Prayer for Moving Forward

Heavenly Father,

It's Chip and Rebecca's second wedding anniversary! The weather today in Prospect Kentucky is so much like their wedding day - beyond autumn cool with  sign of becoming colder - sun peeping in&out of the clouds - late autumn breezes that snap one's mind and body to attention.  Two years ago, close to this hour of the day, Chip and Rebecca made their promises to one another in the sanctuary of Your creation, under their wedding tree and before You and family and closest friends. Two years ago, Lord, and so much has happened in that time.  Only You could have orchestrated so much in their lives and only You have the power to keep them moving forward... to keep us all moving forward into Your perfect Will.  Thank You, in advance for going before us. May we all trust You more with each passing day.  Praise You, Lord for being FOR us; not against us.  

 

Father, I pray You will keep us all moving forward in faith.  Even in painful circumstances, we have come to expect growth. In fact, it is often in the most difficult times that we most feel Your presence in our lives and understand we are maturing/developing in our spiritual walk with You.  It is a beautiful irony that in suffering we are capable of deeper faith and greater dependence on You.  Thank You, Lord for using every opportunity to reveal Yourself to us and especially in times of trial and temptation.  Bless our precious children and may they continue to stretch and grow into champions of faith.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

Ephesians 4:15    but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ       

 

Colossians 1:10     so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

 

1 Peter 2:2

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ike newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

 

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Only growth that is rooted in spiritual reality will last. Only authentic spiritual growth leads to peace and serenity.

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 - When You Love Too Much by Dr. Stephen Arterburn

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Growth in knowledge is indispensable to growth in holiness. There is no higher knowledge than the knowledge of God Himself.

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 - Ephesians by John Stott

James: Real Faith for the Real World by Tim Stafford

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It takes time for God to teach us how to be mature people.

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​Beautiful loved ones, we aren't babies anymore. Our bodies are all grown up, yet may we never stop growing in the Lord!  

Chip and Rebecca, never stop growing closer toward God and you will never stop growing  closer to one together.... it's His beautiful promise!   Happy anniversary!  

Always and forever ​

 

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Prayer for Accountability

Heavenly Father,

I confess to You that today was not easy. The tension between Bob and me is rising. It is time for a 'corporate meeting'.... a meeting of the minds and clearing of the air.  It is time to be accountable and to deal with shortcomings in loving confrontation. Lord, we are married for 42 1/2 years and the healthy, often painful (!) practice of being accountable to one another never comes with comfort and ease. I admit to often being a slow learner!! I thank You, Holy Spirit, that over the years we've both learned that being truthful; dealing with hurts and being hurtful can move us forward in our relationship with You and with each other. Loving accountability is crucial to our continued relational health, happiness and continued growth. 

 

Today I pray that my children will learn the art and freedom in being accountable.  We were not created to be alone, but in relationship and in community.  Only hermits are not accountable and even they must abide by the Law of the Land - being accountable for actions and behaviors.  Your Word teaches us that a soft, indulgent love without reproof overcomes selfish, narcissistic love of self.  Both Your Old and New Covenants contain reproof so we can live in harmony with each other.  We are certainly accountable to You, Lord. Otherwise, Your Word, Jesus' life on earth and His act of love on the Cross of Calvary means nothing.  Accountability is a demonstration of strength and power.  It is an act of true love.

 

Holy Spirit, teach all of us to address key issues in life with truth and acceptance. I pray for all of us to have a willingness to understand and to be considerate,  even if it means change.   Help us all to think of the other person or persons involved in our decision making. Lord. Even when we are rushed and weary; overwhelmed with all there is to do,  may we have Your grace and wisdom to address rights-&-wrongs in our actions and behaviors. Give us the courage of take responsibility for ourselves, to listen first; not defend, argue, put-off  or ignore.  May we learn to look through one another's eyes with an empathy and love that can only come from You.  Convict us, Lord God, of when to speak and when to be silent. Teach us when to let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no' and when to reconsider what is defined as an unreasonable stance. O God, life is all about living like You! That's our primary goal: to move forward in this life striving to be more like You. May Bob and I and our children remember that we are accountable to one another.  In Jesus' Name I ask for forgiveness for being blind to or having overlooked any hurt I have initiated.  Lord God, convict us all in any areas where we have allowed laziness, fear or anxious  indifference to overpower our love for one another. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.  

 

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

(Jesus said) All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.  - Matthew 5:37 

Galatians 6:1-5   Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.        

James 5:16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.        

 

Luke 17:3    "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him"

 

 Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Accountable Discipleship: Living in God’s Household  by Steven W. Manskar

• Accountability helps keep those willing to engage in it moving forward with Christ.

·        Accountability is how we make sure our discipleship happens. The primary task of covenant discipleship is to give disciples the means to prevent and resist the temptation of self deception.

We never outgrow the need for personal accountability because past successes are no guarantee of future faithfulness.We constantly underestimate the power of our own sinful passions. We constantly overestimate our ability to handle temptation. We naively believe our struggles and temptations are unique when there is no such thing as a private sin

General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of operations for Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, exercised this simple premise of authority: A leader never walks by a mistake. "Reproof" means pointing out a wrong, bringing someone to a place where he or she can admit what he or she has done. And there's nearly always an element of pain involved in doing that. - Dennis Rainey

"One thought driven home is better than three left on base."   - James Litter

Boy, that was a lot, wasn't it??!  You can tell the our corporate meeting won't be brief. Still, I have total faith we will navigate through truths and be better having shared, heart-to-heart.  Take it from your old Momma: Keep life less complicated by being true to God, to yourself  and to others (and in that order!)  

Love you always and forever ~

Replace Pride with Humility

Heavenly Father,

I pray that my children will know the incredible freedom of giving of themselves. That's almost oxymoronic...freedom in giving of self.  It is also so typical of the contrast and comparison that is of You, Lord. May my children know the ministry of interruption that circumvents plans and intentions to serve someone else or meet a need.  May they know the ministry of holding their tongues (Yikes....so hard to do!).  May they know the ministry of being non-judgmental and cease to compare themselves to others, great or small. Such liberating behaviors are all wrapped up in servanthood and are sweet beyond description. My own wrestlings with approval addiction bring me to this prayer for my beautiful children. It is painful to live for the goal of people to think well of you. A very wise man called in impression management...living to manage the impression one makes on others. Pretty funny, huh, Lord?? True servanthood is not funny, nor painful nor an imposition.  True servanthood is freeing. It is a training experience to do good and disappear.  Lord, pride is the root human problem.  I think it may even be at the root of all human problems (sin)  for it removes You from the throne of our lives, then, we crawl onto that royal seat to reign over our little, respective kingdoms, when You are Lord of All, Creator of All and King of Everything! It is almost comical how we seek to get credit for the most trivial or mundane little deed while You have ultimate control over every aspect of life; from the smallest atom to the vast expanse of the universe!!  Oh, and what about the pride of spiritual growth!??? Yikes, so sad. And yet, You continue to love us!  May we, including these dear ones, continue to stop trying or pretending to be what we aren't.  You came to earth to demonstrate true servanthood. I pray we will strive to be more like You with each passing day. Being more holy, is not a sprint, but a marathon; a race that lasts a lifetime.  Thank You, Father, for running right alongside us every step of the way and even carrying us, when necessary. In Jesus' Name, Amen

 

 

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,  but with humility comes wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2

 

Where there is strife, there is pride,   but wisdom is found in those who take advice.   Proverbs 13:10

 

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   I Corinthians 13:4-7

 

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” - Luke 18:9-14

 

Humility, if we could ever grow into it, would not be a burden. It would be an immense gift. Humility is the freedom to stop trying to be what we are not, or pretending to be what we are not and accept our 'appropriate smallness.' In Luther's words, humility is the decision to let God be God - John Ortberg

 

Tell tale signs of pride - John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted:

1.  Vanity: perhaps the most common manifestation of pride. Vanity is preoccupation with our appearance or image.

2.  Stubbornness: A form of pride which causes us to shun correction or renders us unable to stop defending ourselves. If someone points out an error or flaw, our response is to evade, deny or blame.

3.  Exclusion: At its deepest level, pride destroys the capacity to love. It leads us to exclude both God and others from their rightful place in our hearts. We compare ourselves to others and are not satisfied until we convince ourselves that we are better, smarter, faster, wealthier, so on.  

​More of Him - Less of me.  Always working on that!   Loves, Forever and always ​ ~

Priorities; Accentuate the Positive

Heavenly Father,

It is a time of praise and thanksgiving for another year of life for Rebecca.  Bless her in unique and rich ways that she cannot dream or imagine.  Strengthen her faith and walk with You, Lord God, so that she lives abundantly.

Today, I pray that my children will live in such a way as to avoid burnout.   I have been re-reading the book of Jeremiah who suffered by losing himself to a project given to him by God.  Jeremiah allowed himself to come to the point of tears and depression. This weeping prophet is a man after my own heart for I am such a weeper!! God called Jeremiah to be a leader and messenger to His people. Called, strong, passionate leaders can be a mixture of incredible giftedness and weaknesses.  All of us must be keenly aware to overdoing, overloading, over-scheduling and overcommitment: the sin of over-ness!  We can learn much from Jeremiah - his good and his not so good traits.   May my children be like Jeremiah and never quit, even when life gets tough.  May they be publicly strong and faithful; facing  fears, doubts and loneliness in private and safe places. May they remain focused, establishing specific 'runaway-getaway' rituals that keep them mentally and physically alert and stimulated. O God, it has taken many years for me to learn to decline (even dismiss!) unhealthy outside influences, including the expectations, opinions and criticisms of others.

Staying true to You and to Your Word maintains sure-footing in one's strengths and provides a whole new meaning to loving & serving You.  You are always #1 to please.  May we maintain priorities: You, spouses, family and then, friends.  In rightful order, next comes work/school, pleasures and all else that complies life itself.  May these dear loved ones avoid being caught up in the agony of going "over" in any and all of these areas; keeping the main thing the main thing!  In Jesus' name, Amen

Matthew 6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jeremiah 15:19  If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. 

Isaiah 57:18-19  I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, ¹⁹ creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

^{James 5:19-20  19} My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Battle burnout by addressing current stresses and pursuing the opportunities, abilities and passions that used to energize you.  - Tom Harper, Leading from the Lion's Den

Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors. It is defined by a confluence of exhaustion, cynicism and inefficacy. I would build rituals into my weekly and monthly calendar doing things I enjoy....We must learn to fence off certain parts of life, to protect those chunks of time and to decide for yourself how you are going to use them. - Christina Maslach in The Truth About Burnout

There are three things we must learn to let go of it we want greater healing and maturity in our lives: unrealistic expectations, negative emotions and lies. - Allison Bottke

So, Dear Ones, accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative and live, Beautiful Children!  Forever and always ~

Happy Birthday to Bob!

Heavenly Father,

Today we celebrate a big birthday! It's Bob's! Lord, at this place in time, all birthdays are big, beautiful and wonderful!  Thank You, thank You for a God-fearing servant leader husband, father of our precious children and friend of all.   Thank You for Bob's passion, good humor and sense of priority to be Your man and to be the spiritual leader of our family. Thank You for his commitment that is 110% and all in!  Thank You for his recovery from cardiac challenges and for his drivenness to be strong and fit.  Bless Bob all the days of his life, Lord and thank You for making Him ours!

 

I pray for my children - for all of us -  to have more and more laughter in life. I feel in love with Bob's amazing sense of humor and because he could bring laughter into any circumstance of life. We love that our family laughs together and I pray that these loved ones will make every effort to know and enjoy the healing ingredients of smiles and the warmth of laughter.   Lord, may we always laugh together for it is a true gift from You.  Bless us all with light hearts and guiltless giggles for life is good!   In Jesus' Name, Amen and Whooppeeee!

 

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. 

 

^{Nehemiah 8:10-11} Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them

Psalm 30:11-12  You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

God At Your Wit’s End  by Marilyn Meberg                                                                                                       Laughter serves a greater purpose than just distracting us from our misery as we do our time pressed to  the wall, It’s good medicine.  We now know laughter releases the brain’s natural painkillers, endorphins, which can be 50x more powerful than morphine. Laughter not only reduce pain, it lowers blood pressure and relaxes the skeletal frame.  A good laugh may drive us to our knees simply because the skeletal frame can no longer hold us up (some prefer that to prayer!)

Reliving the Passion – by Walter Wangerin, Jr.     

                  The difference between shallow happiness and deep, sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It cannot stand pain. Joy, on the other hand, rises from sorrow and therefore can withstand all grief. Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance and of endurance into character and of character into hope – and the hope that has become our joy doesn’t disappoint us.  

 

Loved Ones, may we live with such joy that it can be seen and heard......in the glowing smiles on our faces and the delightful, soul-altering  sounds of laughter!

Always and Forever ~

Ironman

Dear Ones, 

Watching the Ironmen cycle past the neighborhood this morning and thinking of the countless hours of preparation, perseverance and obedience....in all ways, great and small....this daily devotion is even more meaningful. Every move we make, every step we take, every word that comes from our lips has a consequence.  Ouch....and I just ate a chocolate donut! We are all still learning, aren't we?!  Love to all my iron-strong family~ 

Forever and always ~

We Change But God Does Not

Heavenly Father,

You know I am in the middle of the semi-annual kids' consignment sale, I am seeing tons of items: toys, sporting gear and massive amounts of clothing for all ages.  I think about what Jesus said about old garments and new garments; old habits or rituals and new ways of life. Lord, I know our precious young adults are leaving former ways and moving into new seasons of life.  School is nearing completion and relocation seems imminent.  Careers are changing and responsibilities being realigned.  Bob and I are in a new season of life and on the brink of fresh possibilities.  Life is full of change and we are repeatedly called to adjust, adapt and get in step with new rhythms.  It is probably true that the only easy way to deal with change is if I am the one doing the change! I pray that all of us can accept change with integrity, flexibility and eager anticipation, knowing Your promises are real. You work all things for our good and You are ever mindful of us; true to all You promise those who seek You.  Thank You, Lord God for Your steadfast faithfulness  in every season, for every reason and circumstance.  Thank You for going before us and preparing the way.  Align our wills with Your Will.  Change is inevitable, but our God is invincible, innovative, incredible and eternal - there is nothing You cannot do! In Jesus' Name, Amen

 

 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

 

​Romans 12: 2   

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And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [changed] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

​Malachi 3:6 "​

I am the Lord, and I do not change. And so you, the descendants of Jacob, are not yet completely lost.”  

​Hebrews 13:8 ​

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” 

 

Change is a law of organizational life….today’s motto for leadership is ‘change or perish’. The only thing worse than ignoring change is leaping into it willy-nilly. – John Maxwell

  People reply on one of five coping mechanisms when responding to change. The five coping mechanisms of any transition are:

1.      Hold out (hope that the past returns)

 

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2.      Keep out (hunker in the bunke

​r)

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3.      Move out (relocate and hid

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in nostalgic yearnings for the status quo)

 

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4.      Close out (toss in the towel and admit defeat)

 

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5.      Reach out (change with a direction toward the future)

 Change is often discouraging to people. Massive change can be disheartening. People need to have regular encouragement along the journey; assurance that things are going to be OK, that the future is not gloomy but bright. Change agents need to have a positive attitude and give forth encouragement liberally, especially in the early stages of a new change journey, as many are in a process of grief. 

​ - from Change is Like A Slinky by Hans Finzel 

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​Keep smilin', Beautiful Children.  If change isn't upon you, better accept that it's coming .....we can do this!

 

Always and forever ~

Prayer for Growth

Heavenly Father,

I pray for growth for my children. Lord.   I pray for growth and healing in body and for mental growth in intellect. Still, there's so much more to grow.  There is soul-growth/inner growth, spiritual growth. I pray for relational growth that spills over to others and helps them grow, as well.  Holy Spirit, nudge these beautiful young adults in relational growth with life-mates, friends and even strangers.  Lord,  I remember a sermon I heard years ago that talked about 'if you are not growing, you are either dying or you are already dead.' We want to grow a little bit everyday, Father. We want to be very alive for You. More than be alive, may we thrive!  Father God, You know that Bob and I have a question we often ask one another at the close of a day:  "Did you move the needle today?" i.e. Did you grow? Did you accomplish anything? Are you moving forward?  Oh, Lord God Almighty, spur on my children to grow everyday in some capacity; transform their hearts and minds.  Thank You, thank You, Lord for designing us to grow; for expanding us in any number of ways and for instilling us with a drivenness to be our best for You.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

 

Colossians 1:9-10 ESV

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     And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.   

1 Peter 2:1-25 ESV 

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away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ...

2 Peter 3:18 ESV 

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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

I Dare You by Joyce Meyer

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God’s way is normally that people should increase, little by little, as they follow the principles in His Word. I like to call it ‘the law of gradualism.’

Andy Rooney nailed it when he gave us these wise words, "Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it."

Who’s Pushing Your Buttons? by Dr John Townsend

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A growing person is an influence for growth. Practical ideas to help apply life and growth are:

1.      Put down the one-up role.

2.      Model definition (boundaries!)

 

Precious Ones, never stop growing. Never stop trying or learning.  Never stop expanding yourselves.... For it is 

the human capacity for which we can thank the Lord God Almighty!

 

Forever and always~

Focusing on God's Will

Heavenly Father,

Help my children set aside all the hassles and noises of the world to focus and listen just to You for the next few minutes. Help them get to know You better.  Help them to better understand Your plan, Your purpose for their lives. Father, help all our family to live within today, seeking Your will and living this day as You would have us. It is my prayer to have others see all of us as Yours; not just in words, but, more importantly, in actions. Thank You for Your love, Your grace and Your perfect forgiveness.  Thank You for all those You have placed in their lives, for recovery and church family.  Your Will be done, not my will nor their will....YOUR WILL BE DONE.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen

 

^{Colossians 3:15-17}  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

 

Violent Prayer: Engaging Your Emotions Against Evil by Chris Tiegreen

In our relationship with God, getting in line with His Will is a process. A long process. There is no rush with a God who plans to love us for eternity. And with Him, we never reach a point where the costs of the relationship exceed the benefits. There is never a time when it is right to give up and walk away. We are in this relationship forever and we have to work things out. We are also in the midst of a messy fight between the kingdom of God and the one who most opposes it, and that takes time. We have to be really, really patient.

Believing God by Beth Moore

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Both freedom and faith emerge from deliberate acts of the will to shift our focus from all that begs to differ to the great and glorious truth of the Living God.

 

At the Will of the Body  by Arthur Frank

Recovery is worth only as much as what you learn about the life you are regaining.

 

Dear Ones, whether we care to admit it or not, we are all in recovery: spiritual, emotional, relational, mental or physical. EVERY HUMAN is in recovery from sin-sickness. 

 

Always and Forever ~ ​