Summer Break = Mission Trip!!!

For many of us, summer break brings memories of beach vacations, mountain retreats, or time spent watching kids running through sprinklers in the back yard. But this year six members of Celebrate Recovery at Memorial Road  get to have even more fun working with a new Celebrate Recovery in Honduras.

Last year, after our summer mission trip where we trained leaders, the church in Catacamas, in cooperation with the Predisan mission, founded the first ever Celebrate Recovery program in Honduras. 

Thanks to the contributions of Celebrate Recovery participants and anonymous Memorial Road contributors, this year we'll again spend 9 days working with this new Celebrate Recovery ministry at the church in Catacamas, Honduras.  Sheldon, Christi, Daniel, Cole, Andrew and I will spend our days working with Celebrate Recovery leaders and doing maintenance on the ROPES course at the CEREPA addiction treatment facility. We'll share our testimonies, attend Celebrate Recovery meetings, and train new leaders. 

While there are no beaches or sprinklers in Catacamas, the mountains are beautiful. The work is long and challenging, but this "vacation" is a time of spiritual renewal for everyone who goes. We come back physically tired, but spiritually energized. Thank you so much for your support. We covet your prayers!

Grateful Believer,

Dan

Summer 1990

When I was a teenager, I had a terrible car wreck. I felt so guilty about the circumstances, and the consequences to other people from my actions, that I didn’t tell the whole truth leading to a lot of feelings of shame and guilt.

How could they ever forgive me?

I apologized to the one most injured and her parents at the time, but I did not confess the whole story.  Fast forward to 2 ½ years after learning of Celebrate Recovery and I had the opportunity to speak to each member of her family and apologize again, but this time I told them the truth of what had happened that night.  They were so full of grace.  Every one of them chose to forgive me.  Her brother even told me that their family grew closer through that season and that the wreck in no way was all negative for their family.  I don’t know all the positives, I would never have asked, but they all forgave me.  As for my friend, she just wanted to be sure that I was getting help and ask that I continue to seek that help until I no longer struggle with the choices I made that night. 

Celebrate Recovery started out as a triage for my sin and has grown into a desire to grow spiritually.   In Philippians 1:9, Paul writes that he is praying for the people of Philippi that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.  There is a fellowship here at Celebrate Recovery.  People show up.  We can share our problems so others can come along and build us up.  The people of CR do life together.  I am a work in progress.  I’ve been very slow to get in the game.  I’m starting to understand it more.  My desire to increase the time I spend with God is changing me.  Before CR, I never, never, never considered being honest about that night.  Why would I tell anyone the truth behind my devastating choices?  I did that because principle 6 tells me to make amends for the harm I have done to others (Matthew 5:7-9).  I had already been forgiven, but what good is asking for forgiveness if the whole truth isn’t out there?  My friend’s entire family knows the truth now.  I am so grateful to my sponsor, therapist, accountability partners and YOU.  The people who are there every Friday night, so that I can continue to learn that we are all hurting, but there are more perspectives and lots of growth and all I have to do is come back and be willing.

I am thankful for all I’ve learned since that difficult summer of 1990 to now, the summer of 2012... God is good!

Grateful Believer,
Jennifer

I love Summer Break!!!

These are a few reasons I love summer break…

My kids are out of school.

One word – vacation!

We don’t go to bed on time.

We swim a lot. 

We are outside a lot more.

Snow cones!!!

There is less stress!

Our schedule isn’t jam-packed.

There are fewer rules.

We get a BREAK…hence the name, Summer Break! ; )

Even though I love the carefree feeling of summer I have to remind myself that my recovery can’t take a break - no matter the season!  I have to remember that.   Taking one Friday night off occasional is okay, taking 8 weeks off probably wouldn’t be the best choice for me and my recovery walk right now!  I can’t do this on my own, and even though I work hard to follow the principles myself – I need the accountability from coming each week.  I need the friendships.  I need open share groups.  I need to meet new people, share my story, and give back to the program.    I can’t take a break from that.  

I’m reminded of…

Step 3 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

It doesn’t say, “Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control when it’s convenient, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with my summer plans.”  This is for KEEPS!!  I NEVER want to go back to the person I was before recovery, and I can’t take a BREAK from continually working to be the woman Christ intended me to be!

Grateful Believer,

Karyn

The Dog Days of Summer

{Our new CR blog summer series is entitled The Dog Days of Summer.  We will be talking about summer outings/events/things in our lives that were “us in the past” and now, because of Jesus (and recovery), what we do instead of those things OR topics like “recovery doesn’t take a summer break”!  Should be a great RECOVERY focused Summer!  Stay tuned.}

Hello, I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ that struggles with dipping and gambling, my name is Travis. 

When I was in college I would come to OKC every summer to play in a wood bat baseball league.  I would often stay with my friend from high school, girlfriend, or just some random person on the baseball team.  My Christian walk was not even established yet so I did not attend church on Sundays because I was playing baseball every Sunday. 

I worked for the state of Oklahoma as a construction worker and would often have to miss work because of baseball games.  My commitment to baseball during the summers was the only thing that I wanted to do.  I made sure that I was at every game and every practice.  I think back on this time in my life to wonder what was missing.  Who and what did I faith in? What would I sacrifice to play baseball? 

Now as a leader in Celebrate Recovery, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, and a guy striving to be more like God and His son I have the same attitude towards Church and Friday night attendance.  I now am chasing the ultimate prize of one day being in Heaven by following God. 

I know there are times where I would like to miss a church service on Sundays because of a baseball tournament for my kids.  My kids have games and tournaments on Friday nights as well, however I miss those because I feel that I need to be at Celebrate Recovery for me on Friday nights.  My Recovery does not take a Friday off.  My recovery does not have a rain out.  I have to continue to make a effort in my recovery to ensure that I am drawing closer to God. 

I encourage you through this blog to come on Friday nights.  Make God a priority just as you have made something else a priority in your past.  God will continue to present opportunities in your life to draw close to him.  The question is are you going to take it.  Dog days of Summer are upon us, what will you decide to do?

Grateful Believer,

Travis