God Loves An Alcoholic

God knew what I needed before I was ever created. Although He had better ideas of what he wanted for me, He knew I would fall and need His help. So He inspired the men of old to prepare a book called the Bible, showing me the provision of God, and His ability to deliver me from all my troubles. Unfortunately I chose a different path. One in which I thought I'd have more fun. I allowed the lies and deceptions of the enemy and the world to crowd out what was right. And I suffered the consequences of my mistakes. Going to parties and getting drunk was common for me. In high school I developed the nickname sleazy. Not because I was being taken advantage of, but because passing out all over people's houses and hanging on guys I didn't know set up a rather poor picture of myself. The image they saw of me was exactly what I portrayed, a sleaze. I had to learn to accept that, or make changes. When I decided to quit going to parties, everyone was disappointed. They didn't have anybody to talk about anymore. As much as I enjoyed drinking, I was tired of getting drunk and being labeled. I wasn't what they said of me and it disturbed me that they would all stoop so low. Didn't they know, they to were at the same parties? What did that say about them? Today it doesn't matter. Because today I don't drink. Sobriety means I never have to do anything that I wouldn't normally do. Those drunken behaviors are no longer who I am. If you want to put a label on me today, how about, a recovered alcoholic, a blessed and loved child of God, and a victorious overcomer.
Thought to meditate on:God doesn't ask us to do something unless He feels we are capable of doing it. He isn't a mean spirited dictator. He is a loving God who cares about you more than you will ever know. It wasn't that God didn't want me having any fun, He just didn't want me to be the object of other people's ridicule and scorn. He thought higher of me than that. And it wasn't that He wanted me bored and lonely. He just had better plans and people for me. So after I gave up the parties and the labels I discovered God was telling the truth. It has been nothing short of remarkable.
http://www.lacysjourney.com

Narcotics, alcohol, food, relationships: All just a way of escape.

I was sitting in an alcohol recovery meeting one afternoon when I noticed a girl sitting across from me who looked distressed and anguished. She was crying and obviously disturbed. When it came time for the coffee break she gathered up her things and got ready to leave. Feeling led by God to confront her I walked over and asked her if she was leaving the meeting. When she said, “Yes”, I asked her if she wanted to talk. She hesitated, but went outside with me. That’s when I noticed she could barely walk because she was stoned on Vicodin pills. She proceeded to tell me her story. Her mother had kicked her out of the house and her boyfriend broke up with her. She was living in her car. Her biggest problem as far as she was concerned was that the pills were gone. I could relate and I knew immediately that I would have to share my story with this girl. My success would make her's possible. That’s why Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” I believe I went through what I did for a reason. God had a purpose for saving me and getting me sober. I had struggled with narcotic pills myself so I had a great story of deliverance to share with this girl. That is why God led me to talk with her. He knew beforehand that I could help. Always be willing to share your successes and your failures with others. Be willing to humble yourself and God will use you in a powerful way. Don't let your testimony die with you. Pass it on.
Thought to meditate on:The best gift you can give people is hope. Never be too proud to lower yourself in order to lift them up. God has a purpose for every person and a reason behind every plan. If God thinks He can use you to help someone He will lead you to them. Your job is to listen and follow so you know where to go. God has an amazing way of getting His work done here on the earth and you should feel honored that He chooses to use you.
http://www.lacysjourney.com

Amazing people we esteem and admire.

I had a friend who was married to a practicing alcoholic and drug addict. She was the strongest person emotionally I’ve ever known. She read her Bible daily and memorized scripture because it strengthened her. The Word of God gave her the power and confidence she needed to get through each day. Many evenings her husband would be at a bar and she would call me just to talk. Sometimes she would cry, but not very often. She lived in a two bedroom, one bath apartment with her husband, two little boys, a dog and two cats. Her husband made enough money to afford a bigger place but he used his money to feed his addictions. Drugs and alcohol were far more important to him than having two bathrooms. And he was rarely home anyways so what did he care about the size of their home. The one passion my friend had was gardening. The whole front of her apartment was adorned with every color flower imaginable. It was truly splendid. The garden was her serenity. I couldn’t understand why God would give such a wonderful lady such a horrible life. But then I was reminded, God didn't give it to her, she chose it. Then one day her husband left her for a neighbor lady he'd been having an affair with. She moved in with her parents and began a new life. God honored every moment she had spent in obedience to Him. As much as she missed her husband she was grateful he had left. And when he left he took every bit of his alcoholic misery with him. A few years later she met and married a wonderful man who loved Jesus as much as she did. This man was everything and more she had always wanted in a husband. Even in adversity my friend honored God. She was obedient to his commands and in the end God rewarded her for her faith.
Thought to meditate on:Even when your life seems hopeless, read God's word, pray and believe that He has your best interest in mind. It might seem hard for awhile but a miracle blessing is waiting just on the other side. It is hard for the family of an alcoholic because they just don't understand, but God understands and will see you through. Your faithfulness will not go unrewarded.
http://www.lacysjourney.com

All about addictions, those nasty behaviors.

Lacy's Journey enters into a world where God is in control and your only job is to trust in Him. Easier said than done, I know. If you have ever struggled with an addiction than you know the mental torment and the driving force behind it. God says if you will trust in Him, give the addiction over to Him, He will set you free. God will remove the obsession from you so you no longer desire the thing you crave. Whether you are controlled by alcohol, cigarettes, food, relationships or some other addictive behavior, God can and will deliver you.
Insatiable cravings are hard to ignore and harder to resist. And what about feelings of anger, rage, fear, guilt and shame. Do you not turn towards the substance you have grown to love and trust to quench the pain of these awful feelings? Do you not run to food or alcohol to drown out this pain, to make it go away? Is your life so difficult you must seek to escape from your reality through food, drugs, or even a relationship? Addicts use anything that might relieve their discomfort. They seek a quick fix, a place of secret euphoria where uncomfortable feelings are not allowed to exist.
Lacy's Journey, One addicts road to recovery, was written as a quide to help anyone who suffers. If you are addicted or you know someone who is, you will find comfort and guidance in the pages of this journal.
Now for those of you who aren't sure if you are addicted. Have you ever been in a blackout and woke up the next morning with no recollection of the night before? Have you ever ate a whole gallon of ice cream and when it was gone looked for something else to eat? Have you met a guy or gal in a bar and wondered why you weren't living together by the second week? What about the bottle of codeine for the toothache. Was the prescription gone days before they should have been and were you calling the doctor for more telling him the pills were lost or stolen? These might be signs pointing to a potential addiction. These behaviors are good indicators that their might be something else wrong.
Have you ever thought about the damage done to those around you? Have you ever taken into consideration the damaging effects your drunken episode might have had on someone else? Maybe a child? You wake up thinking the night was so innocent because you don't remember what you did but did you ever stop to think, they can? The kids do remember what you did and will for the rest of their lives. And we wonder what is wrong with the children.
Maybe your addiction doesn't seem so devastating because it doesn't qualify as a narcotic or a substance that impairs perception. Do you think the family is any less effected by that behavior?
Don't underestimate the power of addiction and their harmful effects on those you love. Don't ever fall under the deception that your addiction isn't hurting anybody, it hurts everyone around you.
Take some time and read my story. It is my hope that you to will overcome every addiction just as I have. It is my prayer that you to will find the life of peace and serenity I have grown to love. It is my strongest desire that you to can escape the mental torment and driving force behind all addictions so nothing will ever master and control you again.
http://www.lacysjourney.com