Giving Up Sugar Tasting God’s Goodness
As a latchkey kid, Wendy Speake turned to sugar for comfort. Every Friday, she would pedal to the candy show and use her allowance to fill her bag with candy. And one day, when she was older and a mom of three young boys, she came to realize that she was still pedaling away from her stress and using sugar as comfort, instead of turning to Jesus. She was joyless, worn out, tired, and in need of a change. In this interview, Wendy will challenge Christians to take 40 days to focus on fasting from something they turn to instead of Jesus for comfort. She invited people to break free from a dependence on sugar and taste the goodness of God.
Cure #2 Confessing Sin Is Healing
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
Satan has no more guilt-missiles to lob your direction when you are honest. Now, you will face the repercussions for participating in sin. Overcoming fear is vital at this stage. You are not going to die if you confess though you may feel like it.
Satans kingdom is helpless when you are honest, humble, and contrite. What does humility look like? Shame is a counterfeit to humility, so save yourself the trip and come clean the sooner, the better. Humility is also repentance with measurable actions that change the long-term outcome for the better. When you repent, receiving forgiveness from God is imperative to the curing process.
Sensitised Pathways Remain Even When You Quit Your Addiction
Thus, its really DeltaFosB that causes sensitisation and it does this by creating stronger and more powerful nerve connections in the brain. Long after an addict has quit using and DeltaFosB levels have returned to normal, these sensitised pathways remain. This explains why alcoholics who have been sober for many years may still suffer from strong cravings when they walk into a pub.
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What Do We Mean By Bringing Kingdom
Heres some background to paint the picture of how God has intended for us to live here on earth. It goes back to the 1st century. When the Roman Empire conquered a new territory, they would send out heralds or messengers to bring the good news or the gospel and inform the new territories that they were now a part of the Roman Empire.
These new territories of Rome were now subject to Caesar and were expected to pay taxes, among others things, as members of this new government.
When Jesus Christ came to earth, he ushered in the Kingdom of God. Jesus brought the Good News and the Gospel that said we are all children of the King! We have been adopted into his family and we are to live as Beloved Sons and Beloved Daughters of the King! How cool is that?
The Good News and the Gospel are more than just about salvation in Christ! Thats just the beginning. Theres so much more to living in freedom as a child of the King!
Jesus made it simple for us to live as members of his kingdom when he said there are really only two commands we need to follow:
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy
ACT is similar to CBT in that it helps you identify thought patterns that affect addictive behaviors, but ACT emphasizes acceptance as a way to manage negative thoughts.
Group therapy is also a helpful option for anyone who is dealing with compulsive sexual behavior. Research has found that connecting with others who are experiencing similar issues can make you feel less alone, and decrease shameful feelings.
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Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
Setting And Managing Goals
Goals can give your life purpose and direction, as well as motivate healthy behaviors focused on improving your life. However, they can also be very overwhelming and a source of stress. Because of this, you want to be careful when setting goals.
This CBT coping skill involves approaching your goals in a way that improves your mood and quality of life as opposed to increasing distress. This could be by setting smaller goals versus bigger ones, for instance, or breaking larger goals down into more manageable chunks.
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Why Your Kids Misbehave And What To Do About It
Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing toys or food. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know just how to push your buttons. Youve tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work. In this book, Dr. Kevin Leman reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work . . . and are a long-term win for both of you.
The Effects Of The Past
Counselors can also help the betrayer and the betrayed work through their family histories and learn the ways that their emotions have been shaped by experiences, particularly traumatic events, throughout their lives. Both individual and marriage counseling are important to provide the best opportunities for recovery and to rebuild the relationship.
The couple reflected on their negative interactions and were able to link some of those to previous wounds or core beliefs. Katie and Dave discovered how to identify and share their feelings and needs with each other. And they learned how to take responsibility for their own needs and to employ healthy self-soothing measures when needed.
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Psychological And Emotional Needs
It is important to remember when working towards recovery that your addiction is routed in complex emotional and psychological causes.
You may need to alter your life in other ways to help you in your recovery. There may be certain relationships or habits in your life that jeopardize recovery.
It may also be necessary to consider how you process and express emotions and how you communicate with those around you. A professional treatment centre will help you to do this.
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There Is Hope And Forgiveness In God
In 1 Corinthians, we read: No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it .
And Proverbs tells us: Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy .
There is no disputing Gods love. Its a love we cannot even fathom. Because of this immense love, He will forgive us if we seek forgiveness.
Just as it keeps you from true intimacy with your spouse, it keeps you from an intimacy with God.
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Can Affect Daily Functioning
Being glued to a screen displaying pornographic material can be very obstructive to your daily flow. It can hinder productivity in the workplace, at home, and in social settings.
The overwhelming need to watch others engage in intercourse can become more important than the meeting scheduled with a client, attending the doctors appointment, or even taking much-needed time to relax and enjoy the day.
Love Your Neighbor As You Love Yourself
Did you see those last four words of the second command? We blow right past that and have little idea what that really means. I cant possibly love others if I dont love myself. Its not a selfish, arrogant or narcissistic love. It is realizing that we were all born to be loved by a tender, loving Father who relentlessly pursues us whether we see it, feel it, or know it.
As a citizen of this new kingdom that Jesus has ushered in, we are called to live life loving the Father and loving others.
Bringing Kingdom happens every time a citizen of the Kingdom of God loves another human being as they love themself. Going one step further – this ministry is about men realizing who they are and not what they do, and unlocking the Truth of what it means to live out of their identity as a Beloved Son of the King.
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Dont Beat Yourself Up If You Fall Off The Wagon
Trying to break a habit or recover from an addiction is a journey. Unfortunately, on that journey, you might find yourself slipping back into old habits. Whenever that happens, dont waste any time beating yourself up.
Do your research, try more coping mechanisms and treatment options and get back on the wagon.
Embracing Your Role As A Spouse
As a spouse, you have three roles to playa friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. Youll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.
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Effective Habits To Embrace In Parenting
To be an effective parent, you must be a leader in your childs life, guiding with a gentle hand and setting a solid example. Dr. Randy Schroeder provides the insight you need to be a leader-parent. As he explores the foundational Rsrelationship, routines, responsibilities, and rulesyoull better understand the role you play in your childs life. Youll learn great phrases to employ such as Either/Or/You Decide and When You/Then You. While there is no perfect parent, this nuts-and-bolts material will equip you to lead your child in a loving, confident manner.
If Youre Concerned About A Loved One
It may be a problem if you notice that your loved one:
- watches while at work or at other inappropriate places and times
- is unable to keep up with their social, occupational, or other important obligations
- is experiencing relationship difficulties
- has tried to cut back or stop, but cant keep themselves away from it
If someone you care about shows signs of a compulsion or addiction, it may be time to open the lines of nonjudgmental communication.
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Activities That Speed Up Your Reboot
Hypofrontality also reverses, but this takes time. You may speed up this process by engaging in activities such as meditation that are known to engage your frontal lobes. This will help reverse hypofrontality and thus strengthen your willpower. This will mean urges will become easier to ignore and healthy choices such as exercising and socialising will become far more appealing.
How Our Helpline Works
For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, the PsychGuides.com helpline is a private and convenient solution.
We are standing by 24/7 to discuss your treatment options. Our representatives work solely for AAC and will discuss whether an AAC facility may be an option for you.
Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. Neither PsychGuides.com nor AAC receives any commission or other fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a visitor may ultimately choose.
For more information on AACs commitment to ethical marketing and treatment practices, or to learn more about how to select a treatment provider, visit our About AAC page.
If you wish to explore additional treatment options or connect with a specific rehab center, you can browse top-rated listings or visit SAMHSA.
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Fund our mission: An investment in the FF is an investment in marriages, families, churches and the next generation of spiritual leadership in the Church.
Help us create new content to equip the leaders and participants alike.
Update and refine our program and application, so that the support and tools we provide men and women on the difficult path to freedom are effective.
Support our ongoing, practical, ministry-based research into effective recovery and the culture in which were ministering.
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Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1
Our monthly givers understand that changing hearts and minds takes time. They help us ensure the Freedom Fight is always available and always free. If you give monthly, you will receive our special monthly updates on how Freedom Fight is helping the church win the battle for the next generation of young men and women and this generation of marriages and regular opportunities to pray for us.
Reward Circuits: Seeking Pleasure And Avoiding Pain
At its most basic level, the reward circuit allows us to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. Our very survival depends on the avoidance of pain and the repetition of pleasure. To this end, the reward circuit encourages us to engage in activities that either further our survival or the survival of our genes. These activities include sex, eating, bonding, achievement, play, novelty and taking risks.
We literally do not make a decision without consulting our reward circuit. The reward circuit emotionally justifies what we do like and what we dont like. When you are addicted to something, your reward circuit is out of balance. This affects your mood, your perception and your decision-making powers.
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What To Do When You’re Not Okay
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
The Reward Circuits Of The Brain
The reward circuit of the brain is also known as the limbic system or primitive brain. This refers to our evolutionary ancient structures contained in the brain. These structures are involved in almost all emotional and physical function you may think of. These structures essentially keep us alive.
Changes in the reward circuits may affect any aspect of behaviour and may even physiological functions. The reward circuit shapes are moods and colours our emotions. Fear, joy and rage all arise from these evolutionary ancient structures. Most of our desires and drives arise in the reward circuit, such as hunger for food, power or sex. The reward circuit also allows us to become addicted to certain behaviours.
Alterations to the reward circuits are responsible for most mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and social anxiety.
Reward circuit structures such as the hypothalamus and the Amygdala influence or control major functions such as male sexual behaviours, erections, the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system. The bottom line is that chemical or structural alterations to the reward circuit may result in wide and varying effects.
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It Can Affect Your Partner’s Self
When a partner observes their partner drawing away physically, preferring instead to turn to pornit can be a heavy blow to their self-esteem.
Questions around their abilities in bed, the interests of their partner, and what other areas they may be falling short might consume the significant other of a person with this hypersexual disorder.
Enroll In A Support Group
If you go off the wagon, dont be hard on yourself.
It takes time and effort to try to kick a habit or overcome an addiction. Unfortunately, you might find yourself reverting to old patterns during that journey. When it occurs, dont waste time criticizing yourself.
Do some research, test out more coping strategies and recovery possibilities, then get back on track.
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Loving Your Spouse Through The Seasons Of Marriage
Debra Fileta has identified the four seasons of marriage that correspond with our natural seasons spring , summer , fall , and winter . In this interview, she will help couples better understand the four seasons of healthy relationships, what to expect during each one, and how to carefully navigate them for a stronger marriage.
Read This Prayer When Lustful Thoughts Come To You
One of the spiritual sages I met advised me to recite the following prayer of the Prophet :
O Ever-Living, O Sustainer! I call upon Your mercy for and I seek refuge from Your punishment. Rectify all my affairs and do not entrusts me to myself or to any of Your creation for even the blink of an eye.
Yayyu y Qayym, bi-ramatika astaghth, wa min adhbika astajr, ali l shan kullah, wa l takiln il nafs wa l il aadan min khalqika arfata ayn.
Another very useful prayer is the following:
My Lord! I seek Your protection against the insinuations of the devils and I seek your protection against them approaching me.
I recite these repeatedly whenever I am triggered or lustful thoughts enter my mind. I have found consistently that these thoughts go away and I get distracted by something else after reading the prayers. These prayers can be found in many collections of daily supplications. I personally recite it from the collection of Imam al-Haddad called Wird-al-Latif. If you dont already have a routine of reciting supplications, I highly recommend incorporating this collection in your daily routine. It has all the important prayers the Prophet advised for daily recital and takes only a few minutes to complete.
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