Daily Inspiration

Quote of the Day "Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up." – Anne Lamott

Devotional

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by MARSHA BURNS: Be alert to a weapon formed against you, My people. It is the temptation to give in to dissipation, which is to spend too much time and resources on physical pleasures. This is a subtle attack formed to separate you from My presence and to divert your attention to worldly things and issues of life. Take the time to deliberately redirect your thoughts and energy to spiritual things--things that matter, says the Lord. 1 Peter 4:3-6 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. http://ft111.com/

Experience

As a scholar practitioner in the dissertation phase of my Phd program for Social and Community Services, and an ex co-dependent and a child of an alcoholic, I have experience in writing and sharing in this blog to help others reach their goals. Some books that have helped me are "Co-Dependent No More", the Bible, and one I'm currently reading, "The Resolution for Women", which is also available for men. This book originated from the movie Courageous. I also was in a marriage for 25 years with a cocaine addict so my first hand experience should give you assurance that I know what I'm talking about. As I grew up with drug addicted and alcoholic brothers I learned a thing or two about how not to follow in their foot steps. Bless you as you read daily. Lilia

Staying Clean and Sober

For addicts, staying clean and sober is an everyday battle! The economy, family problems, relationship issues, work, and medical illnesses can make each day grueling. Just to stay sober one more day is all you can ask of yourself. "One day at a time", or one minutes at a time. Everyone has to fight some urge daily to stay on the right track but for addicts this is no easy task. All you can do is "let go and let God!" But what exactly does that mean? What it means to me is that no matter if you are an addict or not, every issue that comes up, you must ask Him to help you through it. He will do it if you ask! The problem is addicts don't think they deserve anything so they are afraid to ask thinking that they will experience rejection once again. But God says, "ask, and you will receive." He wants to hear from you. He wants to show you that He's God! So ASK! Blessings.

Losing Weight

Health experts say that if you want to lose weight, alcohol should be eliminated from your diet. The sugar that comes from alcohol contributes to weight gain and other health related problems like diabetes. Not only can alcohol make it difficult to lose weight but it can also get it the way of good nutrition. Many people do not realize that alcohol can be classified as a drug. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in the United States, 17.6 million people -- about one in every 12 adults -- abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. The majority of the population consumes alcohol moderately or occasionally, but that does not mean that it's not a problem. You do not need to be an alcoholic for alcohol to interfere with your health and life. The potential to become addicted to alcohol is a serious problem that can affect anyone. Alcohol is not an essential nutrient in your diet and limits need to be followed on how much and how often it is consumed. http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm