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Celebrate Recovery Celebrate Recovery at Open Door Baptist Church in Adel, Georgia, is a ministry for hurting people. The meetings are on Monday nights at 7:00 P.M. A nursery is provided. Celebrate Recovery is a ministry for alcoholics, chemically dependent persons, and others struggling with strongholds in their lives who need a safe environment and a Christ-centered program to help them get in recovery and stay in recovery. It is also a ministry for co-dependent people, especially for the family members of people with various addictions, who need a safe environment in which they too can find tools to cope with the pain. As we progress through the eight principles and twelve steps, we discover our personal, loving, and forgiving Higher Power—Jesus Christ.
CLICK ON THE SIDE LINK TO READ PERSONAL TESTIMONIES OF WHAT GOD IS DOING IN THE LIVES OF RECOVERING ADDICTS AND/OR ALCOHOLICS.
LESSON FOCUS Principle 7: Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will. Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out.
THE WEEKLY LESSON GRATITUDE: Tonight we are going to focus our attention outward rather than inward. We want to focus our prayers on our gratitude in four areas of our lives: toward God, others, our recovery, and our church. By the time we reach Principle 7 and Step 11, we should have already taken many steps: admitting we were powerless; choosing to be empowered by Jesus Christ; turning our lives and wills over to Jesus Christ; beginning to grow in our conscious contact with God; beginning to allow God’s will to unfold in our lives; maintaining daily inventories; reserving daily time with God in His word and in prayer; and preventing relapse by starting the day with God and ending it with a daily inventory. Now, we are at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, and this is a good time to make a gratitude list: For what are you thankful to God? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every thing, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). Reflect on the last months of your life and take a moment to list just a few of the special things for which you are thankful to God. Offer prayers of gratitude to your Creator. For what are you thankful to others? "Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the word of Christ—the message—have the run of the house" (Colossians 3:15-16). Take a moment to list the people for whom you are thankful. For what are you thankful concerning your recovery? "Let us run with determination the race that lies before us" (Hebrews 12:1b). What are two recent growth areas in your recovery for which you are thankful? For what are you thankful to your church? "Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving" (Ps. 100:4). What are two things for which you are thankful to your church? PLACE YOUR GRATITUDE LIST IN A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL SEE IT OFTEN. HAVING GRATITUDE IS A GOOD WAY TO PREVENT RELAPSE.
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THE VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH: A CODEPENDENT'S JOURNEY
I don’t particularly like the view from the front porch this afternoon. So many pinecones litter the yard that someone needs to get a wagon and go to work! In years gone by, plenty of children would have shiny red Radio Flyer wagons parked in their yards that they had found under their trees on Christmas morning. However, moms would soon put these wagons and their proud owners to work. That’s what I need: a boy with a wagon for about two hours! Antonio Pasin, who designed the Radio Flyer wagon, was born in 1888 in a small town outside of Venice, and he dreamed of a new beginning in America. His family sold their mule to finance his trip, and the skilled craftsman made his way to Chicago. Despite several setbacks, by 1917, he had saved enough money to buy used equipment and rent a one-room workshop, where he began making wagons. He named his business the Liberty Coaster Company after the Statue of Liberty. During the Depression era, he began making steel wagons and eventually made the Radio Flyer Line of high quality, affordable wagons. When my daddy was very small, he had a little red wagon, probably a Radio Flyer, and when I was a child in the fifties, almost every child had a Radio Flyer wagon big enough to carry a couple of kids or a load of important "cargo." Henry David Thoreau said that we should "hitch our wagon to a star," making the wagon a symbol of our lives and dreams, and I see some parallels. If you try to put too many kids in a wagon and pull it through freshly plowed dirt, you get stuck, just as we codependents do when we try to pull everybody else through life situations that are difficult for us to pull ourselves through. If you pull garbage around in your wagon, it stinks, and the same goes for our lives. When you let careless people get in control of your wagon, they will turn it over with you in it, and the same goes for dangerous people that we try to hang out with. If you don’t take care of your wagon, it will lose its shine and rust out, and if we don’t renew our relationship with Christ daily, we cannot shine our light to the world. Yes, we do all have a wagon to pull, but perhaps we do not need to worry about hitching it to a star; we just need to hitch it to the Son. Pat James
THE TEACUP There was a couple who went to shop in a beautiful antique store. Seeing an exceptional teacup, they asked, "May we see that?" As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me and I yelled out, "Don’t do that. Let me alone," but he only smiled, and gently said; "Not yet!" Then, Wham! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy! I’m going to be sick!’But the master only nodded and said, quietly, ‘Not yet.’ He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" "When I thought I couldn’t bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. ‘Oh, please; Stop it!’ I cried. He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’ Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. It was twice as hot and I thought I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I was convinced I would never make it. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and wondered ‘What’s he going to do to me next?’ An hour later he handed me a mirror and said ‘Look at yourself, you’re beautiful.’God knows what He is doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mould us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds to give us the opportunity to become the disciples he wants us to be. Author Unknown
Transformed The world that God created is full of wonders. Salt for example is a wonder. It is composed of two poisonous substances: sodium and chlorine, either of which if taken individually could kill you. Yet when these two substances are combined they produce a substance called salt that is necessary for life. Water is another wonder. It's chemical formula is H2O. That means two parts of hydrogen for each part oxygen. Oxygen is an oxidizer while hydrogen so readily burns that it can be explosive. Yet when hydrogen and oxygen are united into water you can use it to put out fires! Yet the greatest wonder of all is the regeneration that takes place when one is saved. How God can take a poor, vile, hopeless sinner and transform him into a respectable person is the greatest wonder on this earth. Yet, it happens everyday. On the skid row of our cites, in the wealthy and poor homes, in jungles, in Chinese houseboats; in fact, whenever any soul will accept Christ, the wonder of the new birth is taking place. That's the real miracle of God's creation. Author Unknown
For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.....
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
~ Alfred Souza ~
REPAINT (A JOKE TO MAKE YOU SMILE)Jock, the painter, often would thin his paint so it would go further. So when the Church decided to do some deferred maintenance, Jock was able to put in the low bid, and got the job. As always, he thinned his paint way down with turpentine. One day while he was up on the scaffolding -- the job almost finished -- he heard a horrendous clap of thunder, and the sky opened. The downpour washed the thinned paint off the church and knocked Jock off his scaffold and onto the lawn among the gravestones and puddles of thinned and worthless paint. Jock knew this was a warning from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried: "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?" And from the thunder, a mighty voice: "REPAINT! REPAINT! AND THIN NO MORE!"
THE JOURNEYThe new year has come to the front porch, and we wonder what our journey through 2009 will be like. Of one thing I am certain—God expects us to walk with Him daily and share the Good News with all those whom He sends our way. I am afraid there are too many people that fit the description of one or the other of the first two people described below. Such "witnesses" bring few to Christ. The Journey of a Lost Man I was on a journey—my hair was long and unkempt, My clothes not neat, my music too loud. I met one on my journey—clad in tailored suit, Spouting Holy Writ as puffs of dust into the sky. Dutifully he offered judgment without mercy, Holy condemnation through Jesus Christ— Shuddering at my sins and clinging to his own. I met another on my journey who preached acceptance,
Belonged to a church, sang in the choir, Partied big on Friday, praised heartily on Sunday, Told me he loved Jesus, but lost his words In actions that very closely mirrored my own. I met another on my journey, who spoke kindly, Looked beneath my hair, clothes, and music, And saw a lonely man without hope. In this man’s home, sitting around his table, I saw Jesus, And I was afraid because I was too dirty to stay there. Instead, my friend bade me meet the One who ate with sinners, Forgave the adulterous and healed the crippled, Who could change the heart of such a one as I. Then the miracle of change that began in my heart, Cleaned up this old wretched man, once unkempt and unloved. And I knew then that the journey that led me to Him Was just the beginning of a wonderful Way, And I too could be a man who welcomed sinners to my table To sit with Jesus and learn about a love that transcends all— Unconditional, forgiving, and life-changing Love. Pat James
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Jesus Made the Difference I was: A liar, manipulator, sexually immoral, hopeless, helpless, suicidal at some times, defeated at all times, out of control, unteachable, unmanageable, proud, arrogant, self-centered, unstable, hateful, blind, lost, naked, an enemy of God, a promoter of evil, untrustworthy, full of pain, full of guilt, brokenhearted, opposing myself, unwilling or unable to come to the truth, destined to die from drugs, in complete bondage from this disease. A soul that was desperately seeking peace, but never found it. I was a drug addict dying from the disease of addiction, separated from God, the only One that could save me. I am: A believer of Jesus Christ, a man who has obtained mercy and grace from God, forgiven, full of love, teachable, a man with a purpose and a destination, living a disciplined life, with a sound mind, someone who cares about other people, a man that can see, a friend of God, a promoter of the kingdom of God, trustworthy, healed from pain and a broken heart, out of denial, not having to die from this disease because of God’ glorious freedom. A soul that has finally found rest. I am a recovering drug addict washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. Michael James
PRAYER FOR SERENITY 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. (Reinhold Niebuhr)
THINGS WE ARE: A place of belonging A safe place to shareA refugeA place to care for others and be cared for A place of respect for each member A place of confidentiality A place to learn A place to grow and become strong again A place to remove the mask A place of healthy challenges and healthy risks A possible turning point in your life
THINGS WE ARE NOT: - A place for selfish control
- Therapy
- A place for secrets
- A place to look for relationships
- A place to rescue or be rescued by others
- A place for perfection
- A long-term commitment
- A place to judge others
- A quick fix
CRYPTOGRAM: CK NIY GYHF DK PIEQ UG DK IHEBK EY UTGPK SGSKYUP CTKY GZM TKIMUP IMK NGYPNEGZP GJ GZM UMKIPZMKP. UTGMYUGY CEHQKM Can you break the code and discover an interesting idea?
Arms and Legs for OthersBob Butler lost his legs in a 1965 land mine explosion in Vietnam. He returned home a war hero. Twenty years later, he proved once again that heroism comes from the heart. Butler was working in his garage in a small town in Arizona on a hot summer day when he heard a woman's screams coming from a nearby house. He began rolling his wheelchair toward the house but the dense shrubbery wouldn't allow him access to the back door. So he got out of his chair and started to crawl through the dirt and bushes. I had to get there, he says. It didn't matter how much it hurt. When Butler arrived at the pool there was a three-year-old girl named Stephanie Hanes lying at the bottom. She had been born without arms and had fallen in the water and couldn't swim. Her mother stood over her baby screaming frantically. Butler dove to the bottom of the pool and brought little Stephanie up to the deck. Her face was blue, she had no pulse and was not breathing. Butler immediately went to work performing CPR to revive her while Stephanie's mother telephoned the fire department. She was told the paramedics were already out on a call. Helplessly, she sobbed and hugged Butler's shoulder. As Butler continued with his CPR, he calmly reassured her. Don't worry, he said. I was her arms to get out of the pool. It'll be okay. I am now her lungs. Together we can make it. Seconds later the little girl coughed, regained consciousness and began to cry. As they hugged and rejoiced together the mother asked Butler how he knew it would be okay. The truth is, I didn't know, he told her. But when my legs were blown off in the war, I was all alone in a field. No one was there to help except a little Vietnamese girl. As she struggled to drag me into her village, she whispered in broken English, It okay. You can live. I be your legs. Together we make it. Her kind words brought hope to my soul and I wanted to do the same for Stephanie. There are simply those times when we cannot stand alone. There are those times when we need someone to be our legs, our arms, our friend! Author Unknown
THOUGHTS TO LIVE BY (AUTHOR UNKNOWN) - You shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
- You shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
- You shall not carry grudges, for they are the heaviest of all life's burdens.
- You shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway.
- You shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.
- You shall not borrow other people's problems. They can better care for them than you.
- You shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!
- You shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own.
- You shall not become "bogged down" by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.
- You shall count your blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.
Worries "When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened."
by: Winston Churchill"Thank God --every morning when you get up--that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you a hundred virtues which the idle never know."
~ Charles Kingsley ~
That's Not My Job This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody have done.
by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown
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