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Step One Lesson on Denial

Am I in Denial?  Signs you may be in Denial, the Deception and the Truth

We admitted that we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors and that our lives had become unmanageable.

“I can stop any time I want to.”  “I have it under control”  “I’m not hurting anyone.”  “I’m stronger than other people.”  “It really isn’t that bad.” “I don’t need to change”.   

In recovery we call this denial.  For me that was always one of the laughable insults.  

 Denial is far from laughable. It is by far one of  the biggest weapon the enemy uses weaken us.  Because as long as we keep silent about our doubts, fears,  hurts, and hang-ups and limitations, the harder it is for us be in a position to say yes to the life God has for us.   It is hard to accept that people of faith can be in denial,  but I find it easier to accept the phrase self-deception.  Even the Bible hall of Famers were deceived, and suffered the effects of denial.  For this lesson we will take a look at the life of one such Bible hero,  review some of the signs of denial, its toll on our lives, and how the bible addresses the deceptions.  

Frequently Asked Questions

 I am considering joining this class can I start in the anytime? 

Yes,   Celebrate Recovery  is more than  a bible study class.  Celebrate Recovery provides a place to learn,  to practice, to share,  and to serve all year round.  Anyone is welcome to be involved at anytime.  Each journey starts the day you walk in.     

 Is Celebrate Recovery only for alcoholics and drug addicts?

No,  while many people who struggle with alcoholism and chemical dependency find a home with Celebrate recovery, this ministry is open to people from all backgrounds with all kinds of hurts, habits and hang-ups, including co-dependency,  sugar addiction,  family problems, divorce,  overspending, and overworking to name a  just few.

I’m not comfortable sharing with strangers all the details of the issues I struggle with.  Is this ok?  

Yes, We understand that most people have a difficult time addressing their own personal struggles, much less sharing them with a group.  Regardless of the what stage you are of recovery you are in, you’ll always be accepted for who you are at Celebrate Recovery.  We trust that you’ll find it safe to open up about your struggles as God leads you.   

Do I have to believe in God to attend Celebrate Recovery? 

 No.   Celebrate Recovery is a Christ Centered recovery program.  However, we recognize that not everyone who attends Celebrate recovery believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Regardless of religious beliefs or backgrounds everyone in search of recovery will find acceptance and encouragement at Celebrate Recovery. 

Is there any kind of child care during the meetings?

Yes.  Free childcare is provided during our Wednesday Night at the Well meetings.    

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Question

Principal 3 Choosing to Submit My Life and Will to Christ

Rest in Submission

Three times I have started this post (… ok now four five….)

but I am going to keep moving forward. After all, my job is

to do the writing …not judge the writing.

Yesterday, I think that God was trying to get my attention. I started my morning reading a lesson (devotional) in my Life Recovery Bible. I read where Jesus says:

“Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden I give you is light.” –Mathew 11:28 (NLV)

The commentary was called Submission and Rest. I see now that the lesson was reminding me that there was rest in submission. But at the time I was thinking about how in recovery I do not have to be alone. I have discovered how God brings healing when I am safe to share with another person what I may have otherwise censored as too personal, silly, petty, dumb, ridiculous, or embarrassing. It is no wonder why the Bible says:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9 (NASB)

Dreams About My Ex

Does My “Ex” Want Me Back?

“Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." Luke 6: 38

I had one of those “my ex-wants me back dreams” the other night. If you have not experienced one of these, I liken it to the dreams where I make a regrettable choice. I have one such dream where, being an ex smoker, I casually light up a cigarette. I feel at first, caught by the surprise of the feeling of satisfaction as I draw in a breath. But this is quickly disrupted by a sense of foreboding and instant remorse. All of the “ex wants me back dreams” are the same. Things seem casual and light, then my dream mind starts reeling knowing I am about to make bad choice.

That all said, this “ex-wants me back” dream was not like that at all. This dream was different. I did not have the predictable emotions: like the satisfaction “winning” my ex back or the confusion of making choices I was not given in real life. So, I woke up puzzled. I found that in the dream, I was just simply

Hope

In the first principle, we admitted we were powerless. Now in the second principle, we come to believe God exists, that we are important to Him, and that we are able to receive God’s power to help us recover. It’s in the second step we find HOPE!

Higher Power Our higher power is Jesus Christ.

“Everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power.” Romans 11:36,
“My grace is enough for r you: for where there is weakness, my power is shown the more completely.” 2Corinthinas 12:9..

Openness to change:

“Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, You must be a new and different person.” Ephesians 4:23

Power to change:

“For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and the power.” Philippians 4:13
“Lead me; teach me; for you are the God who gives me salvation. I have not hope except in
you.” Psalm 25

Expect to change:

“I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping
you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus
Christ return.” Philippians 1:6
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’ to see.”
Hebrews 11:1

Principle Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)

Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13)
2: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.

This week consider the following:
• In the past where were you looking for hope?
• What is your current belief about God’s characteristics?
• Compare and contrast God with your Earthly father. Compare and contrast your feelings for God vs. and your earthly father taking this step, where were you trying to find hope?
• How can knowing Jesus help you step out of denial and into reality?
• out of your denial and face reality?
• What are things are you ready to change
• in your life?
Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Celebrate Recovery®

Practical Advice on Cleaning Cookware and Restoring Realtionships

How to Clean Burnt on Caked on Food from Cookware

There was a time when I’d sooner throw away a burnt pan then try to clean it. There were however, several occasions where I did try to scour and scrub a pot or skillet with little hope of it ever sparkling again. It may have been given a hiding place of shame in the back of a cupboard, but eventually if not immediately it would end up in the trash heap.

However, lately I have spent a lot more time in the kitchen, reacquainting myself with good home cooking, and in the process finding myself attached to some beautiful stainless steel skillets and pots that my husband brought into the marriage. Tossing them, or hiding them away is not an option I would consider, so I have found through trial and error how to actually clean them up with little or no “elbow grease”. So now when I discover that my unattended food is melting into a tarry black layer of crusty gunk at the bottom of my favorite skillet I don’t go into panic mode. I realized that the same principles for treating a burn your eyes, stinky, burning pot, applies to relationships.

Blessed are those who Hunger….

Discoverying Your Purpose

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR they shall

be satisfied. –Matthew5:6

It is the spirit who gives life; flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak

to you are spirit, and they are life. –John 6:63

On the last day, the climax of holidays, Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If

anyone is THIRSTY; let him come to me and drink. For the Scriptures declare

that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being of anyone who

believes in me. John 7:37..

…”anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again but those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13

I can’t help but notice how many people have expressed the overwhelming excitement that god is doing something “big” in their lives. That something is often vague and unclear, but when they talk about it they light up with anticipation what our pastor calls “giddy”. Yet because of the enormity of the “something” there is an underlying sense of fear.

Interestingly, when I was in Indonesia, our team was asked to teach a group of young people on the wide open topic of “Maximum Satisfaction”. I noticed that in the first scripture I found on the subject, Jesus says that you are blessed if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, because you will be satisfied. It seemed that key to satisfaction was having a thirst and a hunger.

Step 11: Prayer is not the Action Word

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion.  

We will fulfill our vows to you. All of us must come to you.

Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.

What joy for those you choose to bring near,  those who live in your holy courts

What festivities await us inside your holy Temple. 

You faithfully answer prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior.  

You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.

You formed the mountains by you power and armed yourself with mighty strength.

Psalm 65: 1-6

Spending time in prayer can be  a joy or a chore.  Today and yesterday, it seemed I was in a hurry to get my “daily time with God” checked off my list of things to do.  So for the last couple of days,  my attitude toward prayer was seeing it as  more like a chore. 

I’m not going to beat myself up about it.  There is a saying  that says “God’s word does not come up void.”  So  I know that whenever I am reading God’s word something will come of it.    So today as I dutifully read from the Bible, the passage took root.   After reading (the above scripture) I had to acknowledge that  I forgotten what it was like to “hear” from God.  I remember being eager to see how the scripture was going to fit into what was happening in my life.  As today,  ironically reminded me, though I was admonished for taking my daily time for granted, settling in to hear what God had to say to me  brought me such joy.   And so today I was reminded that God does have something to say to me.  And that intimacy with God is something so valuable that the enemy would use any device to de-value the few tools we have to bring us into that intimacy.

  step 10:  We sought through prayer and mediation

 to improve our conscious contact with God,

 praying only for knowledge of His will for us

and the power to carry that out.

   The action word in step 11 is  not “pray”, nor is it “meditate”;  The action word is “sought”.  (Praying and meditating are those  tools that I  can use to improve my conscious contact with God.     

I am  to seek to improve my conscious contact with God.  (No need to seek after Him, as he is in always in contact with me).

There are times when uninterrupted talking or sharing are beneficial; but wha joy  is there to be found when the creator of the universe acknowledges he has been listening and what more is; He loves me and cares for me anyway.

Changing Diapers

1John1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and cleans us from all unrighteousness.  1John1:8-9 KJV

I imagine disapproval at time when I chose to go out of my way to do get my son something he asks for.  Why does a young adult man who is marginally contributing to the family, get the same treatment that I would give someone as those who do more?   But the phrase that comes to mind for me is “unmerited favor.”    My kids know that they can ask.  I enjoy them and respect that they do not take advantage of my love and care for them.   I am pretty sure they know that I have no ledger of who “deserves what”.   This was something I was thinking about just last night.

  And today it so happened that my reading was 1John1:8—9 .    The picture that came to mind as I read this was changing diapers.   I changed my babies and cleaned them every time they dirtied their diapers.  No matter how many times a day, season after season, I changed them and cleaned them.  I didn’t keep track of how many times I had to change and clean them either.  I think by the third child I realized that learning to use the potty had more to do with how much they wanted to imitate me and their siblings than it did any disapproval or approval from me.   I am surely not using the fact that I changed and cleaned them as babies as a reason to call in favors or good behavior from them.

     In a small way that is how I see the unmerited favor in which God is faithful to forgive us our sin and cleans us from all unrighteousness.   Sin is something I am going to do, and it stinks who am I kidding?   But, no matter how many times I soil myself,   God is willing to clean me off and give me a kiss on the head and a pat on the bottom and send me on my way.   I can remember as a toddler, having an “accident” and being old enough to “know better” I tried to hide my soiled clothes…DISASTER.    What was different …shame.  Maybe that is a reason we are to be like little children…Willing to be washed clean!

Lesson 20 Notes: Daily Inventory

 Lesson 20 is about our Daily Inventory.  I was thinking about how this reminded me assigning homework.  As adults I how much do we really write down?  I brought with me a remnant from my former career.  As a teacher I often asked students to journal each evening.   Here is a sample of what one of my students wrote:   Journal.1./ today is the first day I write in this agenda and well I was going to move tomorrow and then my uncle said six… 

    Our lesson today is called Daily Inventory However; notice that step 10 does not say how often we do our personal inventory:

Step 10 “We continued to take a personal inventory when we were, wrong promptly admitted it.   It does not say daily, but rather it says when we were wrong.  (We will talk more about that later) The principal however, Principle 7 says to 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.  So I consider of self examination that an inventory fits right in….more… (Click here for complete Lesson notes)