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November 30, 2011

Self-Watch

businessman

Every Wednesday we’ll post something to do with doctrine and recovery. Hope it helps. — Self –Watch “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, after I have preached Christ to others, I myself should become disqualified.” - I Corinthians 9:27 You’ve gotta appreciate Paul’s honesty. Here’s the great apostle/evangelist admitting that even at this point of his life and ministry, self-watch is essential. After preaching Christ to others, he realizes he could step outside God’s approval, and here, I think, he’s warning all Continue Reading

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November 29, 2011

Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Wife?

couple walled off

Every Tuesday we’ll post something to do with restoring marriages. Hope it helps. — Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wife? Make a generalization about men and women and someone will point out an exception, proving that generalizations are only generally accurate. That said, I’ll still make one: Lots of men are afraid of their wives. Hold on – I’m not saying these guys are wimps, or that their wives are amazons. I’m only saying that something happens in many, many marriages whereby the husband lives with ongoing fear of his wife’s Continue Reading

Filed Under: Marriage Matters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
November 28, 2011

Avoiding the Holiday Relapse

stressed

Every Monday we’ll post something to do with maintaining sexual purity. Hope it helps. — Avoiding the Holiday Relapse We dress up and stress up for the Season. No avoiding it. Money is tight when we most want to spend it; schedules are crammed; old or unresolved family issues are highlighted; everything’s hectic, crowded, rushed. So while the notion of depression rates rising this time of year is open to challenge it’s a given that stress, along with waist size and carols, rises considerably. So it’s no surprise when the weakness Continue Reading

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November 25, 2011

Random Ramblings #24: Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts and Pepper Spray

joe 2

Every Friday we’ll leave the topic oriented post, and instead post some personal comments. --- A Cuppa Joe - Random Ramblings from a Fellow Struggler I’ll ask this very quietly – how ya doin’? I’m whispering because I have the decency to assume you’re as wiped out as I am, and a loud voice is the last thing you need. That’s not to suggest you drank too much yesterday. I certainly didn’t. But I everything’d too much, then washed it down with --- everything. And upon viewing the aftermath in the dining room, living room, kitchen (God Continue Reading

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November 24, 2011

Doing It Right

Happy Thanksgiving from Joe

Every Thursday we’ll post something having to do with relationships and/or emotions. Hope it helps. — Doing It Right “Bless the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” -Psalm 103:2 “Blow, blow thou winter wind”, Shakespeare said. “Thou art not so unkind as Man’s ingratitude. Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky. Thou dost not bite so nigh as benefits forgot.” Not me. I want to do it right today, in five particular ways. Before all the hoopla starts, I will set aside time for focused prayer and genuine thanksgiving. Continue Reading

Filed Under: Relational Matters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
November 23, 2011

His Work; His Timetable

time

Every Wednesday we’ll post something to do with doctrine and recovery. Hope it helps. — His Work; His Timetable “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” -Psalms 138:8 I’m winding this year up with a very mixed assortment of gratitude and disappointment, which is to say 2011 is business as usual. There’s not been a year I can remember in which I achieved even 80% of what I determined to do in January, nor has there been a December in which I couldn’t look back on something new, and of real value, that had been realized that year. Continue Reading

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November 22, 2011

You Want Her Trust Back? Here’s Four Ways To Get the Ball Rolling

trust

Every Tuesday we’ll post something to do with restoring marriages. Hope it helps. — You Want Her Trust Back? - Here’s Four Ways to Get the Ball Rolling The married man who uses porn, commits adultery, or gives himself to other kinds of unclean behavior breaks trust. He’s in a covenanted relationship with a woman he pledged himself to, probably with the best of intentions, but somewhere along the way he’s given himself permission to indulge. Sometimes there are problems in the marriage his wife is largely responsible for, and she’ll Continue Reading

Filed Under: Marriage Matters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
November 21, 2011

Staying Pumped

runner

Every Monday we’ll post something to do with maintaining sexual purity. Hope it helps. — Staying Pumped “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And he that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” (I John 3:3-4) Knowing what I should do is pretty much a slam dunk. On any given day, with few exceptions, the challenge isn’t to know what’s right, but rather, to stay motivated to do Continue Reading

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November 18, 2011

Random Ramblings #23: OWS and Responding to Sex Abuse Scandals

joe 2

Every Friday we’ll take a break from topical posts and will post some random personal thoughts. — A Cuppa Joe – Random Ramblings from a Fellow Struggler I’d sure appreciate your prayers today as I speak to Calvary Chapel Downey School for two morning assemblies, then to their college age students for an evening session. It’s always a pleasure being with Calvary Downey over the years, and obviously it’s an honor as well. But my seminars normally are addressed to folks in their 40’s and up, emphasis on the up, so it’s usually old Boomers Continue Reading

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November 17, 2011

My Entitled Self

faith

Every Thursday we’ll post something having to do with relationships and/or emotions. Hope it helps. — My Entitled Self  The sin of Entitlement, which is the rejection of God’s authority, is one of the commonest problems among the men I work with. (And, to talk turkey, I’d have to say it’s one of my most besetting sins.) It was also Lucifer’s original sin when he plotted to become like God, usurping His position. (Isaiah 14: 12-15) It was Adam’s sin when he willingly disobeyed, (Genesis 3:6) That’s Entitlement – a mindset that’s exposed Continue Reading

Filed Under: Relational Matters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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