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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

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Finding wisdom from above

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Topic: Bitterness

Focus: Finding wisdom from above

James 3:17 (NKJV) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

When it seems like your life has been a series of unfortunate events, you might start to view others who don’t look like they have the problems you do with a sense of resentment or bitterness…even envy. It never seems like other people have a cross to bear that’s as big as the one you have to carry. Seeing people who appear to be ‘carefree’ can make you feel like you must be living out some kind of a curse. Why else would you have to struggle and suffer so much?

The really hard thing to face is that it’s such a vicious cycle. When you’re in a place of depression and are having a tough time just getting one foot in front of the other—it can seem like the bad stuff just won’t stop happening.

In a season of heaviness and multiplied trials, you can ‘take on’ the expression of a poor, tormented soul…because you honestly are. What you have to keep your focus on during this time is that what you are going through is not permanent. This pain is not going to last forever. The dark night will eventually give way to daybreak.

It’s natural to isolate yourself during a prolonged period of darkness. You begin to believe that people don’t really want to be around you. Sometimes you sense them making excuses and putting you off in conversation. This kind of response can make you feel even more alienated, as your mind tells you all kinds of things—like, “Why would they want to be around me? I’m no fun anymore.” Or, “I have nothing in common with anyone now—everything we used to share is gone.” And, “People don’t know what to say to me—they know being around me is just a downer…no one understands.” The more you allow your mind to dwell on thoughts like those—the worse you will feel and the more likely you will continue to isolate, which is the worst thing for you during this time.

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Still, it feels ‘fake’ to just paste on a smile and put yourself out there—acting like everything is fine when your brain is frozen and your heart is mangled. You have a hard enough time trying to remember the beginning of a sentence by the end of a sentence in a simple conversation. How on earth can you start to believe you will be able to socially navigate again when your progress is all but imperceptible right now?

An important thing for you to work on is not comparing yourself with other people and falling into the trap of feeling like your problems are the biggest. Even if you don’t mean to, it’s a common tendency—when you’re the owner of a wounded heart. It’s almost unthinkable that anyone has ever had a trial as hard as yours.

If you don’t want to feel this way forever, you’re going to have to get very determined. Deep inside you know you want to finish well. You’ll come through this whole thing with a lot of new wisdom if you don’t give in to resentment, bitterness, and envy. Wisdom doesn’t grow in that environment. Before you’re going to get to the point of scoring any wisdom, first your thoughts and actions are going to have to become ‘pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy’ according to James 3:17. That’s a lot to contemplate in your present state of mind, I know. But those eight attributes of ‘wisdom from above’, could be a wish list and a place to start.

One of the ways to make progress in recovery, is to regularly make a searching and fearless moral inventory of your thoughts and intents. As you consider your thoughts and intents, you have to be willing to be a little hard on yourself if you really want to move forward. Think about the amount of time you might be devoting to thoughts that are of a resentful, bitter, or envious nature. If you want to overcome those kind of negative feelings—you’ll have to have the willingness to ‘take charge’ when your mind starts going in that direction. If there is a person in particular who seems to ‘set you off’—do an exercise in your mind that will begin to reverse those emotions. Imagine that person and then direct your mind to think thoughts about them that are ‘first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.’

When you’re suffering from emotional pain, it seems like you shouldn’t have to be the one to make the first move. But the rest of James 3:17 says that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Becoming a peacemaker could be a step in the right direction toward relief, healing…and wisdom.

Declaration: I will find new strength by becoming a peacemaker with my thoughts and people who I have viewed with resentment, bitterness, and envy. I will move toward relief and healing by ordering my mind with discipline. I will obtain wisdom from above by making sure my thoughts are first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.’

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.

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Topic: Love

Focus: The everlasting love of God

1 John 3:1 (NIV)  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

In this life, we will all have our moments of feeling like we ‘don’t belong’. I doubt whether any person on the planet hasn’t experienced feeling like an ‘alien’ at one point in time, or another. So many things can affect our relationships with people and their acceptance of us. Most people like to be around others who make us feel comfortable and respected.

Yet, sometimes we’re thrust into making changes we didn’t choose or anticipate. Those changes may put us in a position of being in unfamiliar territory that we’re not sure of. Suddenly, we’re out of touch with the people who once made us feel secure and important. Now, we’re faced with having to build new relationships from scratch—possibly at a time when we least feel like being social.

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I love the way scripture often refers to us as ‘children of God’. It indicates to me that our Father in heaven sees us as small, vulnerable beings who really need His help to survive—and that’s what we are. He created us to need Him—and we do.

Some people have convinced themselves they have no need of God. It practically goes without saying that people who have no use for God, have no use for His followers…but what a sorry situation they will face one day—and what a loss for them in this life, too. Those people have no idea what they’re missing. Whether they realize it or not, they are more lost than they know.

If you are one of the children of God—you belong to Him and His big family. You are important to God and He knows you by name. He cares about every single thing that happens to you because He is your everlasting, loving parent. He has a bond with you that nothing can ever change.

Some people were fortunate enough to be born as one of His chosen people. But through the great gift of Christ the Messiah, God made a way for any of us to be ‘adopted’ and grafted into His family. What a gift!

The Prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Christ and what a change it would mean for those of us who were previously ‘in deep darkness’:

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the nations (where Jesus was born), by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy (the grafting of the Gentiles through Christ); they rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Median’s defeat, You have shattered the yoke that burdens them (sin and bondage), the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a Child is born (Messiah), to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:1-7 NIV).”

Going through changes in your life and feeling like an alien can be depressing and make you feel lost. Being in a period of depression is like being in deep darkness, too.

The thing to keep your focus on is God and His great love for you. If you are one of His children—then, you aren’t an alien! Even if you don’t feel accepted by people on earth and don’t have a big circle of friends you can see—you are surrounded by a Spiritual family that is huge! You have the promise of eternity in heaven with Christ.

So, hold your head high! You have confessed Christ as your Savior and those who have not rejected God’s Son, will not be rejected by His Father. You are chosen and highly favored of God.

Declaration: I will find new strength by embracing the changes in my life that I didn’t plan. I will get to know God better because of my new circumstances. I will focus on Jesus, the great gift of God’s love—and will pray for the salvation of those who don’t know Him.

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.

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Kingdom perspective

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Topic: Love

Focus: Kingdom perspective

1 John 2:15 (NIV) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

What do you have your heart set on? Who does your heart belong to? When you consider what you have your heart set on, or who it belongs to—you also have to consider your mind, your will, and your emotions. Whoever owns your heart—also owns your mind, your will, and your emotions.

The owner of your heart is what or who you live for. The owner of your heart is what or who you prefer above all else. The owner of your heart isn’t always what or who you think it is.

Matthew 6:21 (NIV) says, “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What is your treasure? Where do you invest yourself? What are you giving yourself to?

These are important questions to ponder. They have everything to do with your peace. Until the answers to all of the questions stated are truly God—you will not have true peace.

In recovery, we have to do a lot of honest soul searching. Knowing the truth can make you free—but you have to truly want to know the truth…and you have to truly want to be free.

At times, we think we want to know the truth—but when we are faced with it, we don’t want to accept it. We also think we want to be free—but when we realize freedom actually requires responsibility, we aren’t willing to keep moving forward.

One of the hardest parts of overcoming depression and dependency is the pain we experience when we have to face our own reality. Pain of some kind is usually the cause of our condition. When our pain is all we can think about and feel, we have trouble making the right choices and finding purpose.

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When our reality is viewed from an earthly perspective—pain is inevitable. When our mind, will, and emotions are centered on things of this world, we aren’t able to view our own reality from a kingdom perspective. One of the hardest realities we have to face is that we have allowed earthly things and relationships to cloud our kingdom perspective. When our life is upside down and inside out—it’s time to admit our eyes have become focused on the things of this world. We may not think our condition has anything to do with ‘loving the world or the things that are in the world’, but if our affections were focused on God and His love—we would not be moved by what we see here on earth.

The Word of God is always the solution to any problem we are dealing with. If our mind, will, and emotions are in bondage to the things of this world—we need to re-train them, using kingdom principles.

Knowing that your mind decides ‘what you think about’, consider what Romans 12:2 (NKJV) says.  “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Say, “God, please transform and renew my mind so that my life will be an example of how good and acceptable and perfect Your will is.”

Understanding that your will is revealed by what you choose, consider how Ephesians 4:15 (NLT ) challenges us to, “Speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.” Say, “God, help me to speak the truth in love and grow up into the likeness of Christ.”

Grasp that your feelings are driven by your emotions—and your feelings can cause you to act impulsively. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Say, “God help me to trust You more. Let my faith and love for You grow as I learn Your Word and Your ways, so that I will not be moved or tempted by what I see in this world.”

Our love for God could never cause us to be depressed or addicted. If we are depressed or addicted—or both, we have to face that we have taken our eyes off the One who loves us most and have become consumed by things of this world.

Matthew 6:19-20 tells us not to store up treasures on earth—or put our faith and love into things of this earth, because those things are temporary and can be taken from us. It says instead to invest ourselves and our attention in heaven, because heaven is eternal and the investment we make of ourselves in heavenly things cannot be taken from us.

Declaration: I will find new strength and peace by truly giving my heart to God and allowing Him to be the ruler of my mind, will, and emotions. I will trust my future to Him and view this life with kingdom perspective.

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.

Riding the waves

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Topic: Hope

Focus: Riding the waves

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV) “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
 and do not return there,
 but water the earth, 
and make it bring forth and bud, 
that it may give seed to the sower
 and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; 
it shall not return to Me void, 
but it shall accomplish what I please, 
and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it…”

Times of heavy testing are often referred to as a ‘wilderness’ or ‘desert’ experience. In the Bible, rain is usually symbolic of blessing. However, there are times when rain can come in the form of a storm…too much of a good thing. Then rain becomes a trial. As a person who lost a coastal home from flooding due to a storm surge and wind driven rain…I understand the destructive side of rain pretty well. It’s the same way with the sun. Some sun is wonderful—too much sun can be destructive, too. And let’s not forget the wind…two sides there, also.

What we always hope for is perfect balance. Showers of blessing, but not a torrential downpour. Some sun…but not too much. A bit of a breeze, but no hurricanes, tornadoes, or tropical storms—but you and I both know the weather isn’t always our idea of perfect. We also know by now that trials and wilderness or desert experiences aren’t much fun either, but they’re how we learn and grow. Tough as it is to have to learn the hard way, neither you nor I want to be stuck in a rut going nowhere.

When things are the same all the time—life gets boring. To become good at something, we need practice.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw my husband water ski. It wasn’t long after we first started seeing each other. Jeff was a shy guy back then. His parents had a cottage on a lake and a boat. We went up there for a visit and some swimming. Jeff wanted to ski, so I rode with his dad in the boat. Jeff was out in the water with his skis, holding the rope. When they were both ready, his dad took off and so did Jeff. He shot up out of the water and it seemed to me like he was dancing. I was dumbstruck. He had so much grace and confidence. It was clear he had skied on that lake a lot of times and he understood how his dad drove the boat.

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Now, I’m sure Jeff didn’t look like that that the first time he got up on water skis. I’m sure he did his share of falling down and maybe even getting mad at his dad—thinking maybe the reason he fell was his dad’s fault and not his. Truthfully, his dad was a bit ‘quirky’ in his style of driving the boat—at least he was when I rode with him. Let’s say he liked being a little daring. But, after Jeff got good at waterskiing, I’m sure he learned to enjoy the surprises his dad could dish out.

I hope I never forget the memory of that day. Seeing Jeff dance over the waves—swerving and smiling in complete control—showed me a side of him I hadn’t seen before. It was a sight to behold and seemed like a vision.

In recovery, learning to survive is one thing…but getting good at riding the waves, is another. Maybe it’s hard to imagine ever becoming so comfortable with challenges that you could handle them with ease—even dance on them. Maybe harder still to think of yourself ever being an example of hope to others, but that’s what could happen in your life—if you don’t give up.

Trials are sent to ‘form us’ into the likeness of Jesus Christ. He endured testing and was faithful. Part of His purpose on earth was to show us by example how to win over our circumstances.

What kind of rain are you facing today? Is it a light shower, or a monsoon? Do you feel like the water is rising, the wind is blowing, and you don’t know how to swim? Maybe your head is barely above the surface and your arms and legs are almost too tired to keep treading water.

In all of this, you can’t see it—but you are getting stronger. You don’t feel it because the tests keep getting harder, but you are growing all the same. Look back to another time when you had a test you thought you couldn’t get through. If you had to go through that one again, you wouldn’t have as much trouble with it this time because of the experience you gained.

If we think of trials like rain, we can appreciate the need for them. Rain comes to water the earth so seeds will grow and produce food that will feed us and sustain our lives. Trials will produce a depth of character and strength that will ‘feed you’ in the future, too. Just like God’s Word never returns to Him ‘void’…this time of trial will not be wasted.

Declaration: I will find new strength by learning to ride the waves.

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.

Speaking the truth

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Topic: Honesty

Focus: Speaking the truth

Ephesians 4:25 (NKJV) Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

In the fabric being woven in the progress of your recovery from depression and addiction, there are a number of specific factors that need to be maintained. The common thread that supports all of the other factors—is ‘honesty’. The honesty you have already shown is admirable. Being humble enough to admit you need the help of God to survive and conquer your weakness is a huge accomplishment. It isn’t easy to admit you struggle in certain areas that some people have never had a problem with…and you’ve been able to do that, to some degree.

Ephesians chapter four is a collection of basic instructions for living a transformed life. Verse 25 speaks about ‘lying’. Let’s look at some important points we can apply to our personal journey in recovery.

The most obvious application, would be that we should be determined to improve in the area of truth telling. A lie isn’t always saying words that aren’t honest. A lie can be an illusion. The Bible sometimes refers to lying as ‘bearing false witness’…or leading someone to believe something that isn’t true. A lie can be the act of saying enough to create a scenario and then letting the listener draw their own conclusion. Not everyone tells outright lies, but that’s why lying is such a subtle sin. When a person doesn’t actually speak the words of a lie, they sometimes don’t believe they’ve told one—if what they actually did was ‘lead someone to believe’.

Whether a lie is told outright or eluded to—we should take a look at a few of the reasons why lies of all kinds are told as related to our recovery.

  • To make others think we are better than we are
  • To get something we want
  • To keep from having to do something we don’t want to do
  • To avoid embarrassment
  • To please others
  • To protect ourselves
  • To protect others
  • To avoid problems

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So often, lies are told ‘for the sake of others’, or so others ‘won’t feel bad’. This is where we need camp for a bit. When you think about your own situation with depression and addiction—how many times have you ‘covered the truth’ about the way you truly felt? It can be uncomfortable to reveal you’re having a bad day. You don’t necessarily want the response you might get from people if you tell them how you really feel…so, you just answer, ‘fine’, when they ask. We can be sure people aren’t always looking for a long story from us when they ask how we’re doing, so we shouldn’t feel obligated to go into a lot of detail—but at the same time, covering up our feelings is not going to help us move forward in the area of being honest and open about the condition we’re in, either.

The Bible uses the word ‘neighbor’ to apply to ‘any person’…but it can also mean people who are close to us. It could refer to someone who actually lives next door or someone who is a friend or acquaintance. Let’s think of the word in a loose sense here—in other words, anyone who you are acquainted with. The reference verse talks about the importance of speaking the truth with people in general.

The ‘truth’ has to do with a person’s character. Isn’t it odd how a person telling a lie thinks their story will make them look better than the truth? Lying never makes a person look better.

The final part of Ephesians 4:25 says, ‘we are members of one another’. In recovery, the act of being accountable is very crucial to our progress. It’s true, when we don’t let people get close to us—we don’t have to lie about how we’re doing, right? But, the ability to have honest relationships shows we are no longer hiding.

God wants you to be able to walk in truth and in victory. Don’t believe the age old lie, ‘If people know you—they’ll reject you’. You were created by a loving God. You were made in His image. You are lovable. You don’t have to hide who you are. You will find healing as you are honest and open with people about where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. If anyone has a problem with the truth—ask them to pray for you.

Declaration: I will find new strength in the truth. I will stop trying to hide, out of fear of rejection. I will take comfort in the Word of God and find courage to 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.

What you say

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Topic: Building your faith

Focus: What you say

James 3:10 (NKJV) Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

If you had to define yourself in 200 words, what terms would you use? Would some of your words be: vibrant, funny, creative, spontaneous, motivated, focused, generous, trustworthy, confidential, congenial, healthy, generous, positive, caring, spiritual, peaceful, confident, secure, industrious, musical, nurturing . . . or, would your words be the opposite of those above?

Think of a person you admire—whom you also know. What words would you use to describe them? What is it that attracts you to them? What traits characterize their personality and strengths? Do you know them well enough to be able to say 200 positive words about them?

Normally, the things that cause you to be drawn to a person are facts that have to do with how they make you feel about yourself. They may communicate how they feel about you in various ways—such as words, attitude, or a general feeling of approval—or sympathy. If this person you admire were to describe you in 200 words, what would they have to say? Would their description of you be positive—or negative? Not negative in a slanderous way, but negative in the sense that what you might be focused on are your problems and issues that are of a negative nature.

When negative subject matter is the major source of our conversation—other people come to see us in a negative light. One day, that person may be talking with another person you know. As these two people are passing the time of day, your name comes up. One person asks the other how you are doing. The two friends aren’t gossiping—they are both genuinely interested in your welfare. As the conversation goes, the negative things you have said and done are spoken about, and the talk ends in—“Boy, she sure has a lot of problems.” Everything they have said is true. You do have a lot of problems. Both of them care about you and are sincerely concerned for your welfare. But, it’s clear that what you have communicated about your problems has been further agreed on between friends. What has really happened? You innocently shared your problems with a friend. No harm there. But, that friend shared your problems with another friend and they both agreed that you have a lot of problems. Verbalizing and agreeing on negative information about someone is like making a curse. You might differ with that, but what is a curse, really?

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New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Thanks to Hollywood—you might think curses are only performed by witches or people who are associated with the occult. They would have to be dressed in black and wear a pointy black hat and have a few warts on their face…with at least one on their nose. They would have a big black iron pot with steam rising off it and be stirring who knows what, as they spoke incantations over the stew. Evil reflections would be appearing in the surface of the pot and soon, something awful would happen to the person who was ‘cursed’. Well, that kind of thing might happen, but in our day-to-day life—we perform a lot of curses without any of the gobbledygook.

The scripture above makes it clear that it’s possible to speak blessings and curses in ordinary, everyday conversation. When we say negative things about our self—we are speaking a curse. You may say, “Nuh uh”, but the negative stuff you say isn’t a blessing, right? So, it’s a curse. If you don’t see it that way, it’s your business…but the Bible has a lot to say about the power of the tongue. We definitely don’t take ‘what we say’ as seriously as we should.

Think again about how you or a friend of yours would define ‘you’ in 200 words. If the words to describe you are along the lines of boring, serious, fearful, lazy, scatterbrained, stingy, promiscuous, bitter, unfriendly, sickly, stingy, negative, insensitive, cynical, anxious, angry, insecure, greedy, selfish, and so on—what have you done or how have you behaved to make that negative description of you factual? Would you say your negative behavior has contributed to an attitude about you that resulted in words—that might have become a ‘curse’ of sorts?

Sometimes we feel trapped in the bondage of depression. It has become our ‘way of life’. We have been depressed so long, we’ve stopped thinking there is any other way to live. We have become so accustomed to believing and saying negative things about ourselves and others—we’ve stopped considering what it is we are really doing. Maybe you have never thought of the things you say as carrying all that much power. Maybe you grew up hearing a pattern of negative and depressing conversation. You may have learned your behavior. If you’ve had the same problems with depression that your ancestors had—it may not have as much to do with chemistry as it has to do with the power of the tongue. If you want things to change for the better—you have to stop doing what you’ve have always done.

Declaration: I will find new strength by breaking every curse against me in the Name of Jesus Christ. I will purposely look for good things to speak. I will begin a new way of life by choosing to speak positively about 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.