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

I Celebrate Harmony

For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed making music. I have always loved to sing, but not just by myself. I need to find harmony in any song that I’m singing. When I was growing up, my older sisters were in a band. Sometimes, during practice, they would ask me to help find a harmony part in a song. I can’t remember if I was able to help, but I felt very special, being 10- years-old, to be asked to help find harmony in their music.

Later, when I was in junior high, two friends and I loved to sing together. We had a brief moment of small-town fame, appearing on a local TV show, singing our three-part harmony together. I began learning more about how to sing with others, learning that an important part of singing harmony is blending.  Blending means that my voice isn’t sticking out or calling attention to me by myself. My voice part adds to the group’s sound, and our harmony blends to make one beautiful sound.

In my years of recovery over my compulsion to overeat, and my depression, I have had periods of time where I decided to go it on my own. I was still attending my Celebrate Recovery meetings, but I was not enlisting the help of my accountability partners, my friends in recovery who are ready to encourage me.  I was not being completely transparent in my small groups; I was choosing to hide and keep secret the vulnerable and deepest parts of myself. I also was not asking after my accountability partners about THEIR struggles, choosing instead to isolate myself.
I was like a choir singer who decides to sing louder than the rest of her group.  The singer may be out of tune and off-beat, but she stubbornly sings on.

I think of the times my recovery has been on a healthy upswing, and how in those times I am in constant contact with my sponsor and accountability partners, my friends in recovery. We don’t just talk “recovery” to each other; we share light-hearted and fun times together as well as the rough stuff. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11 we are told to "…encourage one another and build each other up…"

This reminds me of my friend Connie, with whom I sang in college and afterwards.  We sang together in quite a few groups; so we intuitive blended in harmony no matter where we were singing. In fact, when we were sitting together, worshipping at church, we would catch ourselves breathing at the same times, and improvising things together that we had not rehearsed.  In the same way, when I am in tune with my recovery friends, my accountability team, we anticipate each other’s needs. More than a few times, a precious friend has unknowingly texted, called or emailed me right in a crucial moment when I needed to hear that word of encouragement.


God has given us each other to make harmony together on this walk.  There are no soloists here. 

Grateful Believer,

Angi

I celebrate the testimony of my Lord...

My fierce brothers and sisters who are battling on the road to recovery, listen and soak in God’s Word for you today:  “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of God, and the authority of his Christ.  For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:10-11)  Did you catch it?  We have overcome our accuser by two things: 1) the blood of Jesus! 2) by the word of our testimony.  What is your testimony of the Lord in your life?  Are you using it to defeat your accuser and encourage others to follow Him? 

I celebrate the testimony of my Lord and the testimony of others who have overcome!  This past weekend I attended an intense, rich weekend away with a group of men.  It was not a retreat!  It was 48 hours of wrestling with God and seeking hard after His heart.  Philippians 2:12-13 talks about the hard work to grow and mature in our salvation while at the same time God is working in us to bring about His good will and purpose for our lives.  That is good stuff!  During this weekend event, there were hours alone with God reading Scripture, reflecting on it, praying it and then listening for what God wanted to teach me through that time.  There were also times of deep, healing confessionals and testimonies.

Through this time of sharing and listening to others, God began to uncover within my heart areas of sin that I had justified.  I got caught in the comparison trap. I would say things like, “Well, at least, I’m not doing that.  My issue is not as serious or hurtful as that, so I’m good.”  That comparison trap has a name.  At Celebrate Recovery, we call that denial!  And I was neck deep in it…barely breathing. 

God is faithful and good!  Through the power of these men’s testimonies, the Spirit of God lit a fire within me and I found the courage to share.  And it is through that confession and testimony that the process of healing has begun and I feel the freedom to live in Jesus today!  Remember, these two Scriptures that have set us free:

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

“Therefore, there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

We are not only set free from our sin because of Christ; but, we are set free to live in freedom in Christ.  This is where we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling…not with a big stick that we beat ourselves down with, but with a spirit of freedom in Jesus.  There is no condemnation, but freedom for those that follow Jesus. 

I’m thankful for Jesus today, and I celebrate the testimony that he has given to me and you.  Run hard after Him today my friends.  I love you all.

Grateful believer,

Micah

I celebrate…THE JOURNEY

A journey is defined as traveling from one place to another while typically taking a long period of time.  Life’s tough.   Three years and seven months ago I made the decision that life wasn’t worth living and chose to end it.  God had a different plan, so instead of leaving this earth that April day, I slowly started getting help that, honestly, I did not want.  I was physically alive, but I was emotionally and spiritually dead.  It’s still a struggle, but it no longer consumes me.

Within about a month of that day I walked into a counselor’s office as a way to get out of group therapy and this crazy therapist told me he could help me.  At first I really didn’t care if he could help or couldn’t, I just didn’t want to go to group therapy and endure the stories I heard there all day long!  About 6 weeks or so later he suggested Celebrate Recovery which I found to be a bit weird, but by this point I trusted the guy a little.  People introduced themselves IN CHURCH with a huge amount of honesty.  These folks were real people.  They weren’t “church people” they were God’s people. 

I couldn’t bring myself to talk too much.  I made one contact.  After a few months I had two.  It was well over a year before I ate dinner there and close to two years before I stayed for Common Grounds.  Certain aspects of the program have proven to be too much for me, but that was okay!  It’s my walk.  I don’t have to do it exactly “right.”  I can keep moving though.  When I learned through trying that something didn’t work for me, I found something else that did.  I had people there to remind me that it’s okay to take care of me.  I don’t have to throw in the towel just because the towel gets dirty.  It turns out there is someone that can clean me up!  His name is Jesus and He turned me from a suicidal mental disaster into a still-struggling person with a list of progress that I could have never accomplished on my own.  This road I am traveling is long and seems to be extremely bumpy.  I can celebrate the successes though.

I’m not going alone; I have the help of people to come with me.  We can chart the course a little differently when it is necessary, but the desired direction does not change.  The goal is to move closer to God.  I was finally able to finish my step study one on one with my sponsor.  Due to extenuating circumstances it took me 3 ½ years, but I am so glad to have done it.  One more step along the path.  Ephesians 3:20-21 says, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Today I am not consumed with thoughts of suicide.  My PTSD symptoms are less severe.  Knowing my own limitations has proven invaluable. My ability to communicate my real feelings with people has improved considerably.  I celebrate the journey, because it’s the journey that God put before me to grow in love with the support of people He placed along the way.  It is immeasurably more than I could have ask or imagined.

 Grateful Believer,

Jennifer

I celebrate ______________

My name is Nate. I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ and I celebrate CONTINUED GROWTH.

It feels like I’ve been in recovery for a long time… it’s been five and a half years to be exact. In a lot of ways it feels like I should have a Master’s Degree in recovery by now. I’ve been through Advanced Leadership Training 2 or 3 times, to the Celebrate Recovery Summit in California 2 times, served as TEAM Trainer and now serve as the TEAM Assimilation Coach, whatever that means. I’ve been a part of 4 Step-Studies and even “included outside counseling when I was ready.”

It’s been a good journey. But… for someone who struggles with spiritual pride, (meaning I often believe that I’ve got this ‘Christian-thing’ figured out) life can get discouraging when I feel like I’ve got all the head-knowledge and insight I need, but still struggle to make it all come together when it’s time to put that knowledge into action.

That’s why I’m celebrating CONTINUED GROWTH.

I recently joined my 5^th Step Study…and even though we are only 4 short lessons into the Steps, I am already amazed and excited about what God is teaching me. I just ‘thought’ I had it all figure out.  It has been a true blessing to see how God is continuing to use the ‘same-old-questions’ from the Step Study Participants Guides to teach me more about myself than I had ever been willing to see.

I am so grateful that God knows me better than I know myself and that he continues to ‘Peel the Onion’ of my hurts hang-ups and habits despite my prideful attitudes and beliefs.

Ephesians 1:17

 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Grateful Believer,

Nate

Reserve a daily time with God...

Psalm 1:2
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Principle 7 states -
Reserve a daily time with God for Bible reading, self examination and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

This daily time alone with God is crucial for those of us in recovery. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, declared Him your higher power, then you need to spend time praying to Him and reading the Bible, which is all about Him. Through the pages of Scripture we can learn about the character of God, His plan for us, and how we should live. As well as what He has planned for us in the future.

Do you need comfort? Read the Bible.

Do you need encouragement? Read the Bible.

Do you need to be challenged and called to a higher standard of living? Read the Bible.

Do you want to know God more and learn more about yourself in the process? You guessed it, read the Bible.

Lots of us have a hard time making this daily time a priority. We make excuses and come up with all kinds of reasons we just can’t get it done. Thankfully, one of the reasons people use for not reading their Bibles is a thing of the past. For years people have said that Bibles are big and bulky and that when they read their Bible in public, it can scare people off.

Enter in the electronic Bible. If you have a smart phone, laptop or tablet computer such as the iPad, you can carry books to enhance your quiet time as well as a plethora of Bibles.

Including the Celebrate Recovery Bible. If you would like to carry your Celebrate Recovery Bible with you where ever you go, head on over to the Amazon Kindle store and download it to any Kindle device, Android phone, iPhone, iPad, or computer. 

Reserving that daily time with God has never been easier. We hope you enjoy the new ways to engage with the Celebrate Recovery tools.

Grateful Believers,

National CR T.E.A.M.

(This blog post was taken from the National Celebrate Recovery Blog)

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}

James 5:16

I moved into a new office recently. After a few weeks of settling in, there were still a few items left to be tucked away. In a stack of books I found an old pocket-sized Bible tucked inside its original box. I opened the box, pulled out the Bible and began to flip through its pages. The old Bible brought back a lot of memories, good memories in fact; like the semester when I started each morning with God’s word, a banana mocha and a biscuit sitting in a corner booth at the Virtual Bean Coffee Shop . Or the late nights lying in bed face up reading the book of James everyday for a month. It was a challenge set forth by an elder at the Stillwater church of Christ that really impacted my spiritual life early on in my time at OSU. With the pages loosened from its binding it was obvious that this Bible and I had been through a lot…or should I say it got me through a lot.

I thumbed over to James curious as to what God’s word was teaching me at that point in my life. I was surprised to find James 5:16 underlined.

It reads: Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. 

This verse has come to mean so much to me in my recovery, but why did I have it underlined so many years ago? I know I wasn’t putting the verse into practice. It got me thinking about how at that point in life, my pain had not yet become greater than my fear of change. I was living two separate lives at the time. The Nate that everyone knew was active in ministry and growing in God’s word.  I believe that as I read James 5:16, I saw the need to confess my sins- after all I was neck deep in pornography, but Satan had convinced me that if I became vulnerable, that if I put God’s word into practice, that the only thing waiting for me at the end of it was rejection, humiliation and more loneliness.  I didn’t trust that God would actually bring healing to my life.

Praise God, He didn’t give up on me. He stayed faithful to me through the following years and as my pain slowly became more than I could bear, He revealed His promise to me once again. Celebrate Recovery is an answered prayer in my life. Its the fulfillment of a deep longing for healing and change that, in my case, goes back more than 15 years. I remember the first time that James 5:16 was brought up at C.R. Its as if a light bulb went off in my head. It clicked. I got it. Forgiveness comes through confessing to God and healing comes through confessing to each other!  

I’m so thankful for these lessons learned and for the gentle whisper of the Father in Heaven,  who loves us enough to keep bringing us back to the same life lessons, the same promises and the same scriptures over and over and over again, until our hearts finally comprehend.

Grateful Believer,

Nate