Mental Health/Emotions

Roaring Like a Mouse

On a clear summer day, my family and I walked an abandoned railroad track through the countryside. Sulfur yellow butterflies flickered over the tall weeds. Red-winged blackbird sentinels called out to one another as we passed from one bird’s territory to the next.

Panting, her liver-colored tongue hanging low, our old dog simply tried to keep up. But the children explored everywhere, collecting lavish bouquets of wildflowers, and picking up rocks and rusty artifacts left behind by the iron horse that once rumbled through the farmlands.

Joel, my 11-year-old, stooped to pick up an old plank but was stopped by a frightened squeak. Beneath the board was a mouse nest. Mama mouse was lying on her side nursing several babies.

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Step 7 and Humility

Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Jesus said:
Matthew 18:3-4 KJV
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Without true, honest, heartfelt humility we can not recover; We can not enter the kingdom of heaven.

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Taking Step 4

When I was first told about making a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself I was filled with FEAR. And then to admit to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs — YIKES! Where to start??

Instead of starting with me, I think it starts with God and His Word. We need to hear, read and study scripture. By doing this we learn what God wants us to be–what His standards for us are. We must make ourselves available to God through meditation, prayer and by serving Him rather than our own needs, material desires, and lusts.

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Revelation: Don’t be Aftraid

Many people shy away from the Book of Revelation thinking it is too frightening or not applicable to the daily life of a Christian; certainly not to someone in recovery. No so! Revelation has many themes running through it. In this Book great evil is given full reign over the earth. Horrible and terrifying images are presented. There seems to be no way to overcome this terrible evil.

But if you read to the end of this book we learn that God is sovereign. He is greater than any power in the universe. Satan and his minions are defeated. In the end, a new heaven and a new earth are created where we, as believers, live in peace and security for eternity.

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Are You Tending Your Garden?

Recovery is much like tending our own garden. A garden needs water, fertilizer, sunshine, good soil and a lot of attention by the gardener. We, as Christians and recovering people need:

  • the water of prayer, meditation, and communing with God
  • the fertilizer of fellowship
  • the “Sonshine” of resting in Him (letting go and letting God)
  • the rich soil of God’s Word in which to firmly anchor our roots. Not only must we read the Word but we must *understand* it and *actively apply* it to our own lives. Roots must be anchored in the soil, they must take up the nourishment and then send it to the entire system of the plant so it may flourish.
  • a lot of attention by us, as our own gardeners, to remove all weeds that appear.

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What’s Love Got to Do With It?

What does love have to do with recovery? EVERYTHING! Easily a book could be written on this subject but I only have a few lines, so here goes.

Lack of self-love results in a tremendous amount of inner pain. Low self-esteem often leads people to look to sources outside of themselves for the love that they do not feel for themselves. This can result in “looking for love in all the wrong places” like same sex relationships, drugs, abusive relationships, codependent relationships, eating too much, alcohol, improper sexual relationships, etc. Or one might try medicating the pain with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, etc.

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Amazed by Common Grace

Common Grace. It is a term used in theology to describe the grace God gives to every living person on planet earth. It is called “common,” not because it is not worth that much, but because everyone alive gets it.

Grace by definition can never be demanded. God gives grace, not because He has to, but because He decides to. The scripture says that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

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Inspiring Online Videos

May You Be Blessed

Need some Serenity?

The Beatitudes

Breath

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Footprints


    One night a man had a dream, and in his dream he reviewed the footsteps he had taken in his life. He looked and noticed that all over the mountains and difficult places that he had traveled, there was one set of footprints… but over the plains and down the hills, there were two sets of footprints, as if someone had walked by his side.

    He turned to Christ and said, “There is something I don’t understand. Why is it that down the hills and over the smooth and easy places you have walked by my side; but, here over the tough and difficult places, I have walked alone; for I see in those areas there is just one set of footprints.”

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