Posts Tagged ‘healing’
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
Many of us may lose a mother, a sister, an aunt, a child or a friend to domestic violence.
Someone else may come along and tell us, “You need to forgive the batterer.” However, we may wonder why we need to forgive him after the horrible things he did.
We may secretly hope the batterer gets the electric chair or life in prison without parole and no visitors.
Vivid memories of the tragedy and the abuse that led up to it swirl in our minds.
In Jeremiah 17:9, God tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
God knew the heart of man and the sins man would commit. He knew what that batterer would do to our loved ones, and He also knew how we would react. Jesus says in Luke 6:37, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
It’s not easy to forgive, but it’s not impossible either.
Jesus speaks several times in the New Testament about forgiveness.
It must be that Jesus doesn’t consider forgiveness a four-letter word.
Tags: anger, Attitudes, Choices, forgiveness, hatred, healing, humility, New Beginning, Pain, peace, rejection, relationships, Responsibility, unforgiveness, verbal abuse
Posted in Abuse, Attitudes, Choices, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, Responsibility, Step 4, Step 7, Step 8, Step 9 | Comments Off
Monday, March 12th, 2012
“Some actions just can’t be forgiven.” 
It was a long time ago, in the midst of horrible circumstances, when a pastor said those six words to me.
I thought he mis-spoke. I asked him to repeat. He said it again, clearly and slowly and deliberately. “Some actions just can’t be forgiven.”
At the time I didn’t appreciate the level of pain. I just knew we should forgive, and I figured a pastor ought to know that. But knowing is easy. Everyone who follows Jesus, and even most who don’t, know about forgiving.
Knowing doesn’t help much.
# # #
There’s a story I tell sometimes when I’m speaking about getting past adversity.
A young man named Cody stood in a courtroom, about to be sentenced for a tragic crime, one senseless moment that changed a bunch of lives forever. In one instant of careless driving, Cody swerved and hit two men who’d stopped to help a guy with car trouble.
Zach Templeton—dad, husband, and state trooper, died. Scott Hinshaw, his partner and best friend, was seriously injured. Now, as the man who killed his buddy and nearly killed him stood to be sentenced, Scott asked to speak. He spoke directly to Cody. Here’s part of what he said:
“I’m willing to stand with you and do community service with you and help you honor Zach.
“You messed up Cody, and that one decision cost a life.
“Although you did this … I refuse, and I do not want you, to let this ruin your life.
“You made a mistake. Do not let it define who you are.
“My advice to you is to be better than you can ever be …
“Carry on, brother. We’ll get better.”
This is where life gets real, where it’s not a set of lofty ideas, where that notion of “the valley of the shadow of death” isn’t just poetic imagery.
Ever been there? Thoughts?
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2008-2012 by Rich Dixon, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Rich is an author and speaker. He is the author of: 
Relentless Grace: God’s Invitation To Give Hope Another Chance. Visit his web site www.relentlessgrace.com
Tags: anger, Attitudes, Choices, failure, forgiveness, hatred, healing, Pain, reconciliation, relationships, Responsibility, sin, unforgiveness
Posted in Attitudes, Choices, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, Responsibility, Step 4, Step 6, Step 7, Step 8 | Comments Off
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
Do you really believe what you believe?
I invite you to try a small experiment with me.
Think of a situation that prompts worry or conflict or anxiety for you. Doesn’t have to be monumental, but it can be. Maybe you’ve talked to Jesus about it. If not, do that. If so, maybe do it again.
Do you believe Jesus hears your pain?
Do you believe He cares?
Do you believe He holds authority over this situation?
Do you believe He has the power to deal with it?
Do you believe He always works for good?
Okay, now imagine that He’s sitting right in front of you, that He’s heard and understood your deepest fears. And then He takes your hand and gently says,
“I know. I understand. And I’m taking care of it.”
Is that enough?
Me? I want details. HOW is He taking care of it? When? And He says again:
“I know. I understand. And I’m taking care of it.”
Is it enough?
Me? “I do believe. Please help me overcome my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
Is it enough?
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2008-2012 by Rich Dixon, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Rich is an author and speaker. He is the author of:
Relentless Grace: God’s Invitation To Give Hope Another Chance. Visit his web site www.relentlessgrace.com
Tags: Attitudes, Choices, failure, God's Love, grief, hardship, healing, loss, ministry, Pain, rejection, sin, slip, strength, worry
Posted in Ability to Overcome, Abuse, Anxiety, Assurance, Attitudes, Choices, Faith, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, General Recovery, Pain, Pastors & Recovery Pros, Prayer, Step 12, Step 2, Step 3 | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
I watched a big chunk of Whitney Houston’s memorial service this weekend. I can’t escape the haunting sense of enormous waste.
After the songs and stories, Pastor Marvin Winans captured my thoughts with the theme of his powerful, emotional sermon: prioritize. He talked about “putting things in proper order” based on Matthew 6:33:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The message was clear. Success, talent, and fame are good things—when placed in proper priority. It’s too easy to judge the missteps of a public figure who got lost in a confusing maze. Better, I think, to extend grace and pray that the rest of us will reflect on our own tendency to get things in the wrong order.
Jesus knew that God wants us to use our gifts and pursue our passions. He designed us for lives of abundance and joy. He also knew that life gets out of whack when we don’t prioritize.
Have a great week.
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2008-2012 by Rich Dixon, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Rich is an author and speaker. He is the author of:
Relentless Grace: God’s Invitation To Give Hope Another Chance. Visit his web site www.relentlessgrace.com
Tags: Attitudes, bondage, Choices, failure, God's Love, hardship, healing, ministry, motives, New Beginning, peace, Responsibility, serenity, worry
Posted in Ability to Overcome, Attitudes, Choices, Faith, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, General Recovery, New Beginning, Pastors & Recovery Pros, Renewal, Responsibility, Step 12 | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Psalm 71:20: “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again.”
What comfort to know God will restore our lives again. Perhaps you have lost a job or a home because of the economy. God will restore your life again.
Maybe you’ve suffered physical or sexual abuse as a child. God will restore your life again.
Through death or divorce, you may have lost a spouse. God will restore your life again.
No matter what the trial is, God will restore your life again. The second part of verse 20 says, “From the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” That’s a promise from God.
Verse 21 says, “You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.” What a joy to read these verses on Valentine’s Day. God loves us so much.
Dear God, help me trust you to restore my life again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application: Allow God to comfort you this week.
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2010-2012, Yvonne Ortega, LPC, LSATP, CCDVC
All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Yvonne is a Speaker, Author, Counselor, Cancer Survivor and
serves on the Board of Directors of Christians in Recovery.
She is the author of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer.
Visit her website: http://YvonneOrtega.com
Tags: Abuse, failure, God's Love, grief, healing, loss, Pain, peace, salvation, serenity, sin, slip, strength, verbal abuse, worry
Posted in Ability to Overcome, Abuse, Anxiety, Assurance, Faith, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, General Recovery, New Beginning, Pain, Pastors & Recovery Pros, Renewal, Step 2, Step 3 | Comments Off
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
By faith he [Abraham] dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:9-10, NKJV).
I’ve just finished writing a novel about a homeless family, and it really has heightened my awareness of the meaning of “home,” and all that goes with it.
I’m a home-body. Oh, I love traveling to fun places, but truthfully, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than at home. I like the comfortable surroundings, the familiar setting, the feeling of belonging, don’t you? And as I researched and wrote about people who no longer have a place to call home, I wrestled with being grateful for all I have while agonizing for those who don’t share my blessing.
The great patriarch Abraham had a way of putting it all in perspective. Undoubtedly a wealthy man, living a life of relative ease before God called him to leave the familiar behind and travel to an unknown destination, Abraham obeyed and struck out for parts unknown. No longer did he have a place to call home, as he and his household became nomads, living in tents. The Scriptures say he considered his new life as dwelling “in a foreign land” while “he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Abraham knew that home wasn’t so much a place as it was a Person. Heaven, after all, is only heaven because God is there. The absence of God is what makes hell a place where no one wants to go.
Dr. Billy Graham just turned 93 and released a book called Nearing Home. Like Abraham, he knows he dwells in a foreign land, awaiting the call to “come home” to be with his Savior and Lord. “Home is where the heart is” isn’t just an old saying; it’s a deep-seated truth that tells a lot about us. Where is our heart? Is it here, in the shadow-lands, desperately trying to hold on to things we cannot keep…or is it already at home with God, just waiting for our spirit to be released to go there?
Whether we live in a mansion or a tent, or even on the street, home awaits. Can you hear the Father calling?
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2009-2012 Kathi Macias, all rights reserved. Used by permission.
Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored 30 books. 
“Beyond Me. Living a You-first Life in a Me-first World”
and
“Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today”
Tags: Attitudes, Choices, God's Love, healing, Macias, New Beginning, peace, Responsibility
Posted in Attitudes, Choices, Faith, Forgiveness of God, General Recovery, New Beginning, Step 12, Step 3 | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Nehemiah 1: 5-6: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants.” (NIV)
One of Nehemiah’s brothers from Judah went to Nehemiah and told him the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and its gates had been burned. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king at that time. Nehemiah 1:4 tells us that Nehemiah sat down and cried. For some days he mourned, fasted and prayed.
Look above and read verses 5 and 6 again. What a beautiful model for us on how to pray when we receive bad news. Nehemiah acknowledged who God is and praised him. He reminded God of the covenant of love with his people. Then he prayed.
As Christians, our lives are not perfect either. We face personal brokenness and destruction and see them all around us among believers. Some of us go through divorce, life-threatening diseases, multiple car accidents and multiple losses of loved ones. Others of us struggle with a marriage that needs a miracle, a job that threatens to break our spirit or lack of a job, the heartache of prodigal children, sickness in the family, financial difficulties because of a bad economy or a ministry that seems to be falling apart.
God made us with tears. No matter what needs to be rebuilt, like Nehemiah, we too can sit down and cry. Then we can follow Nehemiah’s next steps and mourn, fast and pray “for some days.”
Nehemiah demonstrated the formula for us. We can praise and worship God and remind him of his covenant with us as his children “who love him and obey his commands.” We can ask him to listen to our prayers. In verses 6 and 7, Nehemiah confessed his sins and those of his people. Confession remains an important part of rebuilding, and we must also include it.
Dear God, I weep in brokenness. Help me rebuild my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application: When will I mourn, fast and pray for the rebuilding of my life or ministry?
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2010-2012, Yvonne Ortega, LPC, LSATP, CCDVC
All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Yvonne is a Speaker, Author, Counselor, Cancer Survivor and
serves on the Board of Directors of Christians in Recovery.
She is the author of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer.
Visit her website: http://YvonneOrtega.com
Tags: backsliding, failure, Forgiveness of God, God's Love, healing, New Beginning, Pain, sin, slip, strength
Posted in Ability to Overcome, Choices, Faith, General Recovery, New Beginning, Pain, Prayer, Renewal, Responsibility, Step 3 | Comments Off
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Have you ever thought about that?
Wherever Becky and I tell the story of RICH’S RIDE, we inevitably hear compelling stories in return. It’s as though hearing about our adventure releases others to share their own experiences.
I love listening to these stories. We often hang around for a long time afterward, just listening. It’s a wonderful experience, but there are a couple of disturbing aspects to many of the stories we hear.
One is a sense that our stories happen to us. Folks with this perspective speak in fatalistic, victim terminology, as though they had nothing to do with the direction of their lives.
We need to acknowledge that life isn’t simplistic, that events occur clearly beyond our control. I don’t begin to understand how God’s will meshes with human freedom of choice.
But to a large degree, each of us decides the nature of our story. We choose to dream—or not. We choose the habits that shape our character. One of my goals whenever I speak is to encourage folks to own their personal story, to believe they’re the author. I want people to believe in hope that allows them to dream and re-write a story with which they may not be satisfied.
It’s absolutely true that every person is a single choice away from a new story.
The other is that it’s all about “the power of positive thinking.” Perhaps it’s simply semantics, but positive thinking sounds like a platitude, pasting a pretend positive spin on decidedly negative events.
I’d rather talk about scripture’s promise that God causes ALL things to work together for good. God always honors His promises, and in that I find enduring, long-term hope.
I expect God’s faithfulness, no matter the circumstances, even when I can’t see it. I believe I can lean on His promises and continue to write a story of hope.
You’re the author of your story. Write a great one, one worth sharing.
Share your story with Christians in Recovery.
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2008-2012 by Rich Dixon, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Rich is an author and speaker. He is the author of:
Tags: Attitudes, Choices, fellowship, healing, relationships, Responsibility
Posted in Attitudes, Choices, General Recovery, Responsibility, Things to Ponder | Comments Off
Friday, January 27th, 2012
Humble yourselves. That sounds obscene. At least to the culture of self-promotion and “get ahead at all cost” and “don’t look back, the competition is gaining on you” it sounds obscene.
Humility is a forgotten virtue. Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it. Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key is to know our place before him and let him put us in the place he chooses to honor him.
A humble heart is tender towards God, and He responds when it cries out to Him. And that may be why He sometimes allows hard things into our lives – to bring forth the fruit of humility.
As God does great things in our midst, we don’t ever want to forget what He’s brought us through. We can do nothing without His intervention. But as we keep humble, contrite, tender hearts, there is no end to what He can accomplish not merely in our own lives, but for our children’s children.
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2010-2012, Chaplain Michael Clark
All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Chaplain Clark is a Speaker and Writer,
Addiction Counselor/Professional
as well as a Recovery Support Specialist
Shadows of the Cross Ministries, Prison and Recovery Ministry
Tags: Attitudes, Choices, healing, humility, New Beginning, rebellion, respect, Responsibility, self-will
Posted in Attitudes, Choices, Faith, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, General Recovery, New Beginning, Renewal, Responsibility, Step 10, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6, Step 7, Step 8, Step 9 | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b
It’s one of the really cool questions in the Bible.
Esther ascended to an influential position in a foreign land through a most unlikely series of events. She subsequently faced a difficult and potentially dangerous decision. Her uncle, Mordecai, encouraged her to overcome her fears and confront a volatile king on behalf of her people. “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Mordecai believed Esther faced a divine appointment, that God worked through events in her life and placed her in a strategic position. God orchestrated a complex set of mid-course corrections and long-term trajectories “for such a time as this.”
A pastor friend used to gaze solemnly around the congregation and say, “No one is here by accident.”
At the time it creeped me out because I thought everyone else knew why they were there and I had no clue why I was there.
Now I think it’s enough to believe there’s a purpose even when I don’t know exactly what it is.
I love the notion that God’s brought us together for such a time as this. Who knows?
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18
Don’t miss CIR’s Daily Article !
Copyright 2008-2012 by Rich Dixon, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Rich is an author and speaker. He is the author of:
Relentless Grace: God’s Invitation To Give Hope Another Chance. Visit his web site www.relentlessgrace.com
Tags: fellowship, God's Love, healing, ministry, New Beginning, relationships, Responsibility, strength
Posted in Ability to Overcome, Faith, Family, For Friends & Family of Dysfunctional People, General Recovery, New Beginning, Pastors & Recovery Pros, Renewal, Step 12, Step 2, Step 3 | Comments Off
