Mark Houston Recovery

I was cleaning out my closet the other day and my eyes rested on all the work shirts I have. Short sleeves, long sleeves, button downs, hoodies, even tie dyes- all with Mark Houston Recovery or Benchmark Recovery Center monogrammed smartly on them. When I look at those shirts I am reminded of years of hard work, love and sacrifice. Tears of joy and tears of sorrow have been cried in those shirts. August 2009 I was pulling into the HEB on Hwy 620 in Round Rock. I received a text from Mark Houston inquiring whether I was interested in a job. He was thinking of opening a women’s center that would mirror the men’s center he had established. At first hesitant, and then intrigued and excited, I accepted and started working on September 13, 2009, six years to the day as I pen this blog. So much has happened since then. Sadly, Mark suddenly passed away; Wayne Kinsey (thankfully) bought the company, the name was changed. So many faces, staff, residents and their families alike, coming on and off the property at 11503 Parsons Road. So many memories… And so much growth! We added a national monitoring program, and then two apartment buildings for sober living, a dynamic and active alumni program, and most recently a clinical center. And now it’s time for more! As of September 28, Benchmark Recovery Center will be simply known as BRC Recovery. We are so much more than one recovery center. A visitor remarked recently, “You all aren’t just a treatment center, you’re more like a recovery movement! The energy here is palpable!” It is absolutely true that we, as a team and as a community are enthusiastic about recovery! So a simpler name with a larger vision. It works! I like it! And I love a good paradox, recovery is full of them. Surrender to win is one of my favorites! (Sorry, inside joke- shout out to Casey Dobson, Paige Amstutz and Pat Swan and all my good friends practicing law in the great states of Texas and California!) But what to do with all those old shirts? Fall is here, maybe a celebratory bonfire with the BRC Family is in order. I will never regret, not even one day I wore those shirts. Lessons learned in those shirts made me who I am today, a grateful, and much wiser, six year employee of this company. A vibrant, alive, ever growing and changing family company full of love and acceptance, imperfection and forgiveness, and most importantly an undying enthusiasm for God, our residents, recovery, one another and the future. After all, everyone has to clean out their closet sometime. I’m so grateful for the strength and willingness to do so. After all, God is in charge, and change is good! #BRCRecoveryMovement Marsha Stone, CEO BRC Recovery