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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

the power of the tongue

Keeping yourself clean

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Topic: Keeping yourself clean

Focus: Becoming accountable

Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV) Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

On the day you were born, you had the traumatic experience of being taken from a snug spot where everything was familiar–to a life where nothing was the same for you anymore. Frankly, you had outgrown your space and it was time for change.

You came out pretty messy. Somebody had to clean you up and cover your nakedness. You were completely helpless. You didn’t always like the realities of your new life. It wasn’t fun when you had to actually cry to let someone know you were hungry, tired, or had a soiled diaper. Yet, you were totally vulnerable and unable to care for yourself—so that’s what you had to do.

You might have the idea that your needs weren’t cared about or met back then, but they were—or you wouldn’t have made it through that period of your life. Somebody was there for you and did the best they could to provide for you.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

As you got older, you became capable of doing some things on your own. Good thing. If you had lived your whole life and never learned to bathe and take responsibility for your own physical hygiene, you may not have survived. If you had never done anything to keep yourself clean, in plain and simple terms—you’d  have become a smelly mess. Someone nobody would want to be near!

When the condition of depression and dependency becomes truly overwhelming, you come to the stark realization that you really can’t make it anymore. Without a drastic change and the help of God—you aren’t going to live.

On that day—you are ‘born’. You’re ripped from a place of familiarity into a life where things may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable. You are probably pretty messy, besides. Not a cute little bundle anymore, but maybe a wreck—with a lot of baggage. Still, just like on your ‘birth day’, you are helpless. Everything you have tried has failed and you need someone stronger than yourself to help you make it. Quite possibly, you’ve worn out all of your family, friends, and relationships. There is no one to turn to anymore–but God.

Coming to this acknowledgment is pivotal, but it isn’t where the story ends—nor is it the sole solution to your problems, by far. Now, you must begin the process of submitting yourself to someone else’s hands to clean you up and help you learn to live a new way–a way that isn’t going to end up literally killing you…like depression and dependency will, if you don’t stop the pattern.

In the same way that the bath you received on your ‘birth day’ wasn’t the only one you would ever need—your new life is going to require constant self-examination and a willingness to stay accountable and ‘cleaned up’ on a daily basis, for it to be a lasting change.

Declaration: I choose to give God daily permission to search me and know me. I will find new strength as I am accountable to Him and to those He has placed in authority over me. With the help of God, I will learn to keep myself clean and not put the responsibility on other people anymore.

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.

Embracing your life as a legacy 

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Topic: Legacy

Focus: Embracing your life as a legacy

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

I believe this verse was written for you personally. You might automatically think, “Yeah, right—this was written thousands of years ago about somebody else, not me”. Well, I differ on that philosophy. Please stay with me and keep reading…

Another scripture in the Bible worth considering, says this: Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us –2 Timothy 3:16-17 (The Message).

Try imagining your life was truly ‘ordained’–that God saw possibilities in you even when you were still in your mother’s womb. He saw you as someone who would have successes and failures. Someone who would possibly be tempted to give up. He knew you would question at times why you were born—but most importantly, He saw you as someone He could use as an example to others—just like He used a person who lived in Bible times, named David.

David was a simple shepherd boy. He had seven or eight brothers and a couple of sisters. He was the youngest son of a man named Jesse. David was singled out by the Prophet Samuel and anointed as king of Israel while he was literally in a field watching sheep. Several years went by before he actually reigned as king. In the meantime, he was still a shepherd–who was also a musician—who also killed a giant with a sling and a stone, because he called on God for help.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

During his younger years, David was brought before King Saul to play the harp. Even though the king was pleased with David’s musical ability and trusted David to be his armor bearer, later he became extremely jealous of David.

In the years that follow, David spends a lot of time running for his life because King Saul wants to kill him. When he finally becomes king, David goes through several marriages. He commits adultery with another man’s wife and she becomes pregnant. David arranges for the man to be killed in battle. When the baby is born, it dies. One of David’s grown sons rebels against him and tries to kill him. David struggles with depression. David has physical problems—open sores that won’t heal. He wins many battles. He writes songs for God, based on his experiences. He adds other people’s compositions to his own and creates a collection of songs called, “The Psalms”.

David’s life is a long list of failures and successes. God calls David, ‘the apple of His eye’. David is the father of Solomon, who is known as the wisest man who ever lived—who also succeeded his father as king. David is one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ.

David was an ordinary guy who depended on God. Some of the words he wrote were later referred to as ‘prophecy’. Because he wrote down his failures and victories, he was able to leave a legacy. What if he hadn’t bothered to do that? Or, what if he had only written down the ‘good stuff’?

He couldn’t have been proud of his mistakes. But, in all of his circumstances—David was humble about his life. He was willing to admit when he was wrong. He knew his strength and any goodness in him, came from God–and he always gave God praise.

Declaration: I will embrace the sum total of my failures and successes, as the legacy of my life—knowing that both the bad and the good are a part of my ‘whole story’. I will live each day with new strength and give God praise.

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

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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.

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.

Predicting a positive outcome

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Topic: The power of the tongue

Focus: Predicting a positive outcome

1 Peter 3:10 (NCV) A person must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days. He must not say evil things, and he must not tell lies.

Everyone wants to enjoy life and have many happy days. So, why would a person who is having a happy day say bad things or tell lies? Take it one step further and think about the opposite—would a person who is saying bad things and telling lies expect to have a happy day?

So if we want to have an enjoyable life, we should focus on what comes out of our mouth, because ‘what comes out’ has a lot to do with what kind of life we will have.

The other day, I was thinking about a lot of things that are ‘up in the air’ right now in my life. Things that I’d like to see turn out well. I was praying at the time and just talking things over with God. I felt impressed to ‘fast forward’ my life to ‘some point in the future’, and make a declaration about how things turned out. I had time to think and pray, so I systematically went through every concern I could think of and just spent time thanking God for how each thing turned out—as though it were all in the past.

It felt good to hear myself saying the positive outcome of present situations in the lives of my children, my parents, family, friends, co-workers, my husband and myself.

When we’re concentrating on the many possible ways some things might turn out, our minds become full of ricocheting thoughts. The act of contemplating leads to internalizing a variety of potentially positive and negative outcomes that keep colliding inside of us and we’re kept from having any kind of real peace.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

When we ‘call those things which are not, as though they were’—according to Romans 4:17, we’re speaking with faith-filled words. God can bless faith. He can bless what we say, if it doesn’t contradict His Word. He loves it when we draw deeply from His well, and put Him to the test. He has all the resources He needs and can do whatever He wants—we just need to remember how great He is and that He’s bigger than any problem we have.

It takes real self-discipline to not be shaken by what we see, when just about everything around us is in ‘melt down mode’.

Aside from a momentary relief—it doesn’t really do much good to speak our mind about what’s bugging us. When we’re focused on how bad things are and the assumed probability that things are only going to get worse, we’re establishing our thoughts as facts, and literally giving life to them.

What are you facing today that you’ve been mulling over in your mind? Are the things you’ve been ‘working on’ keeping you from enjoying your life and having happy days? Are you so consumed with anxiety that you haven’t even thought about laughing very much lately?

When you run into someone you haven’t seen for a while who asks what’s going on with you, what comes out of your mouth? Do you launch into a long and detailed chain of dramatic events you’re currently pre-occupied with—including the possible devastating endings to the various stories? Or do you speak with confidence about what you believe God is going to do, in spite the fact that you’ve had some recent challenges?

Why don’t you take some time to ‘fast forward’ about the things you’re concerned with right now. In your mind, go to some point in the future when all of this will be behind you. Speak as though you’re looking back at something that happened a while ago, and then say how it all turned out—in a positive sense. Make the things you say a prayer to God out of gratitude for the wonderful way everything came to pass.

In the future, when somebody asks how things are going in your life—don’t lie—but find ways to predict a positive outcome that will bring glory to God. Let your answer include the fact that God is doing something good for you—because He is! Don’t forget to confirm that you have been through worse times than these, and that God has never let you down.

Declaration: I will find new strength by viewing my present circumstances through the eyes of faith. I will train myself to speak more positively about my circumstances. I will use words that are filled with faith and not fear. As I speak about what is going to happen in the future, I will give glory to God, knowing He has promised never to leave me or forsake me.

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.

Forgiving Others

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Topic: Forgiveness

Focus: Forgiving Others

Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV) “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

As a child, I remember being told, “Tell your sister you’re sorry,” to which, I would reluctantly reply, “Sorrrry.” Often, I didn’t think I was the one who had done something wrong—and I viewed apologizing as an obligation.

When I was younger, it seemed like apologizing was mainly done for the benefit of the person I was apologizing to—so that they would feel better. And it wasn’t always easy to apologize. I don’t remember feeling better after I apologized during that time of my life. Most of the time, apologizing involved a loss of dignity. Having to admit we are wrong is humbling.

It’s common for young children to think they’re right most of the time. It’s hard to be told you’re wrong and it’s hard to have to apologize. It’s even harder to have to tell someone you were wrong when you don’t think you were. Some of those things don’t change very much as we grow older.

Sometimes I was the one who was apologized to. I remember not always feeling like I wanted to forgive the other person. It didn’t seem fair to me that they should be able to say they were sorry and get off the hook that easily. A simple apology didn’t seem adequate when harm had been done or pain was caused. Many times, I held a grudge.

As we become more acquainted with scripture and the principles of forgiveness, some sobering news is revealed. We begin to understand that forgiving someone is tied to our own ability to receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father. Once we have that information, everything changes. We are faced with the fact that ‘forgiving’ is no longer optional if we hope to gain ‘forgiveness’ for our own wrong doing.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

In recovery, we are encouraged do an ongoing fearless and searching moral inventory. In addition, we should be willing to make a list of the people who we have wronged, and make a serious attempt to apologize. Hopefully, in this process, the people we have wronged will be kind enough to accept our apology.

The purpose of pursuing the path of recovery is so that healing will take place in our heart and mind. We must not only be willing to apologize to those we have wronged, but also be willing to forgive those who have wronged us. Forgiving others is a critical issue, if we want to continue moving forward.

Sometimes forgiving others is just as difficult as apologizing. A part of us may not want to let go of resentment, bitterness, anger, and pride. Often, it’s a matter of principle that has kept us from apologizing—or forgiving someone, when there was ‘wrong’ on both sides. Someone has to make the first move, and neither one wants to ‘go first’.

Frequently, when one person has the courage to initiate the process—the other person admits their wrong also. Whether the other person takes responsibility for their part, or not—the person who offered their own apology and/or forgiveness stands clear.

When we refuse to forgive someone, we have taken a grave responsibility into our own hands. By not being willing to forgive, we have placed ourselves in the position of not being forgiven by God.

Once again, the Golden Rule comes into play. ‘Do unto others, as you would have done unto you’ also applies to ‘forgiveness’. In other words, ‘Forgive others, as you would like to be forgiven yourself.’

I don’t want to be the one to say that a person would go to hell if they didn’t forgive someone, but the Word of God makes no mistake in plainly stating that if we don’t forgive—we will not be forgiven by God.

Is it time to rethink some of the grudges you may be holding onto? Is it time to forgive those who may have deeply offended you whether it was recently, or long ago?

God isn’t the one who is holding back. He stands willing, able, and ready to forgive us—it is we, who must put aside our resentment, bitterness, anger, and pride and make the move. Once we are willing—God will give us the help we need to follow through.

Declaration: I will find new strength by laying down my resentment, bitterness, anger, and pride toward people who have offended me. I will take the bold step of forgiving those who have wronged me, no matter how humiliating it might be. I understand that my ability to be forgiven by God is at stake if I don’t take action and let go of the grudges I have held 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.