A Moment with Marlene;

Love is a mighty force from the core of our being isn’t it! We all want to love and be loved! But there is no truer in our life than the unconditional love from Jesus! And there is no greater therapy than to just sit in His presence and worship with no strings attached. Just love! It drains our stresses, fear, anger, worry and confusion. It will fill you in ways your addiction never could. It will break down your defenses and melt your denial, because you’ll feel safe. And it reminds us how vital Jesus is in our personal life. We are never alone! We are forgiven! We are precious to Him! Jesus, we love you too! 

I’m being very vulnerable with you today and sharing portions of a love letter I wrote to Jesus, February 28, 2004. I glance at it from time to time and it stirs my passion. Maybe its passion will be contagious to you! I urge you to do the same. Explore and then express your feelings toward Jesus Christ your Savior and friend! Sometimes it’s hard to find the words but it is worth digging deep for this amazing exercise. Keep your letter for future reference; it will become a powerful tool. 

“But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13: 13 

My Love Letter to Jesus 

Lord, I want to declare my love for you today. My heart swells with gratitude that you, are my Redeemer….the magnificent Son of God. I am forgiven by your grace. I am empowered by your unconditional love. I am comforted by your mercy. And I am experiencing a peace that truly passes all understanding.  

I trust in you dear Lord and I give you my devotion. I honor you as my Master; I embrace you as my personal friend. I enjoy you as my daily companion. It is my privilege to serve you and share the good news. My spirit is full of renewed strength. My heart sings from the miracle of it all. 

Thank you for the gift of life overflowing with joyful abundance. Thank you for eternal life and the hope of heaven. Someday I will see your face and be reunited with those I love. There I will continue to serve you in the grandeur that you have prepared. 

 It will be worth it all!

                                  Marlene

 

 

Human destiny rests on a promise:

The future of the human family rides the fragile fibers of a promise spoken. One thing assures us that the cosmos will not turn itself into a stinking garbage heap. Only one thing affirms that the human romance will have a happy ending. The one thread by rich everything hangs is a promise spoken and not forgotten; God himself spoke that promise

A man named Abraham burned his bridges behind him and strode off into his unpredictable future as he gambled on the reliability of a promise uttered by a Presence he had scarcely begun to feel. And so the new possibility for history began.

The romance got going again when Moses tried to get a better fix on the identity of this Presence, this invisible Awesome One, and the Ineffable. “What is your name?” he dared to ask. And the answer came (in John Courtney Murray’s provocative translation): “I am he who will be there with you” (Exod. 3:14). This was his name. It was all Moses needed to know; maybe it was all he could know. “I am he who will be there with you; count on it.”

No one on earth at that time could have predicted the spectacular rise and dismal falls of the people who were created by the promise implicit in God’s name. Unpredictable circumstances combined with an uncontrolled compulsion to commit national suicide kept their future in constant doubt (Gods chosen). Only the power of the promise kept them together. The One whose name is “I am he who will be there with you” kept coming back to them.

Then, in an unsuspecting setting, a man from Galilee talked to his friends about sealing the ancient promise in his blood and, a day later, he spilled it over God’s ground on a mound they called Golgotha. “I am he who will be there with you” was there with them, dying, and then rising, and then being there with us to the end of the world.

No one on earth now can predict the future of the natives of planet earth by any evidential data. What will it be, a cosmic garbage heap? Or will it be a new earth where righteousness has finally taken hold? Not a cosmic heap, says Peter: rather, a new earth. How so? according to his promise“ (II Peter 3:13). Again, the whole thing hangs on a promise.

All that matters is one thing: a promise made by someone whose name is “I am he who will be there with you.”

Human destiny rests on a promise freely given and reliably remembered. Besides providing a believing basis for hope, this means that whenever you and I make and keep a promise we are moving closer to being like our Lord Christ Jesus. When you say to anyone that you will be there with them, that is the manifestation of abiding in Him.

Next week the title will be- Freedom comes alive in a promise:

Marty Lee Herrick

Martyh@trm.org

Prov. 27: 17

This is an essay that one of our wonderful New Life Program clients, Alayne, wrote as part of an assignment in our Challenge Learning Services.  I love her outlook…

If a hammer’s ultimate and perfect purpose is to hit a nail on the head, then what is God’s ultimate and perfect purpose for me? When I took that first crack hit, the sense of perfection and ultimate oneness with the world came over me. I thought I had found my purpose in the world. But how could the destruction that followed be God’s will for me?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) The apostle Paul lays it out for us. God’s will for us is to be happy, pray, and rejoice. In the words of Bobby McFarin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Seems pretty simple to me. At least to say it – harder to do it.  Keeping an attitude of optimism is hard in this pessimistic world. But how else am I to remain joyous or happy and be able to rejoice in ALL circumstances? Keeping an open line of prayer is also difficult for me. I just plain forget.

But in all, I know that God is forgiving and as long as I do my best to hit the nail on the head, He will strengthen me and continue to lead me in the right direction.

A Moment with Marlene;

Have you noticed lately how the little things we do, say, or think, are the BIG  ACTIVATORS of our day?  They may seem insignificant at first glance, even subtle, but they can set us in motion. They generate action! They build momentum! 

Here are some examples to think about: 

• Positive Activators throughout our day;

            Good attitude

            Minute prayers

            Gratitude

            A favorite Scripture

            Smile

            Use self control

            Let go

            Take a deep breath

            Think before you open your mouth

            Think before you act

             Have a learning spirit

             Listen

             Encourage

             Co-operate

             Obey

             Mind your own business

             Work hard

             Reach out

             Be helpful

             Be truthful 

             Be loving

             Trust & be trustworthy

             Be peaceful

• Negative Activators throughout our day;

            Bad attitude

            No prayer

            No scripture

            Complain

            Fret

            Thoughtless chatter

            Thoughtless action

            Ignore what’s good

            Rebel

            Be angry

            Judge

            Compromise

            Be lazy

            Lose control

            Isolate

            Be sneaky

            Manipulate

            Lie 

            Be in denial

 

Simple isn’t it? Well….not really! But think about it, it’s truly about the small stuff! Small choices during our day! It’s up to you and me! It’s our choice! It’s also a powerful truth! It’s ACTIVATION in action taking us down a positive road twards the mountain top, or a negative road down a muddy slippery slop! And it not only effects us, it effects everyone around us. We can be an activator for them too! It’s like the domino effect in our day.

So let’s pay attention! Let’s make a choice today! It’s not easy some days but oh so worth the end result!

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you” Phillippiams 4:8,9

Celebrating New Life Together,

Marlene

The following is an excerpt from the Association of Gospel Rescue Mission’s director of education.  Contact the Rescue Mission, Downtown Tacoma Campus, at 253-383-4493 for further information on residential recovery. 

Preventing Relapse 
by Michael Liimatta, AGRM Director of Education 

From a seminar given at the 1996 AGRM Annual Convention

Along with introducing them to Christ, helping addicts to maintain sobriety is a critical job of the rescue mission residential program.  Learning to read, completing high school, and gaining other life skills are important.  But, if residents cannot remain sober, we might have only succeeded in creating smarter Biblically literate drunks.  The act of using drugs or alcohol is the just end result of a process that begins long beforehand.  Addicts relapse when it is more painful to stay sober than it is to get “high”.  

The  immediate benefits of ceasing drug and alcohol use include: improved health, better sleep , return of appetite, and clearer thinking.  However, all addicts eventually face a challenge even more difficult than stopping drinking or using drugs — coping with life without them!  Doing so involves a whole lot more than just “putting the cork in the bottle”.  They must learn a completely new way of life.  We often refer to this process as “recovery” — the Bible calls it “sanctification” — a definite ongoing program of personal growth.

Major Causes of Relapse

•    Denial – inability to accept that one is indeed addicted to alcohol and/or drugs and that it is a primary cause of life problems.

•    Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome- inability to cope with a set of very stressful, physiologically-based symptoms that occur only after use of alcohol and drugs has stopped

•    Emotional Dysfunction – inability to cope with feelings such as grief, depression, stress, fear, etc., without mind altering substances.

•    Relational Dysfunction – inability to develop and maintain healthy relationships with others.

•    Temptation -  inability to deal with the issue of sin in one’s life.

•    Dishonesty – the inability to maintain a commitment to rigorous honesty which is the foundation of a life of recovery.

Some Relapse Prevention Strategies

 1.  Spiritual  Activities – Worship, prayer, Bible Study, and scripture memory all equip the person new to sobriety  to overcome temptation and live a life that is pleasing to God.  One especially important area where they need special help is in learning how to form healthy relationship and avoid destructive ones.  Unhealthy relationships, especially of the romantic sort, are one of the biggest causes of relapse.  Teaching about godly relationships, even in the sexual area, helps them to avoid getting caught up with people that are not good for them.

2,   Take Relapse Seriously – It must be clearly understood that use of alcohol or drugs results in immediate dismissal from the program.  This could mean simply being asked to leave the facility, demotion to “transient” status or referral to another program.  After thirty days, the client can be reassessed for reentry to the program.  The worst possible situation is to give them the impression that everyone has at least one drunk “in the bank.”  We can be assured that they will use it!

3    Addiction Education – Gaining more knowledge about addiction serves two very important functions.  It helps the addict in denial accept his condition.  And, this knowledge can be a tremendous source of comfort and reassurance for those struggling with post acute withdrawal symptoms and the emotional difficulties that come with early recovery.  Newly sober addicts need to understand that they are suffering from a malady that is shared by others. It also gives hope that change is possible.  Many resources are available: lending libraries, literature, videos, and local professionals who can speak at the mission.  

4    One on One Counseling – Every participant in a long-term program needs at least one hour a week with a staff member who understands addiction to help them through the struggles of early recovery.  Relapse is a process — no one is working a solid program of recovery one day and drunk the next.  Therefore, one very important goal of these sessions is to help them to recognize their relapse patterns and learn interrupt them before the process leads to actual use.

5    Support Groups – Good support groups provide recovering addicts with find a safe, non-judgmental setting to share their struggles, thoughts, and feelings without fear of rejection.  Hearing the stories of others with similar difficulties and how they overcame them provides real encouragement to go on in a life of sobriety.  Because addiction wreaks havoc upon an individual’s relationships with others, support groups are also a great place to begin the difficult and painful process of re-connecting with other people.

A Moment with Marlene;

Have you had your ENOUGH IS ENOUGH moment yet? We might have many of them during our life for different issues.

 We wake up one morning and proclaim…THINGS HAVE GOT TO CHANGE!

No one else is going to float into our lives and do it for us. If anything is ever going to happen to bring complete healing, true change, and free us to fulfill God’s purpose for our life we must start today! That is all it takes, one thought, one action, and one foot in front of the other while reaching out for Jesus’ love, forgiveness, mercy, and strength. He will equip you! He is equipping you! 

 With time the momentum will amaze you. You will make a way! God is making a way! There are people around you who will help you make a way! Do you believe it? Do you believe in yourself? GOD DOES!! We do…or we wouldn’t be here! 

However, sometimes it is not that easy, is it? Sometimes it is very hard to believe in yourself! There are times when it is so much easier to remain in stale ordinariness and old behavior rather than to venture out into unknown territory where we might fail. It’s hard to drop the crutches…drop the old excuses…drop the blame! 

Well, if we want to change, we must pick up the sword of the Spirit and move forward each day with determination, focus, and renewed vision. Then the next day we do it all again! Lay the old props down once again and PICK UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH & THE SWORD OF SPIRIT and start weilding! At first  it may just be baby steps of change, turning into monumental changes as time goes by. The idea…is for them to stick this time!

 Here is an excerpt from Ephesians 6, the Message Bible; “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more that words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.” 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? Friends…CHANGE IS HAPPENING THIS DAY! 

Celebrating New Life Together,

Marlene

Promises will be looked as one who keeps his word and commitments.

Some people still make promises and keep those they make. When they do, they help make life around them more stably human. Promise keeping is a powerful means of grace in a time when people hardly depend on each other to remember and live by their word; and in the Word

Some people still have ships they will not abandon, even when the ship seems to be sinking.

Some people still have causes they will not desert, even though the cause seems lost.

Some people have loved ones they will not forsake, even though they are a pain in the side.

But why? Why make any promises at all? And if you do make them, why keep them? Why not tune into growth and change and the maximizing of your feelings? Why worry about a word once spoken, or about a memory that binds you to that word? Promise keeping may be a sucker’s game: sticking with what you stuck yourself with. That may be the surest way to becoming a loser. When you can move on to maximal pleasure and profit, why not cut the cords and let others pick up the pieces? Why make a promise, and why keep the promises you made?

The only way to overcome the unpredictability of your future is the power of promising. If forgiving is the only remedy for your painful past, promising is the only remedy for your uncertain future.

A human promise is an awesome reality. When a woman makes a promise, she thrusts her hand into the unpredictable circumstances of her tomorrow and creates a gulf of predictable reality. When a man makes a promise, he creates an island of certainty in an ocean of uncertainty. Can any human act, other than the act of forgiving, be more Christ like?

Here is reason enough, then, to give some hard thought to the wonderworking power of promising. Maybe it is one lost key to the better society we all pray for.

I look at the mystery of human promising from three views: Human destiny is resting wholly on a promise; human freedom comes to its own only in a promise; and, human community can be saved only through the making and keeping of promises. Maybe, from these three vantage points, we can rediscover the dimensions of the wonderfully human event called a promise.

Next blog will be in titled “Human destiny rests on a promise”

marty lee herrick

martyh@trm.org

Prov.27: 17

“…Who am I, O LORD GOD, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?” – 1 Chronicles 17:16

It is a thing to ponder the grace of God towards us.  As we continue on in our recovery it is so important to reflect on the GOOD things.  Count the victories – all of them – none are trivial.  Each day of sobriety is a gift from the Lord, and to acknowledge it as such is in turn a gift of God.

We speak of taking risk in our life in order to pursue change.  That ability to risk requires faith.  When I was a young soldier I was an infantryman in the 82^nd Airborne Division.  We continuously jumped out of perfectly good airplanes to deploy for missions.  As I hooked up to do an unnatural thing and put my “knees in the breeze” I had to have faith that my chute would open.  The Army required the soldiers whose sole job was to pack the chutes (riggers) to randomly jump parachutes issued to them.  The hope was that this requirement would motivate the riggers to be attentive and do a good job since they might jump the chute they packed.  This “helped” my faith to jump with confidence.

When we take risk and encounter genuine heart change as a product of faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, it is for His glory that we give Him thanks and praise.  Sobriety is one thing, but true and thorough recovery through salvation and spiritual healing from the inside out comes by faith – in Him, Jesus Christ, who saves.

Thank you for your generosity toward us here in the New Life Program – volunteering time and money, and lifting us up in prayer sustains the vibrant ministry that continues.

Blessings, Les