Dads and Their Sons, a Snapshot from 1972

We go through life learning from our parents. In the best of circumstances they teach you how to become a whole human being. In the worst of circumstances, they can also teach you what not to do. - actor Bryan Cranston,

From the TLC show, Who Do You Think You Are, sponsored by Ancestry.com: aired Aug. 2015.

I remember when I was a young boy I had a mixed relationship with my father. (I am speaking of Karl L. Koerner 1918 to 2000.)  I highly respected my dad yet part of me was afraid of him. He most always seemed distant and out of reach, but there were times when he was very supportive and kind and fun to be around. As I look back, the overall memory I have of my dad is a good one.  He was a good example of a man to follow who kept family and professional life balanced and who supported my mother and tried to do the best for us kids. Me being the last of six kids, I think he mellowed somewhat, or he just ran out of energy. Either way I understand how that can be.

My dad had a temper and when he would get angry you did not want to be in the room, but he also had a sense of humor, and could tell a corny joke and laugh at one like the rest of us. That part of me remains from his DNA.

As part of my job at the prison, I have the opportunity to counsel inmates.  Twice this past week, I spoke with incarcerated dads, trying to rekindle relationships with their sons.  After the conversation I thought about my relationship with my dad and sons. I ask myself what did I do right? What could I have done better with?  How can I improve?

Recently I found a notebook in the garage with my Dad's notes from our trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in July of 1972. In this particular slide (left), my dad is commenting on me and Chuck hanging our camp food between trees for the night to keep the bears from getting it.

Some quotes from his notes: July 5, 1972 - Gus and Chuck (Jaecks) putting up a Bear Pack something like this. I imagine if the Bears saw them do these things they would die laughing. I'm sure if they were hungry or they would get it down.

Notes like these from our parents are precious to family history.  I urge all my readers to keep them safe.

So how is this going to make me a better father?  I'm going to keep loving my kids, just how they are and supporting them in the paths their on.  If they want my advice I'll give it to them, otherwise I'll continue to urge them to do their best, stay close to God and honor their spouses and children.  I hope my kids can take my good qualities and emulate them, and my less desirable traits and be careful not to follow them.  Either way, in that way a dad can have a positive influence on his children.

- gus

Thank you for Tomorrow

It's been a while since I posted last, and I try to remind myself of the primary purpose of this blog. This is my journal that I share with others.  Although sometimes my ego gets the best of me and revels in the fact that a particular article may get a few hundred "reads", this journal is to record my thoughts and feelings.  If others can relate to what I write, or find some comfort in my words that is all the better.

The following poem is on the dark side, but don't get confused with my words - I'm filled with joy.   Sometimes I just have days of contemplation where I wonder of could or could have done something different to reach my full potential.  I put my faith in God and my best to do the next right thing.  I look back on my past as a text book to learn from, not making the same mistakes again, and repeating behaviors that bring joy to me, my family and others.

The Man I Could Have Been (Thank you for tomorrow)

Father, help me to be true to myself, to others.
Help me to follow in Your ways and not look back,
Help me to see and tend to the needs of my brother.
Help me to love another as You loved me.

The man I could have been,
The man I should have been.
If I only could have met my potential
For the things that were essential.

Been the son that was always there,
The brother to my flesh,
The friend of those who befriended me,
A loyal man to prove the test.

The man I could have been,
The man I should have been.
If I only could have met my potential
For the things that were essential.

If I could have worked harder on being a good father.
Studied more for the degrees that keep the score.
If only I could have been the man who loved my wife,
Like Christ loved the Church more than His life.

The man I could have been,
The man I should have been.
If I only could have met my potential
For the things that were essential.

Thank you for tomorrow.

Gus Koerner, July 7, 2015.

The Story of the Wayward Son Has Daily Implications

It seems almost daily I am impressed with the message of this story.  I've written about it before, but this time is different. See this story from 2012.

Recently I offended someone I dearly love.  They snapped back in response, and then I was offended by what they said to me.  This is life, and humanness at its finest!

My paraphrased version the story in Luke 15 is about a young man who wasted his inheritance on extravagant living, then came home with nothing.  He was judged harshly by his brother, but forgiven and loved by his Dad.  It raises the question to me of who was more at fault, the wasteful or the judgmental brother.  Implicitly the story points us to the example we need to follow is that of the father.  All of us will at some time do foolish things, and we will also judge those who do the same.   Sometimes the only consequence comes to the ‘lawbreaker’, but those who cannot mentally or emotionally place themselves in the other’s position, risk self-righteousness which is unjustified in any case from an eternal perspective. Who am I to cast the first stone?  The one we should be trying to emulate is the father in this story; loving and forgiving those who err in spite of their actions.  That is what the message Christ bids us to follow. (see image credit below)

In the dictionary, the word prodigal is characterized by profuse spending, so much so that it could be described as wasteful.  In this story all three characters go to prodigal extremes in their behaviors.  Which person best describes your actions and behavior lately?

Read this story again from the point of view of a person you have offended or been offended by…

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother, from Luke 15:11-32 (NRSV)

11. Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18. I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20. So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22. But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24. for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

25. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28. Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes; you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31. Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Image credit - this image is by the Japanese artist Soichi Watanabe, titled “The Prodigal Son Returns which was on display at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 2009.  More on this artist.
The photo originally on this post was removed due to copyright infringement.  Mr. Watanabe will be paid a fee prior to me posting it again.  In the meantime, please see the link above.

Back at the range.

Jim Bridger about 1830

Back in 2012 I was an active instructor at the gun range teaching black powder muzzle loading rifles to the 4-H kids twice a month.  My equipment was all together and organized, lesson plans memorized verbatim and I was ready for any unexpected question or situation that had to do with shooting those old smoke poles. What fun we had!

Then I left the 4h program and the classes stopped. My new job and work schedule just would not permit it longer. So I put it all away, let some of my instructor credentials expire, and just dropped it all until a few weeks ago.

An old friend of mine, Don Richards called me to see if I could and would teach a muzzle loading instructor course.  I cautiously agreed, knowing I would have to do a lot of polishing of my skills and equipment if wanted the class to be a success.  So I did.

In the class that weekend I had six adult students ranging from rookie to veteran, all black powder enthusiasts.   We shot flintlocks, percussion cap locks, shotguns and pistols.  We shot replica guns of Lewis and Clark, Jim Bridger and Buffalo Bill Cody.  We had some misfires and malfunctions, got a little dirty, killed some paper, and all came home safe and sound with smiles from an enjoyable weekend.   We had a ball, and six brand new NMLRA instructors were qualified!

Weeks later, it caused me to reflect upon God and how even though we may leave Him for a while, He never leaves us.  Even though our life’s direction might have taken us from Him for a while, and our Christianity has become a little rusty, we can come back to Him and His open arms.  We can pick up from where we left off.  We can reflect upon our lessons learned, and use those experiences away from Him as a teaching tool for ourselves and others.  Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from our successes as well as our failures.

In the 1st Book of John, chapter 1, verse 9 it reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Also, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV).  I like that last line, “riches of God’s grace”!

No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, rookie or veteran, sinner or saint, know that He loves you no matter what, and He’ll always welcome you back with open arms.

How much does sin weigh?

This is going to take a couple of days to write, so please stay with me.  Recently I have been thinking about the cost of our sin(s) to others in real, measurable terms.  Can this be done?  Can we actually quantify our misdeeds?

I couple of scriptures come to mind on this topic:  

• For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:30
• The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. - Proverbs 10:16 
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

I have a background in science, so I like to measure things.  When we want to know the temperature, weight, length or height of an object, there are tools to measure it.  And the tools we have to measure things can be compared to a standard set aside in some government office for reference at any moment.  Our economy runs on that principle.  You would never purchase gas at the pump or buy a bunch of bananas without having some way to measure what you want.  That just wouldn't be fair.

In moral terms its not that easy.  I realize that when we sin, err, mess-up or hurt someone else God will forgive us, he has promised us that.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9  If only other people were that easy to forgive.  When we sin against someone else it hurts them, sometime deeply.  But how deeply, how bad?  How serious of a sin was it?  For example, is a kick in the shin equal to verbal insult?  We'll examine that in the days to come.  I'd love to hear your comments.

April 26 -

After considering this topic carefully, I decided to stop at this point at least for now.  The thought process behind it was, "How can we take away someone else's pain that they're going through because we hurt them?"  God will forgive us, that's without question.  People can forgive us to, or at least they can do their best and try.  The trouble is people we hurt causes sometimes unforgettable pain, and even though they say they forgive the other person, memories creep back and thus comes the pain again.

I guess all we can do is our best, and pray that the other person may be relieved of their pain or sorrow.  Most important perhaps is that we learn a lesson from this, love the other person and pray for strength not to sin again.

  

Are we hoarding grace?

Hoarding can be a compulsive disease that affects many of us.  Read more about this in any psychology journal such as (photo credit)  PsychCentral.

This week our Pastor spoke on extending grace to others as God extends it to us.  He read to us Luke chapter 5 as follows...

1. One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5. Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (NIV)

The Pastor then asked us, "How are you holding back, or the hoarding the grace you've been given?"  We're not just supposed to give of ourselves, but give the BEST of ourselves.  Immediately I thought of the family of my daughter's ex-husband and how close our families once were.  We have not spoken in years.  I felt a strong sudden need to heal that relationship, and this is the letter I wrote to them.

Dear ...

I hope you and your family has been well. I remember way back when we were friends. I miss those days, and it has been on my heart to reach out to you and your wife.

First let me say that I deeply regret that our children divorced, but what’s done is done. My daughter is now happy and I hope your son is too. Please know that even though that event and what lead up to it is disappointing, I hold no ill feelings toward your son or family. Marriage is a partnership and both of our children were present in that relationship. I'm sure the lessons they learned will last a lifetime, and will allow them to be better spouses, parents and counselors to their own children someday. You are a dear family that tries to follow the teachings of the Lord, and you and your wife have done your very best to be good, caring, godly parents. You have fine children. As a man and parent I look back and there are things I regret doing and not doing, sins of omission and commission if you will. None of us are immune to that, as less-than-perfect individuals. The Lord has called us all however, to dig deep within ourselves, repent and realize that it is right and good to forgive ourselves and others as our Heavenly Father forgives us, make new choices and press on. God bless you all, and I look forward to seeing you again sometime.

Sincerely, and God bless you and your family.

My prayer is that we may all be givers and not hoarders of the blessings we've been given.

So what is the "truth" Voice of Truth Ministry is proclaiming?

This has been bugging me for days.  How do I dare have a website that has the word "truth" in the title, implying that what I am saying is the truth, when I am so disapprovingly adamant about dogmatic know-it-alls who think their truth is better (more true) than another?  The whole My Jesus is better than your Jesus attitude.  What makes me and my site different, and I like being different, is that with the exception of my faith in Christ, the principles I support and write about I consider to be universal in nature, and relativly void of any offensiveness to the common person of nearly every faith.  Am I trying to be politically correct?  No.  I just realize some people aren't Christian believers, and I respect that.

I started this blog, Voice of Truth Ministry in February 2012 with the first post The reason this ministry got started because I couldn't contain how I felt any more. I had to express at that time the following points, and it holds true today namely:

• No matter where we are in life, God cares about us and we are part of His plan,  
• Even though we may be in an uncomfortable situation, perhaps even hopeless, God can be our strength and our salvation if we only reach out to Him in prayer and through His Word,
• Don't be afraid.  The #1 most stated commandment in the Bible is "Fear Not", mentioned 27 times.  Even when we have to face our demons, God will forgive and be with us if we only ask, and finally,
• Do the next right thing. Make good, wholesome choices that support love, peace, forgiveness, understanding, healthy living, brotherhood and family.

In knowing and doing these four things we'll be blessed beyond measure.  These are virtually the only religious/spiritual truths I know, so that's what this blog will support and encourage.

My question is, am I writing this for others or for me?  I can see now that's it's for both reasons, because my points aren't intuitive to the average Joe or Jill, and they sure haven't been to me.  Most of us aren't raised knowing God loves us and actually cares about our situations.  Sometimes we're told, but that's not enough.  This is something we must hear from others who've been there, and learn on our own, in our own time.

My Spiritual Journey - The Conclusion, My Future

I am so blessed to have made it this far in life and I have so much to be thankful for. In 2005 I married Sandy, and she has faithfully stood by me even though I have given her reason not to. She knows my history, including my sins and loves me anyway. Most important though, she loves the Lord with all her heart, and does her best to follow the teachings of Christ. She loves my children like they are her own and serves her community with love and dedication. I love her so much.

I am also very grateful for my teachers, employers, siblings, extended family, my former wife Cindy, the mother of my children and her family. To anyone who loves, supports and nurtures my kids, how could I not be thankful?

What the Lord has planned for my future, I have no idea. As it unfolds I will continue to love and support my family and serve my community, seeking guidance from above. Thank you Father for leading me to this point, and let my life be one of showing gratitude to You for the sacrifice of Your Son and the blessings we’ve been given. Help me to be faithful.

My Spiritual Journey - My Children, Part 7

To all my children, step-children and grandchildren - As I stated in the introduction, one of the primary reasons I wrote this story and declaration is to let you have something tangible of where I stand in my faith. As you were growing up I sent mixed and most likely confusing messages, with my actions not following my beliefs. At times I have been confused in priorities and a hypocrite, and now in some ways feel like a Prodigal Son. Please forgive me.  Become familiar with that story in Luke chapter 15, because we all fall at times. Some things I would do different if I could go back, but on the other hand I feel God has a purpose in everything. He works with the humanness within us to make our lives rich and unique.

I urge you to get to know God and build a relationship with Jesus Christ. In spite of what people do, realize that God is in control and all things work together for the good, no matter what. Use your life lessons and challenges as stepping stones on a path to wisdom. Most of all, I pray you will "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." Be accepting of others, but do the next right thing. Ask for help when you need it, especially from your Heavenly Father. Be grateful for things large and small, even when you don’t want to. I want you to know that I believe in God, and Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I pray that my actions may follow my words, and we may lift each other up when one of us stumbles.

My Spiritual Journey - My Declaration of Faith, Part 6

I wish to declare my faith in terms that others may relate with. With my LDS family members, I will use the Articles of Faith as published by the Mormon church as a reference point. I also use the Apostles Creed as a basis for my own. Neither of these statements below are verbatim to the originals. I used them only as a guide.

My Articles of Faith

• I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. I believe that the first principles of the Gospel are found in Luke 10:27, where He answered: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself."
• I believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved. Obedience to the commandments is our way of showing gratitude to our Father for the sacrifice of His Son, and in doing so we shall be blessed beyond measure.
• I claim the privilege of worshiping God according to the dictates of my own conscience, and allow all people the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
• I believe that men will be punished for their own sins, but those sins may be forgiven through the process of repentance and washed away by baptism and the blood of Christ.
• I believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and other miracles God may use to further His kingdom.
• I believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; I also believe the word of God may be found in other sources, but must be compared with the teachings of the Bible.
• I believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
• It is my belief and prayer to be honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, I pray I may seek after these things.
• I believe that we have a great obligation to serve, give and teach others about Christ and His principles, especially young people and those who may not be able to normally have access to His teachings.
• I believe the key to happiness is gratitude for the blessings we’ve been given, great and small.

My Creed of Faith

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from when he shall come to judge all people. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holiness of the church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

My Most Significant Ash Wednesday Ever

Last night I rushed to the church to attend the Ash Wednesday service, and I got there right on time.  The irony was I didn't know why I was there, other than its a Christian tradition and that's where I needed to be.

The Pastor did a great job explaining to us the reason for the holiday.  She explained that on this day, ashes are placed on the foreheads of the congregation, marking each forehead with the sign of the cross.  Traditionally people also wore sackcloth, or clothing made from the rough material of burlap. This ritual echoes the ancient eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify repentance before God.  In her sermon she explained that this day signifies the first day of Lent, representing the first day Christ went out into the wilderness and fasted for forty days.  At the end of the forty days will come Good Friday, the day of Crucifixion and then Easter, the day of Resurrection.

The scripture she read was 1 Samuel 15:22 - But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  I really like this approach to the term sacrifice.  When we obey, we are giving up self-will, which is very much a human sacrifice, shown to us by the ultimate sacrifice and act of obedience - Jesus giving himself up on the cross.  He obeyed His Father.

I don't know if I fully understand the significance of the event, but to me it is a day of sorrow and repentance for the things that I've done wrong, my disobedience to God, keeping His commandments and most of all the affect it has had on those around me.  After receiving the charcoal marking on my forehead, I went to the alter to pray.  I prayed for forgiveness and the strength to follow Christ fully in the future.  When I arose, I felt the relief from the forgiveness that we receive from Jesus, but still sorrowful because those I've sinned against that are not so easily willing to forgive, and are unlikely to forget.  I struggle with regret and shame from some of the things I've done wrong.

The good news is...is that Christ is working in us and in the lives of others.  We interact, and in doing so bless and sin against our fellowman and loved ones.  It is a cycle of love, forgiveness and accepting each other for our humanness.  At the alter I also took a vow of sacrifice for the next forty days.  My sacrifice is self-will.  I made a promise to God to study the Bible everyday for this period, and I look forward to doing so.

The process of forgiveness, from the younger brothers point of view.

A significant part of my life revolves around the fact that I've done harm to others, which can never be undone.  I'm not talking about harm in the illegal sense, but the kind that breaks the bonds of trust, remaining a positive role model to my children, the betrayal of friends, etc.

The Prodigal Son is one of the parables of Jesus, in the New Testament, Luke 15:11-32.  In the story  a father, in response to his demands, gives the younger of his two sons his inheritance before he dies. The younger son, after wasting his fortune, repents and returns home, where the father holds a feast to celebrate his return. The older son refuses to participate, stating that in all the time the son has worked for the father, he did not even give him a goat to celebrate with his friends. His father reminds the older son that everything the father has is the older son's, but that they should still celebrate the return of the younger son as he has come back to them.

In my life I have at times lived the role of each of the individuals in the story, but by far, the most challenging has been the role of the younger brother.  It seems that time after time, day after day I go to the Lord in prayer to forgive me of my sins, and I know that He has.  Knowing that the people I've harmed are going through a hard time in their life due to something I've done can cause unbearable shame and regret.  In my heart I know that God has forgiven me. The ability to receive forgiveness from myself and others takes longer, sometime a lifetime, but it is worth pursuing. By surrendering this part of our life to God and making amends to others will draw us nearer to Christ and will help in our own walk of faith as others do harm to us.

This book below is an excellent work that breaks down the story in great detail, looking at the story from several different points of view.  I hope this story will bless your life as it has mine.

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri J. M. Nouwen, ISBN-13: 978-0385473071.
by Andrew

Loving an Addict, Guest Story

Being the spouse of an addict is probably one of the toughest things I have ever been through, and I have been through a lot. To love someone so much and to see what substances do to them can be completely heart wrenching. But when you love someone enough, the way that God loves us, you stick by their side. You accept the circumstances and you support them as they go through their addiction and try to overcome. You don’t get upset because they slip up. You continue to love them and give it to God. After all, if you ask, you will receive. It may not be when or how you want it to be, but it will be how and when God wants it to be.

My husband has cursed me out and said the most horrible things, all because he wanted some beer. I would get so upset and he would make me feel so guilty, that I would cave and get him what he wanted, just because I did not want him to be upset with me. After all, he worked so hard all day and he deserved it, right? Plus, he would apologize later and everything would be okay in his eyes. It wasn’t okay though. Our marriage was falling apart because of his alcoholism and the fact that instead of helping him get through his urges, I was enabling him. I began praying to God every day and night. When he wanted a drink, I would hide the keys and block his way from getting out the door. But the addict in him always found a way to get a drink. I refused to give up though. However, instead of trying to stop him, I let him do what he wanted. I began to focus more on my children and myself and let God handle my husband. I still kept praying and believing, but I knew I would not be the one to make him stop drinking. It was between him and God.

On December 31, 2011, my husband made the decision to go into the New Year sober, to recommit himself to our marriage, family, and most of all to his Lord and Savior. It has been over three months since he made this decision and I must say it has been a very rough three months. But through the grace of God, he is finally overcoming his addiction. I see him get stronger every day. That craving is still there, but with God by his side and with my love and support, he gets through it. I thank God every day for helping not only him get through his addiction, but also for giving me the strength to be able to stay in the marriage and get through it with him.

- By Dawn

When Christ healed people he forgave them of their sins.

The scripture we studied today was in the Bible, Mark chapter 2.  I found it interesting that when ever Jesus healed someone, he didn't say anything like "you are healed", instead he forgave them of their sins, and then they were healed.  That's my interpretation anyway.

NIV Mark Chapter 2:1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Read the chapter. 
by Andrew


It's amazing that once we start to straighten out our life, things start to get better.  God bless you in your recovery and healing.