Where the spirit of the Lord is , there is freedom !
THING'S TO READ
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If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
Why Go To Church?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them.. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this...They all nourished and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing....God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
Why Me, God?
Why Me, God? - A Common Question
I'm sure you are asking, "Why me, God?" because something has happened that caused you to feel somehow singled out. Perhaps you feel that God must be punishing you for some reason. Why else would this be happening to you? Be assured. You are not alone. God has not abandoned you and He has not singled you out, no matter how you feel right now. Whatever you are going through, God's promise is that He will see you through and give you the strength and direction you need. God wants you to know that He understands how you feel, that He knows more about your situation than you do, and that He saw it coming before you did. Above all, He began to work on His resolution for you before you even knew to ask! The reality here is that God is for you. He is not against you.
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WHAT IS EVIL?
At a certain college, there was a professor with a reputation for being tough on christians. At the first class every semester, he asked if anyone was a christian and proceeded to degrade them and to mock their statement of faith. One semester, he asked the question and a
young man raised his hand when asked if anyone was a Christian.
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Real Healing
The Twelve Steps will not work apart from God. Real healing begins when we surrender our will and lives to God. But that surrender is impossible without the conviction that God loves us and wants what’s best for us. We need to remind ourselves and others that God is good and his will is best.
{The Twelve Steps, A Spiritual Journey - page 13}
The Impact of Alcohol Abuse on American Society
~new facts daily~
Impact of Alcohol / Dec. 29, 2004
-(Impact of Alcohol/updates).......Rape - More than 1/2 of rapists had been drinking.
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Until we realize this truth
"Just as the healing of a physical disease can only begin when we acknowledge the disease, so the spiritual healing of our obsessive/compulsive behavior begins when we acknowledge the existence of the problem. In Mark 10:51, it was obvious to others that Bartimaeus was blind. However, he had to openly ask Christ to heal his blindness. Until we realize this truth, our progress toward recovery will be blocked. Our healing begins when we are willing to acknowledge our problems.
[Anonymous, The Twelve Steps for Christians, RPI Publications,1988]
Practically no one, of course. Every natural instinct cries out against the idea of personal powerlessness. It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us. . . But upon entering AA we soon take quite another view of this absolute humiliation. We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built" (Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, AA World Services, 1953)
Three Things In Life:
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back - Time, Words & Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost - Peace, Hope & Honesty.
Three things in life that are most valuable - Love, Faith & Prayer
Three things in life that are never certain - Dreams, Success & Fortune
Three things that make a man - Hard work, Sincerity & Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man - Lust, Pride & Anger
Three things that are truly constant - Father, Son and Holy Ghost
I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true. And when you give Him all your cares, you know He'll see you through. God to Bless!
Mayonnaise jar and Coffee
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
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A Hunger for Healing
"People in the Twelve-Step programs know that until you're hurting enough, the steps won't work for you. But for the fortunate sufferer, there comes a time when he or she says, "I've got to get well. I can't stand living like this anymore." And that is when one is ready for the miracles of the Twelve Steps." [Keith Miller, A Hunger for Healing, Harper, 1991]
DID YOU KNOW?
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** Parents are Key to Preventing Underage Drinking,
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A Spiritual Pilgrimage
The Twelve Steps are a spiritual pilgrimage. They can be used as a way out of self-distructive behavior, as a laboratory in which to learn new behavior, and as a way to establish a closer relationship with God. When the steps are used in conjunction with support groups, they provide an opportunity to experience feelings, talk openly with others, enjoy life one day at a time, and develop healthy relationships. Meeting together in a group can be a powerful and transforming process. Loneliness diminishes as friendships among group members develop. Individuals can learn to be close to others by giving as well as receiving comfort and support.
