I have written about this before, but felt led to talk about it again. How are you dealing with the current conditions?
Did you know that the industry with the highest mortality rate in our country since January 2007 was real estate related? Did you know that the second highest divorce rate also belongs to our industry? Did you know that chemical addictions, spousal abuse are all growing at an alarming rate?
I learned about these statistics and began to enquire further. I began to wonder about the toll this must be taking on homeowners in distress, suddenly unemployed construction crews, home inspectors, pool contractors, decorators. How were these good people coping? The more I focused on this issue, the more convicted I became that I could do something to help. Such arrogance on my part, I was struggling too, as if I could do anything by my own hand. After God brought me to a place of surrender and I joined a group at our church known as Celebrate Recovery. This program is a Christ-centered ministry designed to help those struggling with addictions, habits, hurts and hangups by applying Biblical principles to their lives. What an amazing difference God had made in these peoples lives! What a difference God has made in my life! Nobody is miraculously "healed", but people are better equipped to handle the difficulties that life throws at them.
I've included the 8 principles that Celebrate Recovery is based on;
CELEBRATE RECOVERY'S EIGHT RECOVERY PRINCIPLES
The Road to Recovery
Based on the Beatitudes
- Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Step 1)
- "Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor."
- Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover. (Step 2
- "Happy are those how mourn, for they shall be comforted."
- Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control. (Step 3)
- "Happy are the meek."
- Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)
- "Happy are the pure in heart."
- Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7)
- "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires"
- Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9)
- "Happy are the merciful."
- "Happy are the peacemakers"
- Reserve a 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. (Steps 10 and 11)
- Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words. (Step 12)
- "Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires."
For more information on this program and to find a CR group near you visit http://www.celebraterecovery.com
In addition, I wanted to post an awesome song that really makes me realize that no matter what I struggle with...I'm NEVER alone!
I don't know what the future holds, but I know I'm better off trusting in the Lord rather than relying on me.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
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