Unwind and Find

Principle 7:

Reserve a daily time with God for self examination, Bible readings and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.



So I have a personal policy I follow.  Every night, after I take my shower, I choose not to turn on the computer or the television.  I’ve discovered that watching the 10 o’clock news or checking Facebook or email right before bed causes me to have more difficulty going to sleep, and sometimes have bad dreams.  

On the contrary, it is easier to turn my brain off and relax and go to sleep if I cut off electronic media about an hour before going to bed.  

This is where principle 7 comes in.  I reserve this time before bed to read my Bible (a paper Bible), pray, and journal.  When I do this properly, it actually gives me a sense of peace and helps me calm down.  Why?  Because it requires me to slow down.  

We live in a microwave culture.  We want everything done now, and done our way.  But when I read my Bible, and take time to pray a well-thought-out prayer (on my knees), and journal about what is troubling me or what is going well, it has a calming effect.  

I tend to trust God more in these times.  That’s why Psalm 46:10 does not say, “Look for me (God) while you’re rushing around,” but “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Remember, we are too busy NOT to pray.

Slow down.  Unwind via principle 7, and you will find God.

Grateful believer,

Aaron S. 

Happy are the Peacemakers

Principle 6: Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve
 done to others except when to do so would harm them or others.



Happy are the merciful. 

Matt 5:7  

Happy are the peacemakers. Matt 5:9

The time I consider myself most active in my recovery is when I am constantly checking life events against the steps and principles. In order for me to stay clean, I have to constantly go through the steps and principles no matter how many times I have done them in the past. 

The one principle that I have always had trouble doing my best with is Principle 6. Principle 6 for me is the one where I take a look at my past and present and see if I have wronged anyone or if anyone has wronged me. I then try to approach each issue and see if there is anything I need to do in accordance with principle 6. I mentally ask myself questions like this:
 Do I need to apologize to my wife for not helping get the kids ready for school? (The answer is yes, by the way.) 
Or
 I should probably sit down with my daughter and apologize for yelling at her when she didn’t deserve it.
 I know I am supposed to do these things and sometimes they are easy and sometimes they are not. 

Part of principle 6 says …Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me. This part is something I usually do in my head if the person has not apologized to me. I try to give it to God and then I don’t have to worry about it.
 
I say all that but I do have a situation where I am praying to God about a betrayal that I still get angry about. When I start to get angry I will usually ask God to take the anger away. I have to do these things so that I can learn to be a better person and also to stay drug and alcohol free. 
 

Grateful Believer,

Eddie

Made to Heal

I am not a confident cook. On the other hand, my husband gets gourmet-rock-star treatment whenever he enters a kitchen. It's a little intimidating.

So, when he's out of town, as he was a few days ago, I have a couple of choices: To cook, or feel a little guilty, throwing a fast-food bag on the table. This time, I chose to balance a pinch of cooking with a smattering of guilt. 

Somehow, in just slicing up hotdogs for a cooking experiment  (photo of which will not be shared here), I sliced open the palm of my hand.

It wasn't a deep cut, but I watched it closely. I was amazed the next day how the cut was already closing up a little. Now, several days later, it's almost back to normal. 

God made my hand to heal itself. I'm no biologist, but it's clear that as soon as I've been injured, my body goes to work to set things right.

God made our hearts like that too. Even my negative habits are a result of my trying to cope, deal with pain, and heal. God created that desire in us - to seek relief and set things right. Jesus is waiting for us to turn to him to heal our hurts, our habits, our hangups. 

- Grateful Believer, 

Angi