The Grief Recovery Handbook, by John W. James and Russell Friedman, is an instruction guide for overcoming grief and saying goodbye to the grieved relationship. Their theory is that incomplete relationships cause continued grief and suffering to the griever. If the reader follows the steps outlined in their handbook, the…
Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. An important part of the recovery process is taking a good, hard look at ourselves. In Celebrate Recovery, we do this by completing an “inventory” of our lives. An inventory is simply an assessment of five key elements,…
Like many Americans, I celebrated the 4th of July today by watching my town’s parade. The streets were lined with people young and old, all gathered to participate in the yearly festivities. As the American flag led the parade procession, the crowd stood in honor of the great country in…
A few weeks ago, my family and I hiked a common trail on the Kenai Peninsula, known for it’s spectacular views. Unlike myself, my family are not hiking fans. The prospect of walking through the woods for hours just to turn around and go back to the beginning doesn’t appeal…
In everyone’s life comes a time when they question their self worth. Do I really matter? Does anyone even notice me? Do I make a difference? Would anyone miss me if I weren’t here? One of the most powerful lies Satan would have us believe is that we are worthless.…
My church is currently going through a sermon series entitled, “The Church- Complete in Christ.” Every week we have been addressing what it means to be a part of God’s church, becoming complete in Christ and producing disciples that are complete in Him. Our most recent topic was, “Measures- Being…
When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them. -Lisa Arends When an onion grows, it produces layers around it’s core in order to protect itself. When animals or insects eat into the onion, they first…
Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires. -Matthew 5:10 Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these…
Principle 8: Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires. -Matthew 5:10 Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these…
Principle 7: 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. Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only…