Freedom NEWSLETTER Brought to you by New Life Spirit Recovery               January, 2009    Volume 1, Issue 1   A Word From the Director He Still Delivers by Dr. Robert T. Tucker   In this Issue:   A Word from the Director   Feature Article: The True Path to Recovery   Help for the Family Member: What's My Role in Addiction?   Alumni News   Meet the Staff   Points of View and Perspectives: "Alcoholics, Addicts & Doors"   Personal Testimonies   Poetry Corner     As we introduce our newsletter to you for the first time, I would like to share a recent blessing with you, the birth of my second daughter Isabella Grace, the best Christmas gift I could ever have hoped for.  Yes my little sweetheart was gift wrapped in a beautiful mommy package (Stephanie) and delivered into my arms on November 5, 2008 at approximately 4:00 pm.  She was an itty bitty one at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and 19 - ½ inches long, just slightly bigger than her sister Arianna, born sixteen months prior.  Both Isabella and mom are doing great and Arianna has already adjusted to the arrival of her new sister.   God never ceases to amaze me.  Some years ago, my destructive behaviors finally caught up with me and stripped me of practically everything.  My drug use and abuse had a Judge preparing to deliver a twenty three year prison sentence.  As everyone and everything disappeared around me, God's presence and my need for Him became very clear.  The moment I turned to Him and surrendered, He became a big part of my life and never left my side.  He became my best friend, my teacher, my comforter, my provider, my everything!  Sometime during my second year in jail, still not yet sentenced, He told me He was going to set me free and give me a new life.  I believed Him although no one else did including my lawyer, but in spite of them, He delivered just as He said He would.  He blessed me with a seven year sentence rather than the twenty three the Judge intended to deliver, leaving me with just enough time to complete my studies before going home.      The most important lesson I learned throughout the experience was His transformation process.  As I spent those years with Him in a cell (a sabbatical of sorts), His transformation process was taking place.  He made changing a whole lot easier than one would expect.  He doesn't expect us to change, just to surrender, and as we spend time with Him, we become like Him.  He is the One that makes the changes within us.  Pretty simple!   Still to this day, He proves over and over again that He is true to His word.  His word says that He will give us the desires of our heart.  Having a daughter was my lifelong desire, and once again, He out did Himself.  He not only gave me one, but two beautiful healthy daughters and a beautiful God loving wife to share them with.                      The True Path to Recovery by Dr. Robert T. Tucker As we begin our journey along the pathway of recovery, we find that there are things that need to be done, steps that need to be taken, in order to achieve the fullness of the promises that are revealed in the 12-step programs.  One of the biggest gifts we can receive is the gift of “true inner-peace and joy.”  We can see peace in the eyes of some of the “old timers,” those that have pioneered before us.  They are living examples to follow.  Their serenity, their “inner-peace and joy,” comes from the effort they put forth in making the necessary changes in their lives.  For the most part, this “peace and joy” comes from God through changes that He makes on the inside of us.  God is the giver of true “peace and joy.” The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.”  Understanding a little about God’s power, and realizing how much He loves us are essential factors in the process of recovery.  Once you’ve “cleaned house” (with His help), and are allowing Him to manage your life, thing will begin to flow more smoothly.  His peace and joy is something that fills us from the inside, and nothing in this physical world can duplicate it, or take it away.  The counterfeit, the fulfillment that comes from the things of this world, are only temporal.  They are counterfeits of the “real thing,” and have the ability to do serious damage.  Their short-lived satisfaction (or escape) always ends with disappointment, heart-ache, and destruction.  The emptiness we sometimes feel deep within our gut is something only God can fill.  It’s a spiritual void that came into existence when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.  They became separated from God, leaving a vast emptiness with-in, and we’ve all inherited that “gut-deep” void.  We try to fill it with all kinds of (counterfeits) things such as drugs, alcohol, sex, money, pornography, and other obsessions that are also known as “fixes.”  The Bible calls them idols.  An idol is anything we put in place of God.  Those that have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and have continued to apply His principles into their lives, (trusting in, and being obedient to Him) have found the “true inner-peace and joy” that only comes from spending time with Him.  They’ve learned to practice the steps, which are Biblical principles, in every situation, and in all areas of their life.  These steps are “a spiritual prescription of scripture” (a gift from God) written specifically for the obsessive sinner.  If they are worked properly, and if they are applied properly, they have the ability to: God has provided everything we need for recovery.  Addiction is not the initial problem, but an outward expression of a much deeper problem.  Addiction actually becomes an extension of the underlying problem.  The root is spiritual and needs to be dealt with through spiritual solutions.  Step three suggests that we “let go and let God,” the Bible tells us to “deny the flesh” and “walk in the spirit.”  As we get more familiar with His Word, and begin to experience His love, His transforming power changes us into the person He created us to be.  Giving our will and our life over to His care means that we must make Him Lord as well as our Savior.  We must sincerely put our trust in Him, and obey Him, especially not ignoring the part about obedience to Him.  Most of us are more then willing to receive Him as our Savior but, for convenience sake, are not willing to recognize Him as Lord over our life.  He is Lord and we must treat Him as such.  We can see this accomplished in many that have pioneered before us.  We see a big difference in the ones that “have come to believe.”  The main contributing factor in the growing success of the 12 step programs is through attraction, not promotion.  The newcomer is drawn to the “glow” of hope he sees in the eyes of some of the members that have already found freedom.  If he is willing to follow their path, being completely honest with God, himself, and others, keeping an open-mind, he will begin to receive the promises (the blessings) that God has for all those that are truly walking with Him. It sounds pretty easy to accomplish.  How come most of us find it so hard?  We need to understand that even though these precious gifts are freely given by God, we need to take action on our part.  First we must accept defeat, surrendering to win.  Then we must be willing to follow suggestion and work the steps.  We need to learn about them, and then we must put them to work for us.  We must learn the meaning of application, because they are useless until we initially work through them, and then apply them into our daily living.  God uses “our surrender,” and “our willingness to let go and let Him,” as an invite for Him to enter in and clean up the mess we’ve made of our lives.  We also need to be aware that there is an enemy, ours as well as God’s, that doesn’t want us to receive anything from God.  Satan will do anything and everything possible to prevent or trip up the recovery process.  He’s actually the one that’s been leading us astray all along.  He tempts our sinful, lustful flesh into following his ways.  Of course we have a choice, (a free will) but unless we have the power of God residing in us, and choose to follow God’s ways, we will fall short and be lead astray every time we are tempted.  Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy lives.  Awareness of a problem is the first step towards a solution.  Drugs and alcohol are some of what he uses to loosen a man up.  With it, he knows, we’ll do many other things that we wouldn’t normally do.  Once we’ve bought into “his snare,”  “his lure,” “his lies,” it’s just a matter of time before we get desperate enough, and are willing to do practically anything for more.  It’s a powerful tool of Satan’s.  It’s time to realize what’s really been going on behind the scenes.           The Bible warns us in Eph. 6:10-12  A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. 1 Peter 5:8-11 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him, by standing strong in your faith. You know that your Christian family all over the world is having the same kinds of suffering. And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever. All power is his forever and ever. Amen. We must be educated, or at least aware, in order to survive.  God says that His people perish out of ignorance.  We need to be able to recognize Satan’s schemes, realize he is nothing but a liar and a tempter, has no power over us (except for the power we give it to him), and that we have all the power necessary, in Christ, to survive his attacks (only if we utilize it).  Satan is a real and potentially dangerous force in the world today, leading the evil side of the spiritual world just as he has throughout human history.  Often, Satan will act in subtle yet clever ways to try to turn people away from God.  Recognizing his strategies, then drawing on Christ's power, will enable you to successfully survive. Here are some ways Satan operates - and some ways you can effectively respond: Realize that your mind is the site of many spiritual battles.  Satan often tries to get people to think in ways that are contrary to God's Word, and then to act in ways that contradict God's will for them.  Read your Bible frequently, and think about what it says.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. When you look for a quick fix from something rather than trusting God to act in His time, and in His way, beware.  You're making yourself vulnerable to evil, because Satan frequently tempts people who seem frustrated by God.  Focus on God rather than on what you want, and trust that He will always act in love, according to what's best for you.  The way God works sometimes doesn’t make sense to us, because our perspectives are limited, and God's aren't.  Satan would like you to put your trust in your human reason, but standing firm in your faith in God, especially when His ways seem mysterious, will prove much more powerful. When you encounter ethical dilemmas in a variety of situations, Satan and his evil forces will try to influence you to bend God's Word to justify choices that seem more appealing than the Biblical ones.  Commit to rely on Biblical principles in all situations, and pray for the strength to do so.  Ask someone close to you to hold you accountable, and help hold that person accountable. Selfishness, expressed through pride and a lust for power, led to Satan's fall from his glory as one of God's angels.  Satan yearns to convince you that thinking and acting selfishly is best, but it will never bring you fulfillment.  Rather than seeking your own satisfaction in life, let your love for God and others be your motivation.  If you do, you'll be blessed.    Meet Our Staff New Life Spirit Recovery  Dr. Robert & Stephanie Tucker Owners/Directors Dr. Jerry Morris Consulting Physician Dr. Michael Belzman Director of Education Robert B. (3Bob) Manager Randall O. Assistant Elizabeth O. Intake Coordinator AOD Instructors Tom K. Roxanna G. Tracy C. Stephanie T. Robert B. Detox Dr. Jerry & Minda Morris Owners/Medical Director Dr. Robert & Stephanie Tucker Owners/Clinical Director Frank I. Manager Jeff T. Detox Technician   Juliet V. Detox Technician Heath K. Detox Technician Amy W. Detox Technician Victor R. Detox Technician Dane G. Detox Technician Other Volunteers & Helpers Sean & Missy S. Patrick S.   Kenny K. Thank you to all our dedicated staff members.      "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jer 29:11   Alumni News  Upcoming Alumni Events: January 31, 2009 Join us at the Atlanta House for a time of worship, testimony and baptisms. Please RSVP Bob and Amy at NLSRalumni@gmail.com. Our alumni events have been a great success! 3Bob's latest invention, "Speed Sponsor" is a fun way to get serious wisdom fast!  Our current clients get to square off with our alumni to get all the scoop on recovery, all in 60 seconds blocks. New clients find hope in the alumni's testimony and experience, and alumni have an opportunity to be of service. A Recent Alumni Event where clients and alumni played "Speed Sponsor." A special thanks to 3Bob, Randall and Amy for making these events happen each month.  To learn more about our alumni events and how you can participate, please contact us today!   Help for the Family Members: What's My Role in Addiction?     by Stephanie Tucker, MDAAC, MMin. Over and over again family members come to us confused, angry and overcome by a sense of hopelessness and fear that their loved one's addiction is out of control, and may even lead to death. They have grown weary of trying to help the addict in their life, and don't know where to turn. Perhaps you can relate to their pain. The question is what, if anything, can you really do to help a person in an addiction? Do you have a part in your loved one's  recovery? The answer may not be the one you've been seeking, but it is still an emphatic YES!      Confronting Your Role: Have I become an Enabler? No matter how frustrated you might have become by your loved one's addiction, it is important to understand how you may be unknowingly participating in the addiction cycle.  Trying to help an addict is a dificult and often impossible task. While most family and friends truly mean well, they sometimes end up falling in the trap of becoming an enabler. If you are covering up, excusing or overly trying to fix the addict in your life, there is a good chance you fall in this category. Enablers have good intentions, but as the addiction cycle progresses, they become as much a part of the problem as the addiction itself. Here are some key ingredients of understanding if you are showing the signs of enbablement:  Feeling as though your "help" will get the addict out of his or her addiction. Doing for the addict what he or she can and should be doing for himself or herself. Continually providing money, housing and other things to "make up" for what the addict isn't handling well. Being overly responsible to compensate for the addict's irresponsible behavior. Telling "white lies" or covering up negative behavior in order to rescue the addict from consequences.  This could include calling in "sick" to a boss or helping the addict avoid legal ramifications.   Help! What should I do now? If you recognize any of these behaviors, you need to get to help. The key lesson is for you to learn to establish boundaries. You must be willing to allow the addict in your life to feel the consequences of his or her behavior so he or she may be driven to want help. It is important that you understand that addiction is a manifestation of deeper emotional and spiritual problems. The addict needs to address the underlying roots that have lead up to this behavior. To simply tell an addict to "stop" won't work. Instead, you must hold the addict accountable for his or her responsibilities, obligations and roles. It is true that the addict is not able to function, but this very behavior must be confronted as unacceptable. Facing consequences for behavior is the key for each and every person in addictive behavior.  It is in these consequences that the pain and loss may become so great, the addict will finally seek help. How do you do this? You must decide beforehand what you will NOT allow, and propose a consequence if your loved one chooses to disrespect this. When that boundary is broken, you must be willing to allow the addict to feel and bear the burden of responsiblity for his or her action. This may mean losing a job, losing money, losing a place to live or having to face jail time. This is not meant to be easy, that is why it is called "tough love." Remember, this battle is for life and death. Is that Really Love? God's love is unique, and provides guidelines in all our relationships. The thing we must realize about God's love is that it operates in TRUTH and HOLINESS. God does not allow us to continue in our sin and bad choices without feeling the consequences. He lets us hurt, ONLY so that we will run to Him and allow Him alone to fix what is not working. We need to understand that when we allow a person to continue in his or her destructive behavior without allowing consequences, we are hurting him or her deeply. In fact, this is not love at all, but a term that we refer to as codependence. But just as God gives consequences for bad behavior, He does so for the motive of grace and forgiveness. He doesn't WANT an addict to continue down a path of destruction. He hopes that eventually when the pain is so severe, He'll be able to snatch an addict from Satan's grip. We must link boundaries and allowing painful consequences with the true purpose: to give the addict the opportunity to experience God's grace and mercy. Ultimately, God separates our behaviors from who we really are. God doesn't always approve of what we do, but He ALWAYS approves our core being because we are stamped, sealed and claimed as His very own child!  Remember, you never have to like or approve a behavior, but you can love a person no matter what. A Time to Surrender Addiction is a horrible stronghold. In full swing, an addict no longer is making a rationale choice, but is in complete bondage. By understanding this, you can stop trying to control, fix and change that person. You need to give that person over to God to allow His power to work in that person alone. It is amazing that when we make this transaction, we will experience a tremendous sense of freedom and peace, understanding God is bigger than addiction (and our own efforts!).    Oftentimes, people who have become enablers have issues in their own lives that need to be addressed. Do not be afraid to learn more about codependence and seek help. This may be a tremendous opportunity for your own personal growth! Practical Applications: Decide to love the person in your life struggling with an addiction, but hate and stand against his or her addictive behaviors. Realize you are at war with an addiction, but the person underneath truly needs help and love. Surrender this person over to God. It is His power alone that can set a person free. Spend more time praying and less time trying to fix the situation. Understand that you may be getting in the way of God's way of dealing with him or her. Decide right now what you will NOT allow as a result of your loved one's addiction. Determine consequences if the addict violates this. This may simply mean that you no longer intervene or try to save him or her, or you no longer will provide financial support. Get help and support for yourself. You too deserve and need the tools to find a peaceful and fulfilling life no matter what the addict in your life chooses to do. Join an Al-Anon or Celebrate Recovery group, or find a trusted friend who understands addiction and what you are going through. Stephanie Tucker is the Codependency and Family Counselor at New Life Spirit Recovery    Perspectives & Points of View ALCOHOLICS, ADDICTS AND DOORS  By Robert Bueapre, CDAAC, MMin.  This column is written by staff, alumni, or anyone who wishes to contribute. It is an individual's unique experience and perspective about recovery, but does not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of New Life Spirit Recovery. We welcome your articles. Please e-mail to nlsralumni@gmail.com.      After managing hundreds of residents in sober living environments, and seeing thousands of others, the alcoholic in me has drawn a few conclusions. Just a few, mind you- it seems new experiences happen daily in this field. One almost humorous thing I've noticed that we have very much in common is our skill or attitude with doors. Also proven is that our "door handling skill" seems to increase with our increase in clean and sober days. Sadly, I have seen that those who never learn these skills have a far lower chance of good recovery. I even tend to view a person's seriousness about recovery equated to their "door handling technique". So why door skills? The door is something we need to open in order to get something we want or to go someplace we want to go. It seems that when we are in addiction (or are new in recovery), we are in the mode of "getting what I want when I want it" . We seek to push open the door to have a compulsive need met. One might call this the "ego" side of the door. It represents self needs. In early recovery, we have become skillful at pushing through doors to meet our own needs.  In fact, we may not even know another purpose for a door but that. But there lies the problem. Our door skills will need to be changed because we must realize that this selfish way of living has caused us to run through doors for all the wrong reasons.   Conversely, the other side of the door may be called the "respect" side. As it is closed, one might be concerned with noise that others would have to endure. But "slam goes the door,"  without concern for its effect on the people or the room. If special circumstances beyond our control are present, we seem to have special permission to act even more without regard for others. Lateness for an appointment gives us a special license to slam that door. Those hydraulic hinges make it the door's fault (certainly not our responsibility!). But the point is that slamming doors has consequences. It's not just about "my need right now." It could hurt someone's ears. The door itself can even be damaged.  I've seen windows rattle, important papers blow away and pictures on the wall move. All because of the abrupt closing of the door. And can't we just admit that slamming doors is just plain rude and disrespectful?    In recovery, doors take on new meanings, because a new world opens up that isn't just about "me." This will certainly mean our  "door handling skills" will need to change! In recovery, we learn to respect others. We aren't slamming doors in faces, but gently clicking them shut.  Instead, we should be slamming doors on those unwanted places, like drugs, alcohol and gambling.    In order for us to change,  the new doors we will be asked to open may seem frightning. We will be asked to open door that will force us to confront our character defects, and the many ways we have hurt people in our life. We will open doors to make amends and seek forgiveness. See, when we were consumed by chasing our drug of choice, we had little time to develop correct character traits. So looking at this area in our lives at first might not feel good. Instead of compusively rushing through this door, we find ourselves timid and barely able to make it through.  Yes, the doors that show us truth are always scary.   Door handling skills is also a metaphor for a person's strategy for recovery. Some will battle on the lower levels of the mind, constantly mentally discussing issues, changing their mind, wrestling with emotions and action. Should I slam this door or not? Is it bad behavior? Can't I just have "one?"    But if the right door handling skills are taken, opening doors may mean finding a higher brain function, including a biblical value system, belief system or moral code. This higher leap has an added benefit. Imagine how many billions of brain cells are now free to work on more important matters. But even more important, Jesus said love your brother. Once that change happens, all the lower emotions and actions will naturally follow that path. It becomes impossible to slam a door because it would not be right to do that to your brother. In fact, it would no longer even be a decision that would need to be made because it would not be an option when we have developed skills like "consideration" and "respect".   I would encourage everyone to watch for slamming doors. That means someone needs some gentle help quick! But for yourself, keep walking through new doors - exciting doors of opportunity, doors that lead to true recovery and a renewed purpose of life. Walk into that meeting tonight. Go through the doors of the church. And most important, remember the ultimate door we walk though, the door of true life. Jesus said  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev 3:20).    Check your door handling skills. You might be surprised at what you can learn.   Robert Beaupre is the facility manager and a teacher and counselor at New Life Spirit Recovery.       Personal Testimonies   This is a real testimony of a client who recently participated in our program. She has willingly chosen to share her personal story, strength and hope she has found in her new life. We encourage all alumni or anyone who has experienced deliverance from an addiction to send us your story. E-mail to nlsralumni@gmail.com     Amy’s Story   Finding New Life Spirit Recovery was a complete blessing. I had been using drugs and alcohol for more than 10 years, and got hooked on my drug of choice about five years before. My parents tried everything to get me away from that terrible drug. They tried rehab, college (which I surprisingly graduated from, even while using), and again two more rehabs. Finally, my parents had enough and after I was living in a sober living and messed up once again, they told me they would get me help once again, but this would be the final time.   We spent one week looking at different rehabs. My parents didn’t know much about drug rehabs, but they knew that if I was going to get sober they had to get me out of the small town I had lived in all my life, besides the years I spent in college. We came upon New Life Spirit accidently online. We had pretty much decided on one rehab that I wasn’t thrilled about but I agreed to, because I didn’t want my parents to have to deal with me anymore. The afternoon before we were to go to that rehab my mom came upon a website for New Life Spirit. I will never forget when she looked at the website and asked me, “Haven’t you always wanted to find God?”   I looked at the website and knew it was the place for me. I always considered myself Christian, even though I had seldom gone to church and didn’t have a relationship with the Lord. I hardly knew anything about Jesus, never read the bible, and certainly did not live a life God would want me to live. The first day in treatment I felt completely out of place. The people that were already in the treatment were very nice, but I didn’t know them and I still wasn’t feeling too great after my detox. For the next few days I couldn’t eat or sleep. Thankfully, I had a counseling session with Pastor Bob. Crying to him I explained what I was going through and he told me that I should pray to God that He would help me sleep, help me to feel better. This idea was so foreign to me, that I almost laughed.. But I figured I had nothing to lose, so that night I prayed to God, possibly harder than I have ever prayed had before. Almost instantly I fell into a deep sleep. The next day I felt much better. It was then that I realized I had no doubt that God truly existed, and that Jesus was my savior and was watching out for me. It was at that moment that I was saved and gave my entire heart to the Lord   I stayed in treatment for two months. Most people chose to stay for only 30 days. I had done 30 day treatment programs before and since I never stayed sober after I completed these rehabs my parents thought it would be better for me to stay for two months. I think the two months helped me in feeling secure about my sobriety, but really it was giving my life to the Lord and forgiveness that really help me get sober.   I had graduated college about a year before I came to treatment, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life after I got sober. I began to pray about it and God began to show me a new path to walk down. I felt like he was telling me to become a Christian drug and alcohol counselor. Once he showed me this I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of it before. For the first time in my life I honestly felt like God had shown me my calling. He also began to open doors for me. Soon after I realized what I wanted to do in my life, Pastor Bob and Stephanie offered me a live in internship working in their detox facility. After a few nights of prayer I accepted the position gratefully.     On January 1, 2009 I will have 8 months sober. That is about 7 months and three weeks more than I have ever had before. I have great friends who love me for who I am, a job where I can help people who are in the same dark place I was only a short time ago, and a peace in my heart that I have never experienced before. I have family that support me more than I could ever imagine, and I have the knowledge that they are proud of me and no longer have to worry about where I am and if I am okay. Today I handle the trials God gives me with a clear mind and open heart, and I know that it is only because of Him that I am still alive and have a life I can be truly happy with.         Do you or someone you know need help? Call our free resource hotline 866-543-3361 Poetry Corner   Do you have a poem or a story to share about recovery? Submit it to NLSRAlumni@gmail.com    Lost Am I  by Kenneth Kelly   I have come to a place, there is no where else to go.  I have tried to turn and go back from where I once was.  I cannot find my way to that place.  I have gone down other paths, other routes, other options.  They all lead to the same dark dead end place.  It's becoming darker and darker.  I can no longer see, I cannot see my own hand in front of my face.  I dare not move.  Neither to the right or the left, I might fall to my doom, that might be a gift.  I need to move, but I can't.  I have to move, but I am frozen in the darkness.  I am lost......Putting my head in hands, I concede loss, I not only am lost, I have lost.  I never lost a wife, I never had one to lose.  I never lost a house,  I never had one of those either.  I never had anything of great value.  But I have lost myself.  I am at my end, its over.  I'm done, the little red button popped up on this turkey awhile back, I am well done.  I am quite beyond myself....in the darkness I heard somebody say seek God.  I can't see, I'm lost, I can't seek anything...they said seek God.  I stopped there, there was a small ray of light., I stepped toward the light, a little more light...enough for a step or two.  I didn't dare look back.  But now I know seeking God, I left myself behind.  A Closing Thought Whether you have been through our program, have a family member who is struggling with addiction, or you yourself are looking for help, we are here to give you hope and encouragement. Addiction is a horrible stronghold, but help is entirely possible. Whatever you do, don't give up! You don't find freedom from addiction at a place or through a program, you find it in a PERSON, our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is only in His power that people can experience true freedom and life-long change. Jesus came to set you or your family member free from the prison of addictive behavior. He says in Isaiah 61:1-3 says "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good tidings to the poor, He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God. To comfort all who mourn. To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness."   We praise and thank our awesome God for the lives we see changed in His name. But we pray right now for those of you who are still struggling.  There is hope for you. God made you for a purpose and has a plan for your life. If you have not yet met Jesus, we invite you to do that right now. We wish you sobriety and the fullness of Christ working in you in 2009!   Sincerely, The staff at New Life Spirit Recovery