Contact Me →

Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

bitterness

Remodeling vs. reconstruction

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Bitterness

Focus: Remodeling vs. reconstruction

Ephesians 4:31 (NIV) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice…

In more than twenty-six years of happily married life, my husband and I have owned and extensively remodeled six homes. When I say the word ‘remodeled’—I’m not referring to wallpaper and paint. I’m talking about knocking down walls, tearing off rooms, adding on, and things like that.

In the most extreme case—we actually tore down the existing house, purchased a two and a half story replacement that was up for auction and moved it two miles to our lot—which was coastal and in a velocity zone. We proceeded by elevating the successor 15 feet above ground and closing in the area below it to create a large garage. We gutted and re-built the inside of the house, added on a couple of rooms and an elevator, an extensive deck area, a two story exterior stairway, and a swimming pool.

You may question why in the world would anyone do all that work? The answer is simple: it was about the location.

The house that was on the lot to begin with had very limited possibilities. The waterfront land had more value. When a storm and flood caused irreparable damage—we had no choice but to start over. You see—we had some equity in the property. If we ‘walked away’ from our investment, we would have lost everything.

The complicated process of clearing the land for re-building was huge enough. Then, we went through almost impossible inconvenience during the year and a half it took to re-build. We moved five times with our young children and had no idea the whole thing would take as long as it did. It was a trial I wouldn’t ever care to go through again, but it was a life lesson with invaluable applications.

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

(Read more below)

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

In the final evaluation, I can compare the original house to ‘bitterness’. It was something from the past that eventually had to go. We lived there for a year and a half prior to the demolition. We had put forth a lot of effort trying to make the most of things—but in the end, it had to be knocked down, dug out and removed. All of the work we had done attempting to cover up the defects was never going to achieve the results that ‘just getting rid of it’ did.

The reconstruction was secured to an engineered foundation according to Florida building code hurricane standards. A network of concrete and steel pilings were driven 21 feet into the ground—which were bonded together at ground level and to the elevated house. The work and expense was extreme and seemed unending—but the results would stand the test of time. We had vision and seized the opportunity to salvage our initial investment, in spite of the sacrifices.

I would estimate that your life is like that property. You may be in a position right now where you are trying to assess your options. At times, you wonder how–or if you can repair the house on the property that has sustained such extensive damage. So much of what has happened in your life has been beyond your control and others are partly to blame. You were stuck with a house that wasn’t built right to begin with and now has serious structural issues. Starting over seems staggering. You don’t even know anything about stuff like that. But you can’t keep living in a house that could fall down on your head one of these days, either.

The right answer might be to face the fact that the job of ‘recovery’ is bigger than you thought it was going to be, may take longer than you thought it would—but will pay you dividends in the end if you are willing to go deep and do it right.

Your ‘property’ is worth more than the old house with all its flaws. ‘Bitterness’ is something that could be standing in the way of your ability to start fresh. Who and what comes to your mind at the mention of that word? Getting rid of bitterness doesn’t mean dumping people—it means dumping your bitterness. Being bitter doesn’t change other people—it changes you. You may not be able to change anyone else—but you can change ‘you’. Bitterness is holding you back. You need to let it go.

Declaration: I will find new strength by realizing I can’t change the people who have made me bitter. If I stay bitter—it won’t change them. I’m letting go of my bitterness so I can 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.

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

By Leave a Comment

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)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

Link to New Strength Audio Version

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.

Forgiveness and prayer

By Leave a Comment

Focus: Forgiveness and prayer

Mark 11:25 (NKJV) “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

In depression and dependency—it is almost guaranteed that some relationship issues helped take you there. If you want to walk in a state of true recovery and keep moving forward—you need to find peace with your past. That usually involves forgiving people who may have been involved in causing your condition to become what it has been.

Forgiving others can be quite a process. If you’re like me—you may have trouble remembering all of the people you might have offended and everyone who may have offended you. Even more—you probably don’t want to think about it anyway. Yet, the Bible encourages us to get–and keep a clean slate. The scripture above plainly states that forgiving others is absolutely necessary, not just for their sake—but our own!

You might think, well—can’t I just say one prayer like, “I forgive everybody”, and have it done? If you try that, and it truly works—meaning that you no longer have hard feelings when you think of anyone—well, good for you. Most of us, however, might need to go a little deeper in prayer than that.

A practical way to start working through it, is to simply make a list of people who come to your mind. Ask God to help you recall every single person you need to forgive–for things to really be right in your life. As an experience comes to your mind that involved a particular person—write down the name. After you forgive them, cross it off.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

You might be thinking this is something too hard for you to do. Or, you might feel like you don’t know how—or even have the desire to forgive them. Well, let’s start there. Stop right now and say out loud, “God please give me the help and desire I need to forgive anyone who has offended or harmed me, or who as harmed someone I care about. Please bring these people to my mind so I can get things right with You. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

As someone comes to your mind that you have a hard time wanting to forgive…Say, “God, I confess to You that I have an offense toward ________________. I need Your help to have the desire to release them from guilt and condemnation. Will You help me? In Jesus Name, Amen.”

God wants you to get free from these things, so don’t be surprised if right away you feel the ability to go further in prayer. As soon as you can–continue on with, “God, You know how much pain __________________has caused me, but with Your help, I want to forgive them. Please forgive me for the offense I have held in my heart toward _________________. I am asking You to release them from judgment and condemnation. I choose by an act of my will to forgive, release, and bless _________________. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

If at all possible, after you have prayed—you should try to go to the person or write them a letter and tell them you forgive them and have chosen to release and bless them. If you know they have an offense against you—ask them to forgive you, too. Often, this is an amazing experience. If you think they will not receive it, ask God to work in their heart so that you will be able to do it when He shows you the time is right.

Recovery is not a destination—it’s a journey. If your journey is like mine, it will be an ongoing process of revelation, confession, and restoration.

Declaration: I will keep moving forward by finding peace with my past. With the help of God, I choose to forgive those who have offended me and I will seek forgiveness from those whom I have offended. Doing these important things will help me receive new strength and the ability to pray more effectively for myself and others.

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.

I was worth dying for

By Leave a Comment

Focus: I was worth dying for

Isaiah 43:25-26 (NKJV)  “ I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted.

There is always ‘a reason’ that drives a person to depression and dependency. Something happened that was unfair—and you haven’t been able to forget it. Someone said something that made you feel like an eternal, complete failure—and you have never been able to get their words out of your head. You did something you knew wasn’t right–that you can’t go back and undo—and it continues to eat you up from the inside out.

In a place of weakness and vulnerability—something happened. You walked ‘out’ of that hard experience—but you left the door open. As a result, that thing has followed you. When you have been tired, hungry, or were just having a rough day, you have relived those moments—played back the video and audio way too many times. By choosing to hold onto those memories—you have placed yourself in a condition of ‘judgment and condemnation’—instead of choosing to be in a position of ‘mercy and grace’. It actually is a choice, and you’re the only one who can choose which place you’re going to be. You say, “It’s not that simple”. You say you can’t get over it…but God says you can.

Imagine, being able to wipe away the guilt of those tormenting memories and have all the stains truly blotted out forever. Imagine having the ability to close the door and walk away from it, once and for all. That’s what the blood of Jesus can do. Nothing can change the fact that those things happened, but the blood of Jesus really can erase the account against you that you haven’t been able to erase on your own.

(read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

The big thing keeping you from your acquittal and freedom is that awful sense of unworthiness you feel when you ‘remember’. Remembering can be a good thing—if you do it in a healthy way. You say, “What can be healthy about those painful experiences and why did they have to happen at all?”

It is my belief that ‘the reason’ those things happened is so you could get to know God better. Think about it. If you never cried, then you wouldn’t need comforting, would you? If you were never weak, you wouldn’t need more strength. If you were never broken, you wouldn’t need to be made whole again. If you were never lost, you’d need no help to find your way. The truth is, when you find yourself crying, weak, broken, and lost—you know you need help. All of the help God wants to give you—you just wouldn’t need, if you had never failed.

The healthy way to remember your failures–is to remember that they are ‘over’. We try to ‘fix’ our failures in all kinds of ways. People, experiences, and substances are not a permanent fix—the blood of Jesus, is. Stop believing the lie that you aren’t worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made for you. You ARE worth it, or He wouldn’t have done what He did.

Declaration: I will not always feel as desperate as I feel today. Each day will get better from now on, as I find new strength in Jesus Christ. The reason God has allowed me to experience the depth of my own despair—is so I would know the power of His ability to save me. Almighty God is on my side. He fights for me and with me. The blood of Jesus covers all my sins and every memory of my failures. Someday, I will be able to help someone else because of what God is doing for me today.

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.

Prayer

By Leave a Comment

Topic: The power of the tongue

Focus: Prayer

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

As a child, I learned to pray by reciting bedtime prayers like, “Now I lay me down to sleep” and the classic mealtime prayer that begins with, “God is great, God is good”. As I got a little older I began tacking a few things onto the end of my bedtime prayer and sometimes drifted off to sleep before or after I had finished my list. As I learned more about prayer, I prayed with more originality. Sometimes I sang my prayers and some of my prayers turned into songs.

I think it’s good to be creative. There are lots of ways to pray. Some prayers I pray are still pretty standard, depending on the occasion, but throughout my day when I have the liberty, I like to talk to God at length about the things that are on my mind. A lot of my prayers are an ongoing dialog with God. At times, I might be focused on something in particular that someone has asked me to pray for. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I will dwell on that as much as possible. Other times, I feel compelled to pray for my family or personal concerns.

I try to make it a point to begin my prayers with thanks and praise. It’s always good to remind ourselves of the goodness of God as we come before Him. As we speak words about the great things He has done in the past and His extraordinary qualities that enable Him to be the mighty God and the eternal Father, our faith is increased and His power is released.

Recently, I was in a time of prayer. I was past the thanks and praise part of praying and into making my requests known to God, according to Philippians 4:6, which says we shouldn’t be anxious for any reason, but instead by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make our requests known to God, and by doing so the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

I was in the process of praying for some very practical things to take place that would make life so much easier for me and my family, when I felt the Spirit of the Lord impressing something on me. I was suddenly highly conscious of the amount of time I spend praying for my own needs and the needs of others. I was instantly struck with the stark reality that I spend far more time praying for needs than I spend praying for the lost. I felt the Lord challenging me to spend the same amount of time praying for the lost as I spend praying for needs of my own and others. Equal time.

(Read more below)

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

Luke 19:10 states a sobering point. Jesus came to this world to seek and save the lost. That was His singular vision and purpose. He didn’t come to accumulate wealth or build an amazing home or even have a wife and kids. He came to seek and save the lost. Everything He did on earth advanced His purpose. He lived His life strategically in order to accomplish the will of God. He put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first as He lived His life on earth.

As I contemplated what the Spirit of God had impressed on me, the real meaning of Matthew 6:33 became crystal clear. I had the revelation that when we truly have a passion for souls, we are in perfect agreement with the heart of God. In such a state of heart and mind, everything takes on a new perspective and the things that are pressing us for attention are put in their proper place of priority.

By choosing to focus at least as much time on the lost as we focus on ourselves, we are no longer self centered or abnormally absorbed with our own issues.

In the past week or so I have seen how God is enlarging my vision as I pray for the lost. He is giving me glimpses of various kinds of lostness. He is taking my mind on trips around the world to different places where there are types of darkness I have never perceived. He has impressed on me to speak to those areas of darkness and to command His light to penetrate and His power to be released so that the Truth would be revealed and the lies could be exposed.

So much change would take place in this world if we, as the body of Christ, could get our minds on the right things.

Another revelation I have had for the past year or so is that I should spend time in prayer deliberately asking that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh according to Joel 2:28. The body of Christ—the Church—who is supposed to also be the Bride of Christ is so disjointed and immature. Jesus is going to return for a Bride who is ready for the wedding. A Bride without spot or blemish. We are so far from that! If Jesus came to earth with a single purpose to seek and save the lost—shouldn’t His Bride share that same vision? Shouldn’t She be more passionate for fulfilling His desire than Her own?

Declaration: I will find new strength as I purpose in my heart to pray for the lost and have a passion for souls.

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.

Not turning back

By Leave a Comment

Topic: Bitterness

Focus: Not turning back

Exodus 16:2-3 (NIV) In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

There will be days when you will be tempted to fall into old habits and patterns of behavior–times when you lose sight of the future and the blessing just ahead–because you made the decision to look behind you. It is so important that you keep facing forward.

Posture yourself for progress. If you are turned sideways, you will be tempted to remember some small moment that was pleasurable when you were in bondage and turn back. If you do that, you will have to start all over again—or you may never become free, at all.

Face forward. Where you are going is far better than where you have been. You can’t move ahead when you have one foot in the future and the other foot stuck in the past.

The Biblical story of the children of Israel is one you can benefit from right now.  For more than 400 years, God’s chosen people were held as slaves in Egypt. They had no freedom and were unable to break away until God sent them a deliverer.

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

When they were finally able to leave their life of captivity, they embarked on a journey to a rich land God had promised to them. The trip ended up taking a lot longer than it should have. They became lost in a wilderness and wandered for years, not making any progress because of their constant complaining and disobedience.

Instead of being filled with gratitude that God had brought them out of their hopeless circumstances and was leading them to a new life that would be filled with plenty, they could only think of what they had left behind. Those who didn’t have faith never got to experience life in that new place. They died in the desert.

When you have stepped out of the past and have made the decision to come out of depression and addiction, there will be a time of temptation–a period when you will wonder if there is such a thing as being really free. Even if you hear stories of others who have made it through—you will think, “Well, it might have worked for them—but it can’t work for me.” There will be times when the enemy of your soul will whisper in your ear, “You don’t have to keep suffering in this wilderness—just turn back. What you had before was better than this.”

Don’t listen to the lie that you will never be any different—that there is no hope for you. Don’t believe because there is a history of depression and addiction in your family, you are just going to have to live the same way because it is in your blood.

Keep making it through one day at a time knowing you have a Deliverer. The power you have working in you has brought you this far and you will make it this time.

Declaration: I will go forward and not backward. By the power of God, I will win this battle. I will not die in the desert. I will live and prosper–as my God has promised.

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.