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Christina Cook Lee

Media Producer - Author - Blogger - Songwriter

wisdom

Guarding your mind

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Topic: Guarding your mind

Focus: Day by day

Psalm 90:12 (NKJV) So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Every day of your life counts…and so does every year. If you’re a person who has been clean and sober for any length of time, no doubt you numbered your days at first. As days turn into weeks, and months and maybe years, you are able to know a greater sense of sobriety and the humble gratitude that goes along with the milestones.

I will never forget the awful shame I experienced, when my eyes were finally opened and I realized what I had become. My emotions were raw. In those days, I wasn’t used to facing reality for any length of time. Even though I knew I couldn’t continue going in the direction I had been, it was difficult making the decision to stop. Those first days, weeks, and months were times when I felt very vulnerable.

Out of His great love, the Holy Spirit gave me a revelation of how much God cared about me. The love of my heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit gently drew me away from the wrong things I had been doing and put me on a right path that led to healing. By the grace of God, one year led to another.

If you started reading New Strength last January and made it all the way through to today, congratulations! I hope you have experienced what the title promised.

Whether you started somewhere through the year or at the beginning, please make the commitment to continue reading. If you open your heart, you will receive new insight and wisdom as God speaks to you through it each day.

When you continue to make daily deposits in your spiritual bank account—eventually, you will own a heart of wisdom.

(Read more below)

Now, you can listen and/or read!

Link to New Strength Audio Version

New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Divine wisdom will help you continue to make right choices in the future…and help you to keep making progress on your recovery journey.

New Strength was written “one day at a time” with you in mind. Each day as I have written, I asked the Lord to help me know what I could write that might help you. I asked Him to give me revelation that would make a difference for you. I told Him that I didn’t want to just fill another page with words, but I wanted to hear from Him and receive a message that would give you the hope and encouragement you needed to make it through another day.

The decision you have made is not an easy one. There will be times when you still may be tempted to turn back…please don’t. Make the effort to stay true to the conviction that led you to choose a better way.

Your life is a gift from God. It might not seem like it’s worth that much to you at this moment, but there can be a good future ahead, if you don’t give up.

God wants to continue healing your heart and restoring your mind. He wants to give you back everything that the enemy of your soul has stolen. He does not hold the past against you. His love has covered all your sin. Leave it with Him. Let it go. Keep walking in newness of life. Know the freedom that life in Him can give. He has a special plan for your life—like no one else’s. Nobody but you can fulfill the plan God has for your life.

Each of us has a mission to fulfill. There is someone out there who needs the encouragement you will be able to give them someday, if you stay on your course.

Colossians 4:5-6 says to be wise in the way you act around people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant and able to answer everyone in the way you should.

Ephesians 5:8-10 says that in the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. Devote your future to finding out what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 6:10 tells all of us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Declaration: I will find new strength in the love I have received from my Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. As I draw deeply from the experience of those who have traveled this path before me, I will be equipped to pass what I have learned on to others. I won’t step off the path. I will not give up. I will keep moving forward—day by day.

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.

Your purpose

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Keeping yourself clean

Focus: Your purpose

Psalm 20:4 (NKJV) May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.

As with anything, recovery results are best if you stay focused on moving forward and work on cultivating right desires. If you’re not getting the results you want, maybe you should examine whether your heart is really set on being completely whole and free.

Most people’s automatic response to whether their heart is set on being completely whole and free, would be “Well, of course it is.” But the reasons why some people stop making progress and why others continue to improve can be complicated.

We already know that a common contributor to a person’s depression and addiction is relationships—and the reason many people don’t continue to make progress in recovery is also because of relationships.

If relationships have contributed to your problem, there is something you need to really consider when it comes to whether you will win your battle, stay clean and find your purpose.

In order to truly succeed in recovery, you have to want recovery with all your heart—regardless of the condition of your relationships. Nothing about your relationships may change, but you’ve got to be determined that you will make progress in spite of any problems going on around you. That’s part of accepting the things you can’t change.

(Read more below)

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

You have to reach the point where your determination is so strong that nothing will talk you out of your decision. Hopefully, you’re getting there.

One thing that will help you, is if you work at developing a measure of ‘separation’ from your circumstances and people. I’m not talking about packing up and moving away. I’m suggesting that you learn to think differently than you have in the past. You can separate yourself from your circumstances and people in your mind, if you decide to. That’s having the courage to change the things you can.

The way you can do it is by separating yourself to the Lord and letting Him be the One you fall back on or turn to when things are weighing you down or tearing you apart. Surrendering yourself so wholly and completely to Him, that whatever happens around you is real and surreal—all at the same time. It’s really not as strange as it sounds.

God has a great purpose for your life or your struggle would not have been so intense. He has a plan for you that is far beyond what you may have imagined. Can you embrace that? Well, if you can, then you have to know that these struggles you are dealing with are just part of what has been sent to shape you more perfectly for that purpose.

There is no greater thing you could accomplish in this life than to hit the bull’s eye and fulfill that specific purpose God intended for you when you were still in your mother’s womb. Since you came out, all hell has been bent against you reaching that destiny. Do you feel the fire starting to rise up in you at the mention of those words? It should be.

Knowing that hell is against you, should make you want to fight back. You don’t have to. You could just keep letting the devil have his way with you. You could just keep letting him convince you that there is no such thing as greatness in your future. But, he’s a liar and a thief. Hasn’t he stolen enough from you? Are you going to let him keep taking more?

Rise up! Get mad at the devil! Get determined to be true to the call of the Lord on your life. You can’t deny it. You wouldn’t still be alive if God hadn’t ordained it. He can use death—or life, but He’s clearly not done with you or you wouldn’t still be here, and you surely wouldn’t be still reading this. Deep in your heart, you want to believe that God can do something with you. You want to believe that there is some redeeming quality in all that you’ve been through. Well, there is.

The whole thing is about to kick in if you will become determined enough to be completely sold out to letting things go the way God wanted them to go when He made you. The idea of that might scare you a little bit—or a lot. But it’s really up to you. God wants to grant you your heart’s desire—when you get your desire right. He wants you to learn to separate yourself so totally from your circumstances that nothing could keep you from succeeding. Ask Him what that means…

Declaration: I will find new strength as I surrender.

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.

Becoming a faithful friend

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Topic: Keeping yourself clean

Focus: Becoming a faithful friend

James 3:16-18 (NKJV) For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 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.

The Word of God is an amazing gift. There is so much truth to be found by anyone who is willing to seek. Answers to the longings of our hearts are within the pages of the Book. As we open our eyes to receive the words, the ‘life’ they contain goes into our minds and we are infused with real quality…we are transformed. The things that have been wrong with us…become right, as we learn how to grow and live in Christ.

When we are absorbed with concepts and images that disagree with God’s perfect ways—no wonder our relationships fall apart and we fail.

James 3:16-18 makes me think of a children’s song called ‘The Wise Man’. You might remember it from your own childhood. It’s been around as long as I can remember. Stick with me through the words and I will make some comparisons after you’re done reading them.

(Read more below)

NOW, YOU CAN LISTEN AND/OR READ!

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

The first verse says: The wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, the rains came down and the floods came up, the rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the rock stood firm.

Verse two: The foolish man built his house upon the sand, the foolish man built his house upon the sand, the foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, the rains came down and the floods came up, the rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the sand fell flat.

Verse three: So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, so build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, so build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the blessings will come down. The blessings will come down as the prayers go up, the blessings will come down as the prayers go up, the blessings will come down as the prayer go up, so build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I used to teach music to young children, I would tell them that ‘our life is like a house’—and ‘Jesus is the Rock’.

The wise man who built his house on the rock makes me think of someone who would want their life grounded in the wisdom of the Word of God, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. A person with qualities like those would be easy to live with!

The foolish man who built his house on the sand reminds me of someone who is unstable in every way. Anyone who built a house with no foundation would also be likely to suffer from the negative effects of envy, selfishness, confusion, and every evil thing. Some of us have had the unfortunate experience of being that person—or knowing that person. Not fun…

Nobody is actually born with the gift of ‘getting along’ with everybody and being a faithful friend. Many of us have had a hard enough time being able to get along with one person, long term. When it comes to cultivating the ability to build strong and healthy relationships, we have to have the right things in our heart.

You can’t be filled with all kinds of negative stuff and expect that someone is going to ‘bring out the best in you’. If there’s nothing good in there—nothing good is going to come out. We are not naturally good inside. By nature, we are evil. The way to get good things ‘inside’ of us, is to purposely fill our mind with lasting truth from God’s Word. God will not allow His Word to fail. Filling ourselves with His Word helps us become strong and victorious.

Bad relationships can become better when people look to the Word of God for help. Good relationships can become better yet, when people allow the Word to guide and direct their lives.

You’ve heard the saying, “Into every life a little rain must fall.” In the course of time, rains come down and floods come up. In most people’s lives there will be times when it seems like you’re living through a hurricane. Whether you’re going through something like that or not, if you have a relationship that you want to last—what kind of foundation would you choose: sand, or the Rock?

Declaration: I will find new strength by filling myself with God’s Word. His truth will help me be a faithful friend.

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 wasting your life

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Keeping yourself clean

Focus: Not wasting your life

Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NKJV) For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God…

Many of the verses in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are written in a way that compares the way of the righteous to the way of a fool. Often the author gives us a picture of words that shows us the results of certain actions. Ecclesiastes 2:26 is a good example of this type of writing. It compares one who is ‘good’ to one who is a ‘sinner’. The basic message of this verse is that the ones who God sees as sinners will have to serve those who He sees as good.

The verse doesn’t ask the question, ‘Which would you rather be?’ but the message is implied as you read it.

Much of life is lived haphazardly when people don’t take the importance of seeking God seriously. People can go through day after day, aimlessly allowing events to effect the direction of their lives—rather than making time spent seeking God a real priority.

It’s not that people who seek God will become healthy, wealthy, and wise in worldly terms—but in kingdom principles, they are promised eternal rewards and everlasting joy. They will possess a kind of health, wealth, and wisdom that the world knows nothing about.

(Read more below)

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

It’s never too late to turn your eyes upon Jesus. Everything changes when you do. When your gaze has been fixed on the Savior, all else pales in comparison. The things you once held dear, you are willing to count as loss without a second thought when you’re walking toward the cross.

When you have been through a lifetime of pain and disappointment, what have you got to lose by having a look at the Savior? What have you got to gain, if you don’t?

You have a job ahead of you, if you want to keep yourself clean and not end up back where you were before you made the decision to choose a new and better way of living. There will always be reasons to turn back. It doesn’t matter if you’re having a good day or a bad one—there is always an excuse to step off the path, if that’s what you’re determined to do. Chances are much better you won’t do that, if you choose ‘seeking God’ over other ‘temporary pleasures’.

There are rewards, either way you choose. Rewards are not always things that are bright and beautiful. Rewards can be suffering and sorrow, also. People don’t normally set out in the wrong direction thinking they want to get some of that suffering and sorrow. What they think they’re going to get when they go the wrong way, is freedom—but the path to that kind of freedom doesn’t often lead them where they thought it would.

Matthew 7:13 (NKJV) says, “…for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The reward of walking toward the cross and keeping your eyes on Jesus, is that as you walk, you will receive divine direction for your daily life. You may not hear the voice of God in a burning bush, or be blinded with light from heaven, but you will receive guidance when your attention is trained on the Lord expectantly.

When you’ve been through a period of extreme darkness, any kind of light might look like the right light to you—but don’t be fooled. Don’t trade your hard earned progress for anything. Your life is not a hopeless case. The right path will not lead you to the wrong destination.

Psalm 37:5-6 (NKJV) says, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Verses 16-17 go on to say, “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.”

Don’t take one single day of your journey for granted. Don’t put yourself at risk by listening to the wrong voices and stepping off the path into enemy territory. Your life is a precious treasure that has an extremely high value to the One who created it. Jesus paid a dear price to redeem you and offer you true freedom from destruction. Take every step with clarity and certainty that it is the Lord who you are following after and not earthly pleasure. One choice has lasting positive benefits—the other does not.

Declaration: I will find new strength by seeking God, who will reward me with wisdom, knowledge, and joy, if I keep making the right choices.

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.

Food for thought

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Topic: Keeping yourself clean

Focus: Food for thought

Proverbs 13:4 (NKJV) The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

There are lazy people and diligent people—and there are lots of others who are somewhere in between. Laziness may not characterize your life in every way, but we can all learn something from Proverbs 13:4.

Being told you’re lazy is not something any of us wants to hear…even if we are. Laziness has a way of making those who are lazy, become quite sensitive about it. If you’re depressed, it’s totally possible you don’t see yourself as lazy at all—just overwhelmed.

You may not want to think about laziness, and you might already be tempted to just skip this segment, but most of what I will say here comes from my own personal experience. I am not pointing a finger at anyone…it’s just food for thought.

One of the things depression can do is make you not want to get out of bed. It’s common for depressed people to escape from their reality by sleeping more than normal. Their thoughts are exhausting to them, so they never feel like they’ve had enough rest. When they’re sleeping, they don’t have to think about their problems. When they’re awake, they think about their problems and begin to feel tired from thinking about them…so pretty soon they’re sleeping again.

(Read more below)

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

Depression can make you want to look for ways to not have to face life. It can sometimes make you want to spend an abnormal amount of time in front of the TV or playing games—as a way of protecting yourself from the hard things going on in your family or friendships.

At any rate, watching TV helps you fall into a comfortable ‘zone’ with your regular programs. Your life becomes safely predictable, as you live vicariously—or as an observer. Your time is filled with ‘other people’, whose lives seem so much more interesting than your own. You may even begin to bond with some of the characters and feel like you really know them. Hours go by—but you don’t really see your pastime as laziness.

You might be bored with your life, but not know of any solutions for solving the situation. Maybe everyone you know seems to be busy with their lives and you don’t see yourself fitting in with their busyness, so you just ‘veg out’, in one way or another.

The patterns of escaping reality almost always come about gradually. It’s completely possible you didn’t make the decision to ‘disengage’, it just happened little by little. Not being involved with others gives some people a pretty good excuse to let things go. When there’s not much chance anyone’s going to come over to see you, you don’t see much reason to keep things cleaned up, and a ‘Who cares?’ attitude can develop.

The problem with these kinds of behavior is that they become habits—or, places to ‘hide’. When you get used to being out of touch—it gets easier to turn down invitations and stop going places you don’t have to go. You start to prefer solitude, because being with people requires you to pay attention to their interests and focus on what they are saying—and at the moment, you just truly don’t feel like you have the energy to do that.

If these things have unintentionally been going on with you—a type of laziness has developed—a lull that you can’t seem to find the will to break out of. There is no way to make real progress in that limbo state, and according to Proverbs 13:4, it leads nowhere and gains nothing.

The verse goes on to say that the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. The soul of the diligent seeks after God. Having God is the same as possessing all things. Seeking after God brings new life because He is the source of life itself. You can’t seek after God and get more depressed. By not seeking after Him you will definitely get more depressed.

One thing is sure, things won’t change unless you determine that they will. If you don’t intentionally seek after God, you will lose your ‘edge’. When you don’t have an ‘edge’, you are ‘dull’.

Seek God and get life.

Declaration: I will find new strength by determining to break out of lazy patterns that are causing me to lose my ‘edge’. I will intentionally seek after God and win the battle against depression by fighting back.

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.

Finding wisdom

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Topic: Right relationships

Focus: Finding wisdom

Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV) He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Companionship with fools probably helped contribute to your problem if you are in recovery from dependency. Those who are recovering from depression, are sometimes prone to listen to the wrong voices, also. Proverbs 13:20 suggests a solution. It says to ‘walk’ with wise people, if you want to be wise. But where do you find someone who is wise, if you don’t know anyone who seems to fit that description?

If you own a Bible, you could search the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes for wisdom. Both books were written by ‘King Solomon’, who is known as the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon had a wealth of practical principles and cared enough to write them down so others could benefit. For centuries, wise people all over the world have found answers to their questions and recommendations on how to live in right ways in the pages of these books of the Bible.

Proverbs and Ecclesiastes aren’t the only books of the Bible that contain wisdom. The whole Bible is filled with wisdom, but it’s clear that you won’t find it unless you look for it. Wisdom is not something that just ‘comes to you’. You find it by associating with wise people, reading wise words, filling your mind with wise thoughts, and learning from your past experience.

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 3:7 (NKJV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.

Proverbs 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Proverbs 10:13 (NKJV) Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.

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Link to New Strength Audio Version

 

New Strength Inspirational Statement of the Day

Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 13:1 (NKJV) A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

Proverbs 13:10 (TLB) Pride leads to arguments; be humble, take advice, and become wise.

Proverbs 14:8 (NIV) The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.

Proverbs 15:31 (NIV) Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.

Proverbs 16:16 (NKJV) How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 20:1 (NET) Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Proverbs 24:14 (NKJV) …Wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Ecclestiastes 2:13 (NLT) …Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness.

Ecclestiastes 2:26a (NIV) To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 (NKJV) For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (NIV) A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.

Ecclesiastes 10:2b (NIV) The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

Declaration: I will find new strength by finding wisdom and wise companions.

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.