Happy New Year from Celebrate Recovery FBCO! For a lot of us, the start of a new year means creating a list of resolutions. Things like getting in shape, spending more time with family and friends, and quitting smoking are among the top 10 New Year's resolutions.
We at CR know a little something about new beginnings, and would like to challenge you to align your New Year's resolutions with your recovery. Below are five suggestions for New Year's Resolutions that you can start doing today!
1. Attend Celebrate Recovery meetings regularly. If you're new to recovery, or maybe feel stuck in your recovery, commit to attending CR meetings each week to help you get on track. Recovery is not meant to be done alone! As Proverbs 27:7 mentions, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
2. Complete a daily or weekly inventory. Step 10 says, We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12). Take time each day (or once a week if daily is too overwhelming) to check in with yourself. We would suggest writing your inventory in a notebook or journal so you can review it at any time. It is important to list both victories and struggles with your area of recovery, so you don't get discouraged and remember God's grace. Even if you haven't completed steps 1-9 thoroughly, doing a short inventory is a great way to notice destructive patterns and see the progress that you have made in your journey.
3. Check in with your accountability partner or sponsor regularly. It's really easy to forget this part of your recovery process. Take some time to pick up the phone, send a text message, or even an email. Doing this once a week will help you stay accountable in your recovery process and give you encouragement when you need it most. If you haven't found a sponsor or accountability partner, make it a priority by praying for God to reveal the right person to you.
4. Volunteer! Step 12 says, Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. In other words, give back and serve the Lord. Celebrate Recovery FBCO has many different opportunities for service. Here are some ideas: offer to bring snacks for our Solid Rock Cafe, volunteer to read either the Principles at Worship, be a sponsor for someone who is newer than you in recovery, or train to be a small group leader.
5. Join a Step Study. Sunday night meetings aren't the only option for you to work through your recovery. In fact, we highly encourage all Celebrate Recovery attendees to consider our step studies. These are smaller, gender-specific groups that meet once a week for 9-12 months (in addition to Sunday nights) and go through each of the steps in-depth. We are starting new step study groups each quarter, so take a risk and ask one of our leaders for information on how to join!
God has amazing things in store for you in 2011. Make the most out of your recovery and he will bless you tremendously!
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