A huge turning point in my recovery from addiction occurred at a support group speaker meeting. People struggling in many ways attended this meeting, but our speaker (someone who shares his or her recovery story with a group) was a recovering alcoholic. His experience, strength and hope have had a lasting impact on my own personal recovery.
As he shared his story the powerful message that came through to me was that even with the enabling power of Jesus Christ (grace), the steps, the tools, the fellowship and all else we have been given to aid us in our recovery from addiction, no one sails through. It is hard. The temptation to relapse is real and often very intense. It takes work and the percentage of addicts living in recovery is small. You might be thinking, “Wait a minute. This is very discouraging information.” Actually, the hard truth he shared helped me understand some faulty thinking that was affecting my own recovery. Until this point I had mistakenly thought that if recovery was hard, if I was experiencing temptation, then maybe I was doing it all wrong. As my recovering alcoholic friend spoke, my perfectionist view of recovery was replaced with reality, a reality that makes a difference to me every day.
I have finally come to know that the help of the Lord is not the removal of temptation but rather the strengthening of the tempted. I had falsely supposed that if I attended meetings, applied the principles (worked the 12 steps) and used of the tools, sin would become dead to me. No! The truth is that with direction and strength and the conversion (change) I can experience through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can become increasingly dead to sin.
The scriptures teach us that temptation is part of the mortal experience. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)
Temptation is not my problem. Being tempted is not a sign of my weakness. If I believe I have lost the battle because the enemy has fired a shot, then the enemy wins, hands down. If I believe that I am responsible for Satan’s aggression then I loose before the battle has begun. It is self-righteous to believe that with my “goodness” I can completely eradicate the devil’s appetite for my soul.
The good news is that as we come unto Christ by living the principles of recovery we receive strength through the Atonement to overcome temptation. Every new day we live in recovery puts powerful distance between the torment of physical and emotional dependency on a substance or behavior and our current desire to abstain from addiction.
In recovery we learn what to do about temptation, so “that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12)
Experiencing temptation, craving, and having to put up a good strong fight with all the tools the Lord has given us does not mean lack of recovery. When Satan tempted Jesus, in the early stages of His ministry, Jesus was perfect, but He was TEMPTED. As we know, He was victorious! We can be too! Temptation is not the last word. It’s the enemy’s first shot!
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Picture of Submission: A View of the "Other Side" From the Inside – Step 3
One of the most exciting days in the life of a modern mother is the day she gets to have a view of the little baby growing inside her. My daughters and nieces look forward to this day like they used to look forward to Christmas or Disneyland. It’s the day they get to see that everything is proceeding well and it’s the day they will finally know, after all the weeks of waiting, whether to paint the nursery blue of pink.
I’m a little old fashioned myself, a fan of the nine month, “Surprise, it’s a _______!!! But life goes on and technology seems to have the power to bless us with many things we used to have to wait for.
Besides being old fashioned about opening up gifts early I’m also really challenged when it comes to looking at the sonograms. My girls and their husbands come from the doctor’s office with pictures and videos they are so excited to show me. I know I’m a big disappointment to them because I really can’t see what they are telling me I should be able to see. “Can’t you tell mom?” they say. “There’s his eye and one of his arms. See, it’s a side view and this is a view from the top of his head.” Any more I just nod my head and smile, but truth be told, I really don’t know what I’m looking at.
2007/2008 was an unusual season for our family. Between my sister’s daughters and my own we would be blessed with nine new babies within a nineteen month span. This year there would be sonograms a plenty, but there is one I will never ever forget.
I entered my house on a miscellaneous Friday after attending the noon recovery meeting. I found the family room filled with home schooling moms chatting and children having recess together. My niece, Jeanine, had just come from the doctor where the medical worries for her growing baby had become a reality. Her little baby boy would most likely not live for more than a few days or hours. We were all stunned.
Then Jeanine brought out the pictures, just like all the others girls do, to let us have a first look at her little man. As I looked at them I “smiled and nodded” as she explained what I was seeing (or not seeing, in my case). Then she showed me the picture below, a picture of a perfect, celestial little boy in a body just right for his eight-day experience on the earth. To me his little bowed head resting on his prayerful arms and hands was the absolute picture of submission.
Spencer and Jeanine named him Kaden. As the weeks and months before his delivery went by, I thought a lot about his willingness to do the will of his Heavenly Father. And as the sisters and cousins delivered one healthy baby after another I thought even more about the willingness of Kaden’s parents to submit to the will of their Heavenly Father, and I marveled at just how far back in eternity they had all agreed to this arrangement.
Kaden was born on February 15, and went back to Heaven on February 22, 2008. Kaden was and continues to be a great blessing to our family. When I think of this picture today I like to think that Kaden is praying for us, praying that we will never take each other for granted, praying that our faith will not waver but increase and that we will all continue to grow in our desire and capacity to turn our lives and our will over to the tender care of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. For me it’s the picture of submission, a piece of Heaven, a view of the "Other Side" from the Inside.
To learn more about Kaden and his family see: http://kadenmatthewmack.blogspot.com
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
I’m a little old fashioned myself, a fan of the nine month, “Surprise, it’s a _______!!! But life goes on and technology seems to have the power to bless us with many things we used to have to wait for.
Besides being old fashioned about opening up gifts early I’m also really challenged when it comes to looking at the sonograms. My girls and their husbands come from the doctor’s office with pictures and videos they are so excited to show me. I know I’m a big disappointment to them because I really can’t see what they are telling me I should be able to see. “Can’t you tell mom?” they say. “There’s his eye and one of his arms. See, it’s a side view and this is a view from the top of his head.” Any more I just nod my head and smile, but truth be told, I really don’t know what I’m looking at.
2007/2008 was an unusual season for our family. Between my sister’s daughters and my own we would be blessed with nine new babies within a nineteen month span. This year there would be sonograms a plenty, but there is one I will never ever forget.
I entered my house on a miscellaneous Friday after attending the noon recovery meeting. I found the family room filled with home schooling moms chatting and children having recess together. My niece, Jeanine, had just come from the doctor where the medical worries for her growing baby had become a reality. Her little baby boy would most likely not live for more than a few days or hours. We were all stunned.
Then Jeanine brought out the pictures, just like all the others girls do, to let us have a first look at her little man. As I looked at them I “smiled and nodded” as she explained what I was seeing (or not seeing, in my case). Then she showed me the picture below, a picture of a perfect, celestial little boy in a body just right for his eight-day experience on the earth. To me his little bowed head resting on his prayerful arms and hands was the absolute picture of submission.
Spencer and Jeanine named him Kaden. As the weeks and months before his delivery went by, I thought a lot about his willingness to do the will of his Heavenly Father. And as the sisters and cousins delivered one healthy baby after another I thought even more about the willingness of Kaden’s parents to submit to the will of their Heavenly Father, and I marveled at just how far back in eternity they had all agreed to this arrangement.
Kaden was born on February 15, and went back to Heaven on February 22, 2008. Kaden was and continues to be a great blessing to our family. When I think of this picture today I like to think that Kaden is praying for us, praying that we will never take each other for granted, praying that our faith will not waver but increase and that we will all continue to grow in our desire and capacity to turn our lives and our will over to the tender care of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. For me it’s the picture of submission, a piece of Heaven, a view of the "Other Side" from the Inside.
To learn more about Kaden and his family see: http://kadenmatthewmack.blogspot.com
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Only His Signature is Appropriate – Step 12
Last Summer my husband and I attended the Church’s Addiction Recovery Mission Conference. It was held in Salt Lake City at the Conference Center. He and I spent the morning before the Mission Conference with a friend of ours from who had come to attend the conference from Boston. He is a fellow missionary, recovering alcoholic, and someone I have worked a great deal with in the development of materials for the Church’s recovery program. The three of us spent the afternoon before the conference enjoying a few of the opportunities available near the Conference site. We had lunch at the Lion House and took a tour of the Beehive House and then we took him to see the movie about Joseph Smith at the Legacy Theater. The film was powerful, closing with the stirring words, “Shall we not go on in so great a cause?”
As the three of us exited the theater my husband became involved in a discussion about our mission with the sister missionaries. My attention was completely captured by a breathtaking statue I had never seen before. It is a relatively new sculpture of the First Vision. I stood, taking it in and wondering whose work it was. I started walking around the statue looking for a signature. Seeing no name, I glanced up and there was our friend coming around the other side, in search of the same information. He said: “I’m trying to see who the artist is.” “Me too!” I responded.
A sister missionary overheard our conversation and immediately came to offer not only what she knew about the creators of this work but with what I feel was a message from The Creator, to my friend and to me – maybe to all of us.
“Are you trying to find the name of the sculpture?”
“Yes, we can’t find it!” we said in unison.
“The other day one of the artists of this piece came through. He told me that those who participated in this particular work felt their experience was extremely sacred and together they decided that they would not – could not put their names on it.”
We gave each other a knowing smile and my friend replied, “We understand that kind of situation.” The Lord’s message came to us just hours before the opening the 2007 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Addiction Recovery Program Conference. This is a program so many nameless folks have given their days and years and even their lives to develop.
Jesus works in the shadows. As I write this I am struck with the willingness of our Lord to labor anonymously in this work of recovery for such a long time. For years He has been willing to be know only as “a power greater than ourselves.” What an understatement!
Sometimes we are called to individually stand up and plainly state our name and share our own story and our personal witness of His power to save, for we have experienced it! At other times our witness, in the spirit of anonymity, is the thing that’s required. Perhaps it’s so that all the light can be directed to Him, as we strive to bring Him out of His Higher Power obscurity.
In the spirit of those wondering, awe-struck, nameless shepherds who were the first witnesses of His coming, I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of being part of one of the most timely, far reaching, Christ directed efforts of this dispensation. I want to be continually willing to be bold, ready to stand and state my name and give a reason for my hope when it is called for, but I also want to be genuinely willing to stand for Him in the spirit of anonymity.
When I do sign my name to His creation it is as one who has been a witness of Him, of His love, His ability, His creativity, His skill and greatness and glory. He is the owner who at times allows each of us to participate with Him in creation. In actuality, all things bear His name. When it comes to the work of the Lord, Only His Signature is Appropriate.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, September 8, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
As the three of us exited the theater my husband became involved in a discussion about our mission with the sister missionaries. My attention was completely captured by a breathtaking statue I had never seen before. It is a relatively new sculpture of the First Vision. I stood, taking it in and wondering whose work it was. I started walking around the statue looking for a signature. Seeing no name, I glanced up and there was our friend coming around the other side, in search of the same information. He said: “I’m trying to see who the artist is.” “Me too!” I responded.
A sister missionary overheard our conversation and immediately came to offer not only what she knew about the creators of this work but with what I feel was a message from The Creator, to my friend and to me – maybe to all of us.
“Are you trying to find the name of the sculpture?”
“Yes, we can’t find it!” we said in unison.
“The other day one of the artists of this piece came through. He told me that those who participated in this particular work felt their experience was extremely sacred and together they decided that they would not – could not put their names on it.”
We gave each other a knowing smile and my friend replied, “We understand that kind of situation.” The Lord’s message came to us just hours before the opening the 2007 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Addiction Recovery Program Conference. This is a program so many nameless folks have given their days and years and even their lives to develop.
Jesus works in the shadows. As I write this I am struck with the willingness of our Lord to labor anonymously in this work of recovery for such a long time. For years He has been willing to be know only as “a power greater than ourselves.” What an understatement!
Sometimes we are called to individually stand up and plainly state our name and share our own story and our personal witness of His power to save, for we have experienced it! At other times our witness, in the spirit of anonymity, is the thing that’s required. Perhaps it’s so that all the light can be directed to Him, as we strive to bring Him out of His Higher Power obscurity.
In the spirit of those wondering, awe-struck, nameless shepherds who were the first witnesses of His coming, I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of being part of one of the most timely, far reaching, Christ directed efforts of this dispensation. I want to be continually willing to be bold, ready to stand and state my name and give a reason for my hope when it is called for, but I also want to be genuinely willing to stand for Him in the spirit of anonymity.
When I do sign my name to His creation it is as one who has been a witness of Him, of His love, His ability, His creativity, His skill and greatness and glory. He is the owner who at times allows each of us to participate with Him in creation. In actuality, all things bear His name. When it comes to the work of the Lord, Only His Signature is Appropriate.
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, September 8, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Who is Going to “Pretect” Us? And What is a “Harmerax”? - Step 2
I was your classic scared of the dark “Heavenly Father, Please bless me that I won’t have any bad dreams,” “Close the closet doors mommy,” “Please check under the bed daddy,” kind of a kid. After I was put to bed I would lie there, full of anxiety, anticipating the moment when everyone in the house would be asleep and then it would just be me, in the dark. I would completely miss my chance to fall asleep while my parents were still up and going and then the whole house would become quiet and dark and all that was left were the shadows and the bumps in the night! I would lie there until I couldn’t stand it any more, and then I would sneak out of my bed, tip toe into my parents room, lean my little girl head over my daddy’s sleeping face, getting as close as I could and in a half whisper I’d say, “Daddy, I’m scared!” After he recovered from a child induced heart attack, my dad would kindly escort me back to my room, muttering something like, “You’re the biggest spook in the house,” and re-tuck me in, and check the closet and under the bed for monsters and such things.
Fear seems to be one of the things we have in common. Some of us come by it rightly. Some of us have grown up in very terrifying situations. For others, “the fall” itself seems to be reason enough for earth life anxiety. My upbringing was not frightening except that someone killed the president of the United States and his brother and a black preacher and in my school there were sit-ins and walk-outs. When we moved from Utah to California we had to start locking our doors and someone stole some stuff out of our garage one night. Once when we were on vacation in Utah some people, who didn’t like the way things were, burned up a city near our home in California. I think I came to earth scarred, but the world around was not exactly reassuring, even if my parents were.
Carson, who is experiencing “four years old” right now, seems to have come to earth with some fear, just like his Grandma Nan. Lately and frequently, if he knows his parents are going out he asks, “Who is going to ‘pretect us’?”
In our family the most repeated phrase in family prayer has always been, “Please bless us that no “harm or accident” will come upon us and that no robbers will come and steal anything or steal us.” One night when my son Andrew was little he finished saying the family prayer, as he had done many times, and looked up at me and said, “Mommy, what’s a harmerax?"
Fear is a foundational problem for those who struggle with compulsive/obsessive behavior. Out of fear we turn to things for comfort that are ultimately self-destructive. In recovery there are two questions answered for us that seem to help us turn a corner from living in fear to living in faith. The two questions are the same questions asked by Carson and Andrew. Who is going to “pretect” us? And what is a “harmerax” or in other words, what do we need to be afraid of?
Recovery principles are leading me to a personal knowledge of a very loving, powerful, protecting, saving God. I experience His protection every day in multiple ways. And this God who is so worthy of my trust is teaching me that I can turn all my fears over to Him, “harmerorax” and all.
By Nannette W.
Posted Sunday, September 7, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Fear seems to be one of the things we have in common. Some of us come by it rightly. Some of us have grown up in very terrifying situations. For others, “the fall” itself seems to be reason enough for earth life anxiety. My upbringing was not frightening except that someone killed the president of the United States and his brother and a black preacher and in my school there were sit-ins and walk-outs. When we moved from Utah to California we had to start locking our doors and someone stole some stuff out of our garage one night. Once when we were on vacation in Utah some people, who didn’t like the way things were, burned up a city near our home in California. I think I came to earth scarred, but the world around was not exactly reassuring, even if my parents were.
Carson, who is experiencing “four years old” right now, seems to have come to earth with some fear, just like his Grandma Nan. Lately and frequently, if he knows his parents are going out he asks, “Who is going to ‘pretect us’?”
In our family the most repeated phrase in family prayer has always been, “Please bless us that no “harm or accident” will come upon us and that no robbers will come and steal anything or steal us.” One night when my son Andrew was little he finished saying the family prayer, as he had done many times, and looked up at me and said, “Mommy, what’s a harmerax?"
Fear is a foundational problem for those who struggle with compulsive/obsessive behavior. Out of fear we turn to things for comfort that are ultimately self-destructive. In recovery there are two questions answered for us that seem to help us turn a corner from living in fear to living in faith. The two questions are the same questions asked by Carson and Andrew. Who is going to “pretect” us? And what is a “harmerax” or in other words, what do we need to be afraid of?
Recovery principles are leading me to a personal knowledge of a very loving, powerful, protecting, saving God. I experience His protection every day in multiple ways. And this God who is so worthy of my trust is teaching me that I can turn all my fears over to Him, “harmerorax” and all.
By Nannette W.
Posted Sunday, September 7, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Living in the Wilderness – Step 1
In the opening scene of the Book of Mormon the Lord told Lehi He wanted him to take his family and leave Jerusalem. Lehi didn’t sit around wondering if this was a “command command” or just a divine suggestion. It was God’s will. That’s all he needed to know. They left Jerusalem and moved to an unpredictable, frightening place where the elements of survival were out of human control. It was there they learned life’s most important lesson. They learned to rely entirely upon the Lord in every facet of living!
At some time everyone on this earth is commanded or invited or placed in the wilderness. It may not be a wilderness with “lions and tigers and bears, oh my”, but it is a place or circumstance where the things we are use to depending on are no longer available or effective and we have to rely wholly on the Lord. In order to survive we have to seek to know His will, and then do His will. The strength to act comes directly from Him. When we live this way in the wilderness we not only survive, we thrive and we come to know our Savior Jesus Christ.
Most of us only venture into the wilderness when the call is obvious and we are seemingly without a choice, when catastrophe strikes; death, financial ruin, incarceration, loss of relationships, life threatening illness. But most of us keep our big toe in Jerusalem where our treasures are, the treasures we figured would see us through anything (money, position, organization, personality, education, our own strength, friends etc) and when the traumatic experience ends we move back to Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is coming down.
We think that this “Jerusalem” where we are seemingly in charge is the great reality, but this is not so. In Lehi’s vision we are taught that we all agreed to follow the Lord to “a dark and dreary waste.” That sounds like the wilderness to me. The greater reality is that we are already in the wilderness and have only to acknowledge it, take His hand and allow Him to lead us to a place of promises, a state were we keep our promises to Him and He keeps His promises to us. That’s the Promised Land! It is a place of covenants, of love and of complete dependence on Jesus Christ. Its glory and power and greatness surpass all, and the joy of remaining in this place is divine. Being in the wilderness with the Lord was and is the ultimate classroom.
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday, September 6, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
At some time everyone on this earth is commanded or invited or placed in the wilderness. It may not be a wilderness with “lions and tigers and bears, oh my”, but it is a place or circumstance where the things we are use to depending on are no longer available or effective and we have to rely wholly on the Lord. In order to survive we have to seek to know His will, and then do His will. The strength to act comes directly from Him. When we live this way in the wilderness we not only survive, we thrive and we come to know our Savior Jesus Christ.
Most of us only venture into the wilderness when the call is obvious and we are seemingly without a choice, when catastrophe strikes; death, financial ruin, incarceration, loss of relationships, life threatening illness. But most of us keep our big toe in Jerusalem where our treasures are, the treasures we figured would see us through anything (money, position, organization, personality, education, our own strength, friends etc) and when the traumatic experience ends we move back to Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is coming down.
We think that this “Jerusalem” where we are seemingly in charge is the great reality, but this is not so. In Lehi’s vision we are taught that we all agreed to follow the Lord to “a dark and dreary waste.” That sounds like the wilderness to me. The greater reality is that we are already in the wilderness and have only to acknowledge it, take His hand and allow Him to lead us to a place of promises, a state were we keep our promises to Him and He keeps His promises to us. That’s the Promised Land! It is a place of covenants, of love and of complete dependence on Jesus Christ. Its glory and power and greatness surpass all, and the joy of remaining in this place is divine. Being in the wilderness with the Lord was and is the ultimate classroom.
By Nannette W.
Posted Saturday, September 6, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Friday, September 5, 2008
“No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” - Fellowship: Meetings and the Help of Trusted Support People
The rhyme “No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” is a favorite among all the little kids in my world. For those of you who don’t know, it starts out, “Five little monkeys jumping on a bed. One fell off and broke (or “bumped” depending upon the rendition) his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, ‘No more monkeys jumping on the bed.” It goes on to tell the story of the four that were left and how they learned absolutely nothing from the one who is now under a doctor’s care. One by one they mindlessly take up jumping again. One by one they repeat the experience of the first little monkey until all of them have been carried off on a stretcher and there are literally, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!” Why? Because there are no more monkeys left! One day I was singing this song with a group of kids I care a lot about and the thought came to me, “You know Nannette, there’s a message here!”
One blessing of attending recovery meetings and seeking out and working with the support of those who have personally applied the 12 Steps, is the opportunity to learn from the experience of others. And what experience do we share? We share what life was like for us when we refused countless times to learn from the suffering of others and the resulting fall that broke our bodies, our spirits, and our relationships. Then we share the great contrast between life then and our life in recovery today.
This is a rhyme about five little monkeys who refused to begin a life in recovery by learning from the experience of their fellow primates. My hope is that someday there will be an end to the cycle of needless damage to bodies and souls. Someday there will be “No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” not because the last little monkey has fallen of, but because we choose to learn from each other, from those who have gone before, to accept God’s direction and power, and to opt out of destructive behavior. Any one of us can put an end to this rhyme. We can say, “This Little Monkey’s Done Jumping on the Bed!” With God’s help I can do it today!
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday, September 5, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
One blessing of attending recovery meetings and seeking out and working with the support of those who have personally applied the 12 Steps, is the opportunity to learn from the experience of others. And what experience do we share? We share what life was like for us when we refused countless times to learn from the suffering of others and the resulting fall that broke our bodies, our spirits, and our relationships. Then we share the great contrast between life then and our life in recovery today.
This is a rhyme about five little monkeys who refused to begin a life in recovery by learning from the experience of their fellow primates. My hope is that someday there will be an end to the cycle of needless damage to bodies and souls. Someday there will be “No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” not because the last little monkey has fallen of, but because we choose to learn from each other, from those who have gone before, to accept God’s direction and power, and to opt out of destructive behavior. Any one of us can put an end to this rhyme. We can say, “This Little Monkey’s Done Jumping on the Bed!” With God’s help I can do it today!
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday, September 5, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
“That’s All My Plans!” – Keep it Simple
If you know me you know that I’m a planner and a list maker. It’s an attempt, I’m sure, to keep myself in line. There probably isn’t anything inherently wrong with using a plan. A prayerfully made sketch of the day can be a great tool to help me be prepared to do the things that reinforce my life in recovery - like daily scripture study, prayer, meetings, writing, service in the work place, at church, and in the home. But, I have a love/hate relationship with my plan. My struggle begins first, when I think that the power to do, to take action, lies in the plan, and not in the Man Jesus Christ. And second, when I, in perfectionism, add addendum after addendum to the plan until it is no longer a representation of God’s will, is certainly not doable, and takes a great toll on the way I feel about myself and others.
My Granddaughter Sammy obviously watches me. She must know that I keep a daily “to do” list and a log of my activities. The other day I was sitting at the dining room table with papers spread about me. She walked over to the table with her little “Dora the Explorer” notepad and a pencil in hand. She climbed onto a large vacant chair and without addressing me she took her pencil in her little four-year-old hand, scribbled a wavy line across the page once and said, “Go swimming. Check!” She scribbled a second line and said, “Play with my Papa. Check!” She scribbled a third time and said, “After that, go home. Then after that eat. That’s all my plans.”
Sammy didn’t say a word to me, but God did. He said, “Keep it simple Nannette!”
By Nannette W.
Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
My Granddaughter Sammy obviously watches me. She must know that I keep a daily “to do” list and a log of my activities. The other day I was sitting at the dining room table with papers spread about me. She walked over to the table with her little “Dora the Explorer” notepad and a pencil in hand. She climbed onto a large vacant chair and without addressing me she took her pencil in her little four-year-old hand, scribbled a wavy line across the page once and said, “Go swimming. Check!” She scribbled a second line and said, “Play with my Papa. Check!” She scribbled a third time and said, “After that, go home. Then after that eat. That’s all my plans.”
Sammy didn’t say a word to me, but God did. He said, “Keep it simple Nannette!”
By Nannette W.
Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
“Not My Feet Only” – Steps 6 and 7
I sat in Gospel Doctrine class one Sunday as we were flying through the New Testament. “So what lesson do we learn from this story?” the teacher asked.
“That we must serve as Jesus served,” came the quick answer from the audience.
That’s true, I thought, but I think there is more…
In John 13, beginning with verse 4, we read that after Jesus and His disciples finished eating their final meal together our Lord prepared Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet. He then wiped them dry with a towel He had wrapped around Himself.
As Peter’s turn came, he held himself back. He was not about to submit his filthy feet, which were covered with the streets of the city, to be washed by his Lord. Peter said to Jesus, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Washing feet was work of the lowliest servant. It was nothing he would allow His Lord and Master to do for him.
The Lord replied to Peter in this way, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” This single sobering statement by the Lord leveled Peter’s pride.
The idea of ending his relationship with the Lord over this thing was unthinkable, and so Peter submitted wholeheartedly by saying, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Even as Peter, we must each come to realize that our desire to cleanse ourselves, as noble as it might seem, does not bring us to God, but instead creates distance between us. If we want “part” with the Lord we must humbly submit to His cleansing.
The lesson Peter learned directly at the hand of the Lord, Himself, has been taught to me during my years of activity in 12 Step Recovery. The struggle in my life, which drew me to this program, was compulsive/addictive overeating. My seemingly futile battle with it had caused me to feel “unclean,” as if I too had dirty feet. The shame it caused me had gone on for years. I supposed that in order for me to feel comfortable before the Lord I would have to conquer this weakness myself (clean my own feet). However, in studying the Gospel principles represented in the 12 steps, I began to realize that I must submit my dirty feet (or unclean behavior) to the Lord, Jesus Christ. As I became willing to do so, then He would purify me.
In order for me to be clean before the Lord, I had to be willing to be made clean by the Lord, not on that far away day of reckoning, but right now, today. I could no longer postpone my coming unto the Lord with the excuse that I was standing in the shadows making myself perfect enough to have part with him. I had to step into the light, His light, where my defects were well lit, and then submit myself unto Him for His divine cleansing.
As I continue to witness His power to overcome compulsive/addictive eating and the love He has for this work of saving me, even from myself, I find myself more and more willing, even as Peter, to submit all. I am beginning to desire to honestly lay everything before Him- my guilt, my angers, my fears, my worries. With Peter, I too would cry, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday 3, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
“That we must serve as Jesus served,” came the quick answer from the audience.
That’s true, I thought, but I think there is more…
In John 13, beginning with verse 4, we read that after Jesus and His disciples finished eating their final meal together our Lord prepared Himself, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet. He then wiped them dry with a towel He had wrapped around Himself.
As Peter’s turn came, he held himself back. He was not about to submit his filthy feet, which were covered with the streets of the city, to be washed by his Lord. Peter said to Jesus, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Washing feet was work of the lowliest servant. It was nothing he would allow His Lord and Master to do for him.
The Lord replied to Peter in this way, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” This single sobering statement by the Lord leveled Peter’s pride.
The idea of ending his relationship with the Lord over this thing was unthinkable, and so Peter submitted wholeheartedly by saying, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Even as Peter, we must each come to realize that our desire to cleanse ourselves, as noble as it might seem, does not bring us to God, but instead creates distance between us. If we want “part” with the Lord we must humbly submit to His cleansing.
The lesson Peter learned directly at the hand of the Lord, Himself, has been taught to me during my years of activity in 12 Step Recovery. The struggle in my life, which drew me to this program, was compulsive/addictive overeating. My seemingly futile battle with it had caused me to feel “unclean,” as if I too had dirty feet. The shame it caused me had gone on for years. I supposed that in order for me to feel comfortable before the Lord I would have to conquer this weakness myself (clean my own feet). However, in studying the Gospel principles represented in the 12 steps, I began to realize that I must submit my dirty feet (or unclean behavior) to the Lord, Jesus Christ. As I became willing to do so, then He would purify me.
In order for me to be clean before the Lord, I had to be willing to be made clean by the Lord, not on that far away day of reckoning, but right now, today. I could no longer postpone my coming unto the Lord with the excuse that I was standing in the shadows making myself perfect enough to have part with him. I had to step into the light, His light, where my defects were well lit, and then submit myself unto Him for His divine cleansing.
As I continue to witness His power to overcome compulsive/addictive eating and the love He has for this work of saving me, even from myself, I find myself more and more willing, even as Peter, to submit all. I am beginning to desire to honestly lay everything before Him- my guilt, my angers, my fears, my worries. With Peter, I too would cry, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Wednesday 3, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Verse Six – The Verse I Wish I’d Learned - Step 12
In the spirit of missionary preparation, I had the impression to start memorizing the hymns of the church. So, one week I memorized the first five verses of How Firm a Foundation. On Friday I was supposed to memorize the sixth verse, which turned out to be about old age. “Well I’m not old,” I said to myself and decided to skip verse six and move right on to verse seven.
The next day I went to visit my 92-year-old grandma in a rest home. Before I left she asked me to sing her a song. I told her I had been memorizing How Firm a Foundation. As she lay there so weak, on her side, all snuggled up in a blanket for the winter of waiting, she sang every word with me, and as we rounded the bend of verse five she went right on and in her little faltering voice she sang every word of verse six (the one about old age) alone.
E’en down to old age all my people shall prove
My sov’reign eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be born.
The sixth verse was not about me. It was not for me. It was for her. I went back the next week to see her, and before I left, you can bet I sang her the sixth verse! I wish I could sing it to her today.
As I prepare my head and my heart to carry the message, I want to remember not to predetermine who will and who will not come my way in need of the word of the Lord. You never know who might need the sixth verse.
By Nannette W.
Written November 18, 2001
Posted Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.
This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
The next day I went to visit my 92-year-old grandma in a rest home. Before I left she asked me to sing her a song. I told her I had been memorizing How Firm a Foundation. As she lay there so weak, on her side, all snuggled up in a blanket for the winter of waiting, she sang every word with me, and as we rounded the bend of verse five she went right on and in her little faltering voice she sang every word of verse six (the one about old age) alone.
E’en down to old age all my people shall prove
My sov’reign eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be born.
The sixth verse was not about me. It was not for me. It was for her. I went back the next week to see her, and before I left, you can bet I sang her the sixth verse! I wish I could sing it to her today.
As I prepare my head and my heart to carry the message, I want to remember not to predetermine who will and who will not come my way in need of the word of the Lord. You never know who might need the sixth verse.
By Nannette W.
Written November 18, 2001
Posted Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.
This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Too Grown Up for a Hand? – Step 2
Madeline is apparently four going on fourteen. Maddie recently and suddenly announced her own coming of age. Just before an ordinary mother/daughter crossing of a busy street, Kendra, completely unaware of Miss Madeline’s growth sprit, reached down to take her hand as she traditionally does. But this time the little paw was claimed back quickly by its owner with this confidant announcement, “I don’t need to hold your hand. I’m almost a teenager.”
I don’t know how old I am on the eternal growth and development chart, but I do know that I’m Heavenly Father’s little girl. It’s difficult to acknowledge that in some respects I probably am just four and it’s a great challenge to resist the mistaken notion that growing up somehow means growing away, growing out of need for my Fathers hand, becoming independent of Him. Truth be told, the greatest sign of growth, of being four going on four-ever, with Him, is the yearning for and taking of God’s hand not only at life's busy, scary crossing but on the little seemingly innocuous park paths as well.
I want to seek out His hand and grip it tight and not draw back and roll my eyes in disgust as a sign of growth and independence, even if I am “almost a teenager.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, September 1, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.
This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
I don’t know how old I am on the eternal growth and development chart, but I do know that I’m Heavenly Father’s little girl. It’s difficult to acknowledge that in some respects I probably am just four and it’s a great challenge to resist the mistaken notion that growing up somehow means growing away, growing out of need for my Fathers hand, becoming independent of Him. Truth be told, the greatest sign of growth, of being four going on four-ever, with Him, is the yearning for and taking of God’s hand not only at life's busy, scary crossing but on the little seemingly innocuous park paths as well.
I want to seek out His hand and grip it tight and not draw back and roll my eyes in disgust as a sign of growth and independence, even if I am “almost a teenager.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, September 1, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit.
This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
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