of our podcast.
Todd Miller:We're always blessed with great content.
Todd Miller:Great guests.
Todd Miller:Don't forget to leave a review.
Todd Miller:Um, but until the next time we're together, keep on challenging, keep on
Todd Miller:looking for better ways to do things.
Todd Miller:Um, and keep on seeking Christ in your life as well.
Todd Miller:And don't forget a long way, have a positive impact on
Todd Miller:those that you encounter, um, bless them in any way you can.
Todd Miller:Uh, so, uh, God bless and take care.
Todd Miller:This is Isaiah industry signing off until the next episode
Todd Miller:of construction disruption.
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