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Monday, April 3, 2023

When God Is Not Enough: Some Reflections


I
t's hard to imagine these words ever coming from a Christian's mouth:

 "Lord, You're just not enough!"

Yet, it happens more often than you think. If not spoken aloud, the sentiment seeps seamlessly from the deepest core of our being into our daily living.  It comes out in our conversation with others.  As we make future plans for ourselves or our children. When difficulties arise. Even when we pray!  

The truth is that we live in a Fallen World, marred by sin and never meant to replace or satisfy the deepest longings of a Saint's heart (Ecclesiastes 6).  If you're finding yourself struggling with the reality of your dual citizenship--in the world but not of the world (Philippians 3:20). Don't be Alarmed!  Don't Panic!  Don't get Discouraged!   

 

 When God is Not Enough: 

1.  You've Lost your Focus:  Romans 12:2; Hebrews 12:2; Luke 10:38-42; Matthew 16:24.
     We've become distracted and over stimulated by the pitiful offerings of our surroundings. 
     The Enemy competes with the Lord for our time and attention bombarding us with the 
     temporal rather than the eternal.  Our ambitions are distorted yet gloriously affirmed and
     we fall prey to fleshly pleasures. Disillusioned when all fail, we then blame God!

2.  You've Lost your Perspective:  Matthew 6:33; I John 2:15-17; Proverbs 4:25-27; 2 Chronicles 
      20:15
      This is a natural response to loss of focus.  David, Elijah, and Jesus's disciples at some point 
      experienced this in their lives.  It can come after a great victory or a great loss, when we are fearful 
      or simply just full of ourselves! It makes us think and do what we ordinarily wouldn't. It creates 
      doubt, stress, and fear. We forget Who's really in charge and are no longer beacons of hope but
      deterrents to the Gospel.

3. You've Forgotten God's Promises:  Numbers 23:19; Psalm 145:13; I Corinthians 1:9; 
     I Thessalonians 5:24
     Thankfully, the conditions described above can be temporary experiences and not a pattern
     of your life. They are after all common to every human.  But we have what unbelievers do not.
     We have the promises of God!  One bible scholar says more than 7,000.  Each of these promises
     conditional or unconditional refute any claim that God is NOT Enough! 


If I find in myself a desire
which no experience in this world
can satisfy, the most probable
explanation is that I was made
for another world.
                                            -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 
     

       PRAYER FOR TODAY: "God, whom do I have in heaven but you? And besides you,
                                                        there is nothing on earth I desire. Let that be my prayer,
                                                        because you are enough. AMEN"


UNTIL NEXT TIME

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Thursday, March 2, 2023

TELLING OUR STORIES!!!

Photo by Christina@WOCintechchat.com

 March is here Sisters, and if you're in my part of the country we are experiencing some really spring like weather! But don't get too comfortable it could change any time!

Unlike the weather, the one thing that doesn't change is the powerful and positive impact women have been making in our world!  March is National Women's History Month!  The 2023 theme is: "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories."

It's all about highlighting the accomplishments of women past and present who have been active in print and broadcast media, television, newspapers, magazines, etc.  And since technology has been the newest frontier to conquer, our presence in the world of podcasts and social media. We've got plenty to talk about, to bring our unique perspective to and we're doing it!  Now that's exciting isn't it?

You want to hear something just as exciting? YOUR STORY!

Yes, Dear Sisters, you too have a story to tell!  And  looking at the way the world is trying to bend the minds of our young people, we need to get to it! FAST~ So how do you do that?!  

TELL YOUR FAMILY HISTORY!  I challenge you to find the Heroes and Sheroes in your own family and share their stories. The FIRST college graduates, FIRST preachers, FIRST land and business owners.   It's no secret that there is a strategic force rising within our nation to wipe out the significant contributions that people of color have made. Legislation however can not take away your history.  The legacy of your family and neighbors that you can pass on!

TELL YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY!  In telling your story it is inevitable that something painful or even shameful from your past may rear its head.  This must not be hidden.  These are the things that if you have dealt with them makes us stronger and better.  How will generational curses be broken if they are not acknowledged? How can we teach our children to trust us rather than social media influencers if we're not honest with them about everything? We're living in an age in which nothing in our past can be absolutely buried.  Know this, a simple google search, DNA test, or people search could possibly tell it all but out of context and without the true story!  Let them hear it from us first!

TELL YOUR SALVATION HISTORY!  I love this old adage: "Every Saint has a past and every Sinner has a future!"  It puts us all on an even playing field!  None of us is as good as we think we are! Romans 3:23 tells us, All have sinned and fallen short.... The quicker we are to give our B.C.  (Before Christ) testimony the easier it will be for others to understand God's Amazing Grace! When sharing the Gospel of Christ use your life first, then open the Bible! It still stuns me when someone tells me, "You've been a Christian so long, you just don't understand what I'm going through!"   The flesh never forgets!  We who are Overcomers struggle daily. We've just learned how to use the tools God gives us a little better than some others. 

TELL THE BIBLE'S HISTORY! Still confused about where to begin YOUR story?  Go to God's Word!  HIS STORY IS OUR STORY: Our CREATION, SIN, AND REDEMPTION!!!

My church's Prayer Ministry is doing just that!  This month on our 6:30 A.M.  Prayer line we're celebrating Women's History every day by telling the stories of one of our Bible Sisters!  Stories of Faith, Pain, Betrayal, Foolishness, Envy, Courage, and Humility.  If you are honest you will find your own story in the lives of one or more of these women!  The good news is that you will also find God's Love, Hope, and Glory in there too!

Join us: Monday- Friday: 6:30 am-6:45 am (EST) - (267) 807--9495; Access code: 181-134-529# 

UNTIL NEXT TIME

If you would like to leave a comment please send an email to: sisters4sisters@att.net OR  scroll to the bottom of my blog page at  http://alittlewiser63.blogspot.com  click on the no comments by the pencil and it will change to a writing space  

 

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

DON'T FORGET WHAT COMES AFTER SAINTS!!!!

 

[Photo by Aron Burden, Unsplash]
Greetings Friends!  It's been a minute since I've posted but all is well with me and I can proclaim with confidence that GOD IS STILL GOOD! I hope as you read this you can say the same!

We're only 31 days into the new year and already I've had to regroup mentally for the changes, challenges, and chaos this year is already showing us! But hang in there Help is on the way!

 How do I know? "Cause the Bible tells me so!"

Speaking of the WORD, the Lord dropped a bit of spiritual insight on me this morning that I'd like to share.  Upon reading one of my devotionals, I came across what I thought was a familiar verse notation and upon reviewing it from the Bible found it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was the verse that came after!  What a gem of wisdom I would have missed if I hadn't gone just a little bit further in God's Word!

It got me wondering...about our deception of assumption... thinking you know the full meaning and context of a familiar scripture, simply because you've heard it so often.  Here are a few examples!

Thursday, June 30, 2022

THE GENERATIONAL FAITH GAP!

Image by Tep Ro from Pixabay
"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart
 from it." (Prov. 22:6)
   
How many times have you heard this? 

Probably enough to give any speaker casual assent to its truths, but did it really resonate in your heart!?

Here's another one!

"I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and
your mother, Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well." (2 Timothy 1:5)

Truth be told, there exist for many a Christian parent a huge gap between the admonition of the Proverbs writer and the confidence of the Apostle Paul in 64 AD!   One can only imagine how large that gulf has become now that we're in the 21st century!  How do I know this?  Because in an openly candid conversation with my 18 year old grandson it became my own reality!  He point blank told me, He Does Not Pray!!!

He didn't say he didn't believe in God or that he didn't want ME to PRAY for him...he just doesn't do it himself!  So, what's the big deal! But to me it's a VERY BIG DEAL!

This is the child that I personally led to a faith in Christ at the age of eight years old!  Who as a grandparent wouldn't let him put a morsel of food in his mouth before saying Grace! Who made sure that overnight stays ended with a prayer on our knees before bedtime! Who read him bible stories and on occasions when he had to go to school from our house, we prayed before he stepped out the door!

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS FAITH?

Photo by Samantha Sophia on Unsplash

 I was deeply concerned!  I talked to the Lord quite awhile about it! I even re-read his journal, the one I'd started before he was born and I had PROOF!  I have prayed consistently for his soul; that he grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! (Ephesians 6:4)  

WAS THIS NOT ENOUGH, LORD!?

Then I began to recall the many prayer requests of parents and grandparents for covering of their Prodigal children. I did a literature search that confirmed the plethora of sermons, blogs, and biblical/ cultural studies regarding the lack of interest by our children in All things Spiritual! The conclusion for many:  FAITH IN GOD IS NOT A PRIORITY!  THE BIBLE HAS NO AUTHORITY IN LIFE DECISIONS!


THE BIG SURPRISE!
Photo by Ekoate Nwaforlor on Unsplash

What may surprise you is that this Faith Gap is not just among those from unchurched homes.  Parents whose children went to private Christian schools; who made sure their children were in Sunday school, AWANA, Vacation Bible School, Youth bible studies and camps, even those who ministered in various positions at church fell into this camp! This is not to say that these things are not beneficial or that time and money was wasted!  Just that they MAY NOT be enough when they meet the real world without you around!

START DEEP CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FAITH NOW!

 IF YOU DARE!  Ask your sons, daughters or grandchildren (without fear of punishment or judgment ) any of the following questions: Be keenly aware of answers designed to tell you what they think you want to hear to avoid the God Talk!  I warn you this may be uncomfortable for both of you!!!

1.  How do you really feel about attending church or church events?

2.  Do you believe that the Bible is the only truth that exist in the world?

3. Is there anything in the Bible that you think might not be true for today?

4. What do you think happens when people die?

5.  Is Jesus the only way a person can go to heaven?

6. Do you pray? (If YES, how often?  Do you pray when others are watching?)

7. Where does God fit in your personal, education or career plans?


WHAT I'M  LEARNING!
  • It's NEVER TOO LATE to reach a child suffering from a Faith Gap (one who is unsaved, uninterested in Spiritual matters,  or who you believe may be saved but not walking with the Lord!)    Click here:
  • The Enemy wants you to believe his BIG LIE that You no longer have influence  because they are not in your home! What the Apostle Paul was saying to Timothy in the scripture cited earlier (2 Timothy 1:5) was only the confirmation of  Deuteronomy 11:19 Click here:
  • The SECOND BIG LIE: The older generation is not needed! Stop sharing Christ and your life in Christ with them because they will not listen any way!
  •  I was much encouraged in my research by this YouTube video by Rob Rienow,  Never Too Late: Encouraging Faith in Your Adult Child.  Click here: Visionary Parenting
  •  Four Principles Rob Rienow shares to help new and struggling parents or grandparents nurture faith in their children -- a significant source of Faith Gaps in our loved ones:   (A) Offer your heart to the Lord;  (B) Turn your heart to your child (Luke 1:16-17; Matt. 9:36);  (C) Draw your child's heart  to yours (Proverbs. 23:24-26); then  (D) Point your child's heart to God .

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AS I PRAY FOR YOU 
AND ALL OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN!!


UNTIL NEXT TIME

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022

IS AMERICA LIVING BY THE SWORD?

Photo : Peter Kratochvil, all-free download.com
It used to be that the only place you'd find a flower  memorial was in a cemetery or perhaps a church.  Today, a drive through many urban neighborhoods will find flowers, candles, and even teddy bears marking the spot where a life was taken tragically.

It is a common Sign of Our Times!

Monday, May 30 is Memorial Day in our country. It is the official holiday for remembering military, civic leaders, and loved ones passed on into eternity.  For many it is the first occasion for big family cookouts!

 If you live in my vicinity, checkered flags, and race cars decorate homes and businesses, welcoming the thousands of 500 Parade and Race fans that come in for the weekend.  But for others, like myself, it is a trip to burial grounds to pause for a moment to honor the lives of our deceased.  And frankly, We've had far too many of those lately!

Blood Stained Communities Are Weeping!

Photo: Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash









Families in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas are weeping not celebrating this week! What was once considered a typical day turned into a nightmare in only a matter of minutes! Ordinary
people making a quick stop at the grocery store for a needed item and little children putting finishing touches on projects were excited about the last weeks of school. In their excitement they had no idea what was coming next.  These are simple and common occurrences in America, right? Well the violence that ensued has also become quite common. 

How Long and Why Here?

I keep hearing every time there’s a mass shooting that this occurs more often in America than other developed countries! Why is that so?  Let's review our country’s history! Whether you call yourself a “Patriot” or not, guns have been a central part of our quest for “The American Dream”  but now this dream has become an “American Nightmare!”  There have been 17, 913 gun violent deaths this year as of May 30, 2022.  There have been three mass shooting since May 24th!  Both the acts of violence and the advocating for more guns give rise to our current crisis.  Shutting off rhetoric from the arguments of both sides, I shift to a more reliable source, God's Word.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ response to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Peter thought himself a protector of good against evil by using violence.  He cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest during the arrest of Jesus.  Matthew 26:52-54 records Jesus' response.  After healing the servant's ear he says:  “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

I draw your attention to the questions Jesus poses in verse 54.  The call for prayer and the ultimate fulfillment of scripture.  Prayer is always appropriate in times like this and although we've heard over and over from political pundits: "our thoughts and prayers are with you!" I doubt most have actually considered prayer as a serious strategy! 

Next comes the cry for stricter gun legislation!  Indeed, there are some simple yet still elusive regulations that may be helpful but the question inevitably comes up, "Can you legislate morality?"  Martin Luther King, Jr,'s answer is poignant: "It may be true that morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless. The law cannot make a man love me, but it can restrain him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important also."

Lastly, in considering whether America is  living by the sword. We undoubtedly are horrified by the frequency of the violence we are experiencing but should we be surprised?!  Even as we grow increasingly frustrated with the ineffectiveness of our leaders to do anything we know behind it all is fear or purely selfish motives.   Jesus reminds us that Scripture indeed is being fulfilled not only in this present time but as it has already been done in the past.  Earnest Bible readers will recall this passage in Genesis 6 during the time of Noah:

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Try Living By The Sword of Truth Instead!

Photo by: Aaron Burden on Unsplash


 There is something hypocritical about the numerous references to God and His Word in American culture yet are never considered when addressing societal problems.  In God We Trust is on our money but avarice and greed is the cornerstones of much we deem successful.

  ...And justice For All are words in our Pledge of Allegiance to the United States yet injustice prevails on the backs of unjust laws and use of legal loopholes that ensure it is only available to those who can buy it!

  Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness as stated in the United States Declaration of Independence, is a given right to all humans endowed by their Creator.  But immigration laws block certain people often violently and inhumanely, from these fruits while embracing others who cross over for a better life on our shores. 

Remember however, that there is a sword that one day ALL will live by and it too will bring about death and destruction.  The difference will be Who is Wielding it in Power - CHRIST, THE LORD ALMIGHTY!

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which
to strike down the nations, and he will rule
them with a rod of iron.  He will tread the winepress 
of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
(Rev. 19:15)

UNTIL NEXT TIME

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Thursday, March 31, 2022

GIVING UP OUR RIGHT TO BE RIGHT!


Sensible people control their temper, they earn
respect by overlooking wrongs. (Prov. 19:11 NLT)
There is an African proverb that goes something like this..When elephants fight, it's the grass that gets hurt!

True Dat, my friends~

I'm so over, all the mess that's going on in this world, locally and globally.  So much so that when we began this year's Lenten season, I didn't have to think too long about what I would give up as my spiritual offering!  Yes, the fried foods and sweets would be a part of it but I needed somehow to make a Statement of Peace

Of course, the politicians in Washington wouldn't hear it. Violators in the streets wouldn't hear it.  Certainly, Vladimir Putin in Russia won't care, but it would resound loudly in my own personal life and especially my home!  This year I gave up my right to be right! (It hasn't been easy.)

A 40-Day Fast In Humility

Admittedly, I've been known on occasion to go into my Right Fighting bag on issues I'm passionate about.  Those standards and principles I believe have shaped and formed my experiences and character. Heck! for most of them I could even find biblical proof to justify my right to fight! 

Right Fighter: A person who places a
higher value on being right than anything else.
Must have the last word and becomes emotional 
when people do not agree with them.

But through prayer and self reflection (the purpose of Lent) God gave me insight into what is worth fighting for and what's not!  I was becoming a Right Fighter, dangerously on the edge of alienating some very important people in my life.   Besides that, I wasn't fighting wisely or biblically! [Click here] Biblical Wisdom


What Jesus Taught Me

As we all should, I started my new learning curve, in God's Word.  Remember the expression from years back, WWJD (What would Jesus do?). In this case it's what He already DID! During His 40 days in the wilderness, He had multiple occasions to assert His rights and prove His divinity. But He took another approach.  He got the Last Word, without having to fight for it!    [Click here] Jesus in the Wilderness  

Jesus' Wilderness Experience solidified three important lessons for me: 

💜When we insist on being right we miss a lot! (We learn nothing new!)

The Enemy is shrewd in his attacks and is a master of distraction. While we're busy loading verbal ammo to shoot down our opponent, he's filling our minds with prideful thoughts. We're going for the temporary win, while his sights are set on the long game, crippling your soul!

💜When we insist on being right, time and energy is wasted!

If you know that you're right, that should be enough! The Lord does not ask us to prove ourselves to anyone but Himself.  When we study His Word, it's not to prove that we are great scholars, but to be approved by its Author. [Click Here] 2 Timothy 2:15 

When the Holy Spirit changes us from our sinful past, we don't have to prove we have been changed to nay sayers,  just go ahead and do the will of the Lord in spite of them.  [Click Here] Romans 12:2

💜When we insist on being right, it doesn't mean that it will lead to a positive change in the other person!

Trying to change the mind of someone who is as adamant about what they believe as you are is useless! For all that the Devil tried to tempt Jesus with and was proven to be outwitted and outmatched, he was still the Devil when he left Him in the wilderness. Only God can change a heart, and He will only change a mind if that person is willing! [Click Here] Luke 13:34

The Power of Saying....OKAY!

Jesus tests involved the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.  My 40-Day Fast is about half-way complete and I am dealing with the same.  While under attack of the Enemy (and I've had a couple of real bouts!), it would have been so easy to get into my flesh, especially when the attack seemed unprovoked and the other person clearly in the wrong! The Right Fighter in me, was telling me to Go For It! Defend your rights! But the Holy Spirit, said, Just Say Okay and move on!  

When I Said "Okay" This is What Happened!

1.  Tempers cooled down!  Sometimes your opponent just wants to know they are heard. Proverbs 15:1 says that a soft answer turns away wrath; but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Frankly, I had tried this before and it didn't work, but now that I had a different perspective, I got a different result!

2.  "I" became less defensive! You'd be surprised what one step back and a few deep breaths will do.  In a physical battle, it is unwise to lay down your weapons, but in a spiritual battle, it's the wisest thing you can do! [Click here] 2 Corinthians 10:4 We don't have to be on the defensive because the battle is not ours but the Lord's. Give it to Him knowing that your pride is the only thing that will keep you from doing it!

3.  I was more concerned about my witness than what others thought of me.  Backing down isn't easy for a Right Fighter!  After all we've been trained to be one all our lives.  In school we competed to give the right answers.  In sports never give the ball to an opponent  and say, Okay, have it your way! It's just not heard of! But sometimes saying OKAY is exactly what is needed.

Being right at all costs, I've learned is too high a cost to pay if you end up miserable, bitter and alone.  It's too costly, if it stresses you to the point that you need medication or therapy to deal with the anxiety and pain.  If saying OKAY saves your sanity and a healthy relationship what so hard about it…

Sometimes Being a Right Fighter
Serves No One But Yourself!


UNTIL NEXT TIME

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Monday, February 28, 2022

WE’RE ALL IN RECOVERY…From Something!!!


[Image provided by FreePik.com]
For all have sinned and fall short of the 
glory of God. (Rom. 3:23 KJV


 For most of my life, I've skirted around any dealings I might have with an addict.  Even if they happened to be in my own family!  I loved them dearly when they were sober but distanced myself when they overindulged.

This was partly because of their obnoxious behavior.  As I matured a bit, it was because of my disdain for them and my arrogance.  After all, how weak or dense must you be NOT to know when to stop using?!

It wasn't until I began to understand the physiological and spiritual complexities of addiction that I really gained empathy for a drunk or a druggie (derogatory terms I've tried never to use again.)

My education started when I attended a Christmas program at my church. It was called, Don’t Handicap Your Holidays With A Hangover! It was presented by the drug and alcohol ministry.  I went to support spiritual sisters who were recovering addicts or were married to one. (We have a ministry for the latter as well).  I had worshipped and served with these ladies in other ministries and we had grown quite close.

Over the years I’d heard their testimony regarding the challenges of maintaining sobriety but like many in my congregation, declined invitations to learn more.  Until, as they say in A.A. (Alchoholics Anonymous), I made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself.  Had I become so righteous that I could serve alongside of my sisters, even teach them the Word of God and not learn more about what they were going through? 

Recovery's Language Translated

 It was only as I began to learn the meaning behind terms I'd heard but discarded  (I thought they didn't pertain to me), that I became enlightened!  I was no longer an outsider in these workshops! I was in CHURCH!  All this felt familiar! Below is a brief description of some A. A. terminology and how they correspond to our Biblical mandate for Christian living: 

  • Big Book (A.A.) 400 pages of principles and prayers adaptable for life altering changes. 
  • Bible - 66 books of principles, prayers, and illustrations for living a Christian life.

  • Denial (A.A.) - A refusal to admit the truth or reality of the condition.
  • Scripture: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (I John 1:8)
  • Detox (A.A.) -treatment for getting over the physical effects of substance abuse
  • Scripture: Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3:19)
  • Fellowship (A.A.) - Being with others who care and hold you accountable while you go through recovery.
  • Church - A body of believers unified in love and spirit with shared values. who study, serve and practice with you the spiritual victorious life in Christ.
  • Program (A.A.) - The Big Book's system of recovery - The Twelve Steps of Recovery
  • Scripture: All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 
  • Terminally Unique (A.A.) - An addict's idea that they're exempt from the authority and counsel of the program.
  • Scripture: No one is righteous no not one! (Rom. 3:10); Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. (Psalm 119:67).

Recovery's Steps Simplified

👣   ADMIT you are a sinner and powerless to keep yourself from sin on a permanent basis.  It is every Christian's desire to be free from the power of sin in their lives but living in this fallen world we need a consistent cleansing.

  [click here] To be Cleansed

👣  SEARCH your heart daily for areas of anger, bitterness, idolatry, or an unforgiving spirit. We often fool ourselves in thinking we're okay because we've learned to check our emotions and we do good things. But is this enough?

[click here]  For Spiritual Check ups

👣 ASK for help openly and humbly, confessing every wrong to Almighty God who is willing and able to forgive you and love you unconditionally.  

[click here]  Forgiveness of Every Sin

👣 PRAY daily for yourself and others! The journey is not over just because you dodged the Enemy's attack this time.  Prayer and meditation on scripture will keep your mind and strengthen your heart as you prepare the next battle!

[click here] To Dress For Battle


Recovery's Road Map to Victory
G.O.D.

In the world of Alcholics Anonymous the acronym G.O.D. means Good Orderly Direction. It is a concept used to help addicts embrace spirituality as a means to overcome substance abuse.  It is a spiritual friendly way to engage agnostics or atheists who are in recovery. Sometimes the phrase Higher Power or a power higher than yourself is used. In their search for relief, addicts may have sought all types of religious experiences. Somewhere perhaps they may have been offended by those who call themselves Christian, so I can understand the thought behind it.   

But in the world of the Christian, GOD is EVERYTHING!  God is sufficient to meet every need we could ever have. We don't have to look any further than the cross to know that He is the ultimate OVERCOMER of every sin and disease.  He is not just the GOD of our UNDERSTANDING, He is God whether we understand or not!  He doesn't just offer a solution for our sinful behavior, HE IS THE SOLUTION! 

My Christian friends in recovery always makes the distinction between G.O.D. and HOLY GOD!  They will sometime talk about the BIG BOOK, but will always tell you about God's Book!   What they have taught me is that I'm no better than they.  I, too am seeking a way to STAY CLEAN!  When I RELAPSE into sinful behavior, I go into RECOVERY--I fall on my knees PRAY and ask for FORGIVENESS and then I get up and try ALL OVER AGAIN!


HI, MY NAME IS CAROLYN AND I AM A SINNER IN RECOVERY!


UNTIL NEXT TIME

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