Affliction

Hannah More was from England in the 18^th and 19^th century. She was a huge star with tons of money and connected with all the right people. But she became friends with John Newton (Amazing Grace, former slave trader). She became a follower of Jesus. Her desire for fame no longer fit her spiritual life. She retired with severe asthma and bronchitis. Listen to what she wrote about suffering:

"Affliction is the school in which great virtues are acquired and in which great characters are formed. It s like a spiritual gymnasium in which the disciples of Christ are trained in robust exercise, hardy exertion and severe conflict. We do not hear of military heroes in peacetime, nor of the most distinguished saints in the quiet and unmolested periods of church history."


She believed that adversity was ACTUALLY a sign of God’s love and care. And through PRAYER we begin to understand that. She wrote this:

“If a surgeon were to put his scalpel into the hand of the patient, how tenderly he would treat himself. The exam would be skin deep. The incision would be slight! The patient would escape the pain, but the wound might prove fatal. The surgeon therefore wisely uses the instrument himself. He goes deep perhaps, but not deeper than the case demands. The pain may be acute, but the life is persevered...God graciously does this for us Himself because otherwise He knows it would never be done.”

Grateful Believer,

Jen E.

*The above post was taken from a lesson by Jeff McMillion

5 years.

Five years ago on January 25, 2007, I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. My wife didn't know what to do. I was STILL stuck. It felt like I had tried everything to quit, but the reality was, I had never even said the words out loud. "I struggle with pornography."

On that day though, I had come to the realization that I couldn't do it on my own and that I wasn't meant to do it on my own.

I still didn't say the words, but I wrote them...and sent them.

From my email to Micah that day:

I've struggled with pornography for years. Its been there through my highs as a Christian and obviously it's caused a lot of lows. I'm somewhere in the middle right now, but I just can't help but feeling that Satan is slowly trying to isolate me.  I've tried everything I can think of, but the shame that comes with this type of sin has really kept me from confessing my struggles to others...

...I'm just tired of being trapped. I pray that God will set me free, but I'm afraid I can't do it on my own. I need him and I need his people. I've been curious about the Celebrate Recovery thing on Friday nights...

Fast forward to this past month on January 27th...I celebrated 5 years of healing and recovery in Jesus Christ. And that 'Celebrate Recovery thing on Friday nights?' It's been my way of discovering and living in God's wonderful light.

By walking in the light and bringing my hidden sins in God's light I've seen His promise of purification and fellowship come true in my life.

When I come to Celebrate Recovery and confess my struggles, my temptations and my sins; I get better. By sharing those things with other faithful believers, I experience Christ's church as  it was intended to be. I have sincere fellowship. I know my brothers and they know me! More importantly I now know my savior. Jesus Christ is no longer just the Son of God, a distant figure who I have a flickering faith in. He's my savior. In my moments of temptation, he saves me. In my deepest hurts, he saves me. In my failure, he saves me.

Five years is a long time. It's been an awesome and blessed journey. There's not a single aspect of my life that recovery has not Impacted for the better. It's made me a better Husband, Father, Co-worker, Friend, Brother, Son and follower of Christ.

If you're  feeling trapped by a hurt, a hang-up or a habit...I beg you to give C.R. a try. Give it 6 months, give it a year and experience God's wonderful light for yourself.

Nate

-a grateful believer

Be wise.

Fifteen years ago, I began making decisions based on my own selfish ambitions and desires.  Instead of making wise decisions, I decided to live the life of a fool.  Listen to the apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:15-17: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”    

On Sunday evenings, we are in the middle of a sermon series titled, “Fool Proof: The One Question that Works for Every Decision.”  As a part of our recoveries, we make important decisions every day.  We decide to stay sober or not.  We decide to indulge in that dysfunctional behavior or relationship or not.  We decide to allow our hurts of the past or present to engulf us or not.  We make our decisions and then our decisions make us.  This is why it is vitally important to pray for God’s wisdom and strength so that we can understand His will for our lives and then carry that out.

So, what is that one question that always works?  Before we get to that question, it is vitally important that you seek wise counsel to help you adequately evaluate your past, present and future.  Then, with the help of your sponsor and accountability partners you can ask the one question that works: in light of my past experiences/failures, my present circumstances and my future goals, what is the wise thing for me to do?  What is the wise thing for you to do…in light of God’s will…making the most of every opportunity.

If we will run every decision we make through that filter, we can avoid living the life of a fool.  Be wise my friends.

Grateful believer,

Micah

Forgiveness.

For me, the road to forgiveness has been a long one for the hurts in my life.  Each hurt has had a different path some were short and easy and others have been long and with lots of turns and twists.  I finally came to realize that forgiveness was not a light switch I just turn on and off. For me, it was a choice I had/have to choose every day. For a long time I was in deep denial about resentments. One of my biggest weaknesses/strengths is I REMEMBER everything and I tend to hold onto hurts until they fester into resentments.  A while back the lesson at Celebrate Recovery was on the idea of forgiveness.  The speaker gave an illustration similar to this:

"The prison cell was locked and the keys securely hung on the jailers belt. Now, surely, the jailer could rest since he had each offender ‘put away’ for good. But as he trudged away from the cell and up the stairs to the living quarters, the jangling of keys on his waistband constantly reminded him that he was responsible for the ones he had imprisoned.. Would the prisoners try to escape? If the prisoners did escape, was not the jailer and his family in mortal danger of retaliation? Was he sure he had locked each cell tight? Did the prisoners have friends who might try to engineer a breakout? These and many other thoughts flooded the jailer’s mind. As he sank into his easy chair, he began to realize a truth: The one who holds the keys to the prison cell is more the prisoner than the one inside the cell.

Are you a jailer? Well, yes, if there are those you have not ‘forgiven’. You may ‘hold the keys’ but the burden of ‘keeping people locked up and where they belong’ is a tiring and taxing task. You spend a lot of time and energy making sure the people who have ‘done you wrong’— some so long ago you don’t remember why— stay locked up and punished for their crime. You’re quick to remind everyone of the ‘crimes’ done to you by these offenders every time someone mentions ‘parole’. Retaliation is a nerve-racking possibility that haunts you wherever you go. Ambush could be just around the next bend in the road. You thought ‘out of sight, out of mind’ but you often review mentally the faces of those you have grudges against. When you pass a member of the ‘prisoner’s family’ on the sidewalk, a knot draws up tightly in your stomach and your eyes cut quickly the opposite way as if to avoid reality… but they know you have the keys… and you know they know.

God has always pulled at my heart when it comes to forgiveness inching me more and more toward it and when I think I have fully forgiven He has given me opportunities to really test that idea.  For the REST OF THE STORY, and to see how forgiveness has played a role in my journey,  join me Friday night at 7 PM as I share my testimony at CR. 

Grateful Believer,

Jen E.

Encouragement Coach.

We all need encouragement.  We all need to know that we are needed and appreciated.  Encouragement and appreciation kind of go hand in hand.  None of us can fully work out recovery without some encouragement.  It’s one thing we can’t do for ourselves.

If you are in need of encouragement I recommend trying to encourage others.

Would you like a hand written note?  Then write someone else a card.  Would you like a word of thanks?  Give one to someone else.  Would you like a hug?  Give one…okay, this one doesn’t work as well because then you get one, but you get what I’m saying.

There are tons of ways to encourage each other.  We all give and receive encouragement in different ways.  I like to spend quality time with those that I care about.  You may prefer a verbal word of encouragement, a hug, or even a small gift to let you know someone appreciates you.

I’d like to take this moment to appreciate someone right now.  Well, two someones.  Micah Hobbs and Ann Alexander (our ministry leader and his assistant).  Every week they spend huge amounts of time getting things ready for Celebrate Recovery.  They go above and beyond, often even working in their free time.  They do a great job!  Take some time this week to let them know you appreciate them too!  Nine times out of ten Ann seems to accomplish a seemingly impossible job and things not even in her job description with one phone call! 

Grateful Believer,

Andrew