Celebrate Recovery- Dutch Valley Church

12/23/2020

Christmas is almost here, and I find myself strangely disconnected this year. 2020 has been a year for the record books for everyone I know. I find myself emotionally spent on all levels. How about you?

God invaded our sinful, fallen world approximately 2000 years ago for the sole purpose of redeeming our souls from sin and reconciling us back to our Creator. Why? It isn't for anything we can offer to Him. He loves you!

Yes, you are a mess. No, you are not hopeless. You are loved with a love you cannot comprehend. The arrival of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas is a vital part of that love.

So, in spite of the stresses of this year I intend to rejoice in the unfolding of God's plan for my life ... and yours. I wish you the most Merry Christmas and if you ever need to talk, please IM us.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

07/15/2020

I don't know about you, but the ongoing slog of these days and times are wearing on me. How about you?

I'm really struggling with regular Bible study and time with God. I'm struggling with reaching out to those around me, both to give and receive support. So what do I do?

1. Don't give up! Start each day as a fresh start.
2. Ask God for forgiveness and forgive myself.
3. Honestly ask if I am using some aspect of my addiction to self-medicate. Get back on track as necessary.
4. Get back to a daily schedule, including quiet time and a name of someone to stay in contact with for the day.
5. Talk to my sponsor every couple of days (more if you are new to recovery).
6. TURN OFF THE NEWS!
7. Do 1 fun thing every day, a treat so-to-speak. (NOTE TO SELF: Be careful of ice cream ... it is my downfall! 😀)

We'll get through this. Hang in there, and keep up with your recovery. If you've relapsed, today is your 1st day of sobriety and start again. We are so loved, and we don't even begin to understand how much. Cling to that! IM if you need to talk. We are here for you!

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." Matthew 11:29

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Psalms 39:17

05/08/2020

I'll bet some of you feel like you are ready to just give up. Maybe you want to give up on your job, being a parent, your recovery, your marriage, maybe even your LIFE. You are just ready to completely give up.

If you are in an abusive situation, there are ways for you to get out, and you need to do so for the sake of yourself and any children involved. Call the police, find a shelter, press charges this time. It is hard to get away, but you can do it. I believe in you and you are worth fighting for.

If you are not in this situation and just ready to run, please hold on. More often than not, running or ending isn't going to resolve your issues, just stretch them out into a new scenario. Please seek out the help you need. A Christian counselor, a church, a healthier support system, a recovery group, people who will encourage you and help you be accountable. You are worth the fight.

If you are considering su***de ... PLEASE don't do it. You will end YOUR pain for this life and TRANSFER every bit of it onto your family. Your act will cripple them for at least a generation, if not multiple ones. Please reach out for help. You are worth fighting for, even if you are the one who has to do the fighting. National Su***de Hotline 1-800-273-8255 will take calls and texts. Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a counselor.

We care about your struggles and are here if you need someone to listen. Just IM us.

04/17/2020

I read an article on grief today and I got to thinking. One of my struggles is co-dependency and I know that I struggle with giving myself permission to grieve. Yes, I know there are people who have it worse than me, but that doesn't mean my loss or hurt is not any more or less personal or painful to me.

I want you to know that it is ok for you to acknowledge that you have lost something. It may be something small, it may be something HUGE, but it is ok to allow yourself to grieve. It is ok to tell God how much it hurts. It is ok to tell God and trusted others what you have missed out on.

You can bring that hurt and pain to God and show it to Him. Express to Him the depths of that pain, cry if you need to, yell if you need to, just sit and be silent if you need to. Just stop trying to hold it in and stuff it down. IT. IS. OK. You don't have to hide that hurt anymore. Bring it to your Heavenly Creator, your Merciful Savior and show it to Him. You'll be surprised how much healing He has for you.

As always, we are here for you, just an IM away.

04/16/2020

How are you doing? No, how are you really doing?

This has been hard. There are family stresses, job stresses, children stresses, all sorts of crazy stresses ... and THEN there's your recovery stress. So how do you cope? Here's a few ideas:

1. Reach out to someone who you trust to really tell them how you are doing. BE HONEST!
2. Put a leash on the dog, gather up the kiddos and go for a walk or a bike ride (skates, skateboard, whatever).
3. Take 10 minutes, put on some worship music and just sit and listen.
4. Blow the dust off that journal! Start writing.
5. Re-listen to some of your pastor's sermons (or some other favorite pastor).
6. Print up coloring sheets and grab a crayon with your kiddos.
7. Watch a couple of puppy videos (or kitten videos)
8. Jumping jack contest in the living room. Let the kids win!
9. Reach out to someone in your CR group who has just started their recovery. Support them.
10. Take a deep breath, then a couple more.

We love you and are praying for you. Do not give up your recovery. Keep fighting and this will not last forever. IM if you need to talk.

04/07/2020

Are you in recovery and struggling right now? Maybe you've lost your job. You haven't been able to make it to a meeting because there are no meetings. Online meetings are scary with people you don't know or trust. You are stuck at home with a crazy number of different stressors and your recovery is shaky at best or you have relapsed.

Don't give up the fight. You can schedule online, private meetings with people you trust. Make those phone calls. Those of you who have been in recovery longer, reach out ... a LOT. Don't let COVID steal your recovery, you've fought to hard to get to this point. We need you!!

"The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down" Psalms 145:14

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

We are always available to talk, just IM us. Hang in there and we love you.

03/24/2020

Are you feeling stressed from all the news and the staying at home that this crisis has brought? I know that I am. This extra stress is the perfect trigger to throw yourself headlong into your addiction to cope. Don't do it! Don't let your addiction win again! Pull all your support system around you. Stay in touch with your accountability buddies. Keep talking to your sponsor. Play that worship music and put up Bible verses throughout your house to remind yourself that you are not in this battle alone. Sit down and read your Bible, especially when you don't want to. Have the kids read verses to you while you are doing things. Whatever you need to do to keep going in your sobriety. We are here for you if you'd like to talk. And don't forget that our church is hosting a food truck drive-through if you need some help with groceries. 12 - 5pm Monday thru Friday. Hang on through this, you are worth the fight!

02/05/2020

We sometimes get so mixed up about our value in this life.

Do you know your value isn't found in your spouse or whomever you are with right now? It isn't in your job, your knowledge, your skill set, or your degree. It isn't in your body, male or female. It isn't in your ability to keep a house clean or how much stuff you own. It isn't even found in your sobriety!

Your value is only truly found in the God who created you.

"You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139:13

"So you are no longer a slave [to sin], but God's child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4:7

Your value is as a precious child of the Living God. His love for you, His interest in your life, His care over you, that is what gives you value. I encourage you to cling to that value and explore it. Dig into God's Word to find out what He has to say about you and your place in His kingdom. That is when you will discover YOUR value!

Service is at 10:45am on Sunday mornings. We'd love to see you. IM us, and we can meet you at the door and introduce you around.

11/08/2019

I am convinced that we are NEVER out of the reach of God's grace. The question is ... are we ready to reach out and receive it? How many times do you know God's grace was there to help you and you turned away? We do that for a variety of reasons: shame, guilt, fear, feeling unworthy, not wanting to give up our addictions and coping mechanisms.

How long will we try to live our lives on our own, trying to muster up our will power enough to be "enough" to then reach out to God? The truth is, we will never be good enough. You can't do it. I can't do it.

Maybe today is the day for you to completely surrender to Jesus Christ. I can tell you that His grace is there, just waiting for you to give up the fight, waiting to catch you in His arms and help you set you life aright. Receive His grace, receive His love. It's so worth the risk.

You are always welcome to join us on Sunday mornings. bible study is at 9:30 and service starts at 10:45. Tell them that CR sent you!

11/03/2019

We encourage you to fight the good fight ... whether it's an addiction or a habit that you know you need to change. Sobriety and a more intentional life are worth fighting for!

You have a much better chance of winning that fight when Jesus is helping you in your battle. IM us if you need to learn more about Him ... and you are always invited to join us for Sunday morning service at 10:45. Tell them that CR sent you!!

Love you!