Yesterday morning I was sitting on our porch absorbing the beauty around me.
Lori is an artist and the backdrop for her work is not just limited to canvas. During this time of the year she uses the earth as her backdrop as she leverages her incredible artistic gift by bringing our gardens to life with the perfect mix of colorful flowers and vibrant plants.
While reflecting on what the focus of this writing would be, I ran across the quote from Mark Batterson. Batterson is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C. which is the church our oldest son’s family attends. Batterson is a great Christian leader.
Batterson’s quote took me way back…
Thirty-three years ago at this time I unknowingly was beginning, what would be, my final relapse with drugs and alcohol. I had relapsed several times before. The addict can stop anytime he or she wants–but staying stopped is another story.
With each relapse, I fell deeper into my dark emotional dungeon.
My final relapse tried it’s best to get me to lose hope in ever figuring out how to stay sober. It also was slowly convincing me that I would be better off dead than alive.
Then, approximately two months into the relapse, I made a change that would forever change the course of my history, my family’s history, and the history of others whom I’ve been blessed to help with their various addictions along the way.
I decided I wanted to get sober and stay sober and made a decision…with Lori’s foot up my backside 🙂 … to seek professional help for my problem.
That one change changed everything.
You may be wondering why I started this writing the way I did.
It’s because every time I am able to see the beauty around me I am reminded of the “forgotten” years of my life when I was living in darkness and couldn’t see beauty if it was standing right in front of me.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
What change do you need to make in order to have a totally different life?
What change do you need to make in order to become a better version of yourself?
What change do you need to make so you are better able to see the beauty in the world instead of the ugliness?
The way things are looking…we are running out of time.
There is no better time to change than today and there are only two steps involved in making a change…Start and Continue.
Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
