Here at NLC.Conwy Celebrate Recovery we are all super excited about a new movie coming to our theater April 19-21. It is called "HomeRun The Movie". Here is the trailer:
Go to Cinemark Towne Center in Conway and get your tickets now!
Show times for all 3 days of opening weekend are: 1:10 pm, 4:05pm, 7pm, 9:55pm
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Stinkin Thinkin - Week 2
Last year one of our Arkansas State Reps presented a challenge on Facebook to join in a Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge. This year Rodney is our National Assimilation Coach and has issued the challenge again. We will be posting the challenge each week to our blog.
Details from the Stinkin' Thinking' Challenge 2012 on Facebook...look it up and join if you are on Facebook:
"How is your thinking these days? Is it that of truth and promises of God or that of the lies from the enemy that seeks to kill, steal and destroy? The only way the enemy can get to us is through the belief of his lies.
Christ's truth is a better route to go to keep up on the right track in life. Join us for the Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge 2012. We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ.
Task:
1. Each week a scripture will be present
2. Write out that verse on a 3x5 index card and the promise on the other side of the card.
3. Carry that card with you, tape it on your dashboard, put it on your fridge or wherever you know you will see this truth.
4. If you can take it a step further and memorize it that is even better
5. Keep all your cards and randomly go back to them to be reminded of who you are in Christ especially in difficult times.
6. Share this challenge with a friend. You never know who might be struggling."
WEEK 2:
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15
PROMISE:
I am Christ's Friend!!!
Details from the Stinkin' Thinking' Challenge 2012 on Facebook...look it up and join if you are on Facebook:
"How is your thinking these days? Is it that of truth and promises of God or that of the lies from the enemy that seeks to kill, steal and destroy? The only way the enemy can get to us is through the belief of his lies.
Christ's truth is a better route to go to keep up on the right track in life. Join us for the Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge 2012. We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ.
Task:
1. Each week a scripture will be present
2. Write out that verse on a 3x5 index card and the promise on the other side of the card.
3. Carry that card with you, tape it on your dashboard, put it on your fridge or wherever you know you will see this truth.
4. If you can take it a step further and memorize it that is even better
5. Keep all your cards and randomly go back to them to be reminded of who you are in Christ especially in difficult times.
6. Share this challenge with a friend. You never know who might be struggling."
WEEK 2:
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15
PROMISE:
I am Christ's Friend!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Stinkin Thinking Challenge 2012
Last year one of our Arkansas State Reps presented a challenge on Facebook to join in a Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge. This year Rodney is our National Assimilation Coach and has issued the challenge again. We will be posting the challenge each week to our blog.
Details from the Stinkin' Thinking' Challenge 2012 on Facebook...look it up and join if you are on Facebook:
"How is your thinking these days? Is it that of truth and promises of God or that of the lies from the enemy that seeks to kill, steal and destroy? The only way the enemy can get to us is through the belief of his lies.
Christ's truth is a better route to go to keep up on the right track in life. Join us for the Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge 2012. We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ.
Task:
1. Each week a scripture will be present
2. Write out that verse on a 3x5 index card and the promise on the other side of the card.
3. Carry that card with you, tape it on your dashboard, put it on your fridge or wherever you know you will see this truth.
4. If you can take it a step further and memorize it that is even better
5. Keep all your cards and randomly go back to them to be reminded of who you are in Christ especially in difficult times.
6. Share this challenge with a friend. You never know who might be struggling."
WEEK 1:
VERSE: "Yet to all who did receive Him to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
PROMISE: I am a Child of God!!!
If you are looking for a place in Conway or the surrounding areas to deal with your life's hurts, habits or hang-ups, join us anytime on a Monday night at Celebrate Recovery for some great fellowship and hope.
Every Monday at 6:30 pm. For the next couple of months, due to construction at New Life Church, we will be meeting at Central Baptist Church across Dave Ward Drive. Come join us!
Details from the Stinkin' Thinking' Challenge 2012 on Facebook...look it up and join if you are on Facebook:
"How is your thinking these days? Is it that of truth and promises of God or that of the lies from the enemy that seeks to kill, steal and destroy? The only way the enemy can get to us is through the belief of his lies.
Christ's truth is a better route to go to keep up on the right track in life. Join us for the Stinkin' Thinkin' Challenge 2012. We need to be reminded of who we are in Christ.
Task:
1. Each week a scripture will be present
2. Write out that verse on a 3x5 index card and the promise on the other side of the card.
3. Carry that card with you, tape it on your dashboard, put it on your fridge or wherever you know you will see this truth.
4. If you can take it a step further and memorize it that is even better
5. Keep all your cards and randomly go back to them to be reminded of who you are in Christ especially in difficult times.
6. Share this challenge with a friend. You never know who might be struggling."
WEEK 1:
VERSE: "Yet to all who did receive Him to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
PROMISE: I am a Child of God!!!
If you are looking for a place in Conway or the surrounding areas to deal with your life's hurts, habits or hang-ups, join us anytime on a Monday night at Celebrate Recovery for some great fellowship and hope.
Every Monday at 6:30 pm. For the next couple of months, due to construction at New Life Church, we will be meeting at Central Baptist Church across Dave Ward Drive. Come join us!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Double Dipping
Borrowed from Rodney Holmstrom our CR National Assimilation Coach and NW Arkansas State Rep:
What is Double Dipping? One of my biggest pet peeves when dining out or with friends in an eating setting is when they dip their chip into the salsa or cheese dip, take a bite, and then dip it back in the dip again. {gag}
I am pretty picky about my food and this really gross' me out. Some people make fun of me at my expense about this issue I have, but I really get grossed out when this happens and will even refrain from eating any more chips if I witness this repulsive act. lol
But that is not the kind of double dipping I am referring to. "Double Dipping" in a CR Open Discussion Group setting is when a particular person shares more than one time in a certain small group setting.
Why is this not allowed in the Open Discussion Groups? What if the group is small? Doesn't it improve the small group to allow multiple sharing?
All great questions! Here are a couple of reasons why we should not allow this in our Open Discussion groups
1. Double Dipping can cause opportunities for people to try to "fix" others after listening to their sharing. Sometimes without even realizing it we think "oh, I know what I can share that will lead "them" down the right path" and so we share and it is all directed toward one person. Now, one can make an argument that people could do that anyway. True, and hopefully our well trained leaders will nip this quickly, but the chances increase when people go a second time.
2. Our small group guideline is "Keep our sharing to 3-5 minutes not "3-5 minutes, 2 or 3 times". There is a reason we have 3-5 minutes on each person's sharing. It teaches us to get our thoughts organized and not ramble. This is an important component in recovery. When we know we have 3-5 minutes we will give it some thought before we speak and speak to the point more precisely.
3. Sharing only one time will allow everyone the opportunity to share that chooses to.
Granted, in some of our small groups there will possibly only be 3-4 people in the group. That is ok. The best thing you can do as a group is shut down the group early and go to Solid Rock and continue your conversation there.
-Some people think it's crazy for us to have a guideline like this or think it is silly to have others like, we cannot hand a tissue to someone else when they are crying. (I thought that was the craziest thing I ever heard when I first came in until I found out "why" we do that. We don't want to interrupt the sharing of anyone. Handing a tissue does just that. Or, to only use I or me statements. Then I learned that when someone says for example, "we all want this..." I know now that I really don't want you or anyone else speaking for me. How do you know what I want or need? :)
The truth is, there are actually very good reasons behind these guidelines and 20 plus years experience that has lead us to use these guidelines. They may seem crazy and not necessary, but the truth is, they actually do work.
One of the things I have said and continue to say in trainings with our great CR leaders is we don't expect everyone to agree with everything we do in CR. The thing we do ask though is that you please respect them. I have to trust those that went before me in this great ministry and know that if the guideline is there, it is there for a good reason and for my safety and recovery.
We want this 3-5 minutes to be yours to share to your liking as long as the guidelines are being upheld.
a. maybe a victory or struggle from this past week
b. Maybe you choose to share from the focus question presented
c. Maybe there is something in the Problem and Solution Sheet that spoke to you
d. Maybe there is something that the Holy Spirit Spoke to your heart about during the teaching or testimony that night.
Bottom line, whatever you want to share on is fine just make sure you do it within your time frame allotted.
So....the next time you go into an open discussion group during your regular meeting night and your leader asks you to not share again, you will know that they are not being mean or picking on you but rather, doing their part in keeping the group safe and productive. This is to ultimately set the table for you to experience God's healing and freedom all in the setting of a safe group.
As always, thank you for honoring these guidelines and for being right where God has you. You are blessing so many by your presence not to mention bringing continued healing to yourself each time you share.
Just like the song says. Greater Things Are Still To Come In This City" Greater things are still to come in this "meeting"...
Have a blessed day
Happy "one" sharing....:)
For any questions about CR, please click on the Contact Us tab at the top of this page.
What is Double Dipping? One of my biggest pet peeves when dining out or with friends in an eating setting is when they dip their chip into the salsa or cheese dip, take a bite, and then dip it back in the dip again. {gag}
I am pretty picky about my food and this really gross' me out. Some people make fun of me at my expense about this issue I have, but I really get grossed out when this happens and will even refrain from eating any more chips if I witness this repulsive act. lol
But that is not the kind of double dipping I am referring to. "Double Dipping" in a CR Open Discussion Group setting is when a particular person shares more than one time in a certain small group setting.
Why is this not allowed in the Open Discussion Groups? What if the group is small? Doesn't it improve the small group to allow multiple sharing?
All great questions! Here are a couple of reasons why we should not allow this in our Open Discussion groups
1. Double Dipping can cause opportunities for people to try to "fix" others after listening to their sharing. Sometimes without even realizing it we think "oh, I know what I can share that will lead "them" down the right path" and so we share and it is all directed toward one person. Now, one can make an argument that people could do that anyway. True, and hopefully our well trained leaders will nip this quickly, but the chances increase when people go a second time.
2. Our small group guideline is "Keep our sharing to 3-5 minutes not "3-5 minutes, 2 or 3 times". There is a reason we have 3-5 minutes on each person's sharing. It teaches us to get our thoughts organized and not ramble. This is an important component in recovery. When we know we have 3-5 minutes we will give it some thought before we speak and speak to the point more precisely.
3. Sharing only one time will allow everyone the opportunity to share that chooses to.
Granted, in some of our small groups there will possibly only be 3-4 people in the group. That is ok. The best thing you can do as a group is shut down the group early and go to Solid Rock and continue your conversation there.
-Some people think it's crazy for us to have a guideline like this or think it is silly to have others like, we cannot hand a tissue to someone else when they are crying. (I thought that was the craziest thing I ever heard when I first came in until I found out "why" we do that. We don't want to interrupt the sharing of anyone. Handing a tissue does just that. Or, to only use I or me statements. Then I learned that when someone says for example, "we all want this..." I know now that I really don't want you or anyone else speaking for me. How do you know what I want or need? :)
The truth is, there are actually very good reasons behind these guidelines and 20 plus years experience that has lead us to use these guidelines. They may seem crazy and not necessary, but the truth is, they actually do work.
One of the things I have said and continue to say in trainings with our great CR leaders is we don't expect everyone to agree with everything we do in CR. The thing we do ask though is that you please respect them. I have to trust those that went before me in this great ministry and know that if the guideline is there, it is there for a good reason and for my safety and recovery.
We want this 3-5 minutes to be yours to share to your liking as long as the guidelines are being upheld.
a. maybe a victory or struggle from this past week
b. Maybe you choose to share from the focus question presented
c. Maybe there is something in the Problem and Solution Sheet that spoke to you
d. Maybe there is something that the Holy Spirit Spoke to your heart about during the teaching or testimony that night.
Bottom line, whatever you want to share on is fine just make sure you do it within your time frame allotted.
So....the next time you go into an open discussion group during your regular meeting night and your leader asks you to not share again, you will know that they are not being mean or picking on you but rather, doing their part in keeping the group safe and productive. This is to ultimately set the table for you to experience God's healing and freedom all in the setting of a safe group.
As always, thank you for honoring these guidelines and for being right where God has you. You are blessing so many by your presence not to mention bringing continued healing to yourself each time you share.
Just like the song says. Greater Things Are Still To Come In This City" Greater things are still to come in this "meeting"...
Have a blessed day
Happy "one" sharing....:)
For any questions about CR, please click on the Contact Us tab at the top of this page.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Prisoner
Re-posting from Fellowship NWA CR Blog:
The Prisoner
Have you ever been a prisoner?
Have you ever been held captive?
Have you ever been enslaved?
Have you ever wanted freedom so bad you could taste it?
Hi, my name is David, and I’m a prisoner.
I’ve been a prisoner for a long time…living inside these walls made of bars of steel and stone.
There’s a window…it’s small…but it’s a window.
It lets me see the outside…where I could be…where I could have been all along. But…I’m a prisoner. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ll always be.
Oh, yeah, there’s a door. It’s made of those same steel bars.
It hangs there on the hinges. Hard, cold metal. Unforgiving.
And the lock. It can’t be picked. It just can’t be! I’ve tried to get out on my own. It takes that key…that annoying key that for years has rattled in my ears.
All the time I’ve been here…every time that abusive guard stuck it in the lock - and the mechanism would click, I’d get that sense of “freedom”. It was the sound of freedom. I could just taste it – only to be disappointed after an hour of pretend freedom behind the fences of the yard – only to be disappointed as the guard – a tyrant, that guy – would lead me back to my cell and lock the door behind me…laughing and mocking me as he’d walk away.
Ironically, it was a Friday when it all changed. Well, sort of changed. Inmates down the corridor were hollering at the guard…yelling their usual taunts. And they were screaming obscenities at a new guy. You know when a new guy is coming in because of those initial cat calls and insults. It’s painfully routine.
The guard approached my cell door. And, this new guy was with him. I thought…oh, great, a cellmate. No thanks. I’m a loner. I’m o.k. by myself. Stick him in with the guy next door.
But, they just stood there at my cell door…the guard and this guy. This new dude. He was kinda normal looking. Not really a rough and tough looking sort. Nothing that would have naturally drawn you to him. Kinda simple looking actually. A little homely. Intriguing at the same time. I couldn’t quite figure him out.
It was all a bit weird…almost like I knew him or he knew me …or something. Like I was in slow motion…but only a couple of seconds past before the man gave me that most startling message: You’re free. I looked at him with a blank stare, and he said it again...You’re free. I could tell that slave-driver of a guard wasn’t excited about it. But, he handed the keys over to this mystery man who proceeded to unlock the door. Then, he opened it and looked me square in the eye and repeated himself. “You’re free.” "How?” I asked. What happened? I don’t get it.
The guard pointed his thumb to the guy and grumbled, “It’s his doing…definitely not mine. I’d keep you here ‘til you rotted if it was up to me. I’d just as soon see you robbed blind, tortured, and killed…if it was up to me.”
“What do you mean, free?” I asked the stranger.
The guard chimed back in, “You’re free knucklehead. This nut paid your bail, your fines, your penalty…along with everyone else’s in this nuthouse. You can go.”
The simple man – the mystery man – looked at me and smiled. Then the two of them moved on to the next cell…making the same announcement from one cell to the next.
I sat on my bunk in disbelief and just listened as the two of them moved from cell to cell…floor to floor…telling the same story.
I could hear guys yelling…grabbing their stuff and running down the corridors…headed outside. OUTSIDE! Somebody said that the gates to the whole prison were standing wide open outside. I jumped to the window to see if I was in a dream. But…it was true. I could see ‘em running out. “I’m free!” they’d yell. “I’m outta here!”
They didn’t deserve to be outside! I knew I didn’t and I knew there were lots more like me and worse. Free? No way! They don’t deserve it, and I don’t either.
I stuck to my guns that day.
I stayed on that bunk…determined not to move. Determined to be what I was…a prisoner…determined to be who I am…a prisoner. It’s who I am…It’s who I’ll always be. I got myself into this mess and I’ll keep myself in it.
And, I have. I’ve stayed. Yeah, the door is still hanging there on the hinges. And, yeah, it’s still open. It’s been that way for three years now. They still feed me and they gave me a t.v. to keep me occupied. I just live through the people in the little box. It’s a meager existence. I wouldn’t call it a “life.” But I’m used to it. So, I’m not leaving. Freedom can’t be mine. It just can’t be…because I’m a prisoner.
Have you ever felt like this guy? Galatians 5:1 says, "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." What doorway of freedom has Christ given to you that you have been hesitant to walk through? What is the cage that you are ready to walk out of today?
If you have questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on Contact Us tab above for contact information.
The Prisoner
Have you ever been a prisoner?
Have you ever been held captive?
Have you ever been enslaved?
Have you ever wanted freedom so bad you could taste it?
Hi, my name is David, and I’m a prisoner.
I’ve been a prisoner for a long time…living inside these walls made of bars of steel and stone.
There’s a window…it’s small…but it’s a window.
It lets me see the outside…where I could be…where I could have been all along. But…I’m a prisoner. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ll always be.
Oh, yeah, there’s a door. It’s made of those same steel bars.
It hangs there on the hinges. Hard, cold metal. Unforgiving.
And the lock. It can’t be picked. It just can’t be! I’ve tried to get out on my own. It takes that key…that annoying key that for years has rattled in my ears.
All the time I’ve been here…every time that abusive guard stuck it in the lock - and the mechanism would click, I’d get that sense of “freedom”. It was the sound of freedom. I could just taste it – only to be disappointed after an hour of pretend freedom behind the fences of the yard – only to be disappointed as the guard – a tyrant, that guy – would lead me back to my cell and lock the door behind me…laughing and mocking me as he’d walk away.
Ironically, it was a Friday when it all changed. Well, sort of changed. Inmates down the corridor were hollering at the guard…yelling their usual taunts. And they were screaming obscenities at a new guy. You know when a new guy is coming in because of those initial cat calls and insults. It’s painfully routine.
The guard approached my cell door. And, this new guy was with him. I thought…oh, great, a cellmate. No thanks. I’m a loner. I’m o.k. by myself. Stick him in with the guy next door.
But, they just stood there at my cell door…the guard and this guy. This new dude. He was kinda normal looking. Not really a rough and tough looking sort. Nothing that would have naturally drawn you to him. Kinda simple looking actually. A little homely. Intriguing at the same time. I couldn’t quite figure him out.
It was all a bit weird…almost like I knew him or he knew me …or something. Like I was in slow motion…but only a couple of seconds past before the man gave me that most startling message: You’re free. I looked at him with a blank stare, and he said it again...You’re free. I could tell that slave-driver of a guard wasn’t excited about it. But, he handed the keys over to this mystery man who proceeded to unlock the door. Then, he opened it and looked me square in the eye and repeated himself. “You’re free.” "How?” I asked. What happened? I don’t get it.
The guard pointed his thumb to the guy and grumbled, “It’s his doing…definitely not mine. I’d keep you here ‘til you rotted if it was up to me. I’d just as soon see you robbed blind, tortured, and killed…if it was up to me.”
“What do you mean, free?” I asked the stranger.
The guard chimed back in, “You’re free knucklehead. This nut paid your bail, your fines, your penalty…along with everyone else’s in this nuthouse. You can go.”
The simple man – the mystery man – looked at me and smiled. Then the two of them moved on to the next cell…making the same announcement from one cell to the next.
I sat on my bunk in disbelief and just listened as the two of them moved from cell to cell…floor to floor…telling the same story.
I could hear guys yelling…grabbing their stuff and running down the corridors…headed outside. OUTSIDE! Somebody said that the gates to the whole prison were standing wide open outside. I jumped to the window to see if I was in a dream. But…it was true. I could see ‘em running out. “I’m free!” they’d yell. “I’m outta here!”
They didn’t deserve to be outside! I knew I didn’t and I knew there were lots more like me and worse. Free? No way! They don’t deserve it, and I don’t either.
I stuck to my guns that day.
I stayed on that bunk…determined not to move. Determined to be what I was…a prisoner…determined to be who I am…a prisoner. It’s who I am…It’s who I’ll always be. I got myself into this mess and I’ll keep myself in it.
And, I have. I’ve stayed. Yeah, the door is still hanging there on the hinges. And, yeah, it’s still open. It’s been that way for three years now. They still feed me and they gave me a t.v. to keep me occupied. I just live through the people in the little box. It’s a meager existence. I wouldn’t call it a “life.” But I’m used to it. So, I’m not leaving. Freedom can’t be mine. It just can’t be…because I’m a prisoner.
Have you ever felt like this guy? Galatians 5:1 says, "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." What doorway of freedom has Christ given to you that you have been hesitant to walk through? What is the cage that you are ready to walk out of today?
If you have questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on Contact Us tab above for contact information.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
"Homerun" Trailer
CELEBRATE RECOVERY MOVIE COMING SPRING 2012
"HOMERUN"
John and Cheryl Baker, CR founders are reading thru the script this past week and filming is set to begin this summer. Exciting stuff!
For more information about Celebrate Recovery, contact Alison at 501-410-3728 or celebraterecovery_nlc@yahoo.com
"HOMERUN"
John and Cheryl Baker, CR founders are reading thru the script this past week and filming is set to begin this summer. Exciting stuff!
For more information about Celebrate Recovery, contact Alison at 501-410-3728 or celebraterecovery_nlc@yahoo.com
Monday, April 25, 2011
Progress Not Perfection
From http://www.refineus.org/
"3 Steps Forward 2 Steps Back"
My entire life I’ve heard the phrase “Three steps forward, two steps back.” This phrase is rarely used as a declaration of achievement. Most of the time that I have used it is has been an admission of failure. I have not made as much progress in a particular area of my life that I had hoped…I took three steps forward and two steps back. I have said this phrase ashamed, disappointed and defeated.
I heard someone the other day say this phrase and it caused me to think through the “two steps back” moments of my life. Would I love to always take three steps forward? Absolutely! Would I love to achieve perfection in every area of my life? Yes! But what God has taught me is that life is more about my journey of transformation than my ability to be perfect (or pretend to be perfect).
Here are a few things “two steps back” has provided:
Remember three minus two is still progress.
"3 Steps Forward 2 Steps Back"
My entire life I’ve heard the phrase “Three steps forward, two steps back.” This phrase is rarely used as a declaration of achievement. Most of the time that I have used it is has been an admission of failure. I have not made as much progress in a particular area of my life that I had hoped…I took three steps forward and two steps back. I have said this phrase ashamed, disappointed and defeated.
I heard someone the other day say this phrase and it caused me to think through the “two steps back” moments of my life. Would I love to always take three steps forward? Absolutely! Would I love to achieve perfection in every area of my life? Yes! But what God has taught me is that life is more about my journey of transformation than my ability to be perfect (or pretend to be perfect).
Here are a few things “two steps back” has provided:
- Perspective: there are times that I only appreciate the three steps I have taken forward after I realize I’ve taken two steps back. I am often so consumed by moving forward it isn’t until I fail that I stop and see how far God has brought me.
- Humility: why is it that success can cause me to think how great I am but failure can cause me to realize how great God is? There are times that my two steps back in life, marriage, parenting or ministry has allowed me to realize that there is a God, and I am not Him.
- My Need for Grace: I grew up thinking grace was an event. The receiving of God’s grace was what occurred at the moment of salvation. What I’ve realized in the two steps back moments in life is that I need God’s grace every single day. It is what not only saves me, but sustains me.
- Determination to Take 3 More Steps: I want the failures in my life not to define me but to help me. I want to learn and grow and become more of the person God has created me to be, and often that comes through failure. Taking two steps back allows me to see how important taking three more steps forward will be. It provides me fuel to continue on the journey to become more like Christ.
Remember three minus two is still progress.
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the Contact Us link above for our contact information.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Being Still in the Storms
When Maizy, my chihuahua mix, is afraid or over-anxious and I go to her, she wiggles and pants and licks and demands that I pet her, hold her, or more.
Tonight, during the storm, she was quiet and not whining when I let her out, but she immediately got that glazed look and frantically panted and wiggled and scratched my legs to get up. I put my hands on her chest and back with deep pressure and said “Be still”.
Immediately I thought of the scripture, “Be still and know that I am God” and had instant realization that many times when I go to God I am all panicky and insistent, thinking that I know what I need and why doesn’t He just do it now.
I see that when Maizy is all excited and frantic she is not even taking advantage of my presence.
When she becomes still, she can feel me beside her and be calm and rest in the fact that she knows I am there.
It is the same thing for me and God. If I get all panicky and worried, or insistent, I don’t realize the fullness of His presence, but if I really do be STILL in my spirit, then knowing that He is God is all the comfort I need to rest my soul during the storms of life.
Missy - NLC-Heber Springs CR Ministry Leader
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the Contact Us link above for our contact information.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Shocked by My Own Advice
By Lysa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31 Ministries)
Today’s key verses are not easy for a girl who wanted nothing more growing up than to fit in. Don’t cause waves. Don’t stand out. Don’t stand up. Don’t rock the boat of norm in anyway. Just go with the flow in the same direction as everyone else.
But somewhere along my Christian journey, going with the flow started to bother me.
Verses like the one above in Matthew 7 and Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” started to mess with my status quo existence.
Conformed or transformed? The choice is mine. If I want to be a sold out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd.
This is a message I shared with my son one day when he came to me scared. He admitted things had gone a little too far with his girlfriend and wanted help processing what to do. They hadn’t crossed every line but enough that he knew they were headed in a dangerous direction.
We sat on the back deck and processed the situation together. We read a list of empowering Scripture verses seeking to filter every part of this situation through God’s truth. In the end, he and his girlfriend came to the realization they needed to break up. It’s really hard to put things in reverse after certain lines have been crossed.
I walked back into the house after that conversation with two things running through my brain. I was thrilled my son came to me to talk about such a sensitive issue. What an honor to breathe Truth into his physical struggle.
But, I was also feeling a little panicked at the realities of parenting older teenagers. And that feeling led me straight to the pantry, convinced I needed some chocolate. I deserved some chips! As I loaded my arms full of treats, I was suddenly struck by a gut wrenching question. How can I expect my son to apply
Truth to his area of physical struggle but refuse to apply it to my area of physical struggle?
Ouch. I was shocked by my own advice.
If I wanted to model what it looks like to live out truth in my physical struggles, I would have to break up with unhealthy choices. God made me to consume food, but food was never supposed to consume me.
Making healthy choices with my food would have to be part of my breaking away. I would have to distance myself from my distraction if I wanted to become truly transformed.
What’s your distraction? What’s the one way you can start to break away from the everybody crowd?
The everybody crowd says, “if it feels good it is good.” The everybody crowd says, “don’t deny yourself… that’s so old school.” The everybody crowd says, “everybody’s living it up – so should you.”
Conformed or transformed? The choice is ours. If we want to be a sold out somebody for God, we have to break away from the everybody crowd.
The choice is ours. If we want to be a sold out somebody for God, we have to break away from the everybody crowd. Look at your life and honestly determine if there is any area where you need to break away from the crowd.
Reflections:
Am I living as conformed or transformed?
Do I have any distractions right now that are keeping me from being a sold out somebody for God?
What is one way I can start to break away from the everybody crowd?
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gateThe choice is mine. If I want to be a sold out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd.
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
Today’s key verses are not easy for a girl who wanted nothing more growing up than to fit in. Don’t cause waves. Don’t stand out. Don’t stand up. Don’t rock the boat of norm in anyway. Just go with the flow in the same direction as everyone else.
But somewhere along my Christian journey, going with the flow started to bother me.
Verses like the one above in Matthew 7 and Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” started to mess with my status quo existence.
Conformed or transformed? The choice is mine. If I want to be a sold out somebody for God, I have to break away from the everybody crowd.
This is a message I shared with my son one day when he came to me scared. He admitted things had gone a little too far with his girlfriend and wanted help processing what to do. They hadn’t crossed every line but enough that he knew they were headed in a dangerous direction.
We sat on the back deck and processed the situation together. We read a list of empowering Scripture verses seeking to filter every part of this situation through God’s truth. In the end, he and his girlfriend came to the realization they needed to break up. It’s really hard to put things in reverse after certain lines have been crossed.
I walked back into the house after that conversation with two things running through my brain. I was thrilled my son came to me to talk about such a sensitive issue. What an honor to breathe Truth into his physical struggle.
But, I was also feeling a little panicked at the realities of parenting older teenagers. And that feeling led me straight to the pantry, convinced I needed some chocolate. I deserved some chips! As I loaded my arms full of treats, I was suddenly struck by a gut wrenching question. How can I expect my son to apply
Truth to his area of physical struggle but refuse to apply it to my area of physical struggle?
Ouch. I was shocked by my own advice.
If I wanted to model what it looks like to live out truth in my physical struggles, I would have to break up with unhealthy choices. God made me to consume food, but food was never supposed to consume me.
Making healthy choices with my food would have to be part of my breaking away. I would have to distance myself from my distraction if I wanted to become truly transformed.
What’s your distraction? What’s the one way you can start to break away from the everybody crowd?
The everybody crowd says, “if it feels good it is good.” The everybody crowd says, “don’t deny yourself… that’s so old school.” The everybody crowd says, “everybody’s living it up – so should you.”
Conformed or transformed? The choice is ours. If we want to be a sold out somebody for God, we have to break away from the everybody crowd.
Dear Lord, I want and need to live apart from the everybody crowd. Free me of my distractions. Remove my insecurities. Help me to follow You with my whole heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Application Steps:
The choice is ours. If we want to be a sold out somebody for God, we have to break away from the everybody crowd. Look at your life and honestly determine if there is any area where you need to break away from the crowd.
Reflections:
Am I living as conformed or transformed?
Do I have any distractions right now that are keeping me from being a sold out somebody for God?
What is one way I can start to break away from the everybody crowd?
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)
1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Withheld Truth
"Withheld Truth" by Justin Davis @ http://www.refineus.org/
Why is it so easy to hide? Why is it so easy to only share part of the truth?
1. Tell the truth to yourself.
The greatest of all deception is self-deception.
Writer Mike Novak says: “Our capacity for self-deception has no known limits.” The prophet Obadiah in the Old Testament says it like this: “The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
For years, I deceived myself about my insecurities; about my pride; about my addictions and lust issues. I deceived myself to believe I was closer to God than I really was. When I believe the lies I tell myself, I am in a very dangerous place. We don’t have the capacity to speak to truth to anyone if we lie to ourselves.
2. Tell Your Spouse the Truth.
God has created us to know and to be known. I counsel with husband and wife all the time. I will say something like, “Have you told your wife that?” “Have you shared that with your husband?” Most of the time their response is “Are you crazy? I could never tell my husband that.” “My wife could never know that about me.” Withholding truth breaks intimacy. So my question to you today is…Is there something that you hope your spouse never knows about you? If the answer to that question is “yes” you have limited your capacity to experience intimacy in your marriage.
3. Tell God the Truth.
Neal Plantinga writes this: I go hours, days, weeks at a time never really thinking about Him; never really turning my heart and will over to Him; never seriously attend to Him; never bring Him sustained focus. The thought that I am entangled more and more in the sin that brought Jesus to the cross, that thought becomes bearable and then routine. Eventually, I find God doesn’t seem very real. I find myself not praying all that much. The less I pray, the less real God seems. I forget God. I forget sin.
How do we forget to tell God about the struggles we have? What we think is that by not being honest with God we are actually saving ourselves from pain and hurt. We are avoiding pain, in the short term. But what we forfeit by not being honest with God is the healing of our heart.
Maybe you feel distance in your marriage but it has nothing to do with your marriage…it has to do with this healing that God longs to bring, when you are willing be honest with him and allow him into all parts of your heart.
Why is it so easy to hide? Why is it so easy to only share part of the truth?
This past week, I had the opportunity to continue our 5 Things Series, you can watch/listen to the entire message HERE. In the message I talked about 3 people to whom we have to speak truth:
1. Tell the truth to yourself.
The greatest of all deception is self-deception.
Writer Mike Novak says: “Our capacity for self-deception has no known limits.” The prophet Obadiah in the Old Testament says it like this: “The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
For years, I deceived myself about my insecurities; about my pride; about my addictions and lust issues. I deceived myself to believe I was closer to God than I really was. When I believe the lies I tell myself, I am in a very dangerous place. We don’t have the capacity to speak to truth to anyone if we lie to ourselves.
2. Tell Your Spouse the Truth.
God has created us to know and to be known. I counsel with husband and wife all the time. I will say something like, “Have you told your wife that?” “Have you shared that with your husband?” Most of the time their response is “Are you crazy? I could never tell my husband that.” “My wife could never know that about me.” Withholding truth breaks intimacy. So my question to you today is…Is there something that you hope your spouse never knows about you? If the answer to that question is “yes” you have limited your capacity to experience intimacy in your marriage.
3. Tell God the Truth.
Neal Plantinga writes this: I go hours, days, weeks at a time never really thinking about Him; never really turning my heart and will over to Him; never seriously attend to Him; never bring Him sustained focus. The thought that I am entangled more and more in the sin that brought Jesus to the cross, that thought becomes bearable and then routine. Eventually, I find God doesn’t seem very real. I find myself not praying all that much. The less I pray, the less real God seems. I forget God. I forget sin.
How do we forget to tell God about the struggles we have? What we think is that by not being honest with God we are actually saving ourselves from pain and hurt. We are avoiding pain, in the short term. But what we forfeit by not being honest with God is the healing of our heart.
Maybe you feel distance in your marriage but it has nothing to do with your marriage…it has to do with this healing that God longs to bring, when you are willing be honest with him and allow him into all parts of your heart.
Who do you have the hardest time telling the WHOLE truth to?
If you have any questions about Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link above for contact information.Thursday, April 7, 2011
Shifting Our Values
Written by Justin Davis at www.refineus.org
There is no doubt I have made a lot of mistakes in life and marriage. Most of them are written about on this blog. One of the biggest mistakes I have made as I have tried to follow Christ and as I have tried to grow as a husband and father is trying to change my behavior without changing my heart.There have been times in my life that I knew our marriage was in trouble…so I said I would try harder.
There have been times that I knew I wasn’t as close to God as I should be…so I said I would try harder.
There have been times that I knew I wasn’t giving my kids the very best I could…so I said I would try harder.
Trying harder doesn’t work.
So often, especially as Christians, we look for behavior modification to improve our walk with God, our marriages and our relationships, but what we have tragically overlooked is our need for heart transformation.
Being a better husband doesn’t require a change of behavior…it requires a change of heart.
Being a better father doesn’t require a change of behavior…it requires a change of heart.
Being a better disciple of Christ doesn’t require a change of behavior…it requires a change of heart.
In order for me to change how I act, I need to change what I care about. What I care about the most drives my behavior. So here are three value-shifts that I am trying to make in my own life believing they will impact who I am as a husband, parent and friend.
1. Value truth-telling more than image building.
I am working really hard to care more about telling you the truth about me than what you think about me. What if I was as committed to sharing truth as I was building my reputation? God is constantly reminding me that he doesn’t care how I look to others; He just wants me to be honest.
2. Value transparency more than accountability.
I have written about this before, but I have a personal belief that accountability is a Christian crutch. I think accountability is useless. We use it to make ourselves look more spiritual than we really are. Accountability is only as valuable as the transparency we offer in the context of that accountability. We don’t have to be transparent with everyone, but we should be transparent with someone.
3. Value intimacy more than the absence of conflict.
God has designed us for intimacy…the word intimacy means “to be fully known.” But being fully known is risky….being fully known is vulnerable. So often in my life I value pain avoidance more than being fully known. So I sacrifice intimacy with God, with my wife or with a good friend in favor of avoiding conflict. I want to learn to see conflict as God’s way of building intimacy in my life.
Which of these values resonates most in your heart?
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Hidden Potential
"Hidden Potential" by Tracie Miles @ Proverbs31.org
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come:
the old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Christ sees your value and hidden potential. Do you?
I was challenged by this thought recently after putting my son to bed.
Every night, I receive the same request when I tuck him in. He looks at me with big, blue eyes, pokes his bottom lip out for sentimental effect, and asks for a bedtime story. Last night was no exception. As usual, I skimmed the contents of his room. Searching for an item that might plant a story idea in my head, I noticed his gray sock monkey.
Instantly, my thoughts started weaving a tale about an old gray piece of cloth that lived on a shelf in a fabric store for many years. The story easily unfolded in my imagination as my little man sat wide-eyed, intently listening to the details.
When the story ended, I kissed my son goodnight and immediately felt a gentle whisper in my spirit reminding me of the truth held in today’s key verse. “You were once just like that little, old piece of fabric, but God transformed you into a new creation, too.”
You see, I started the bedtime story by explaining how this dull, gray piece of fabric would sit quietly on the shelf each day, desperately longing for someone to notice him. From his place on the dusty shelf, he had a bird’s eye view of all the beautiful fabrics that held so much more potential.
He admired the fabrics of vibrant orange and pink polka dots that would one day be transformed into frilly toddler dresses; the fabrics with elegant stripes that would make fine draperies for beautiful homes; the fabrics with tassels and shimmering coins dangling from their edges; and the myriad of fun fabrics, adorned
with colorful cartoon characters.
But he was just a boring old piece of gray fabric.
Nothing special. Nothing elegant. Nothing valuable. Old. Outdated. Worthless.
Certainly nothing worthy of being transformed into anything new and wonderful.
One spring day, a frail elderly woman wandered into the store. The gray piece of fabric could tell she was a seamstress by the wrinkled tape measure around her neck and the rusty thimble on her finger.
As she meandered around the store, continually brushing wisps of white hair from her face, she seemed to be searching for something special. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon the little piece of gray fabric tucked shyly away in the corner.
He dared to think that maybe, just maybe, she would see potential in him.
As the woman drew closer, his heart began to race. She gently picked him up and headed towards the cash register, adding buttons, fabric scraps, and thread to her hands along the way.
When the seamstress returned home, she diligently set about her task. Gradually she transformed the piece of old gray fabric into an adorable new sock monkey, to be loved and cherished by her grandchildren. He made a difference in the hearts of children for many generations.
The little piece of gray fabric, who thought he had no purpose, was transformed into something new in the hands of the seamstress. Although he felt worthless at one time, she looked beyond what he was; beyond his old life as a scrap of fabric. She saw him as something new, and helped him discover his value and hidden potential.
After telling my son this story, God gently reminded me how I once felt much like that old piece of gray fabric sitting on the shelf. Ashamed, overlooked, unimportant, and paling in comparison to others. I didn’t see how anything about me or my past — any of the old stuff — could be valuable. I felt like a scrap of leftover material.
I believe God helped my imagination soar that night while sitting on the edge of my child’s bed. He helped me remember that I have been transformed by Him, and although I spent most of life not seeing my hidden potential, He always had a plan and a purpose for me.
Just like that little piece of gray fabric, which was transformed from something old into something new, we are new creations in Christ.
Remember, Christ sees your value and hidden potential. And He wants to help you see it, too.
Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (NIV)
As I read the above devotional, I thought about those of us who are in Celebrate Recovery and how at the beginning of recovery we felt worthless. I listen to many people's changed lives stories and see how God transformed their lives through this ministry. I am honored to be a part!
Alison - Ministry Leader
If you have any questions about Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link above for contact information.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come:
the old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Christ sees your value and hidden potential. Do you?
I was challenged by this thought recently after putting my son to bed.
Every night, I receive the same request when I tuck him in. He looks at me with big, blue eyes, pokes his bottom lip out for sentimental effect, and asks for a bedtime story. Last night was no exception. As usual, I skimmed the contents of his room. Searching for an item that might plant a story idea in my head, I noticed his gray sock monkey.
Instantly, my thoughts started weaving a tale about an old gray piece of cloth that lived on a shelf in a fabric store for many years. The story easily unfolded in my imagination as my little man sat wide-eyed, intently listening to the details.
When the story ended, I kissed my son goodnight and immediately felt a gentle whisper in my spirit reminding me of the truth held in today’s key verse. “You were once just like that little, old piece of fabric, but God transformed you into a new creation, too.”
You see, I started the bedtime story by explaining how this dull, gray piece of fabric would sit quietly on the shelf each day, desperately longing for someone to notice him. From his place on the dusty shelf, he had a bird’s eye view of all the beautiful fabrics that held so much more potential.
He admired the fabrics of vibrant orange and pink polka dots that would one day be transformed into frilly toddler dresses; the fabrics with elegant stripes that would make fine draperies for beautiful homes; the fabrics with tassels and shimmering coins dangling from their edges; and the myriad of fun fabrics, adorned
with colorful cartoon characters.
But he was just a boring old piece of gray fabric.
Nothing special. Nothing elegant. Nothing valuable. Old. Outdated. Worthless.
Certainly nothing worthy of being transformed into anything new and wonderful.
One spring day, a frail elderly woman wandered into the store. The gray piece of fabric could tell she was a seamstress by the wrinkled tape measure around her neck and the rusty thimble on her finger.
As she meandered around the store, continually brushing wisps of white hair from her face, she seemed to be searching for something special. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon the little piece of gray fabric tucked shyly away in the corner.
He dared to think that maybe, just maybe, she would see potential in him.
As the woman drew closer, his heart began to race. She gently picked him up and headed towards the cash register, adding buttons, fabric scraps, and thread to her hands along the way.
When the seamstress returned home, she diligently set about her task. Gradually she transformed the piece of old gray fabric into an adorable new sock monkey, to be loved and cherished by her grandchildren. He made a difference in the hearts of children for many generations.
The little piece of gray fabric, who thought he had no purpose, was transformed into something new in the hands of the seamstress. Although he felt worthless at one time, she looked beyond what he was; beyond his old life as a scrap of fabric. She saw him as something new, and helped him discover his value and hidden potential.
After telling my son this story, God gently reminded me how I once felt much like that old piece of gray fabric sitting on the shelf. Ashamed, overlooked, unimportant, and paling in comparison to others. I didn’t see how anything about me or my past — any of the old stuff — could be valuable. I felt like a scrap of leftover material.
I believe God helped my imagination soar that night while sitting on the edge of my child’s bed. He helped me remember that I have been transformed by Him, and although I spent most of life not seeing my hidden potential, He always had a plan and a purpose for me.
Just like that little piece of gray fabric, which was transformed from something old into something new, we are new creations in Christ.
Remember, Christ sees your value and hidden potential. And He wants to help you see it, too.
Dear Lord, help me remember that I became a new creation when I accepted You as my Savior, and that my value is in You and You alone. Thank You for Your promise of having a plan and a purpose just for me. Help me to embrace the plans You have for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NIV)
Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (NIV)
As I read the above devotional, I thought about those of us who are in Celebrate Recovery and how at the beginning of recovery we felt worthless. I listen to many people's changed lives stories and see how God transformed their lives through this ministry. I am honored to be a part!
Alison - Ministry Leader
If you have any questions about Celebrate Recovery, click on the Contact Us link above for contact information.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Be Different
Be different - from Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs31.org
I am a magnet for strange.
Seriously.
Yesterday, I was outside with my three dogs soaking up the sunshine. After being in snowy Pennsylvania this weekend, I needed the warmth of the Carolinas to soak deeply into my bones. Southern girls don’t do snow in April.
(p.s. People near Pittsburgh have cold weather but warm hearts. I was moved deeply by watching what Jesus did during our time there. A big hello to my friends in Grove City!)
Anyhow, back to the sunshine and dogs. You know we got a new puppy named “Willow” for Christmas. Well, Champ and Chelsea aren’t sure of what to think of precious, little 3 pound, Willow.
She annoys them. In every way.
So, I thought it would be a good investment for the dog relations in our home to be with them outside and help them all feel the love. I sat on the ground and loved on each dog.
They enveloped me in a flurry of wet kisses, fur, and stinky dog breath. I was having a ball. And they were all getting along. Bliss.
Until… Willow came and sat on my lap. Claiming the prized location of closeness with me, I don’t think she realized the signal she was sending. Champ suddenly backed up and growled. His tail stopped wagging. He was not happy.
“Oh Champ,” I reassured, “Willow is a baby- be nice.”
More growling.
“No sir! Champ, be nice. Come here and I’ll show you I can love on you while Willow sits in my lap,” I reassured while rubbing behind his ears.
He seemed to be happy then and turned and licked my cheek.
Bliss,again.
But then out of the blue he walked behind me, peeked around my left side to look straight at Willow, lifted his leg, and drenched me in tee-tee!
What in the world!?
I googled it.
Some say Champ was marking his territory. “That’s MY mama!”
And his strong expression of MINE was a stark reminder to me, how disgusting a heart bent on “self” can be.
SELFishness… ME… MINE…
Several years ago, God challenged me to never look at an opportunity I was given as something just for me. I am to always think two things…
1. Thank you God for entrusting this opportunity to me. I know it is a gift from you.
2. How can I use this opportunity to also bless someone else? The journey will be more rewarding if it’s not all about me.
Do these things come naturally? Not at first. Not in a ‘me first’, Mine! Mine! Tee tee on others kind of world.
But we aren’t called to live according to the norm, doing what comes naturally.
We are called to rise above. Be set apart. Be different. Be pure in every way.
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)
How can we apply this to our lives today? Right in the midst of what we’re doing today, how can we graciously and purely represent Christ as we RE-Present Him everywhere we go?
Good stuff to ponder as I wash my smelly outfit from yesterday.
If you have questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the contact us link at the top of the page.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Is This Mess Defining or Refining Me?
From Lysa TerKeurst's blog - This carries with it the message of Celebrate Recovery! God Never Wastes a Hurt!
Turning North
We all have messes in our life. Financial messes. Relationship messes. Health messes. Kid messes. Home messes. Business messes.
There is usually some kind of mess in our life.
Sometimes messes are small and just feel like a slight annoyance. Other times, they’re so huge they strip the hope right out of our life. But here’s a thought to ponder right in the midst of your mess…
Am I letting this mess define me or refine me?
The answer to this question is crucial.
If I am letting a mess define me, I will feel hopeless.
If I am letting a mess refine me, I will be hopeful.
This was the crux of my message this weekend at the EWomenGreenville event. For those of you who were there, remember the application step I told you. Write your mess on a 3×5 card and then write Deuteronomy 2:3 on the other side.
It’s time for our messes to stop defining us.
It’s time to embrace the refining process and turn north.
Here’s the “Turning North Go-To Scripts” we handed out this weekend. You’ll notice they’re similar to the “Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts” that can be found here. But, I’ve changed them up a tad so they can apply to any mess we find ourselves in.
Which of these statements means the most to you and why?
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
Turning North
We all have messes in our life. Financial messes. Relationship messes. Health messes. Kid messes. Home messes. Business messes.
There is usually some kind of mess in our life.
Sometimes messes are small and just feel like a slight annoyance. Other times, they’re so huge they strip the hope right out of our life. But here’s a thought to ponder right in the midst of your mess…
Am I letting this mess define me or refine me?
The answer to this question is crucial.
If I am letting a mess define me, I will feel hopeless.
If I am letting a mess refine me, I will be hopeful.
This was the crux of my message this weekend at the EWomenGreenville event. For those of you who were there, remember the application step I told you. Write your mess on a 3×5 card and then write Deuteronomy 2:3 on the other side.
It’s time for our messes to stop defining us.
It’s time to embrace the refining process and turn north.
Here’s the “Turning North Go-To Scripts” we handed out this weekend. You’ll notice they’re similar to the “Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts” that can be found here. But, I’ve changed them up a tad so they can apply to any mess we find ourselves in.
Turning North Go-To Scripts
If you find yourself stuck in a defeating mess, try replacing your old thoughts with these empowering thoughts. I call these “Go-to scripts.” In other words, these statements can become our new patterns of thought as the Messiah touches our mess and turns it into a great message of hope to this world.
1. I was made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat.For a printable pdf of these please click here.
Deuteronomy 2:3, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north.”
2. When I am considering a compromise, I will think past this moment and ask myself, how will I feel about this choice tomorrow morning?
1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
3. When tempted, I either remove the temptation or remove myself from the situation.
1 Corinthians 10:13-14, “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee…”
4. I don’t have to worry about letting God down because I was never holding Him up — God’s grace is sufficient.
2 Corinthians 12:9-11, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…for when I am weak, then I am strong.’”
5. I have these boundaries in place not for restriction but rather to define the parameters of my freedom.
Romans 6:19-20, “I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”
Which of these statements means the most to you and why?
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Step 3 Practical Applications
Practical surrender: Reminders for ACTION - “B’s Attitudes”
(from Assimilation Coach and Men's Mixed Issues small group leader - Brian)
- I must remember that God’s loves ME and in Jesus Christ I am a new creation- John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17
- I must work on my relationship/friendship with God
- I keep coming back
- I will not feel unworthy of recovery- Romans 3:23
- I am not alone; others have done this too and will help me- Ecclesiastes 4:12
- Temptation itself is NOT sin, my response to temptation can be.
- My focus should always be on “keeping my side of the street clean”
- I will not/do not have to recover in a day
- Every thought or feeling that comes to me is not true or valid- therefore, I DO NOT have to act on it
- Surrendering my hurt, habit, or hang-up WILL NOT kill me, and surrendering my control over another will not kill them
- I will learn/pray/believe the Serenity prayer and Step 3 prayer
- I choose to serve where God would have me
- Without God, I can’t; without me, God won’t
- I choose to begin to love myself
Principle/Step 3 Prayer (from CR Participants Guide):
Dear God, I have tried to do it all by myself, on my own power, and I have failed. Today, I want to turn my life over to You. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. You are the One and only Higher Power! I ask that You help me start to think less about me and my will. I want to daily turn my will over to You, to daily seek Your direction and wisdom for my life. Please continue to help me overcome my hurts, hang-ups and habits and may that victory over them help others as they see Your power at work in changing my life. Help me to do Your will always. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Serenity Prayer
GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next. AMEN
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Two Parts to Asking for Help
There's really two parts to asking for help, when you think about it.
There's the "please help me" -- the part where you ask for help. That's hard enough.
But the real heavy lifting is in actually hearing and accepting whatever help is offered; without ego, without defiance, without resentment, without filters...
Sometimes in life it's taken almost everything I have to just ask for the help. Anything more than that felt like it was beyond me.
As dramatic as that sounds, it's true.
Thankfully, when I run out of power, I have God as my power source which has never failed me when it comes down to it.
Adapted from my favorite AA blogger - Mr. SponsorPants.
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
There's the "please help me" -- the part where you ask for help. That's hard enough.
But the real heavy lifting is in actually hearing and accepting whatever help is offered; without ego, without defiance, without resentment, without filters...
Sometimes in life it's taken almost everything I have to just ask for the help. Anything more than that felt like it was beyond me.
As dramatic as that sounds, it's true.
Thankfully, when I run out of power, I have God as my power source which has never failed me when it comes down to it.
Adapted from my favorite AA blogger - Mr. SponsorPants.
If you have any questions regarding Celebrate Recovery, please click on the "contact us" tab above for our email.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Detachment
(Inspired by March 12th’s Courage to Change in Alanon.)
Another person's mood, tone of voice, or state of dysfunction need not affect my course of action, unless I decide so.
In the past I would frequently find myself arguing with a person whose sole purpose seemed to inflict guilt on me. Why did I always take the argumentative path? Was it me, just following the lead of someone more determined than me?
I have had quite enough of this default path. I am finally allowing program to make its subtler points to me. Just as today’s author says: “I do not have to react just because I have been provoked, and I don't have to take harsh words to heart. “
Let me remember that my provocations are probably coming from a person who is in pain. I never need to allow a hurting person to provoke me into contributing more pain to our interactions. Before I argue, let me take time to feel compassion for both of us.
“Detachment with love means that I stop depending upon what others do, say, or feel to determine my own well-being, or to make my decisions.” Do I find myself afraid of my parent’s destructive attitude and behavior? Let me remember I have the power to “Love their best and never fear their worst.”
...."Detachment is not caring less, it's caring more for my own serenity..." In all our affairs
For more information regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the "Contact Us" tab above.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Different Kinds of "Help Me"
From my favorite AA blogger Mr. Sponsorpants
Sometimes "Help me!" is really "help me keep doing what I'm doing, even though it's really not working for me anymore." (I guess that would be classified as enabling, if you buy into that one).
Sometimes "Help me!" is "help me keep doing what I'm doing, because it's about to work, but I've run out of time/resources." I guess to do that would actually be helping.
Sometimes "Help me!" is "I don't want to have to do anything to make a change or come up with an answer -- plus if you do it all I can blame you if I don't like it or it doesn't work out."
And sometimes it's "I don't know what to do to make a change, please show me."
I know I'm painting with a pretty broad brush here -- it's just struck me lately how sometimes the best way I can help someone -- as a friend, family member or sponsor -- is to stop and consider which of the above might be going on.
Sometimes "Help me!" is really "help me keep doing what I'm doing, even though it's really not working for me anymore." (I guess that would be classified as enabling, if you buy into that one).
Sometimes "Help me!" is "help me keep doing what I'm doing, because it's about to work, but I've run out of time/resources." I guess to do that would actually be helping.
Sometimes "Help me!" is "I don't want to have to do anything to make a change or come up with an answer -- plus if you do it all I can blame you if I don't like it or it doesn't work out."
And sometimes it's "I don't know what to do to make a change, please show me."
I know I'm painting with a pretty broad brush here -- it's just struck me lately how sometimes the best way I can help someone -- as a friend, family member or sponsor -- is to stop and consider which of the above might be going on.
For more information regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the "Contact Us" tab above.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Turning the Other Cheek
How often has it happened that someone has hurt you by words, actions or physical contact? For codependents, our reactions can vary from “what did I do to deserve this? What can I do to change you?” Or, "Oh, it’s OK, they didn’t really mean to hurt me”. As addicts, the response may be to turn to our drug or habit of choice to cover our feelings or not to deal with the situation. Anger responses tend to focus on revenge, either passive or aggressive.
Have you ever heard the expression, “You must turn the other cheek”? Christians tend to throw this around a lot. Even non-Christians like to use this phrase. And most of the time when I hear it is when someone is trying to remind me to check the response I’m having towards a person who has done me wrong. (Actual or perceived).
Recently I read a devotion out of the “Living Faith”, a small devotional book I keep handy. Patricia Livingston wrote a short piece on “Turning The Other Cheek” that set me on my heels. I hope it gives you pause for thought, too.
Matthew Chapter 5, a little ways past the Beatitude principles we use in CR, in verse 39 it says “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other one as well”
Scriptural Scholars have brought to light some interesting things that change the tone of this scripture and may change the way you feel about it.
First of all, in biblical times, left handedness was seen as evil. People never used their left hands for any public task, even slapping a person. The only way to strike someone on the right cheek – using your right hand, would be to backhand them. And, only “”inferiors” could be backhanded. That would be slaves, women and children. Striking and “equal” (a free man) with a backhand would incur legal punishment.
So think about it. You can only use your right hand. You can only back hand inferior people, and the only way to backhand someone with your right hand is to strike the right cheek. So when Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek to him as well, He is saying if someone treats you as an inferior, backhanding your right cheek, turn the other cheek and challenge him to treat you as an equal. This is a form of nonviolent resistance, a call to using inner strength.
So next time you feel the pain of a verbal backhand or someone treats you as an inferior, stand up to be treated as an equal, not backing down to accept more of the same. That’s what Jesus would do.
Lessie
Women's Small Group Leader
If you want more information regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the "Contact Us" for our email or contact Alison at (501) 410-3728.
Have you ever heard the expression, “You must turn the other cheek”? Christians tend to throw this around a lot. Even non-Christians like to use this phrase. And most of the time when I hear it is when someone is trying to remind me to check the response I’m having towards a person who has done me wrong. (Actual or perceived).
Recently I read a devotion out of the “Living Faith”, a small devotional book I keep handy. Patricia Livingston wrote a short piece on “Turning The Other Cheek” that set me on my heels. I hope it gives you pause for thought, too.
Matthew Chapter 5, a little ways past the Beatitude principles we use in CR, in verse 39 it says “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other one as well”
Scriptural Scholars have brought to light some interesting things that change the tone of this scripture and may change the way you feel about it.
First of all, in biblical times, left handedness was seen as evil. People never used their left hands for any public task, even slapping a person. The only way to strike someone on the right cheek – using your right hand, would be to backhand them. And, only “”inferiors” could be backhanded. That would be slaves, women and children. Striking and “equal” (a free man) with a backhand would incur legal punishment.
So think about it. You can only use your right hand. You can only back hand inferior people, and the only way to backhand someone with your right hand is to strike the right cheek. So when Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek to him as well, He is saying if someone treats you as an inferior, backhanding your right cheek, turn the other cheek and challenge him to treat you as an equal. This is a form of nonviolent resistance, a call to using inner strength.
So next time you feel the pain of a verbal backhand or someone treats you as an inferior, stand up to be treated as an equal, not backing down to accept more of the same. That’s what Jesus would do.
Lessie
Women's Small Group Leader
If you want more information regarding Celebrate Recovery, click on the "Contact Us" for our email or contact Alison at (501) 410-3728.
Monday, February 21, 2011
This is CELEBRATING!!!
I believe this is how excited we all should be when Christ does a healing work in our lives! She truly is "CELEBRATING" her recovery!
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