#Recovery in Christ is the Main Theme of my Writing by Wendy L. Macdonald

Recovery in Christ is the main theme of my writing because I was rescued from something almost four decades ago. I never ever thought I would recover. My desperation motivated me to humble myself and ask people at my church to pray for my healing and deliverance. It was embarrassing. But I was desperate.

Before I recovered from eating disorders, I didn’t think I would ever be able to keep dangerous foods like ice cream or chocolates in my home. (At this moment, there’s a bucket of ice cream in my freezer that has gone past its prime because I lost interest in it.) Being normal about food is something I never take for granted. I never thought I would allow my body to have enough fat on it to pinch an inch. I would have jogged it off or purged it by other means before enabling curves to cling to me.

Right now, I can easily pinch an inch.

I’m recovered. I’m normal. I’m thankful to God.

My desperate need to control my body weight has been replaced by my need to cling to Christ. He’s the one who calls the shots now. It’s not a perfect relationship. I’m a work-in-progress.

Some of the things I learned at the beginning of my recovery were:

- It doesn’t hurt to ask God for our needs.
- God will never stop loving us.
- We’re saved by grace—not by works.
- Nature nurtures our spirit because it’s God’s artwork.
- Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, not just a religion.

RECOVERY:

R—relationship
God wants a relationship with you. Being born-again isn’t a religion; it’s being dead to sin and alive in Christ.
E—expect
God is our good Father and he wants us to expect he’s listening to our prayers and answering them in the way that is best.
C—can
We can do all the things God asks us to do by the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
O—only
Trusting Jesus is the only way to be saved; therefore, we cannot earn or lose salvation.
V—victory
God gives us victory over sin when we trust and submit to him.
E—everlasting
God’s love for us is everlasting. Our salvation is everlasting.
R—real
God’s presence in our lives is real. The more we believe, the more we receive evidence of his power at work in and around us.
Y—yes
When we die as a believer, Jesus will say yes to our entry into paradise because we said yes to his invitation to repent and trust in him.

I hope my post blessed you because I was blessed all over again writing about my recovery story. God is good.

Recovery blessings ~ Wendy Mac

 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Words for Life - Marnie Pohlmann

The bookstore smelled like a freshly opened package of paper with an undertone of cardboard boxes. I breathed deeply as much to enjoy the scent as to take in oxygen to calm my racing heart. I nervously made my way through the aisles, trying to look like I belonged, wishing I had my kids with me so I could hide behind them.

“May I help you find something?” The store owner smiled as she approached. I recognized her from the church I had started attending, but I didn’t think she knew me.

“Um, maybe, ah,” I stammered. I lowered my eyes and blurted, “I think I’m looking for a devotional to read every day.” Already berating myself for not really knowing what I wanted, or even what I needed to be looking for, I felt this Christian woman could see how far I had fallen away from my upbringing, from God.

“Well, we have a lot of daily devotionals. Do you know any of the authors who would interest you?”

“No,” I admitted. “But I don’t want anything too short or simple, like a Daily Bread. I want something deeper.” I rushed on, clarifying, “And I want Scripture, not just a preachy opinion about the Scripture.”

I could feel her eyes measuring me. “I think what you might be looking for is a Bible.”

“Oh, I have a Bible,” I assured her, thinking of the small, pink Bible with the tiny print I had bought as a teenager to carry in my school bag. I wondered if I could find it.

“Let me show you the one I am thinking of. It’s a Daily Walk Devotional Bible. There is a short piece explaining the section of Scripture that is read. It’s set up to read each day and go through the Bible in a year.”

The Bible was weighty in my hands. I flipped through, seeing the daily layout and the explanations that gave both educational information as well as application to life. It felt warm and comfortable.

“This is a New Living Bible, which is a paraphrase that is easier to read than an NIV or King James Bible.”

I nodded as though I understood what the differences could be. The cost was more than I wanted to spend, but I knew I would pay the price to be able to discover how to serve the God who gave forgiveness and healing.

This Bible walked me gently back to a committed relationship with God. So many verses were underlined and written into my journals as God’s Word spoke to my specific circumstances, sins, and fears. Sometimes I would compare the words to the King James Version I had grown up with. 

I still return to a Daily Devotional Bible whenever I feel lost or dry. I recommend this type of reading to anyone who wishes to develop a habit of daily Scripture reading or who wishes to spend time learning and listening to God, but I also caution them not to beat themselves up if they miss a day or three. Just start on the present date, not trying to "catch up." It's more important to absorb what is being read than to read it all in a certain time.

Over those years I claimed two verses for healing and for the hope of writing.

“For God has not given (me) the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all your wondrous works.”  

Psalm 26:7 (KJV)

Nourishing Scripture Verses - Wendy L. Macdonald

Which Scripture Verses Nourish You Best?

The question of which Scripture verses keep me nourished as I travel the writer's path stumped me at first because I’m nourished by a new one each morning. Now, before I explain how that happens, I need to warn you not to be impressed I’m one of those people who gets up early and reads her Bible every day.You see, I read the Word each morning while holding a hot mug of coffee (with the works) and while leaning against a hot water bottle (to keep my osteoarthritis quiet while I read to my heart’s content).

It’s not a good work’s thing—it’s a joy thing because I—capital L—Love my alone time in the Word—with the Word.

Drinking deeply from the Scriptures is one of the ways God healed me of eating disorders many years ago. I used to live a pretty crazy life before I understood:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

 but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV   

That was the first nourishing verse I made note of during my recovery journey. And since then, I’ve feasted on a hearty fare of His words for most of the last thirty-five years. I’ve also continued to journal and jot down any verses the Holy Spirit nudged me to pay attention to.

A couple of years ago, I decided to share my verse of the day on my Social Media sites. Every day from Monday to Saturday, I schedule a post on my author Facebook page. Each post has a nature picture I’ve taken, a Scripture of the day I’ve chosen, and a short poem I’ve written that ties the photograph and Bible verse together.

Even if I think a post won’t be popular, I still share it because my words are from-the-heart-honest. I share out of obedience rather than for the pursuit of more followers. I wouldn’t enjoy pretending; but I do enjoy sharing how God is tending to my heart.

Now I’d like to share what my nourishing verse of the day was at the time I wrote the first draft of this post:

You are my refuge and my shield;

 I have put my hope in your word.

 Psalm 119:114 NIV

And here’s the tanka poem I wrote to go with it:

raindrops on roses

my garden drinks morning rain

I savour God’s Word

as I read pages of hope

finding refuge in each line.

~ wlm 

I’m nosey-to-know if you enjoy a daily dose of God’s Word.

Word Blessings ~ Wendy Mac 

Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.