Happy are those who Celebrate Recovery!!!

Happy are those who Celebrate Recovery.

Do you believe in magic

I have always been fascinated with the supernatural.  However, I was raised in the church.  I have always known that witchcraft and the occult were not to be dabbled with.  Only recently, however, have I been able to reason why I was so fascinated by it.  It goes way back so please be patient with me. :)

In the midst of my abuse and the aftermath, I developed a vivid fantasy life revolving around a family unit with powers and total dedication to each other.  "We" had the power to change shape and breathe underwater.  We were also very wealthy.  This was a direct contrast to my feelings of powerlessness, betrayal, un-loveliness, poverty.

In addition there were a number of television shows that combined family values and humor with the supernatural. "Bewitched", "The Munsters" and "The Addams Family" showed those same attributes:  close families with comfortable lifestyles and magic.  I was about 10 and wanted to marry Gomez Addams.

Fast forward 20 years and the paranormal fiction like  "Twilight" and "Vampire Diaries" as well as paranormal erotic literature can be purchased at bookstores or watched on television or in theaters.  Why?  What is the lure?  What are some of the lies magic tries to sell us?

Control

Lie:  
Magic controls You can tell the future. Mind control.  Control of the environment.

Truth:
Only God is in control.  Even our creator does not take away our right to choose our direction. However, one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. Give control of your life to an all-knowing God who loves you. 

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Power

Lie:
Supposedly it can create wealth, love or a different destiny. You can go from powerless to powerful.

Truth:
There is power in God through Christ.  The power of the Holy Spirit. 

Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?"

Ephesians 3:14-15 "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man

Life

Lie:
The lure of long life.  Avoiding death.  Life after death. A stronger powerful body.

Truth:
The lure of long life
John 5:24 (NKJV)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life

Avoiding death
Revelation 20:6 (NKJV)
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Life after death
I Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

A stronger powerful body
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NKJV)
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Put your faith in God not "magic". Be Blessed.

 

Forgiveness

forgive [fəˈgɪv]

vb -gives, -giving, -gave, -given

1. to cease to blame or hold resentment against (someone or something)

2. to grant pardon for (a mistake, wrongdoing, etc.)

3. (tr) to free or pardon (someone) from penalty

4. (tr) to free from the obligation of (a debt, payment, etc.)

[Old English forgiefan; see for-, give]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

 

The deeper the injury the harder forgiveness is. 

 

I wrote a letter to my abuser when I was about 25 years old. 

 

The first emotion that I can recall feeling in my life was anger and hate.  I didn't know what was going on.  At eight I did not have any way to understand what was going on.  But I knew I did not like it and was angry.

Rage     Hysterics     Nightmares     Fear     Headaches     Introverted      Codependent     Depressed

 

I was a prisoner.  I didn't trust anyone and I so wanted to trust someone.  I trusted all the wrong people.  I retreated into reading to escape.  I lived in fantasy worlds where there were happy endings.

 

Then I wrote the letter and mailed it. 

 

Was it because I had a religious moment of discovery?

Did God put forgiveness in my heart?

 

Wouldn't that have been nice...No.  I just decided that my hatred and anger at him only hurt me.  I had to release that. 

 

And I lived happily ever after...No.  It was the beginning of healing that is still going on today. 

 

Now- forgiveness for me does not equal being new BFF's.  It means that I give up all rights to revenge, to speak of this person in a negative way or to wish, want or relish any harm to this person. 

 

But forgiveness is biblical.  Our salvation is described as forgiveness of sin.  God forgives us from every violation of His law.  We are then required to pass that forgiveness along. 

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:21-35)

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet^[d] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’^{[e] 30} And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”^[f]
It's pretty important. 

See...forgiveness is a commandment.  He would not say it was required if we could not do it.  It is not based on our "feeling" forgiveness.  It's about being obedient to God.  It's a choice.  Today choose to forgive someone who has hurt, mistreated or betrayed you.  Be Blessed.

 

 

 

 

You are not alone...

If you have read my introduction, you know that I have survived much. 

Before I don't think that I believed I had survived it.  It's sort of the difference between surviving a car accident with a broken arm versus surviving it with a traumatic brain injury. You live either way, but it's a matter of the quality of life.

But worse than the abuse and the guilt and the fear was the loneliness.

The feeling that you don't belong.  That there is something different and wrong about you.  The fear that someone would take a look at you and know. 

The need to hide the sadness and the fear behind happy smiles and good grades. Sleep and alcohol.  Pills and drugs. 

You think that no one understands....
And sometimes they don't.   They can't....

I didn't get out of bed, not because I'm lazy, but because I can't pretend one more day.

I drink, drug, party, sex not because I enjoy it, but because for an hour the voices in my head are silent.  Or I cut myself because it's the pain I can control that distracts me from the pain I can't control.

If you've never felt overwhelming depression, panic, anxiety, fear, paranoia, delusions, you can't understand it.  You may doubt it is real or think it's over exaggerated.

IT'S REAL!!!
IT REALLY HURTS THIS MUCH!!
I'M DYING INSIDE!!!

But..there is an answer.  God can heal.  Tell someone!!  Preacher, Teacher, Mom, Dad, a Crises Counselor. Tell someone!! If that doesn't work, TELL SOMEONE ELSE.

Then you can begin to exchange Satan's LIES for God's Truth.  It's not a short journey or an easy journey, but I promise you can have peace and joy and happiness.

I think introductions are in order

Hi, all.  I want to blog about my ascendance to happiness.  Truthfully, I've had a crappy life for the first 38 years.   Let's give it a quick rundown.  Child abuse, depression, low self esteem, no father to speak of, perfectionist personality, rapist boyfriend, death of a brother, mother issues, marriage issues, anger issues fear of death and hell--how long can I make this blog?  But in the last 40 days, I have begun to feel like I can make it.  That I am a person worthy of happiness and prosperity .  I don't believe the God is playing a continual practical joke on me.  My favorite phrase was my life is like a Shakespearean tragedy. I would love to spread a story of hope and encouragement to the world.