Lent Day 19

I happen to be reading a book about finding meaning and fulfillment in life, called Man's Search For Meaning.  It's written by Viktor Frankl, a jewish psychiatrist who survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany.  The first half of the book outlines his experience in the Nazi concentration camps.  This experience gives a very personal account of he how found, and helped others find, hope, optimism, and reason in such an incredibly severe situation.  The second half uses his research and published work to support these experiences.  In his research, he wrote of, "the self transcendence of human existence."  He clarifies this as, "the fact that being human always points...to something or someone other than oneself.  The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself."  Now I'm not sure if Viktor was aware of The Prayer of St. Francis - but it certainly fits, and supports the theme of today's prayer of St. Francis.

Today's Focus: According to "Treasures," a faith based outreach and support group for women in the sex industry, there are more women employed in the sex industry now than any other time in history.  In 2006, the sex and porn industry in the US generated $13 billion - world wide it generated more than $97 billion dollars.  This is possible, in part, because over $3,000 is spent on pornography every second.  More appalling than these numbers is that 89% of women in the sex industry want out but have no other means of survival.  We can help end the sex industry we all need to admit our role, as a patron or as a passive bystander, and make a positive change to help end this.

Today's Positive Action:  Learn more about the sex industry - although I am not affliliated with Treasures, Treasures has a list of books and movies that can help you become more aware of how pervasive and devastating the sex industry is.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, let me sow pardon;

Where there is doubt, let me sow faith;

Where there is despair, let me sow hope;

Where there is darkness, let me sow light. and 

Where these is sadness, let me sow joy.

O divine master, grant that I not so much 

seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand; 

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 18

God speaks to us in different ways at different times.  It seems lent is always a time God gives me a book to read, which is what I need to read to transform my heart.  A recent book I read was The Zen of Listening.  It starts out by saying, "Welcome to the Age of Distraction!"  We are inundated with distractions.  As I read it I realized my biggest barriers to successful relationships and endeavors are my distractions.  Later, in the book the author writes, "Many of us think that more toys, stocks, and houses we accumulate the happier and more serene we will be."  It is so irrational - because as soon as it's on paper it's easy to see the opposite is true.  Unfortunately, we're inundated with the message which perpetuates the rat race.  However, it's worse, "We can be deluded into thinking that if we lose what we have, we will be miserable."

It is a great reminder, for me, that the most valuable things in our lives are not things at all.  They are the gifts that God provides us, in our love, our joys, and our faith.  I life without these is empty - or at best fleeting in satisfaction.

Today's Focus:  Sugar can be an addiction.  Here is a great article which highlights our addiction to sugar.  Once again, those pesky dopamines, which we saw in Gambling, Shopping, and Porn addiction is coming up.  Remember, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, and the Food and Agriculture Association all recommend no more than 50 grams of sugar in your diet per day.  If you're getting more than that, on any kind of consistent basis, then you may be putting yourself at risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  If it is indeed on a consistent basis you should probably ask yourself whether your sweet tooth is more of an addiction.

Today's Positive Action:  Today in addition to drinking eight cups of water – please use a reusable bottle or cup.  Our unnecessary consumption is not just in the food we eat. The Environment Action Association estimates America alone consumes and wastes approximately 400 Million disposable cups just from coffee alone - every day - that's more than one for every per person.  This is not good environmental stewardship – and it reflects another area where our complacency will destroy us.  So today when you drink your water use a reusable cup or container – it’s good for you and good for the environment.

Dear Lord, far too often we are distracted from You and Your word.  Sometimes we feel like happiness will be around the corner - with the next promotion, with a little bit bigger house, with a faster car, or with a promotion.  We know that happiness doesn't come when those things arrive.  We've been through the process before.  They only create more clutter in our lives.  After we achieve those things we find we're only more distracted.  Today in our journey remind us that happiness comes from positive and grateful attitude.  An attitude that includes Your message and Your hope.  Then help us commit to that attitude and share it.  Let us bring hope where there is doubt.  Let us bring hope where there is despair.  Let us bring light where there are shadows.  AMEN!

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 15

Life Can be stressful sometimes.  Let's be honest if it didn't get stressful there would little need for us to start turning to addictions.  There would be no reason to grab a beer to let off a little steam.  For that matter, to go out for a smoke break between meetings at work.  If the stress of raising kids and making the payments wouldn't make for stress with your spouse and thus the excuse to make a trip to strip bar.  All of this can also be attributed to a need for comfort food.  All that stress is always there.  Usually it's manageable sometimes it's not.  With addiction it seems manageable, but only it's completely unmanageable.  Addiction only makes it worse.

In AA we learn not to turn that stress over to alcohol - but to turn it over to God.  It doesn't go away we just react to it differently.  It doesn't go away we just learn to ask for help.  It doesn't go away we just stop trying to fix it ourselves.

Today's Focus:  Recent technology changes have made gambling much more accessible - and access to the addiction much more easy.  In fact, according to this local TV station, March is now "Problem Gambling Awareness Month."  It's not coincidental that it coincides with the National College (NCAA) Basketball tournament.  The NCAA march madness is associated, according to the American Gaming Association, with some of the highest sports wagering of the year.  The story ends by telling us a Gambling Addiction impacts 8-10 people in the life of the problem gambler.  Showing us further that addicts bring those we love most into the darkness of our addiction.

Today Positive Action:  In the journal you started last week create a list of reasons to grow closer to God.

Dear Lord.  You have the power to heal.  However, you wait for us to be ready to work with You on Your terms.  You wait until we are completely at the end of our rope.  You wait until we realize we have to ask for help before recovery can begin.  Help those addicts that still suffer, that Your word, "Ask and you shall receive," is truth.  Especially those gambling addicts who will suffer and lose money in College Basketball bets this year.  Help those addicts see that all they need to do is ask for help.  Show them that we are praying for them - and that they are special to their family and friends.  Show them that they should be growing their relationships with their family and loved ones - instead of with their addiction, and in this case their gambling.  Show them there is another way to live.  Show them there is a new life with hope and light in Your word.  We are grateful to know this because You brought us out of our addictions and into the hope of Your light.  Help us share that light.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 13

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  A holiday primarily devoted to drinking will surely test this alcoholic on a day of cleansing.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 says, "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."

I find this appropriate because during this Lenten season we are cleansing ourselves of the garbage in order to prepare ourselves for God's special purposes.  This should not only be in our diet and physical health but in the attitude we take and our spiritual health.  Let's try to get the garbage out of our attitude today.

Today's Focus: There are many addictive prescription drugs available.  One of the most "interesting" (maybe curious, or unexpected) is the anti-depressants.  Antidepressant drugs don't cause the addictions that you get with tranquillisers, alcohol or nicotine, in the sense that: you don't need to keep increasing the dose to get the same effect and you won't find yourself craving them if you stop taking them.  However, a third of people who stop taking anti-depressants experience side-effects of withdrawal, including but not limited to: vivid dreams or nightmares, flu-like symptoms, anxiety, and sensations in the body that feel like electric shocks.  These side effects, maybe with the exception of electric shocks, certainly remind me of the withdrawal during the initial sobriety of many of my own addictions.

Today's positive action: Find a daily devotional that makes sense and/or speaks to you.  Getting a new perspective on the bible is priceless opportunity to see and learn God's message for us.

Dear Lord.  Help us be honest with you.  Our relationship with You depends entirely on our honesty.  As addicts we become great liars.  We cover things up to everyone including ourselves.  We know we can't hide anything from You but we constantly try to fool ourselves.   In this age of distraction, we become distracted from the truth.  We get distracted from what's important - and only serves to cause us stress and divert our energy.  Help us concentrate and focus on what's important: our relationship with You, our relationship with our families, and our relationship with ourselves.  Help focus on being honest about our addictions. Let this honesty be cleansing, in such a way that, like in 2 Timothy, that it prepares us to do Your work.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 12

I can't believe I've missed, not one, but two days of my lent blog entries.  Nevertheless my abstinence is still strong and feel a strong focus on God.  Yesterday when I weighed myself lost 4.5 lbs, towards my target weight.  Not that I'm doing this to lose weight, but it shows that God continues to work miracles in my life as part of this process.  He continues to show that I can trust in Him and that my faith in Him is well placed.

Today's Positive Action:  If you meet the qualifications, donate blood.  The concept that when somebody has been seriously injured, like in a drunk driving accident, they can take blood from my arm to help save that person, is truly one of God's miracles.  Be part of the miracle.  There is almost always a shortage blood supplies so please give generously.

Today's Focus: Smoking sucks.  We all know it kills and so it's no surprise that it creates anxiety for the people close smokers.  I was talking to one woman who's husband has been "sober" from smoking for a month and a half.  Since then, not only is he feeling better and healthier, but their relationship is much better, too.  She attributes at least part of it to the way she used to respond to him coming home smelling of smoke and tobacco.  She would always tell him what he knew - how bad it was and that he needed to quit.  This was always an emotional discussion that rarely went well.  It would serve to create more tension in other areas of their lives as well.  So, that has all stopped and they are experiencing the benefit of it.  This scenario is likely true for most addictions - so it's merely one example of how addictions, and the consequent recovery and sobriety, impact our relationships.

Thankfully it's Sunday, again, so it's time for The 11th Step Prayer, also known as the prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
   Where there is hatred, that I may bring love.
   Where there is wrong, that I may bring the spirit of forgiveness.
   Where there is discord, that I may bring harmony.
   Where there is error, that I may bring truth.
   Where there is doubt, that I may bring faith.
   Where there is darkness, that I may bring light.
   Where there is sadness, that I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;
   To understand than to be understood;
   To love than to be loved;
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.
   It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
   It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.
AMEN.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 9

Today's focus: One early symptom of alcoholism is driving under the influence of alcohol.  With alcoholics, and addicts in general, the use of the drug becomes primary.  Safety, health and relationships become very low importance.  Then it just so happened that the first listing I saw on news.google.com today, was about a drunk driver at SXSW music festival who killed 2 people and sent 23 others to hospital trying to outrun police who saw him driving the wrong way down a one-way street.  Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that approximately every hour someone is killed in a drunk driving accident.  That's 1 in 3 traffic deaths is attributed to drunk driving (9878 in 2011).  More than that, repeat offenders make up 1/3 of all drunk driving problems, which includes: arrests, crashes, deaths, and injuries.  Alcoholism is insidious because taking the drunk drivers to jail, taking away their licenses, and increasing insurance doesn't stop or change dangerous behavior.  Demonstrating that the addiction over-rides any common sense, logic, or conscience.

Today's positive action: When you see or hear a siren from an ambulance or fire engine, after you make way for the vehicles, pray for the people they on their way to rescue.

Lord, in this day of Lent we are reminded that our addictions are not "victimless" crimes.  Obviously when alcoholics drink and drive they take the lives of everyone around them into their hands.  Shopping and Gambling addicts spend the future of their children on their dopamine rush.  As addicts, we destroy the trust and love of our family and friends.  Lord, ontinue to remind us when we find the hole of our addiction we are not alone - we drag everyone in our lives into that hole with us.  Help us, all addicts, to find a way out of this hole.  Then, once we make our way out of that hole, help us to keep our focus on you so that we can stay out of the hole.  It has been said the day our sobriety starts is the day it starts for our children.  Help us to break the chain of our addiction.  Don't let our legacy be our addiction.  Don't let our addiction be the thing we pass on to our children.  Instead let us share the light of Your word, Lord.  Thank you for Your mercy and Your grace, the offer of a new life, without addiction.  Thank you for the offer a new life in Your word.  All these things I pray in your sons name - AMEN.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 8

Today feels like I'm now in the territory of lent when sacrificing all my potential addictive behaviors now becomes work.  I'm over the initial excitement of the idea of Lent and I'm at the point where I realize the things I'm sacrificing include things I didn't necessarily realize would be included.  Like, the Indian food of paneer.  Seems so harmless, but it is in fact, dairy.  Or those little hard candies that people keep in a dish on their desk.  It seems so natural to pick them up and suck on them.  Of course we all know there's sugar in them.  I knew what I was getting into when I started this, though.  If this journey of Lent was easy everyone would be doing it and it wouldn't be considered a sacrifice.

Today's Focus:  Shopping addiction feeds upon the same chemicals as sex addiction and food addiction.  Yes, it's that dopamine, again. Whether it's trying to win an eBay auction, getting a pair of shoes on sale, or, for some shoplifting.  I have to be honest I'm in a little foreign territory.  That's not to say I've never been excited about some key purchases - especially related to my sporting goods.  I definitely know what the rush feels like, but it's never been unmanageable.  Do you know if you've crossed the line?  Do you need a quiz to help to know for sure?

Today's Postive Action:  Start a journal, if you haven't started one already.  Track how the season of Lent is impacting your sleep, your health, your weight, and your outlook on life.  Keep bible verses and quotes that resonate with you.  Draw, doodle, and just in general express yourself.

Lord, we had misplaced our faith in so many things that brought short-term happiness and become addicted to the many activities that produce dopamine.  It started so innocently but then the progressive nature of addiction took over.  Once in a while was no longer enough and the behavior became more frequent.  That which used to be enough no longer satisfied our cravings and we "needed" more.  Slowly the costs became very expensive - we lost the most valuable gifts we are blessed with.  Love and joy and peace.  Thankfully Lord you gave us tools to shake free of our addictions and rebuild that which we had squandered.  You gave us the 12 steps to grow closer to you.  And in doing so we restored the relationships we had destroyed.  It did not come easy, nor did it come back quickly.  Nevertheless, with time, work, sacrifice we were blessed with the life You had intended for us.  Through this we learned of Your grace.  For this we are forever Grateful.  Praise be to God - Hallelu Yah.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 7

When I talk to friends who have done similar "cleanses" we talk about how the flavor of food changes.  Without sugar and sweetened foods in my diet, fruit has much more flavor and tastes incredibly sweeter.  Sourdough bread tastes very sour.  Vegetables even taste better.  You can taste God's miracles.  After just 7 days on this cleanse I am already experiencing this phenomenon.

Today's Focus: Work Addiction, when there is a misplaced faith in your career.  When there is a belief that working hard will bring you wealth, stability, and/or satisfaction that is when work addiction will develop.  Just like food and sex addictions, it's sometimes difficult to draw the line where healthy work habits end where work addiction starts.  Just like every addiction, There's quick quiz to find out where you stand and to help you learn the difference.  Work Addiction impacts our physical health and spiritual health.  Spiritually, unhealthy work habits keep us from our families, keeps us from happiness, and keeps us from God.

Today's Positive Action:  Today I will read the label of the first three packaged foods I eat today.  I will also make sure there are no trans fats in the contents.  Reading food labels is good skill.  If you learn to use it, then you will be surprised by the impact it has on your life.

Dear God, today in my journey of Lent please help me to know when my work habits are healthy when they are not.  Help me to be satisfied with what I have.  Help me see when I start chasing worldly things that my career offers, but can only be taken away.  Help me see when I start chasing the titles and promotions.  Help me see when I start chasing the next raise.  Help me see when I start chasing things that bring only short-term joy.  Most of all, help me seek a relationship with you - one of the few things that brings real happiness.  Help me know when I can spend time with my kids and family - and that I need to put my work down.  I know I am not alone in these battles in placing faith in my work and career.  I know there are people who are in much worse situations than I am because of work addiction.  Be with those who are destroying their relationships for the sake of the career.  Help those people who ignore responsibilities outside of work, and "orphan" their children for the sake of their career.  Help them to find patience with people who priorities outside of work.  Help them realize having more money will not solve all of their problems.  More than anything Lord, help their families of work addicts.  Let them know there is hope.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 6

Recently, I've had to start declining offers, generally of sweets, that violate my commitment of Lent.  This is always hard at first.  Sometimes, I try to do it without talking about Lent.  Other times, I find it's easier if I'm open and honest about passing on something that is otherwise so inviting.  After doing it for the first week it certainly becomes easier - at least I'm waiting for it to become easier.

Today's Focus:  Sex Addiction.  In our culture, the line between sex and love have become blurred.  Sex is no longer the act of love of God's design.  It has become purely an act of pleasure - not love is not pleasurable - but sex has no love component to it.  The sex industry is multi-billion dollar a year industry and is made up of prostitution, strip bars, and porn.  For the most part, it serves men at the expense of women.  The use of sex, including porn, releases dopamine in our brains not unlike cocaine or opioids - and is addictive.  The result is a society with broken homes, too many deaths from sexually transmitted diseases, devalues women to objects and distorts values where a faith is in pleasure instead of happiness.

Today's Positive Action:  This may sound unimportant - but today make sure to get 8, 8 oz, cups of water.  Just like many things in Lent, today's focus helps to make sure many of the things that are being given up are being replaced by things that are healthy.  Not many things are as healthy as drinking water.  This focus also sets us up some other "actions" later in the week.

Lord, during Lent I will cry and pray upon you daily.  Both day and night.  Lend your ear in my direction to hear these prayers.  Please keep me from my dark pit of addiction.  I see addicts fall and stumble around me.  People crossing the line of their sexual addictions, well beyond moral into illegal.  I know that when I keep my focus on you I will not succumb to those temptations.  Just as you are there for me, be there for those other addicts that they may also be victorious over their addictions.  Help those who have been exploited by the sex industry.  That they may find a life and career of dignity with real love.  The kind of love you have for all of us.  Thank you, Lord.  All this I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 5 - March 9th

Food brings with it many things that are considered addictions.  I could probably talk about these for the entire period of Lent.  Since I want to cover areas outside of food during this Lenten journey I am going to focus on a couple of ingredients of our food that are especially addictive - namely caffeine and sugar.  It's no wonder some of the most profitable corporations in the world make sure these ingredients are in their food - it creates incredibly addicte...errr...loyal customers.

From time to time, I get questions about what I give up for lent in terms of sugar.  Since today's focus is around food based addictions I'd like to address these questions.  Here's a list to give you an idea of what I abstain from related to sugar: any kind of sweet (candy, chocolate, baked goods, etc), all beverages other than water, dairy, and any packaged food with sugar in the first three ingredients.  Actually, because these things include so many individual items, this is the most efficient I've ever been able to do this.

Today's Positive Action:  As long as the weather is not stormy where you live, go for a walk, ideally with a friend or family member.  The length of time and distance doesn't matter - whatever is comfortable.  Try to talk about things going on in your lives instead of what's going on in the News or on TV.  This is a great way to unwind and de-stress and enjoy the life God has blessed us with.

Today's Focus:  More and more research shows the addictive properties of sugar.  In fact, Dr. Nicola Lavena, one these researchers has written an entire book on this called Why Diets Fail (because you're addicted to sugar).  The impact of this addiction is more profound than any other addiction.  The rate of obesity is higher now than any time in our history.  The CDC estimates that 1/3 of US adults are obese and now considers it an epidemic in the US.  Heart disease is more prevalent than any other time in our history.  The onset of type II diabetes is also higher now than any other time in our history.  All these changes have been linked to our increased consumption of sugar, and sugar-like sweeteners.

This is normally where I pray for people who are afflicted with addiction, and those people in their lives.  However, starting today, every Sunday of Lent I am going to pray my favorite prayer, the Prayer of St. Francis.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, let me sow pardon;
Where there is error, let me sow truth;
Where there is doubt, let me sow faith;
Where there is despair, let me sow hope;
Where these is darkness, let me sow light;
And where these is sadness, let me sow joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 4

Today's focus of Gambling today seems appropriate because I see more and more gambling in our culture.  Everyday on my way to work I pass two huge billboards that highlight the size that the superball jackpot has grown to.  It seems every time I pass it there's a seed in my mind that says,  "Wouldn't that be nice.  I could retire...and it's only a couple of bucks.  What's the harm?"  And that's how gambling addictions generally start.  Not only do I see a growth in these.  I see gambling in the stock market - people at work trying to hit it big on the latest technology - only to have their nest egg collapse as the next bubble bursts.  I think it's important that we don't put our hope in striking it rich, but something that really sustains, like God.  I also think it's important that we consider the addiction of gambling and its impact on our society and the people we love.

Today's Positive Action: Find some time today to exercise.  Spiritual health and physical health are connected.  It's very hard to enrich your spirit if your physical health suffers - and when your physical health is strong it becomes easier to be spiritually strong.  Ideally, exercise is strenuous and makes you sweat but it doesn't have to be.  It be as casual as a walk (or brisk walk) around the neighborhood, too.

Today's Focus: Gambling addiction is not just about the lure of Las Vegas.  Although, to be true that is part of it.  Gambling is also about sixty-eight year old women who play bingo every night, workers that spend their paychecks on lottery tickets, or college students who wage their student loans on stock market bets.  They are losing money that they can't afford to lose.  They believe all of the ads and the hype that say, "it only takes a dollar and a dream," and "you can't win if don't play."  Sometimes they hit a "jackpot" but that's usually followed by losses that wipe out the jackpot.  The hole that ends up following is usually more a nightmare than a dream.

Lord, there is temptation around every corner.  Heart pounding, adrenaline fueling, temptation.  Today I ask that you be with the gambling addicts.  Help them with these tempations.  Help them see that their hope in hitting the "jackpot" is a false hope that robs them.  It robs them of their money, time, and spirit.  Help them see their problem is not something they can control.   Have people in their lives, as examples of Your love and Your power, who can show them how to trust in You.  Have these people show them that a hope in you is one that is true and will lead them out of this hole.  Lead all of us addicts, not into temptation.  And deliver us, all of us addicts, from evil.  I am grateful that you have helped me avoid temptation and evil every day of this year's Lent.  Thank you, Lord.  AMEN.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 3

Things are still going fairly smoothly.  Day 3 and my cravings for my addictions are at bay and still fairly manageable.  It has been helping that I've been listening to the Catholic channel on XM Radio and they talk a lot about Lent, the spirit of Lent, sacrificing and fasting.  Even though I'm not a Catholic it's helps to know that I'm making this journey of sacrifice with others out there.

Today's Positive Action: Be grateful.  Have an attitude of gratitude.  When things go wrong, or there is adversity and you find yourself asking, "Why me?"  instead ask, "Why not me?"  Often we miss opportunity because it comes disguised as hard work.

Today's Focus: Drug addiction is the most notorious of addictions.  Since drugs and drug use are glamorized in the media, in TV shows (breaking bad?), movies, and the news it brings a sense of adventure and, well, glamour to drug use.  Unfortunately, as many addicts find out, there's nothing glamorous about the addiction.  Drug addiction is unique in the way it kills.  Other addictions generally kill their addicts through the side effects of the use - by creating cancer, liver or heart disease, etc.  Although that happens with drugs, too, drug addiction also kills from the actual use - in the overdose.  Just as with all addictions, the addict knows and understands the risk but the addiction overrides logic and ignores the risk for the short-term pleasure.  This study shows that 70% of high school parents are concerned about their child(ren)'s use of prescription drugs.  Thankfully, in keeping with a grateful attitude, this study also shows, parents now have tools to be aware of and to fight drug addiction where it starts, in a persons teen years.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us this opportunity to share our experience in recovery from addiction.  That we can show others who, like us, struggle with addiction that You are the answer to that battle.  Thank You that You built in us what You needed.  Thank You that You relieved us of the bondage self.  Thank You that You continue to take away our difficulties of addiction.  That victory over our difficulties may bear witness to those we would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life.  May we do Thy Will always.  Today we ask you be with the siblings of those that have been killed by drugs.  We are aware of their unique perspective.  That they are generally closer to the downward spiral that ends up taking their brother or sister.  Help them learn from the experience and remove drugs and addiction from their lives and, with hope, create a place for You, Lord.  Continue to give them strength that they can share their story, that they may teach others the dangers of drugs and drug addiction.  In Your name we are grateful.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent Day 2

Today's positive action: Make sure you get a good night's sleep - every night.  H.A.L.T. is widely known by addicts as Hunger, Anger, Lonely (or Alone) & Tired.  All four things can accelerate stress and increase the risk of falling back on addiction.  Control your rest before being tired controls you.

Today's Focus: Tobacco has has waged huge destruction on society.  Cancer and other diseases caused by tobacco alone has had devastating impact taking life of many loved ones.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) does a lot of studies on the impact smoking has on our lives - these studies are called Smoking Attributable Mortality, Morbidity an Economic Cost (SAMMEC).  These studies show that smoking was attributable to nearly 400,000 deaths per year for the five year period from 2000 to 2004.  That's roughly 2 Million people (somewhere near 1,963,405) in that 5 year period.  Only these aren't just numbers, these are people who loved and were loved, they are fathers, mothers, sisters, brother, and friends.

Dear Lord, with smoking many people have been taken away from us because of the evil of addiction and the evil of tobacco.  They succumbed to the addiction of nicotine and tobacco.  They got themselves into a hole they didn't know how to get out of.  Be with those people who they left behind.  Give them support and comfort - and most of all don't let them fall into the same trap of addiction.  We know all too often alcoholics raise alcoholics and smokers raise smokers.  Be there for those who find smoking is an answer, an answer to stress, an answer to fitting in, or an answer to dealing with pain.  Give them hope and show them that there are alternatives.  For those who want to quit smoking but struggle, give them other people who have quit and can show them the way.  Give them the light of Your love to beat their addiction.  Lastly, keep giving us signs of Your love, Your light, and Your presence in our lives.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Ash Wednesday

This is it...very journey starts with the first step, and so today is the first day of my cleanse.  I'm pretty excited.  I know that's weird to say but I've thinking about this for a few days and I've been praying for God to prepare me - so I'm ready.

In many of my blog posts I've talked about a key part of overcoming addictions is to focus on positive things.  Things that will take attention away from the addiction, and fill the vacuum that the addiction leaves behind. In my journey through psalms that positive thing was the psalms.  In the same way, everyday of lent I will discuss my positive actions that you can use to help in your journey of recovery.

Today's Postive action: set aside time to pray, meditate or be with God.  For me I am getting up a little bit earlier so that I can have this time to pray and think on God's word today.  This is important to me because lent is about being closer to God.

Today's focus: Alcoholism:  This is a huge epidemic.  The National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence estimates 1 in 12 people suffer Alcoholism - in the US that's 27.5 million.  To think about the impact of that is staggering.  All the while, this report shows how the American Alcohol companies lobby hard to maintain "their successes" in this area.  Out of this lobbying they are able stop efforts which would prevent marketing to youth, teens and underage drinkers and to keep taxes on alcohol below levels that would allow our society and governments to address the problems that addiction creates.  The fact that they actively fight to keep our society addicted should be in our prayers today.

Lord, thank you for this season of lent to give me the opportunity to grow closer to you.  I ask that You be close to those families, and especially the children, of alcoholics.  Today, show them that you are near and you have your hand on them.  Give these people hope.  Give them people who can guide them and show them Your plan for their lives.  Today, be with the alcoholics who still suffer.  Help them to be willing to find a better way.  Show them that they don't have to keep putting their lives, and the lives of the people they love, in danger.  Show them hope, show them some of the recovering alcoholics that made positive change in their lives, as proof that they can live without alcohol.  Show them that they can face their problems with You and Your word instead of alcohol.  Finally, give me the strength and tenacity to keep this journey of lent as I make sacrifices and offerings to mirror the light of Jesus' example.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Lent is coming

In a little more than two days the Lenten season will be upon us.  During which time I will be embarking on what I call the Addict's Cleanse.  To help you understand what I mean by the Addict's Cleanse let me tell you a little bit about my recovery.  I found as I was recovering from one addiction, instead of finding true recovery, I would, instead, replace the old addiction with a new addiction.  Alcohol with caffeine, drugs with tobacco, sex with work.  This should not be a surprise, because the experts at Harvard University tells us, all addictions operate in the same place in the brain.  They further tell us, rather than simply saying no - we need to yes to positive things in our lives, like God.  The Addict's Cleanse is about removing all these substances and behaviors and focusing on God.

The Addict's Cleanse is about removing not just one primary addiction, but all addictive forces from our lives, for the period of lent.  The eight forces that I will be removing from my life during this time, in no particular order:

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs (prescription & non-prescription)
• Gambling
• Food Addiction: (Caffeine and Sugar)
• Sex & Porn
• Shopping
• Work

Of course, this not an exhaustive list. I deliberately chose eight so I could create a consistent focus during this time.  A focus that would allow me to, not only re-shape my life, but discuss one force every day.  Discuss the victims, the realities, and pray for the recovery of the victims and our society from these horrible forces that tear us apart.

Generous God, in Jesus you have given us our first and best love.  We confess that we often forget that first love and pursue others.  We seek pleasures that don't last,  we chase dreams that disappoint, and we place out hopes in things that cannot satisfy.  Forgive us.  This lent we return to you, our first love.  Please welcome us back, despite our mistakes and sins, and help us live faithfully and joyfully to you.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.