“There are times when we can become filled with anxiety. The worst thing about anxiety is when it becomes the fear of the unknown or we become fearful of something that we can’t identify. Don’t fall victim to the tricks your mind is trying to play on you. During these times, although it may be hard to grasp, try to take a few deep breaths, let them out slowly, and focus on the fact that God is with you and keeps you safe at all times.” I hope you have a peaceful day today my friends! – Elmer Laydon

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8 NIV)

"There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. Hang on to the fact that He will ultimately give you clear understanding. Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true. God has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him right now." - Oswald Chambers

"Trying to fix another person will only add to my anxiety. Letting Jesus work on ME is where real progress can happen." - Lysa TerKeurst

In my past life, I thought being a Christian had to be a boring life. Man, was I wrong! Becoming a Christian and being a part of Celebrate Recovery is the most exciting place to be in this world! We get a front row seat seeing lives transforming daily. People who were told they would never amount to much are becoming mighty warriors on a mission to rescue others who are lost. Happy, joyous and free to do the right thing. Now that's exciting! - Mac CR Natl. Dir. West

“Isn’t it amazing how sometimes just the right things seem to work together in your favor. It might not have happened lately but if you look back, you will see the hand of God moving through your life, setting in motion events that were ultimately to benefit you. Look for and recognize those occurrences and hold onto the hope that He is still working His hand in your future.” I hope you have a wonderful day today! – Elmer Laydon

"In the past it was so easy to make an apology and then say BUT..... The only reason I did what I did was because YOU....... Today when I make an apology it needs to end with just that, the apology, not an excuse or explanation." - Mac CR Natl. Dir. West

I can't control the things that happen to me each day, but I can control how I think about them.
I can say to myself, "I have a choice to have destructive thoughts or constructive thoughts right now. I can wallow in what's wrong and make things worse, or I can ask God for a better perspective to help me see good even when I don't feel good." - Lysa TerKeurst

The moment you decide you want freedom more than your disorder, recovery becomes possible.

Thought for the Evening: “If you find yourself stuck in a rut, don’t dig yourself deeper in with negative thoughts. Turn your thoughts to God, ask for His strength to sustain you, and keep your focus on the good things that lie ahead of you. By relying on God and keeping your thoughts positive, you’ll be moving forward again before you know it.” I hope you have a wonderful evening my friends! – Elmer Laydon

"No matter how aggravated you get, you're not going to rush God. So whatever it is that you're waiting on right now, you might as well learn to wait well." - Joyce

"When you look back over your shoulder and you see where He brought you from, you have the courage to say the same God that brought me through yesterday, will take me through today and forever more. And, when you get to where you're going, it won't be where you're going that's so important. When you finally get there, all you want to talk about are the things you learned about Him along the way." - TDJ

"I feel so much better now. I found that I was hauling around the guilt of decisions I had made, the regret for the things I did and did not do, and the pain heaped upon me by others through their words and deeds. God taught me that the past is the past, and nothing there can be changed. If I wanted to be at peace, I had to leave the guilt, the regret and the pain there, as today and tomorrow are new days, and now free from the heavy burdens I was carrying I can at last be truly happy."

"You have to trust God when He says, "No." You have to trust God when you didn’t get the job. You have to trust God when you didn’t get the house. You have to trust God when your child didn’t come home. You have to trust God when you close a casket. You have to trust God when He says, "No—that the tougher the day is, the greater the grace. The tougher the times are, the stronger the grace. The more tenacious the dilemma, the more equipped the believer. You have to trust Him that His grace is sufficient for you." - TDJ

God, please keep me clean and sober today. Help me to be thoughtful of others around me. Help me to be less self absorbed and more in tune to the needs of others. Please remove self centered fear that so often plagues me. Help me to start my day today with complete faith that you are in charge and that if I will just do my best to live your will in my life that things will be not only okay but better and even different than what I would normally plan. Please help me to remember that oftentimes living your will in my life so often has to do with doing for others. Amen

First we stay clean because we have to... Then, we stay clean because we are willing to... Finally, we stay clean because we want to!

"When you are hurting in a bad way, it is great to talk to someone else who has been there. It is encouraging to see they are still standing, they are still alive, and they have endured it. As a result, they are able to comfort you with the comfort with which they have been comforted. And one day, you will be able to do the same for someone else. There is a beginning, there is a middle, and there is an end to what you are going through. It is not going to last forever." - GL

"Have you ever been knocked down to your knees and everyone thought you were over, and just when they put a period, God put a comma...and all of a sudden...there you were back again?" - TDJ

"Lord, Please teach me how to relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment. Help me let the worries of my past stay behind me and let me have that Sunday peace of mind every day of the week."

"Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you cannot understand at the time. 'I don't know why God allows what He does, but I will stick to my faith in His character no matter how contradictory things look.' Faith is not a conscious thing; it springs from a personal relationship and is the unconscious result of believing someone." - Oswald Chambers

"Today my happiness will come from the only thing that will last forever...relationships. First and foremost, my relationship with Jesus Christ because He is my only ticket into Heaven and eternal life! Everything I do must be filtered through this relationship. And that's what I love about Celebrate Recovery; it keeps pointing me to Jesus." - Mac CR Natl. Dir. West

"Everything I've encountered on this road of life is preparing me for my final destination. Sometimes I wish I could just take a shortcut. But in doing so, I might miss out on something that God has for me that will shape me into a better man." - Mac CR Natl. Dir. West

Thought for the Day: “No situation is hopeless. There may be times when things seem quite bleak but once we lose hope – all is lost. Trust in God to guide your path and never let your trust in Him be overtaken by a loss of faith in His ways.” I hope you have an amazing day today my friends! – Elmer Laydon

God is directing your steps. He will give you the strength to live your life with a good attitude. When discouragement comes your way, just say, "No, thanks. I’m going to keep my joy. I know God is in control of my life. He is going to get me to where I’m supposed to be." - JO

"HOPE — Full assurance and expectation that God is working His will, His best, in my life, and He has not forsaken me; and I will see a day either in this life or the life to come when He will show me what He has done in this event and how blessed I am that we walked through it." - DN

"Don’t get stuck thinking that things will never change, because the only thing that never changes is God." - Joyce Meyer

"I think everything in life is art. What you do, how you dress, the way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality, what you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea, how you decorate your home, or party; your grocery list, the food you make, how your writing looks, and the way you feel. Life is art."

“There are times that can cause us great anxiety as outside pressures seem as if they might overwhelm while we wait for the Lord to act in our lives. Stand strong in the face of these pressures and know that the Lord IS working for you and WILL act when He feels the timing is best.” I hope you have a wonderful day today my friends! – Elmer Laydon