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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

Finding the Heart

Learning from our mistaken impression of love

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Learning from our mistaken impression of love

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NKJV)  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Let’s talk about love. As of today, the Google search engines have 8,860,000,000 results for the word, ‘love’. My guess is that most of those results are not about ‘love’ at all. I would venture ‘love’ is more searched for than anything in the world—especially on the internet. There are people who would give up everything they own for a lasting, true love relationship. Many people are looking so hard to find something they can’t even define. There are so many things that love is ‘not’.  But, before we can go very far in this ‘search’—shouldn’t we know a little more about what love ‘is’?

I used to think I didn’t have much right to say anything about ‘love’ and relationships because of all my past failure. I had a lot of ‘experience’, but not the kind that would qualify me to be an expert on the topic of ‘love’. As I considered why things didn’t work out—I kept thinking I had made mistakes in my choices—and truly, I could have done better by consulting God. But, now that I have a lot of years behind me and have been happily married for over a quarter of a century—I realize that a lot of my inability to find happiness was because of ‘me’.  I still have a lot to learn, but one thing I have discovered is that in order to find true love—you have to be lovable.

I have so much admiration for people who found a mate, stayed with the marriage, worked through all of the challenges—and after all the years—still had a romantic interest in one another, but more importantly the unconditional, enduring love that grows with time.

(Read more below)

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Link to the New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

In this world we have so much to overcome about the impression we may have of ‘what love is’ because of the images we are bombarded with on a daily basis. If our idea of love has been formed through what we have read in books, seen in magazines, on TV, in the movies, and music videos—we have a distorted picture, to say the least.  It’s hard to find something real, when what you are looking for has been based on fantasy.

How can we ever expect that there is a person out there (or married to us) who will perfectly meet all of our needs—when we are so imperfect ourselves? Do we really think there is someone who will just adore everything about us if we are actually not very lovable?

I know I thought I was ‘in love’ quite a few times and yet those relationships failed. The Bible says, “love never fails”. Well, that’s pretty hard to swallow. Never fails? Is that possible?

The following is my own paraphrase of what the Bible says love ‘is’ in 1 Corinthians chapter thirteen:

Love is willing to wait—without complaining or pouting. Love speaks sweetly and does nice things for people—even if they don’t deserve it. Love doesn’t wish their mate were more perfect or try to get the attention of someone who doesn’t belong to them. Love doesn’t try to act like their way is the only way. Love isn’t stubborn about ‘who is right’—and is never unwilling to apologize. Love doesn’t mock another person’s weakness or do anything to defame or humiliate them. Love is always seeking to give pleasure rather than expecting to receive it. Love doesn’t get angry. Love keeps no record of other people’s failures and hardly notices when someone else does something wrong. Love does not enjoy doing things that are evil. Love is not eager to point out someone else’s flaws. Love rejoices in the Word of God and in seeking after truth. Love always sees the best in others and gives them the benefit of the doubt. Love is willing to take a risk in order to protect and defend someone in need. Love has a positive outlook. Love is willing to endure discomfort. Love never stops hoping the best things will happen for others. Love keeps trying against all odds and in spite of every temptation to stop. Love absolutely does not end.

Humans are not capable of being perfect at ‘love’. The only way ‘love’ can work—is if we constantly try to empty ourselves of ‘me’ and let God fill us with ‘Him’. God is perfect love. If we are filled with Him—we can love with His love and succeed.

Declaration: I will find new strength by letting go of ‘me’. As I become empty of myself and filled with the Holy Spirit of God—I will be lovable and able to love others more perfectly.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Seeking God for ‘the heart’ to do what doesn’t come naturally

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Seeking God for ‘the heart’ to do what doesn’t come naturally

Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

I went back to college to study TV and Film Production in my early thirties. Besides being a full-time student, I needed to pay for my education, books, room rental, car payment, food, and other living expenses. I had to support myself in the State of California—where the cost of living was extremely high.

As an unemployed, recent transplant from the Midwest—I was referred to the owner of a housecleaning business—through someone I’d met at my new church. The cleaning company had an immediate opening, the hours were flexible–so I agreed to begin a new career in domestic maintenance.

The work was hard. When I first started, I was handed a series of tough jobs cleaning empty houses that were going to be put up for sale. The people who had moved out often left the property in terrible condition. The kitchens and bathrooms were always especially bad. Stovetops and ovens were typically crusted and caked with stuff that had been burnt on repeatedly and just ‘left’. It took a lot of scraping and scrubbing to get them clean. The toilets, I won’t even go into. Let’s just say I used rubber gloves up to my elbows and a lot of chemicals. I would arrive on the job with my own supplies, vacuum cleaner and a long list of the agency’s expectations. The company I worked for required me to have an entire house spotless in five hours and I was paid seven dollars an hour.

I was grateful to have a job and be starting a new life—but, I was barely past the deep depression of my second divorce. Sometimes when I opened the door and stepped inside at a new cleaning assignment, I would stand in silence, immobilized by the disgusting sight—wondering how on earth I could do it.

(Read more below)

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One day, feeling completely overwhelmed—God started whispering to my spirit that He could give me ‘the heart’ to do what I didn’t think I could do. Interestingly, a change started taking place in me. Leaning hard on God, I learned some techniques and found cleaning products that made things start to improve. I began cleaning a house as if Jesus Himself was going to be checking it out after I was done. I cleaned everything with all the love I would have cleaned it –if it had been for His own personal use and enjoyment.

With my newfound passion for excellence, the agency started giving me jobs for ‘regular clients’ who wanted their homes cleaned one to three times a week. These were people who liked a spotless home and appreciated my standard of perfection. I looked for unusual ways to go the extra mile in my cleaning efforts for the doctors and other professional people I now served.

Eventually, I was able to buy the contracts of my favorite clients from the cleaning agency. Once I had paid off the fees for the contracts, I was able to work directly for the clients and earn a much better rate of pay. I was able to work for wonderful people who loved my services—and became close friends of mine. Housecleaning turned out to be the perfect job that allowed me to focus on my studies and finish my TV and Film Production course with a 3.8 grade point average.

Since that time, I have had to do many other types of jobs that on first impression, didn’t strike me as something I thought I had ‘the heart’ to do. Some jobs literally made me feel like I was going to be ‘sick to my stomach’ because they were so far from what I felt naturally gifted for. Over and over I have had to ask God to give me ‘the heart’ to do what I didn’t think I could do…and He has.

When you are trying to move forward on the recovery journey, there will be times when you will wonder if you will ever be able to become ‘good at’ not being depressed or dependent–times when you’ll think it would be easier not to try anymore.

Looking back at the times of my life when I was struggling with depression—I can see how God gave me some hard work to do–something outside my natural ability. Something that would make me have to ask Him to give me ‘the heart’–so I could get in there and dig deep to get the job done—and also recover.

Declaration: I will find new strength by asking God to give me ‘the heart’ to work hard–and keep moving forward.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Choosing change for the better

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Choosing change for the better

Ecclesiastes 3:4 (KJV) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…

Have you ever thought about whether depression might be a habit? When depression itself has hung on for an awful long time, it’s hard to remember what it was like to feel otherwise. But besides general and ongoing depression, there are certain times of the year, when depression can be harder to fight.

It might not be the same for everyone, but it can be a struggle to get through a time of the year when we may have gone through particularly hard things in the past. It seems like when that time of year comes around, memories come flooding back that make it difficult to shake off the gloom during that season.

For years and years, I have had to go through the motions from Thanksgiving all the way through the Christmas season. While people around me are decorating their homes, shopping, and planning—I am having a hard time doing anything about it.

With that problem, it always gets to the point where it all comes crashing down at the last minute and I finally have no choice but to pull it all together. Exhausted from the intensity of how much has to be accomplished the last few days and especially the night before…by Christmas, I am usually a zombie.

I was thinking about that whole thing today and contemplating what a stronghold painful memories can have over our moods and our ability to be happy. As I was thinking about it, I recalled many valid reasons why I could fall into a slump year after year, and just allow myself to go on forever in the same habit.

I have to admit it never occurred to me that the ‘holiday blues’ was something I could pray about and ask God to change. But, today I had the smallest thought that I guessed it was something I might as well ask God to help me with…so I prayed a simple prayer…something to the effect of, “it would be nice not to have to feel like this every year.”

(Read more below)

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Link to New Strength Audio Version
New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

I was pretty surprised when almost immediately, I started feeling ‘lighter’. I was aware of a new sense of motivation and optimism inside of me. I found myself feeling hopeful that maybe things could be different than they usually are.

I actually think the change started last night, when I felt in my heart that the Lord was trying to help me get started on some preparations that I don’t normally do until the very last minute. Getting some of those things out of the way ‘earlier that usual’, gave me some freedom today that helped open my mind.

This year, we aren’t doing as much as we usually do, and I think that is having a positive effect, too. As in other areas of our life, we are trying to simplify and not be as driven by our past pattern of ‘excess’. I have felt released from the bondage that I have to try to make every year better than the year before. Could it be that I was somehow trying to compensate for my own lack of enthusiasm?

These are hard realities to face…but it’s a good thing to do.

We aren’t obligated to grieve forever…no matter what it is we are grieving about. The Word of God says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV)

Some grief is hard to part with, for the fact that we feel the act of grieving is our last connection to the loss we experienced. Letting go of grief is letting go of some of the loss.

Sometimes we may be ready to move on, but feel obligated to continue grieving for other people…or we wonder what other people will think if we are finally able to lay our grief to rest and start moving forward.

No doubt about it, depression and grief are very complex.

You might be in a place of habitual depression right now, too. Whether consciously, or unconsciously—you may be filled with a heaviness that God doesn’t require of you. He stands ready to release you—as soon as you are able to release yourself. Freedom is available…but being free is something you must choose.

Declaration: I will find new strength by choosing to break the habit of depression. It will be a change for the better.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

 

Peace

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Peace

Colossians 3:15 (NKJV) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

There are a lot of things I’d like to see different in the world. It’s troubling to know that crime is commonplace. It’s hard to see liberalism on the rise…while many conservative people have become calloused and complacent about principles our grandparents would have fiercely defended. What has happened to us?

It can be hard to have a positive outlook, when you view the unrest. It’s natural to want peace and wish that everyone could just get along.

Something that bothers me almost more than the secular society, is the seeming lack of interest on the part of so many Christians, to remember what the Word of God says about the last days and how we should behave—and just get on their knees.

Humans have a strong sense of self-preservation; such an automatic tendency toward self-defense. Some view the events going on in the Middle East and are quick to criticize the actions of the Israelis. I wonder how willingly they would walk away if the ownership of land that was supposed to be theirs, was being questioned…

Without getting into a big debate, I’d like to spend a little time thinking about peace. Peace means different things to different people. Peace might be getting through a day without arguing with anyone, as much as it might mean a cease fire on war-torn foreign soil.

You might not realize it, but there are ways to have control of peace. You may not be able to do anything about missiles being launched or bombs going off, but you can have peace in your heart, in spite of the circumstances in our world.

(Read more below)

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

The Bible compares the events of the end times to the birth pangs of an expectant mother when she is in labor and about to give birth. Any pregnant woman in her final month of pregnancy is only concerned with one thing. She just wants to have that baby. You can try to talk about any topic you choose with that woman, and the conversation will always find its way back to pregnancy and childbirth. This is perfectly normal. A pregnant woman is focused. She is passionate to see the baby and be done with pregnancy.

The intensity of world crisis is increasing and catastrophic events are getting closer together. It’s unlikely that a woman who is on the verge of delivery would ever say, “Okay, let’s stop the labor. I think I just want to stay pregnant and not have this baby.” If the end times can truly be compared to childbirth—then we should be saying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” and be focused on our part in the management and cooperation of the advancement of the birthing process.

When I went through birthing classes, we were told to have an object that we focused on when the labor became increasingly hard. We were instructed to breathe in certain ways and we were given various recommendations as to what kind of posture would help, and so on.

Jesus is really coming. The time is getting closer. The struggle is going to continue intensifying. All the things that are going on seem like bad stuff—but it’s really good stuff, when you realize this is the Word of God coming to pass in our lifetime.

Shortly before the baby is born, a pregnant mother goes through the period known as ‘transition’ in the birthing process. It’s a time when she might be apt to become critical of anyone around her. She might find it hard to listen to advice from a birthing coach, but at that time—she really needs to work hard at cooperating with her body—and her coach,  in order to bring forth her child. At that time, it’s vital for her to stay as calm as possible.

World peace is a dream we can wish for…but whether we see world peace or not, we can stay calm and cultivate the ability of allowing the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. While we tend to be so critical of our leaders and the way things seem to be going in the world—we could be working on cooperating with the body of Christ and our fellow believers right here at home—building unity and peace in whatever way we can, to advance the kingdom of God.

Declaration: I will find new strength by getting a grip on where we really are in the process of Christ coming again. I will stop being critical and start embracing the birth process by staying calm and having the peace of Christ in my heart.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Knowing what you believe is the truth

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Knowing what you believe is the truth

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight.

When we were children, we learned to play the game of ‘gossip’ at the school I attended. I remember sitting in a circle on the linoleum floor in my classroom, as the teacher explained the ‘game’. She told us that she would begin by whispering a few words in the ear of the person she sat next to, and then each person around the circle would repeat what they thought they heard to the person seated on the other side of them, until everyone in the circle had been ‘whispered to’. The ‘last person’ would tell the rest of us the words they thought they had heard whispered into their ear. Of course, the words were never the same as the ones the teacher had spoken at the beginning.

It was just a childhood game, and yet a profound example of what the continual re-interpreting of ‘freedom’ in our land has done to change the concept of ‘liberty’ into ‘tolerance’. As one person’s or group of people’s right to express their freedom is condoned—the rights of many others are reduced, as they are forced to accommodate rights they don’t embrace themselves…and what really happens in the process is, some of our own liberty is lost, limited, or re-interpreted.

These are days when we have to hold fast to what we believe. As we see traditional values being challenged, we should be thinking more than ever about what is important to us and what freedom truly is…or what it was meant to be in the first place.

In the same way, while many people are being duped into a position of compromise, we should not be influenced by what we see happening all around us, when it comes to where we stand with God. We are bombarded on every side with liberal morality as it is promoted through music, advertising, movies, television, and yes, even politics.

Before you start thinking I’m going to be writing an essay on patriotism, I want to shift gears somewhat to the Word of God and how much it, too, has been stretched and squeezed to conform to today’s standard of morality and modern convenience, through re-interpretation.

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So much of what we believe has to do with the presentation we’ve been given of the Word of God through the pulpit and through the many translations or versions of the Bible that are available to us. As I do research to find Bible verses to support and add clarity to some of the topics I write about, I often notice a vast difference in the meaning one particular Bible translation gives, compared to what another translation might have to say. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe they could be considered the same verse. At those times, I go to the interpretation of the original text from the Greek or Hebrew, in order to make a decision about what version is most accurate.

Some people view ‘faith’ as a kind of ‘blindness’…an unwillingness to be open-minded. Truthfully, faith is a paradox. On one hand, ‘faith’ can be interpreted as ‘what we believe’, and on the other hand, faith is the willingness to believe for the impossible to take place.

One day, we will all stand before God to give an account of what we have done with our lives and what our faith enabled us to do with the time we had here. Much of what we do, or don’t do, will be determined by what we believe. What we have to be careful about, is that we have based our faith on actual truth and not what we have come to believe because of what we have seen or been told. If we live by what we see as acceptable according to the world’s standards—we will not be able to justify ourselves to a just God. The standard He will judge by, is His Word, His righteousness, His holiness, and His heart of mercy and grace. If a person has drawn their standard for living from the media and general observation—they will be very disappointed on that day.

We are all without excuse when it comes to whether we know, or don’t know what the Word of God really says. If we haven’t bothered to study it—we won’t be able to live according to what it teaches us. We will be driven here and there by every wind of doctrine that comes along, without even realizing that’s what’s happening to us.

If you are in a place of discouragement, you have more of a reason than ever to dive head first into the words of comfort and encouragement that can be found in the Bible. You may not have a lot of energy, but would you receive a ‘love letter’ from someone who deeply cared about you and not bother to open it, due to lack of energy? Let’s face it, we make time and find the energy to do the things that are important to us. If we don’t feel like it—we should do it anyway, out of gratitude and hope that God will bring us through our present circumstances. How else will we be convinced of who we are in Christ and what we believe, unless we know what it says?

Declaration: I will find new strength as I find the heart to seek God in His Word—first hand

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.

Knowing God

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Topic: Finding the heart

Focus: Knowing God

Proverbs 19:21 (NCV) People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen.

The Bible really doesn’t have a lot to say about how we can know the will of God. Sometimes people have found an answer to a problem as they flipped their Bible open to a page and their eyes fell on an answer that just ‘popped out’. I guess God can bless things like that. When you truly want an answer from God—a yes or a no kind of answer—sometimes you can find it in the Bible and sometimes you might not find it, in the exact words.

Sometimes people search for scriptures to support what they want to do, instead of seeking the heart of God for His will. You and I both know that people don’t always really want to know what God thinks about what they want to do.

There have been many times in my own life when I thought I was heading through the right door. A few events happened pointing me in a certain direction, everything seemed to be lining up and it sure looked good. Then a thing or two started looking like ‘maybe not’ and a little later…the door slammed shut. At times like that we can be left bewildered. We can wonder, ‘What was that all about? Why did something look so right and then turn out the wrong way?’ Well, that’s when we have to realize that what happened was the right thing, not the wrong thing. What we were hoping for was not God’s plan—it was ours.

God wants so much for us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). The process of ‘trial and error’ is one of the ways God allows us to learn. It would be nice if answers were just written in the sky for us as plain as day, but God has a reason for not doing things that way. One of His greatest purposes is to cultivate a relationship of intimacy with us, and He constantly hopes for that to happen. Through every event in our daily lives. He watches to see if we will seek Him—or not.

(Read more below)

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Think of life as a many-layered test. The questions on the test may not always be big and bold. Sometimes the questions might slide right by—if you aren’t paying attention. As we take steps of faith, we have many questions to consider. The first and most obvious question, is whether a particular thing we might want, is from God. Sometimes the only way to find out, is to take a step and see if He blesses it. If we take a step and the door stays open, take another step. Now, obviously we’re not talking about taking steps to do something that wouldn’t agree with the Word of God.

God might allow you to take several steps before a door closes and another one opens…or maybe a door just stays closed and no other opportunity opens up right away. When this is the situation, more questions appear. ‘Should I try another door?’ or ‘Should I wait for more directions?’ Either question might be justified and maybe you’ll have to try one and then the other in the process of getting the right answer.

When this kind of stuff is happening, it’s important not to get discouraged. It’s more important than ever to remember God is always at work bringing about blessings in your life. He says that ALL things work together for good to them that love God and to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), so He will even use the times when you tried to go through a wrong door—for good.

What is most important as we walk by faith, is that we keep our eyes on Christ and remember to enjoy the ride. Happiness and fulfillment are not a destination. They should be what we have ‘on the way’ to where we are going. Even when we come to a detour or a dead end, the important thing is that God goes with us and as we talk to Him and learn to trust Him on the way, we are developing that sweet relationship of intimacy He so desires to have with us.

In life, it might seem like a plan we have belongs to us and came from our own mind—but if it’s right and good—it  really came from God…if our heart belongs to Him. We can’t manipulate God into doing what we want. He will not conform His will to ours. If we make wrong choices without consulting Him—the mistake is our own, not His.

What God wants, is for us to become one with Him—to the point of knowing Him. But ‘knowing Him’, is not a destination, it’s a process, because there is so much of Him to know. ‘Knowing God’ is something that continues to occur as we go about ‘doing life’ and listening for His voice…but the process is never ending.

When we are completely focused on God, we will never be disappointed. We will be thankful to Him when something doesn’t turn out the way we thought it should. Part of what we are learning is to trust Him in all things and believe that when a door closes—it was for our own good.

Declaration: I will find new strength by trusting God when things don’t turn out the way I had hoped. I will let go of things I can’t change and keep looking ahead with my hand in His—knowing He is in control.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO NEW STRENGTH DEVOTIONAL BELOW, A NEW SEGMENT WILL COME TO YOUR EMAIL EACH DAY.

For music selections that will help bring hope and encouragement during your recovery from depression and addiction, https://www.youtube.com/user/NewStrengthMusic/playlists?sort=dd&view=1

All NEW STRENGTH posts are Copyright by Christina Cook Lee 2012. Please request permission to re-post or re-blog.