Count Our Blessings - Literally

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Some people feel that they never receive blessings in life. That everyone else has the best luck and not them. I contend that we all have blessings bestowed upon us - it's just a matter if we can actually see them. Sometimes we are just so down in life that we can't see the rainbow..because we are facing the wrong direction.

So, I have a challenge for you. You can do this in a journal, post it notes, or even in the recoveryBox app in the 12 Step Section as step journal entries.  

Write down each and every blessing you receive on the day. Do it for a week straight.  And I mean every blessing. I think what you will see is that on day 1 you might write 5 or 6 things down..if that.  By Day 7, I think you might find that you can see life a little better because you are actively searching and your list will be much longer.  Our outlook on life is how we see life - sometimes we just need to turn around to see it all.

Good luck and I truly hope you do this to see how you are blessed.

PS. If you use recoveryBox on a daily basis - don't forget to count this exercise as a Self-Care Green Light.

www.recoveryboxapp.com

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Musical Monday - Laura Story: Blessings

"Blessings" - Laura Story 

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

To Be Continued

To Be Continued - from Our Daily Bread

May 19, 2013 — by David C. McCasland

The fifth book of the New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, records the beginnings of the Christian church under the leadership of the people Jesus had appointed. Some scholars have suggested that this book could also be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit’s power supplied courage for the apostles in the face of every hardship.

Just before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He told the ones He had chosen: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). With those words, one chapter in the story of God’s work on earth ended, and a new one began. We are a part of that ongoing story.

The book of Acts describes the faithful witness of Peter, John, Barnabas, Paul, Dorcas, Lydia, and many others during the early days of the church. These ordinary people depended on God to give them strength as they spread His Word and demonstrated His love.

That story continues through us. As we trust God and obey His direction to make Jesus known, He writes through us new pages in His story of redemption.

Gracious Spirit, use my words to help and heal.
Use my actions, bold and meek, to speak for You.
May You be pleased to reveal
Your life to others through mine.

People know true faith stories when they see them.

Having Peace When Life Goes CRAZY!

In keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  2 Peter 3:13

Let's face it - our lives are CRAZY! We live in a society that forces us to split ourselves in so many directions with so many decisions that have to get made - daily! And living at that speed often causes us to have a sense panic. We start to worry about everything - often because we just are moving too fast to step back and see the big picture.

And then it happens - a crisis. Do we collapse in defeat because we have nothing left in our tanks and feel the problem is just too big for us?

But if you live in Him, He promises a life of abundance. And by living in Him I mean taking time to fill your tank daily on His word - His promises - His ways. When you do that each day and dark times hit (and they will) your first instinct will not be panic but rather it will be to turn to Him.  And by remembering His promises, you will have a sense of peace knowing He will work "it" out.  His goal is to guide you to God's eternal kingdom and so the answers He has may not always be what we thought should happen.  But by filling our tanks, we will be able to trust.

www.recoveryboxapp.com

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Believing Without Really Seeing

Therefore we are always confident. We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:6-7

When faced with something really hard to decide - or a problem that just seems so insurmountable, what do we do? Do we trust that Jesus will work it all out? Do we come up with a plan of our own and then pray that Jesus makes that happen?

Jesus died so that we would live a life of freedom - I mean, you really have to love someone to lay down your life for them. Jesus did just that. He loves us no matter what - unconditionally! So, wouldn't it make sense that if He loves us unconditionally that He would have our best interest in mind?

And I don't mean what we have in mind. He really wants what's best for us - but we have to believe in Him and trust back unconditionally with everything we undertake. He will work it our for His glory and looking back - you will see that His plan was a million times better than anything we could have ever worked out.

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God is always with you

For men are not cast off by The Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He will show compassion. Lamentations 3:31-32

Some of believe we are alone in this world because of our choice to live a life  that revolves around getting that next high. We feel because of this we have no family or friends to turn to. Well, that's often our cloudy mind talking.

Most often we have people we can turn to, but only we can make that choice.

However, we are not alone. God is always with us. He is with us when we disappoint others, or ourself. He will not abandon us because of our poor choice to live a life of addiction.

However, He is waiting too. He is waiting for us to finally accept the life he has for us.

And the pain we feel is self-made due to our choices and God will not magically take it away. Yes, He could. But there are consequences to our actions and sometime we have to live those out in order to really see the big picture.

If you feel alone today, perhaps attend a 12 Step meeting or a Celebrate Recovery meeting in your area. You are not alone on earth either..but it does take courage.

Remember, God is always with you.

www.recoveryboxapp.com

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Does Your Past Haunt You?

One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13

When we live in our thoughts of our past life - what we were doing? How we hurt people? About all the decisions that we made that were so detrimental to ourselves and those we love? -- You are not living and experiencing the freedom that we get through the freedom that Jesus Christ gave us by dying on the cross.

Yes, perhaps you feel this way because of the sacrifice that Jesus gave - for your life- and that's why you can't move on. And by that I mean guilt. But that's not what Jesus meant for you.  When you accepted his gift of grace he sent the Holy Spirit to live in you live - to give you the freedom from your addiction.  Yes, the shame might still loom in your heart.  So, what are we to do?

When you choose Jesus - you do as the verse suggests. Forget about the past and strain toward the future.  Now, an addict often has to go through the steps to get to this point (and I mean making amends, inventory, 12 steps etc) but there will come a point that you can no longer live there.  You MUST move on because that's what Jesus wants of you.  In fact, that's what he is commanding of you. Live every day as a new gift from God - new to make the right choice and live fully.

Today, try and not think about the past at all. Think about the here and now an how to make it the best day possible.  And yes this does count as a Green Light in the recoveryBox app - a Green Light under Emotional Self-Care!

www.recoveryboxapp.com

Addiction Recovery Mobile App - a toolset to help you break free