If I stated, “Addicts make the best Christians”, I am sure it would raise a few eyebrows and would need explanation; but, I am convinced those who lived their lives struggling with some form of addiction, as most of us do, at the end of the day it will be attested, by the addict, it was having lived life as an addict and having been saved, by God, made them a stronger Christian with a purpose.
This is a blog which will appear on both the Substance Abuse and Sex Offender blogs because it covers both areas. I recognize I haven’t posted blogs, of recent, as I have done in the past. I made a promise to myself I would not write for the sake of writing but when I had a message to convey I believed was something of substance, only then, would it be posted. I’m not here to waste my time filling up space and waste your time filling your head with mundane and not relevant information. I respect you and value your interest in my site and desire to keep you interested only if it is going to provide a service and that is to encouragement and help those of us who suffer from addictions whether substance or sexual.
At some point in your life of “clean-living” you will move from the focus of yourself onto that of your brother and sister who is still “out there”. Unless you are involved in the rescue of others, you are not able to truly hold onto what you have. You will grow passive and weak and soon find yourself wondering and exploring and we all know where this lead.
I will post this particular blog on both my Substance Abuse and Sexual Offender Registration blogs, detailing my move to New York on July 3rd. I have fully enjoyed my almost 2 years here in Atlanta and have learned so much. I left New York October 31, 2007 with notebooks and ideas, and I return with a book and website which you have been sharing with me. I am so grateful for this experience here but it is time to move forward…
Perhaps what I will write here, today, could be considered the basis, the foundation of my purpose for even sharing and caring about others who are bound by addiction. And this addiction, whether substance or other forms, even sexual in nature, which is why this will be posted on both of my blogs, this one as well as the SOR (Sexual Offender Registration) will serve as notice how we can be rid of this awful circumstance we find ourselves in.
Today, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted on CNN that he was not hiking along the Appalachian Trail as others might have been led to believe but was actually in Argentina! Here, the governor of a state left his post to do what is not now confirmed, but certainly in the coming days it will be. I only hope he was straight in his story asking for forgiveness, otherwise, he’s done. But, he reminds me of myself for many reasons…
A woman who happened to read my devotional on another site I maintain requested me to post this journal onto her site and would I be willing to offer prayer for them. I told her I would be glad to do so. Then she followed up her request by stating the site is based upon the 12-Steps and she’d like me to join her site. I informed her I was not a proponent of the 12-Steps; however, I did go onto her site and did what she asked me. In the meantime she wrote back saying perhaps “forget it” because it was their basis, their foundation and eloquently stated, “this may be the only way some will find God”, and later recanted her statement calling it judgmental. I suggested she look at my site and see why I take this stance.
One of the most common statements you will hear while on the road to recovery, especially while under the influence (no pun intended) of those participating in secular programs is, “People, places and things”, you must avoid these.
While living in addiction in the summer of 1991, I met a woman, Carmen, through whom I learned an invaluable lesson and went on to practice myself.
It would have been a shame to have lived here and never visited the world’s largest aquarium. So, on Mother’s Day, I treated my good friend Samantha and her two children. While taking the train into town and then walking the few short blocks, giving the ticket attendant my purchased tickets I had done online and then to enter into this marvelous facility, a thought went through my mind: “You have arrived, Roy.”
