Missed your last post. I could identify, my mother died at the age of 40 and she didn't smoke, drink, and was a good Christian woman, which didn't say much for me.

I was a late bloomer, and I celebrated my teens in my late 20s and 30s. Went home to take care of my dad and he said, "What ever happened to you, you use to be such a quiet young thing? :)

In recovery, I had to heal that inner child and all the pain from abuse.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/v...tyJo/heart.gif

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life-makes sense of our
past & brings peace for today & creates a vision for tomorrow!

W.O.W:170:101

Fear is placing your faith in the "what ifs". So much of
our fears are focused on things that may or may
not happen. There is no reason to fear things that
might not even happen. Even people in the Bible
struggled in fearing their own "what ifs". In order to
face the "what ifs" of fear, you must acknowledge
your fear and choose to trust God.

W.O.W:170:101

Standing for what you believe in regardless of the odds against you,
and the pressure that tears at your resistance
....is Courage.

Keeping a smile on your face when inside you feel like dying,
for the sake of supporting others ....is Strength.

Stopping at nothing and doing what's in your
heart that you know is right
....is Determination.


W.O.W:170:101

Words Of Wisdom 101
 

Doing more than is expected, to make another's life a little more
bearable,

without uttering a single complaint
....is Compassion.

Helping a friend in need, no matter the time or effort,
to the best of your ability
....is Loyalty.

Holding your head high
And being the best you know you can be when life
seems to fall apart at your feet,
Facing each difficulty with the confidence that
time will bring you better tomorrows,
And never giving up...
...is Confidence.

Hold your head high
and make your life better every day!

W.O.W:170:101

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, Whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His Arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father Who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.

W.O.W:170:101

From the Daily Word.

GRATITUDE IS HAPPINESS.
Gratitude is a state of mind, a way of seeing things, and a spiritual practice. It enriches my life and focuses my attention on the good. Mindfully, I look for and acknowledge every blessing in my life. I am thankful for clean air and water, knowing they are precious. I am grateful for the love of friends and family. I give thanks that my needs are met—from the basic nece-ssities to my grandest dreams.

When I live in gratitude, I tap into the infinite reservoir of divine good. I experience the fullness of life and recognize God as my source. My first waking thought is gratitude and my final nighttime prayer is thanksgiving. Gratitude is happiness, and I make it my way of life.

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.—Psalm 9:1

W.O.W:170:101

Sometimes, in the midst of trials and troubles,
it is very easy for us to think that we are all alone.

It is very easy for us to believe that there is no help
for us when we in the midst of a "spiritual battle."

We can feel like the fight we are fighting is unlike
anything else ever faced.

We can feel like our struggle is too great,
and there is no relief, nothing that anyone can do,
an no what that this fight ends well.

When are are facing temptation, facing that struggle,
we can feel as though there is no way out, no hope, no chance.

We can feel defeated before the fight has really even began.

Listen to the words of Hebrews 2 today.

Jesus Christ was made like us, walked as we walk,
talked as talk, faced everything we face.

Everything.

If you face it, Jesus faced it. He was tempted
as we were. He faced temptation. He faced struggles.
He faced trials and troubles.

And hear what it says. Because He did this,
He is able to help us in our trials. In our troubles.
In our struggles.

You are not alone. You are not forgotten.
You are not forsaken. You are not alone in this trial.
You are not alone in this trouble. You are not alone in this time.

God is with you. Jesus will uphold you.
The Spirit will strengthen you. His Church will be there for you.

Yes, we face real temptations and trials.

And yes, through Jesus Christ, the God of creation
is there with us, in the midst of them, upholding us.

So, today, when you feel alone, forgotten,
forsaken. Remember, Jesus is there. He faced what
we face, and He has overcome.

And through Him, we will overcome.
Today, may we find our strength in Him.


W.O.W:170:101

When it seems like you just want to give up sometimes
when you feel mistreated or discouraged by others remember
that God has plans for your life greater than any man can see.
But if you keep doing good works
it will all pay off after while.

W.O.W:170:101

This is true....I often speak to my sponsies about faith. I also talk about trust. We know who we are, we want instant gratification. That's where trust comes in. I believe so deeply, I trust completely, I trust that the Devine didn't bring me this far to drop me. My mother use to tell me "Don't get anxious about anything, but pray for everthing". When I was young, this was so hard for me to do. We live in such a fast moving society. I had to practice this new way of thinking. In my journey, I face so many expeiences, but by practicing this behavior, I recieved a better understanding, trust. Do tbe best you can and trust in the Devine. Trust as well as believe in him. It's a process lots of trails and era. Today I can feel at peace and stay in the moment.

Our willingness to forgive should stem from this fact that
God forgave us first.
-We need to consider other people's imperfections & not
raise a standard for others which they cannot achieve.
-Consider your own imperfections before you come
down on others!!
-Release the burden of guilt you're holding
against others...keeping grudges saps energy from you.
-Releasing others will benefit you more than the
one you were holding it against!!

What forgiveness is not!

Forgiveness is not forgetting.
It is not regaining automatic trust in repairing broken relationship

It is also not a removal of the consequences
It is not ignoring the offense

it is not instant emotional healing

it is not gaining the leverage of power...holding
a person ransom because you've forgiven them!

Forgiving with God will start the healing possess.


W.O.W:170:101

Did you know that the three most difficult things to say are :
I love you, Sorry, and help me

The people who say these are actually in need of them or really feel
them, and are the ones you really need to treasure, because they have
said them.

W.O.W:170:101

As I sit here in my solitude, I remember parts of my life and the memories flow like the current on a calm sea. Now this is surly a gift because I can remember when there would be angry, nothing but angry thoughts and they played on and on over and over again like they were hooked on a loop. This is where my drinking and druging broght me. The hardest thing for me to say is I need help, please help me. Wgen I surrended and part of that was asking for help. It was like dropping a bag of brinks. Now, sixteen years later I live a life behond my dreams. I'm not rich, but I have all I need, and more. Nolonger do I live in my head angry. Humility, what a gift, reward, sobriety

Thanks you sharing Gina2840.

Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching us to love with all of our hearts…
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.:195:


W.O.W:170:101

DID YOU KNOW
Did you know that it's easier to say what
you feel in writing than
saying it to someone in the face?
But did you know that it has more
value when you say it to their face?


W.O.W:170:101