OUTSIDE THE SAFE ZONE

One of my least favorite activities is moving. For some odd reason, going to a place that I have never been before does not sound exciting. In fact, for a control freak such as myself who thrives off of consistency, predictability and structure, it is terrifying.

I remember when my mother first decided to move my sisters and me to Oklahoma the summer before my senior year of high school. For a bunch of city folk from Chicago, moving to Oklahoma brought on culture shock.. I thought my mother had lost her mind.

In Chicago, I felt safe. I lived in an area where gunshots and drugs were not uncommon. Profanity, premarital sex, and other various compulsions were normal but in my mind that was my normal. After living there for 17 years, it was another part of the modern day culture that I expected to remain a part of my life.

After the move, I felt like a fish out of water and I soon began to realize that my idea of normal was not really normal. I learned that the hurts that I felt, the habits that I had developed, and my hang ups were not originally what God wanted for me. Obviously with the decision to move, my mom had not lost her mind, but in fact was being used by God to try and renew my mind.

I truly believe that God moved my family to help me become the person that I am today. I didn’t realize how hurt and broken I was, because in my previous environment, I felt as though that was all that I knew. Now I see that God purposely moved me from one environment to another to save and protect me.

At the time I could not see it, but the move brought me closer to Christ and introduced me to Celebrate Recovery. With God’s help through CR I was able to overcome a destructive habit and finally walk away from addictive and abusive relationships. By being pulled out of my safe zone, I was able I was able to step out into the unknown and become the person that I am today: happy, healed, and made whole.

Have been pulled out of a situation in which you felt comfortable? Is God pulling on your heart strings, trying to help you grow into the person he would like for you to be by changing your current environment? My advice is simple, seek God.

Give it up to Him and he will guide you exactly where he wants you to go. Jeremiah 29:11 reads,  ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

Grateful Believer,

Gabby

Prevent Truth Decay

I'm a procrastinator. I tend to put things off, goof around, and then finish in a flurry at the very last minute. That's the way I roll.

It's very difficult for me to do things daily, consistently, BEFORE it's an emergency to do them. But as I've grown in my recovery, I have to admit that it's a lot less stressful to do things a little at a time then all at once at the last minute.

In fact, some things HAVE to be done daily. For example, brushing my teeth. What I waited to do that, say once a week (ew!) and on that day brushed them REALLY WELL for like, an hour or two? Would that be as good as brushing them twice a day for a few minutes? Of course not!

The same goes with the daily inventory we talk about at Celebrate Recovery. If I take an honest look at my daily thoughts and actions, and things that happened to me, I'm going to do a lot better job of keeping those things in check than if I just did a big Inventory (4th step) every few years in a step study. A daily inventory keeps me in the truth, the reality of my day-to-day struggles. Both kinds of inventory are great for me - the daily check keeps me on track day by day while the 4th step inventory gives me the big picture.

What should I look at during my daily inventory?  The main idea is to review my day to see what went well and what I need to ask forgiveness for. I ask myself, "Can I avoid that situation or temptation next time?" or "How can I handle that circumstance better?" or "Why did that bother me so much?"

For more ideas on how to use the daily inventory in your recovery, pick up our Daily Inventory handout on the information table on Friday night. Also, your sponsor might have some tips for you.

Grateful Believer,
Angi

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

Why Am I Not "Recovered" Yet?

Hello!  I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with lust, overeating, and am recovering from divorce.  My name is Bryant.

 

I came across these words of encouragement from the Celebrate Recovery Texas State Rep, Paul Schnee and wanted to share them with you. 
If you are new to CR and wondering why some people have been in the program for so long, you need to read this.  If you are a CR veteran and have felt discouraged about continuing to "be in recovery", you need to read this.  If you have never attended CR yourself, but you have a friend or family member who has been in CR for a while, you need to read this.  If you have clicked the link and are on this webpage, then you're on it for a reason -- you need to read this.

 

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Not long ago someone asked me why I wasn't recovered yet. They were judging me as weak because I continue in Celebrate Recovery. CR happens to be one of the greatest spiritual growth and discipleship ministries available to the modern church. But it is a process.

And I am weak. Seriously, can I earn my way into God's favor? Can I use my own strength to recover? Will I stop learning and growing this side of God's kingdom?

 

I'm a work in progress on the road to sanctification (recovery). Only Christ can finish what he has started:)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)

...let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance... (Proverbs 1:5)

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

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

Stressed Out!!!

Calendars get filled up with meetings and things we need to do. Our to do lists overflow and become unmanageable and frightening. We have expectations to meet, things we need to do, and things we want to do. All of this leads to one thing, and that one thing will rob us of our serenity. That thing, is stress.

All of us have stress and to be honest, we will always have things that stress us out. We won’t be able to change that. As long as we’re here on earth we’ll have stressful situations, deal with stressful projects or have people that stress us out. So, what do we do about it?

One option is to let the stress take over, burn out and eventually go crazy. That’s not a very attractive option, is it? Another option is to try and manage it. Try to get organized enough, get the perfect to do list, get the most inclusive calendar, and learn different techniques to manage the stress when it comes on. There’s nothing wrong with calendars, lists, or taking deep breaths, but they probably won’t work in the long run.

Just like our hurts, hang-ups and habits, the only lasting option, is to admit that we are powerless over time, our schedules, and other people, and give our stress to Jesus. You and I need to admit that we are powerless to control our calendars and that our to do lists are unmanageable.

Now, I’ll be honest, I stink at this, at handling stress. I’m a worrier by nature and I tend to internalize my stress. But I’m trying to do this in my own life. I’m trying to turn over my worries and stresses to Jesus, early and often. So, with that disclaimer in mind, let me share what’s been working for me.

There are a few passages of Scripture that are so powerful during times of worry, stress and fear. I’ve written these down on post cards and have them all over the place. They’re in my office, on the refrigerator at home, on my dashboard in my car, and they serve as bookmarks. This has helped me to keep them in the front of my mind and made them easier to memorize and focus on as I get stressed.

Here are the verses:

Philippians 4:6 & 7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I could write about those verses everyday and not get tired of them. If you’re a worrier like me, or if you’re stressed out, this verse is a great one to memorize and meditate on.

Another one that speaks to me is:

2 Corinthians 4:18, So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

So much of what stresses us out is temporary and, sometimes, not all that important. This verse reminds us to focus on Jesus instead of our problems.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to, Cast all your anxiety on Him, Because He cares for you.

And Psalm 4:8 says, I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

There are many, many more verses that tell us to give our concerns, our worries, our stress to God, these are just four that I’ve come to rely on, sometimes on a daily basis.

So, what’s stressing you out today?

What’s looming on your calendar or your to do list that’s causing you to worry or fear?

How are you going to handle it?

Are you going to let it take over and burn you out?

Are you looking for the perfect system that will help you manage it?

Or, will you turn it over to Jesus today?

Maybe write down those verses, or verses that speak to you, and read them every time the stress begins to take over. Try to memorize them and talk to Jesus about your worry, fear and stress. I can tell you in my own life that it makes a huge difference. The stressful situations and people won’t disappear, but our reactions can to them can change.

Like pretty much everything in recovery, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Grateful Believer,

Johnny

{Taken from the National CR Blog, posted September 20, 2010}