Today is a special day for us! Today is Brad's one-year "clean" anniversary! No porn for a whole entire 365 days! I never knew for sure if this day would come, but here it is.
We are planning on going out for supper tonight to a tablecloth restaurant (I just learned that term, aren't you proud?) and yes we are taking the kids. After the horrendous stomach virus the two kids have had, I just didn't feel right asking anyone to babysit. So, as Brad said, his recovery was/is a family thing, so why can't the whole family celebrate? Now the kids won't know why we are going to a non-playplace restaurant, but Brad and I will. Oh, we definitely will.
I would like to say that this year has not been easy for my husband. He is still on a rollercoaster of emotions, but the ups are not as high, and the downs are definitely not as low. He still admits to struggling with the images in his head and the thoughts that bombard him each and every day. Hopefully one day even this will go away, but for now he is learning to redirect his thoughts and give his thought life to the Lord.
I am thankful for all the people who have helped Brad. First and foremost, God, who has never left us nor forsaken us. Next, to his accountability partner who talks to him at least once if not twice a day, and also to the guys in his group. If it weren't for them, I really, really don't know if Brad would have ever made it.
The last 2 years have been the hardest of my life. And I don't fool myself to think we won't have more setbacks, more disappointments, and maybe even more d-days, but as for today, I'm happy.
Now starts the countdown to 2 years clean!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Few Updates
I know I've been gone a really long time, and I hope you forgive me. Thanks to Zion, a new reader, who left a comment on my blog and reminded me there are still people reading it out there. So I figured I better get going again.
Where do I start? I guess I could start by telling you how sick Sarah has been this past weekend. We almost went to the hospital for dehydration but instead they gave her the IV in the clinic. A 3 1/2 year old getting an IV is not fun; I'm sure some of you have had that experience before! Anyway, she is SLOWLY getting better. Not as fast as I would have hoped, but at least there is progress. I think.
The holidays were great. The best we've had in a long, long time. The kids liked what Santa brought them, and then we were lazy around the house the rest of the day. Perfect Christmas Day!
Now to update you on Brad. He is still not in seminary anywhere, and we really do not know what the Lord is doing. I'm just being honest. We have no clue if or when He will show us His will. But at least now we are open and willing to hear it.
About his addiction, he is still clean, praise the Lord! Other than a small slip-up with late-night cable TV at his mom's the other night, he is good. I mean, he still struggles with his thought life, but I think it is tremendously better than it was a long time ago. In fact, January 19th will be ONE YEAR CLEAN for Brad! Yeah! I'm so excited for him! One year may not seem like a long time, but if you have a porn addict husband, you know what an accomplishment this is. He went from looking at porn almost on a daily basis to not looking at it for a whole entire year. Was this easy? No. Did it happen quickly? No. In fact, it took years. Is he completely clear of all temptation? Of course, not. But we are going to celebrate his one-year anniversary because I am so proud of him!!!!
Now to my readers, I am considering starting another blog. A more family-friendly blog. I do not want to completely abandon this blog as I feel it serves a purpose to wives who may be hurting. However, I would like to blog more about my family, my job at the preschool, church stuff, etc., and I just do not feel comfortable doing that on a "recovering porn addict" blog, ya know?
So, I may be gone for a while while I try to get my blog up and running. And if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I'm still not an expert at blog-building. I will let you know when it is up and running, and I want all of you to check it out, promise? But remember to check back here some too, as I will post pornography recovery blogs here.
Maybe I should try to have my new blog up and running by January 19th, sort of a one-year, we're-moving-on sort of celebration. Love you guys!
Where do I start? I guess I could start by telling you how sick Sarah has been this past weekend. We almost went to the hospital for dehydration but instead they gave her the IV in the clinic. A 3 1/2 year old getting an IV is not fun; I'm sure some of you have had that experience before! Anyway, she is SLOWLY getting better. Not as fast as I would have hoped, but at least there is progress. I think.
The holidays were great. The best we've had in a long, long time. The kids liked what Santa brought them, and then we were lazy around the house the rest of the day. Perfect Christmas Day!
Now to update you on Brad. He is still not in seminary anywhere, and we really do not know what the Lord is doing. I'm just being honest. We have no clue if or when He will show us His will. But at least now we are open and willing to hear it.
About his addiction, he is still clean, praise the Lord! Other than a small slip-up with late-night cable TV at his mom's the other night, he is good. I mean, he still struggles with his thought life, but I think it is tremendously better than it was a long time ago. In fact, January 19th will be ONE YEAR CLEAN for Brad! Yeah! I'm so excited for him! One year may not seem like a long time, but if you have a porn addict husband, you know what an accomplishment this is. He went from looking at porn almost on a daily basis to not looking at it for a whole entire year. Was this easy? No. Did it happen quickly? No. In fact, it took years. Is he completely clear of all temptation? Of course, not. But we are going to celebrate his one-year anniversary because I am so proud of him!!!!
Now to my readers, I am considering starting another blog. A more family-friendly blog. I do not want to completely abandon this blog as I feel it serves a purpose to wives who may be hurting. However, I would like to blog more about my family, my job at the preschool, church stuff, etc., and I just do not feel comfortable doing that on a "recovering porn addict" blog, ya know?
So, I may be gone for a while while I try to get my blog up and running. And if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I'm still not an expert at blog-building. I will let you know when it is up and running, and I want all of you to check it out, promise? But remember to check back here some too, as I will post pornography recovery blogs here.
Maybe I should try to have my new blog up and running by January 19th, sort of a one-year, we're-moving-on sort of celebration. Love you guys!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Best Christmas Song Ever
I've always liked this song, but since I heard Kenny and Wynonna doing it, no other version even comes close.
Sit back and listen.
Sit back and listen.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Going Home
With all the commercialization of Christmas, Thanksgiving has slowly but surely crept to the top of my favorite holiday list. It's so much more laid back, just eat, sit around, watch football, and visit with the family members you promise to keep in better touch with throughout this next year.
I am so looking forward to getting home. Home where my momma and daddy are. The home I grew up in. Yes, I have a home here with my husband and my children, but sometimes I need, I crave, to walk back in that door where everything is familiar--the sights, the sounds, the smells. My whole childhood was in that house, and there is no better joy than to return there. To see my children enjoying it is a whole new kind of joy.
Talking about home reminds me also that no earthly home is our permanent dwelling place. We have a heavenly Father who is waiting to welcome us home. To sights, sounds, and smells we have never experienced, but that we will never want to leave, and in fact will experience forever and ever. I can't wait. Really. I can't wait.
Just a note, this weekend is the weekend Brad and I are going to Atlanta to work in the processing center for Operation Christmas Child (see previous blogs). We are so excited! However, Brad has been having a little trouble in his back. He's tried the chiropractor and has another appointment there today. I sure hope he feels better by Friday morning when we leave.
I hope and pray you take a few moments to pull your kids close and talk about everything you are thankful for. And by the way, I am thankful for you.
I am so looking forward to getting home. Home where my momma and daddy are. The home I grew up in. Yes, I have a home here with my husband and my children, but sometimes I need, I crave, to walk back in that door where everything is familiar--the sights, the sounds, the smells. My whole childhood was in that house, and there is no better joy than to return there. To see my children enjoying it is a whole new kind of joy.
Talking about home reminds me also that no earthly home is our permanent dwelling place. We have a heavenly Father who is waiting to welcome us home. To sights, sounds, and smells we have never experienced, but that we will never want to leave, and in fact will experience forever and ever. I can't wait. Really. I can't wait.
Just a note, this weekend is the weekend Brad and I are going to Atlanta to work in the processing center for Operation Christmas Child (see previous blogs). We are so excited! However, Brad has been having a little trouble in his back. He's tried the chiropractor and has another appointment there today. I sure hope he feels better by Friday morning when we leave.
I hope and pray you take a few moments to pull your kids close and talk about everything you are thankful for. And by the way, I am thankful for you.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Looking for Something to Do With Your Kids?
Anyway, I encourage you to get involved with this ministry. It's something you and your kids can do together. It's easy and fun and a great hands-on mission project you can do as a family! Have fun!
(It is not January 1, 2004). I didn't notice my camera's date was wrong until I had taken all but one of the pictures.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
And To Our Veterans....a little blueberry juice.
Before I tell the story the title eludes to, let me digress and tell about the conference I went to last weekend.
I went to an Extraordinary Women conference. I heard Chonda Pierce (too funny!!!), Angela Thomas, Karen Kingsbury, and Thelma Wells. I heard concerts by Avalon and Mark Schultz. There was worship, praise, worship, and more praise. It was awesome! If you ever get a chance to go to one of these conferences, please try to go. You won't regret it. They will start touring again in the spring, and as a matter of fact, I am making plans to go to the one in Birmingham with Steven's wife. She of all people will need this time of refreshing. I am already looking forward to it. I would love to hear from any of you that have been to one of these conferences or might want to go to one in the future. There were over 3,000 women there praising the Lord together!
Now for a funny, yet embarrassing, story about what happened in the cafeteria at my son's school on Tuesday. It involves my son, a veteran, and blueberry juice.
To celebrate Veteran's Day, the school invited any parents or grandparents that had served in the military or were currently serving to come speak to their child's class and then stay for lunch. There was a flag parade, and it was just going to be a really nice day.
There was a mom there (I later found out she is being deployed to Iraq in May), and unfortunately she had the task of sitting a couple of chairs down from my son during lunch. As far as I can tell, lunch was fine and then clean-up began. My son apparently crams all his trash down into his milk jug. You know, to make it easier and quicker to walk by the trash can and just throw one item in instead of several small items. Well, on this day it backfired, literally. In the process of him cramming things down into his milk jug, he also had his milk jug in the bowl of blueberries (which he had not eaten). The side of the blueberry bowl burst open and blueberry juice went flying. Yep, right onto veteran-mom herself. The teacher's words were this: "I didn't see it happen, but I saw the aftermath." Oooohhh, that doesn't sound good. She said it was in her hair, on her clothes, and on the floor on the opposite side of the table.
What kind of punishment do you enforce when your son has sprayed a member of today's military with blueberry juice?
Well, he spent a couple of hours in his room (he's used to this), and then he wrote her an "I'm Sorry note" (he's not used to this). I helped him with sentence structure, etc., but he had to come up with the words all himself. I wanted it to be sincere.
This is what his note said:
I'm sorry for getting blueberry juice on you. I should not have been playing with my food. I am willing to help pay for the cleaning of your clothes.
Please forgive me.
We prayed over this note and for the woman he had "offended." I wanted him to learn that he must take responsibility for his actions, no matter if it was truly an accident or not.
We have not heard back from the lady, and last night my son asked me if I thought she would write him back. I said I didn't know. Secretly, I wish she would. I wish she would acknowledge his apology. But even if she does not, I rest a little easier thinking I used this Veteran's Day and some blueberry juice to teach a 7-year-old a little lesson in humility and forgiveness.
P.S. If you have not packed your shoebox yet, get busy! Next week is Collection Week! To find a dropoff location near you, check out their website.
I went to an Extraordinary Women conference. I heard Chonda Pierce (too funny!!!), Angela Thomas, Karen Kingsbury, and Thelma Wells. I heard concerts by Avalon and Mark Schultz. There was worship, praise, worship, and more praise. It was awesome! If you ever get a chance to go to one of these conferences, please try to go. You won't regret it. They will start touring again in the spring, and as a matter of fact, I am making plans to go to the one in Birmingham with Steven's wife. She of all people will need this time of refreshing. I am already looking forward to it. I would love to hear from any of you that have been to one of these conferences or might want to go to one in the future. There were over 3,000 women there praising the Lord together!
Now for a funny, yet embarrassing, story about what happened in the cafeteria at my son's school on Tuesday. It involves my son, a veteran, and blueberry juice.
To celebrate Veteran's Day, the school invited any parents or grandparents that had served in the military or were currently serving to come speak to their child's class and then stay for lunch. There was a flag parade, and it was just going to be a really nice day.
There was a mom there (I later found out she is being deployed to Iraq in May), and unfortunately she had the task of sitting a couple of chairs down from my son during lunch. As far as I can tell, lunch was fine and then clean-up began. My son apparently crams all his trash down into his milk jug. You know, to make it easier and quicker to walk by the trash can and just throw one item in instead of several small items. Well, on this day it backfired, literally. In the process of him cramming things down into his milk jug, he also had his milk jug in the bowl of blueberries (which he had not eaten). The side of the blueberry bowl burst open and blueberry juice went flying. Yep, right onto veteran-mom herself. The teacher's words were this: "I didn't see it happen, but I saw the aftermath." Oooohhh, that doesn't sound good. She said it was in her hair, on her clothes, and on the floor on the opposite side of the table.
What kind of punishment do you enforce when your son has sprayed a member of today's military with blueberry juice?
Well, he spent a couple of hours in his room (he's used to this), and then he wrote her an "I'm Sorry note" (he's not used to this). I helped him with sentence structure, etc., but he had to come up with the words all himself. I wanted it to be sincere.
This is what his note said:
I'm sorry for getting blueberry juice on you. I should not have been playing with my food. I am willing to help pay for the cleaning of your clothes.
Please forgive me.
We prayed over this note and for the woman he had "offended." I wanted him to learn that he must take responsibility for his actions, no matter if it was truly an accident or not.
We have not heard back from the lady, and last night my son asked me if I thought she would write him back. I said I didn't know. Secretly, I wish she would. I wish she would acknowledge his apology. But even if she does not, I rest a little easier thinking I used this Veteran's Day and some blueberry juice to teach a 7-year-old a little lesson in humility and forgiveness.
P.S. If you have not packed your shoebox yet, get busy! Next week is Collection Week! To find a dropoff location near you, check out their website.
Friday, November 7, 2008
"Group"
I am going to see Chonda tonight at an "Extraordinary Women" conference. I simply cannot wait! I was watching some excerpts on You Tube and came across this video and just had to share it.
Love you guys and I hope you enjoyed this video!
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