TIRED OF CHRISTMAS AND IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER

Most people love Christmas. But some people LOVE Christmas. These are the people who've already had their lights up for three and a half weeks, who set up three trees in their living room and four in their bedroom (not to mention the two in the bathroom), who don't ever get tired of hearing Christmas carols and have maxed out the 40GB on their iPod with them. These are the people who really LOVE Christmas. You know at least one of them, probably more. I am not one of these people.
Christmas is my favorite holiday, for sure. I love getting together with friends and family, sharing gifts, getting gifts, the best food you can imagine. It's great. The lights and anticipation and joy are wonderful. But, if you're like me, by the time January hits, you're ready to sleep until sometime in March and you've sworn off eggnog forever. It's not surprising to me that more people are diagnosed with depression in December than any other time of the year. For many, it is only an all-too painful reminder of how lonely they really are.
We've all seen "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". We realize by now that presents and roast beef are not the true meaning of Christmas. And yet, it is the busiest time of year for most of us. It is a time where we burn out, or at least come closer than is healthy. So, this year, I would like to issue a challenge. Consider it my gift to you (I know, it's a bit of a rip off, but it still beats fruit cake). This December, take some time to be with Jesus. That's it, that's all. We are celebrating His birth after all, and hopefully we are trying to honor Him with what we do. But I think that it would honor and please Him best if we stopped once in a while to let Him be our friend. Don't worry about saying the right thing or acting the right way; simply be present with Jesus. Take an hour a week, and let Jesus remind you that His presence is what the holiday is about. It would be a shame to get so caught up in celebrating that fact that we miss simply enjoying it.
How has the truth of Christmas been made real for you, this year or in years past? How do you maintain peace in this season of business and noise? How can you bring the reality of Christ's presence to the people around you?

THE CLOUDS OF DEPRESSION

I hate depression. They say that statistically, one in four people will undergo a state of clinical depression (what Troy referred to as bio-chemical or physiological depression) before they are forty years old. That means that very likely, a quarter of the people who came to Journey this past Sunday have been, currently are or will at some point be depressed. I hate depression because it is a liar of a condition. People who are depressed hear the voice of depression telling them who they are and what they deserve. And the things that that voice tells them are lies; "There is no hope," "You are worthless," "You are totally alone." It is a voice of shame, guilt, fear and despair.
In my own life, I was clinically depressed for four and a half years. Most of that time I was taking a minimum of two pills a day, just so that my body could tell my mind that I was normal. The worst part of that entire time was the feeling that there was no escape. Depression is like being lost in a black cloud. You see no daylight and have no sense that you are even walking in the right direction to find it. You feel alone; many people see you either as a charity case or a faker, neither of which are helpful attitudes. During those years, I was close to giving up many times. A few times, I tried to.
I am not writing these things because I want pity or attention, but I know that God has given me a unique story, and it is my obligation and burden to share that story with others who need to know that they aren't the only ones dealing with this. Those were the worst times of my life. But now, standing from where I am today, I wouldn't trade those experiences for happier ones, even if I was given the choice. You might call me crazy or even insensitive, if you are struggling with depression right now, but it's true; I wouldn't want to miss out on who I've become. See, I needed to know hurt so that God could show me healing. I needed to feel despair so that I would know what it is to hope. Writing about his experience in prison, Malcolm X wrote, "It is only after the deepest darkness that the brightest light can shine." I needed to know depression so that God could give me joy. I needed to know joy, because I need to share the joy of Christ with a world that desperately needs it. There is a joy hat runs deeper than the hurt and stronger than the wounds. I'm not saying that you should just endure the pain because what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. I don't want to oversimplify an extremely complex issue. There are no easy answers. Believe me, I've been there. It took me four years to get to the place where I could say that I was really healed. Even today, I am still affected by depression. I won't say that there is an easy way out. But I will say this: there is a way out. Please, don't give up. You are beautiful, you are loved. You are going to go on to be bigger and stronger than you could ever dream possible right now. I've walked that path, believe me when I say that depression is a liar. Find the true voices and never let go of them. Don't give up. You will one day be more.

BROKEN BY LOVE

In the last few years I've gradually come to a perplexing discovery. When I examine my life, when I look back at where I've been and what has changed, I see that the periods that are the most beautiful to me are also the periods of time when I have experienced the deepest pain. I can't say that this is a universal phenomenon, or that I consider every instance of pain a good thing. I will say this, however: the broken places are the places where I've met God.
As we surrender our baggage; as we release the burdens and the chains that have owned us and bruised us, we are going to experience the harshest extremes of emotion and human experience. We will be broken. Releasing our idols and our captors will take us into realms of hurt, regret, shame, vulnerability, weakness, guilt, exhaustion, and places that we have resisted going our entire lives. We will also find joy and wholeness and grace beyond our ability to comprehend. Yet it is a terrifying thing to lay our souls bare and admit that we have nothing. This is a place of brokenness. Always remember though, brokenness is the place where God heals us. It sounds paradoxical, but when we are weak, God is strong.
I believe with my entire being that the most important lesson that God will teach us in the middle of our broken places is that we are loved. More than we can even fathom. God loves us. In "The Inner Voice of Love", Henri Nouwen writes these imperative words for the heart that is struggling to find healing: "You must believe in the 'yes' that comes back when you ask, 'do you love me?' You must choose this yes even when you do not experience it. Nothing else will provide healing or answers or satisfaction to the longings and hurts inside of you. You have to trust the place that is solid, the place where you can say yes to God's love even when you do not feel it. Keep saying, 'God loves me, and God's love is enough.' You have to choose the solid place over and over again and return to it after every failure,"
Have you owned the truth of God's deep love for you? Is that the place that you return to everyday, after every failure and in every weakness? You are named, you are loved. Unless you come to the place where that love is real in you, you will never find wholeness. God loves you, and God's love is enough.

LETTING GO

LETTING GO

The root of all addiction is temptation. Temptation is the desire for thoughts, activities, attitudes images and objects that do not belong to us; things disciples of Jesus we should not own. Temptations may seem small and trivial, but when we start to give ourselves license to participate in their fulfillment, addiction creeps in. We become slaves to our pursuit of pleasure. We let our lust becom god.

Listen to these words from the ancient writer Thomas a Kempis ("Imitation of Christ"): "The beginning if all evil temptations in an unstable mind and a small trust in God. Just as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waters, so a person who lacks resolution and certainty is tossed about by temptations. Temptation reveals or instability and our lack of trust in God; temptations reveal who we are. This is why we must pay attention to them."

The corrupt desires that reside within the human heart reveal the very character of that heart. We must be extremely aware of how much of who we are is wrapped up in our addictions and habits. The goal of this message series that Troy is giving is to help people let go; to surrender and release their chains to a God who loves more deeply than the hurt. However, be warned, when you let go of something that has held mastery over you for any length of time, you will be losing a piece of who you were, a portion of your way of life. Do not let this dissuade you from finding freedom, but beware, you will feel like a piece of your heart is missing. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial that you don't stop at letting go. You must also embrace something new. Replace the old with New life. God desires to fill your heart, to give you the joy and peace and sweetness of life that your addictions could never fill. Let Him! Make every effort to fill your mind and heart with His presence. Do not wait until you are faced with temptation again to start inviting Him into your struggle, but even when you feel that you are doing well, invite Christ into the very core of who your are. Memorize scripture (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 is a good place to start), recall it to mind while you are going to sleep at night or when you are waiting in line at the store. Talk about God with other believers every chance you get. Fast, pray, meditate, celebrate your victories. Whatever you do, stay very close to your God. He will fill every empty space within you.

What are some other experiences with overcoming addiction/temptations that you have had? What other exercises or habits have you tried to replace them?

One last thing: No matter who you are or what you've done, there is Hope. You are deeply loved. There is always Hope.