Chris' Christian Blog

February 9, 2021

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Today is a very special day for me. I quit using mind-altering substance such as alcohol and other drugs 12 years ago today. I was a mess. I took enough of my drug of choice, which was over-the-counter Benadryl to kill a horse. Most people go to sleep on 50mg of the stuff. I was taking 3500mg at a time and barely getting high. I was desperate and suicidal. I surrendered and went to treatment and started a 12-step program. I worked those steps and developed faith in God whom I know as Jesus. I am not preaching that anyone should become Christian though Jesus demands that. I am saying that if you have an addiction faith in something is your answer. I now have twelve years clean. If I can do it, anybody can!



Prompt: "We all have a Bible verse that we like more than any other. Besides John 3:16 which is everybody's favorite, what is your favorite Bible verse and why?"

I have several Bible verses that are my favorites. I guess that if I had to choose an absolute favorite it would be Philippians 4:13 which says that I can do anything in the power of Jesus. I have found this to be so true. 12 years ago yesterday I was higher than a kite on whatever substance I had gotten hold of that day. I was overdosed which I had done thousands of times previously. On this day however, I was confronted by my preacher about a situation that led me to realize I was truly an addict. I entered treatment on February 9, 2009 and have not used since. At first I wanted nothing to do with Jesus. I prayed to some generic idol but I knew in my heart that I was praying to and believing in Jesus. The 12-step program taught me how to behave myself and taught me the basics of faith. They did not preach Jesus. They simply said "Higher Power" which meant something outside of myself. Over time I learned to trust that and this eventually led me to a strong faith in Christ. Prior to that I practiced religion regularly but always fell away because I failed to have an intimate relationship with the Spirit that I claimed to believe in. I claimed Him and wanted to live for Him but failed to surrender myself fully to Him. The 12-step program taught me to depend on Him and fully trust Him by eliminating the resentments against Him and the world that consumed me. It is very hard to have a working relationship with a God that you are angry with and I was full of resentment and mistrust for God. The 12-step program helped me eliminate those resentments and begin to build that relationship. Looking back on it now I can see the Holy Spirit at work teaching me slowly through the 12-step program. He gave me the courage to face each step and to work it with all my heart. Through Him I faced having my late wife's life-support discontinued and letting her die. I faced a heart attack and open-heart surgery, and yes, the painkilling opioids that came with surgery; the loneliness of living in isolation for nearly a year, and many other struggles without recidivism to addiction. As Php 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

I am a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my responsibility and my privilege to tell others about Jesus. I want anybody struggling with addiction to know however that it is not necessary to become a preacher to stay clean. What is necessary is fully realizing you have a problem by not making excuses for it and seeing it as the ugly, destructive beast it is. Then it is necessary to develop a faith-based relationship with something bigger than yourself. I hope that something is Jesus.

Prompt: "I was cruising the galaxy with Buck Rogers and found this planet: (81)
Read this item:

Dandelion  (E) Flash Fiction #2118590 by Jacky

by Jacky . Write about this item in your Blog entry today.

I have to admit that when I first began to read this entry I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the author did an excellent job of capturing my attention. As a professional writer I know from experience that an editor who previews a book for publication gives an author about three lines to capture their attention and make them want to read the rest of the manuscript. If the first thirty seconds do not capture the publisher's attention the publisher or agent knows the book has no chance with the consumer so they toss it in the waste bin. Jacky caught my attention very quickly and made me wonder if the story was going to be a fantasy, a dream, or even an hallucination. I felt compelled to read more and find out what was causing the dandelion to move. The hook was absolutely effective, which kept me reading to the very end.

I agree with the author, ants are incredible creatures. I seen a piece of bread moving once. It was a rather large piece of bread and it caught my attention because it was moving. I examined it to find a tiny black ant, about 100 times smaller than the piece of bread, man-handling it back to its nest. I had the utmost respect for the ant because the piece of bread or whatever was massive in comparison to the ant. I sat there twenty minutes watching the ant struggle until it disappeared into a hole. I wanted so badly to help the poor thing out but knew doing so would either hurt it or frighten it away so I just watched. They are fascinating, hard-working creatures.

Prompt: Your first experience at a concert

Lyn's a sly fox I don't know if I can truthfully answer this prompt or not. I have attended a lot of shows and concerts in my lifetime, many of which I spent in a blackout and do not remember. I remember making plans to attend a concert of REO Speedwagon back in the early 80's but do not recall attending it. My details are a little sketchy because it was about 30 years ago but the first concert I do recall attending was a concert of country singer Kitty Welles at the high school I attended as a child. Billy Joe Royal is part of her entourage, her son I believe. He was doing a concert in town later that same summer. My wife at the time encouraged me to show Kitty a song lyric I had written a few months earlier. Back then I carried my writing with me everywhere including to shows. I showed it to Kitty and she loved it. She called a man over that I had never seen before and told him to read it. That man was Billy Joe Royal. He read the lyric and asked if he could purchase rights to record it? I was flabbergasted! He later sent me a contract and the song went to number 50 or so on the pop charts. I made a little money on it and got to say that I recorded a record.

"Prompt: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Have you ever found yourself in a fight for being who you are? Why do you think other people or the current norms mess around so much with our being who we are?"

I find myself in such battles all the time, particularly where society is concerned. I have confronted people over various politically hot issues such as abortion and gay marriage. As a preacher I am deeply committed to the Lord Jesus Christ and His word. This often gets me in trouble because people do not understand why I do not approve of abortion, gay marriage, and other issues of political interest that are considered socially acceptable. If I say gay marriage is a sin, I am considered a homophobe and bigot. The fact of the matter is that I have many friends including a nephew who are gay. I love everybody and that includes people whose lifestyle differs from mine. I cannot, however, say that something is acceptable when the word of God says it is not acceptable. It does not matter to Jesus that society says it is socially acceptable for two men or two women to have sex. He says it is sin. Proponents will argue that the Bible was written two thousand years ago and that it no longer applies today. It does apply today. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday as He is today and will be the same forever. He does not change. What He said then is applicable now. As a Christian I am pledged to uphold that. My personal opinion is that I do not care if Adam marries Steve as long as I do not have to see public displays of affection. I do not care to see those out of any couple. What people do is their business. As a Christian however, my opinion does not count. I uphold God's opinion as written two thousand years ago. I may not be politically correct but as an American I have a right to my God's opinion.