my careless contagion

I chose this photo because it makes me feel happy. I'm choosing happiness. What could make a man happier than to be greeted by his dog and his girl? Who we surround ourselves with is an important aspect of the healing process. A recovering drug addict cannot hang out with his old druggie friends. He has to be with people who uplift and make him want to stay sober. I recently posted what my mom sent me called "Devotional: Healing the Brokenhearted," which was from Derek Prince Ministries. It spoke to my heart as only God can. So many things lately speak to my heart. My heart is listening. I prayed God would heal my heart. I prayed He would give me a new heart. I prayed He would change my heart. Change me. Everything I could think of. Finally, I simply gave my heart to Him. I gave up. And that's when I started to see change.  A huge part of the healing process involves forgiveness and the deeper the trauma, the more there is to forgive. I could recount for days the awfu...

When I pray, it's nothing eloquent. My prayers are that of a child simply talking to his Father. My Bible tells me He is near the brokenhearted and a contrite spirit He will not despise. So, everything I pray comes from my heart. So, too, does this prayer, which I prayed in part one day while walking on a winter beachscape. Dear God,  You know she's on my mind and in my heart. You know how much she means to me. You saw everything I felt. Maybe you felt it too. It had to come from somewhere.  I know I didn't go about things the right way. I did a whole lot of wrong. I learned from that. You taught me, you corrected me, you sent me down a different path. Thank you for that. I know you love me because you chasten me.  I want to thank you for the moments I had with that beautiful girl. I know you see my heart and know I never intended to damage her or anyone else. My soul was starving, and she was the stolen bread I needed. I'm so sorry I brought all of this abou...