CyberRecovery Page 11

The Way

He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. (2Chr 12:14)



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Traffic signs are for our benefit. And the Scriptures are full of direction for our benefit.

Amos the prophet spoke for God, "Seek me and live." (Amos 5:4) Jeremiah said, "The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." (Lam 3:25) Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isa 55:6-7)

We call ourselves Christian. Let us seek him daily in our hearts, in the Word, in our actions toward others. Should you or I go down the street that warns, "Wrong Way"? You already know that when we don't seek the Lord, we do evil and lose the freedom we have in Jesus. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, you are the way. Forgive us for seeking our own way, for trying to find life in things without following you. Thank you for your mercy and kindness toward us. We turn our hearts to you today, to turn and seek you. Thank you for your Spirit and your word. Help us to trust you when we stumble. You are the way. Amen.

Today's very great and precious promise

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

We have God's Word on it.




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Good News

Our Own Good

Today, I accept that I do not always know what is best for me. There are times when I am completely confused about what to do for myself and for those around me, because I can't see how my own issues are surfacing and coloring my present. These are the days when I need to pray and to understand that my prayers are heard. I never whisper to God that I am not heard. Prayer is my medium for change and growth. It is with me all the time, and there is no moment when I can't elevate my consciousness and conscious contact through it. It is my way of talking to my higher self and turning over my lower self to the loving, compassionate care of a Higher Power.
- Tian Dayton PhD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaNwTYJrYtA


"Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer

And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring

Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope

The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name"

Alcoholics Anonymous, the Bible, and the Akron A.A. Pioneers
Bible Brief Three

Dick B.

Here’s an Alcoholics Anonymous-Bible refresher that highlights the regular study and use of the Bible in the Original A.A. by its pioneer members. Most of the material came from tapes and transcripts provided to me at the A.A. General Service Office by its archivist. They are recorded in more detail in Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, Newton ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998.

Records show how the leader in the early meetings often sat with a Bible in his lap or on the podium and read directly from the Bible. Thus:

Alex M. said: “Doc talked much at regular meetings. He would come just at a regular meeting and speak. About 40 minutes, and he was a simple talker. He had the Bible in front of him and wasn’t afraid to read from it. It [the Bible] was at King School. It was always on the podium,” The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 189.

Wally G. said, “I remember the first meeting I attended was led by Dick S. He opened the meeting with a short prayer, read a passage from the Bible which I do not recall, and talked about that in its relationship to the everyday life of those present,” The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 189.

Earl T. said, “I remember most distinctly the first meeting that I attended—Bill D. [A.A. Number Three Bill Dotson] sat with the Holy Bible in his lap. The meeting had been opened with a prayer. Bill read excerpts from the Bible and translated them into everyday life. After half an hour of this, the meeting was thrown open to everyone in the room and they in turn picked up some of these passages from the Bible that he had discussed and gave their interpretation,” The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 190.

“Member after member of the early meetings confirmed the importance and use of the Bible devotionals, particularly The Upper Room,” The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 191.

William V. H. said: “This ‘Upper Room’ was a little daily reading booklet that I’ve used every since. . . . I continued reading the ‘Upper Room’ and the references in the Good Book. . . The Bible, I figured, was my statute now,” The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 205-06.

Dr. Bob said: “When we started in on Bill D. [A.A. Number Three], we had no Twelve Steps, either, we had no Traditions. But we were convinced that the answer to our problems was in the Good Book. To some of us older ones, the parts we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James,” The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous [P-53], p. 13.

Even Jim B., A.A.’s “first ‘self-proclaimed atheist,” who wrote the Evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous, and whose personal story was published in the Second Edition of the Big Book, was finally published in the A.A. Grapevine Article in 1968, with the title, “Sober for Thirty Years.” On page 3, Jim B., of San Diego, California, said: “So the early meetings were quite religious, in both New York and Akron. There was always a Bible on hand, and the concept of God was all biblical.”

In DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers: A Biography with recollections of early A.A. in the Midwest (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980) [This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature], the following is reported:

“The Bible was stressed as reading material, of course,” p. 151

“As the Akron group began gathering at the King School, a definite style evolved. . . . When the time came, the speaker would go up front, wait for quiet, introduced himself. He opened with a prayer of his own choosing, then gave a five-minute ‘lead.’ Usually, it would be on a specific subject—a passage from The Upper Room or a verse from the Bible,” p. 221.

“He [the alcoholic] must have devotions every morning—a ‘quiet time’ of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature,” p. 131.

For complete discussions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Bible, and how the early A.A. pioneers used it in their original program, see Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible, Bridge Builders ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc. 1997); The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, 1998); Good Morning: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A., 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998); The James Club and the Original AA. Program’s Absolute Essentials, 3rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc, 2005).

Gloria Deo

:195:

Hi,
I have accidentally abused bisocodyl (stimulant) laxative for 3 months. I would be obliged if anyone can help me to get off this I am trying but my system has not gone back to normal. Here is what happened: I had a bay girl 4 months ago and developed anal fissure after delivery. doctor advised me to use stimulant laxative , I used it for a few days and stopped, fissure refreshed I got sacred and started stimulant laxative again and almost used it for 3 months. When I stopped I had terrible constipation, I could not push it out, I took pill again and very bulky stool passed and created a new fissure. I am trapped in this cycle. For the past 15 days I have increase fiber and water intake also taking Psyllium husk three times a day. I used sulfolax stool softener for a week and now I am not taking any laxative except Psyllium . I am still facing problems with difficult and incomplete defecation and anal fissure. I have to strain to push stool out. I think my 3 months use of stimulant laxative is taking its toll. How long will it take for my colon to get back to normal? I am very depressed and need help.

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA)/ )
(_ /AA\ _)
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
The Group
^*^*^*^*^
"Over the years, every conceivable deviation
from our Twelve Steps and Traditions have been tried.
That was sure to be, since we are so largely a band
of ego-driven individuals.
Children of chaos, we have defiantly played with
every brand of fire,
only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser.
These very deviations created a vast process
of trial and error, which, under the grace of God,
has brought us to where we stand today. . .
We saw that the group, exactly like the individual,
must eventually conform to whatever
tested principles would guarantee survival."
c.1952AAWS, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 146
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

Working with alcoholics in committees
is like trying to herd cats.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
C H A O S = Can't Handle Another Overwhelming Situation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I

Prayer and Miracles

Today, I will pray for a miracle in a situation that seems too much for me to handle or understand. There are times when I just don't have what it takes to work out a situation. I'm too loaded up with fears and anxieties. What could it hurt to pray for a little divine guidance or intervention? At the very least, it will help ease my burden; and at best, it will aid in a genuine shift in perception that might truly help my situation. When I feel stuck and as if I have explored every option and am still nowhere, I will pray for a miracle.
- Tian Dayton PhD

When I first tried to quit booze I couldnt make it past three days. Mostly two days. I was lucky to get a day between getting drunk. I did not have the ability to get a week or month. I currently have over 6 months sobriety.
Did you have a major life event that made you quit? Jail, detox treatment, hospital? How did you get over the hill where the compulsion let up enough you could go to meetings, work, function enough to start getting some clean time?

Alcoholics Anonymous, the Bible, and Original, Early Meetings
Bible Brief Two

Dick B.

Here’s an Alcoholics Anonymous-Bible refresher as Early A.A. spoke about using the Bible

In his last major talk to AAs in Detroit, Michigan, in December, 1948, Dr. Bob said these things about Alcoholics Anonymous and the Bible. See The CoFounders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc; 1972, 1975. This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature, Pamphlet P-53:

“When we started in on Bill D. [A.A. Number Three], we had no Twelve Steps, either; we had no Traditions. But we were convinced that the answer to our problems was in the Good Book. To some of us older ones, the parts we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James,” p. 13.

“I didn’t write the Twelve Steps. I had nothing to do with the writing of them. . . . We already had the basic ideas, though not in terse and tangible form. We got them, as I said, as a result of our study of the Good Book,” p. 14.

In DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers: A Biography with recollections of early A.A. in the Midwest (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980) [This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature], the following is reported:

“The Bible was stressed as reading material, of course,” p. 151

“This was the beginning of A.A.’s ‘flying-blind period.’ They had the Bible, and they had
the precepts of the Oxford Group, They also had their own instincts,” p. 96.

“Each morning, there was a devotion. . . After a long silence, in which they awaited inspiration and guidance, Anne would read from the Bible. ‘James was our favorite. . . Reading from her chair in the corner, she would softly conclude, “Faith without works is dead.” This was a favorite quotation of Anne’s, much as the Book of James was a favorite with early A.A.’s—so much so that ‘The James Club’ was favored by some as a name for the Fellowship,” p. 71.

“As the Akron group began gathering at the King School, a definite style evolved. . . . When the time came, the speaker would go up front, wait for quiet, introduced himself. He opened with a prayer of his own choosing, then gave a five-minute ‘lead.’ Usually, it would be on a specific subject—a passage from The Upper Room or a verse from the Bible,” p. 221.

“Dr. Bob was the first group leader I heard refer simply and without ostentation to God. He cited the Sermon on the Mount [Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7] as containing the underlying spiritual philosophy of A.A.,” p. 228.

“He [the alcoholic] must have devotions every morning—a ‘quiet time’ of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature,” p. 131.

For complete discussions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Bible, and the Early A.A. meetings, see
Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible, Bridge Builders ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc. 1997); The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, 1998); Good Morning: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A., 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998); The James Club and the Original AA. Program’s Absolute Essentials, 3rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc, 2005); The Good Book-Big Book Guidebook (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2006).

Gloria Deo

:idea:

Hello Cyber Famliy, Frist let me Thank GOD for the courage, and Janbear for asking me to do this, thank you for the guidance.The reason i pick the topic sharing, because i see how important it is to be honest in sharing any recovery message. Im going to take you back to the begining of my process, I must say yes, i was sick and tired of using, but wanted to hold on to the unmanageability. This is what i use to do, I would hear someone else share their ESH at a meeting, then go and share the same exact thing that person share at another meeting. Thanking thats how the program works. ( how wrong was I ) When i started to do stepwork, looking at myself, it was like i took the Clown suit off. In the begining of the process, I was in the rooms making animals out of balloons, I was giving a drunk and beat bag message about myself, which i cause great harm to myself. I did'nt know how to get honest about myself. To bring it up to the here and now, from doing the work and looking at myself, and surrendering everyday, I now ask GOD for guidance, and my sponsor for some direction. Then i look in the closet ( my head ) to see if the clown suit hanging up, if it not there then im probably have it on. Like to hear how you felt when you frist started to share, then bring it up to the here and now. Thank you for allowing me to do this.

I Am Your Disease
I hate meetings. I hate Higher Power. I hate anyone who has a program. To all who come in contact with me, I wish you death & I wish you suffering.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am the disease of alcholism & drug addiction. Cunning, Baffling, & Powerful. That's me. I have killed millions, & I am pleased. I love to catch you with the element of surprise. I love pretending I am your friend & lover . I have given you comfort, have I not? Wasn't I there when you were lonely? When you wanted to die, didn't you call me? I was there, I love to make you hurt. I love to make you cry, Better yet, I love when I make you so numb you can neither hurt nor cry.You can't feel anything at all. This is true glory.I will give you instant gratification & all I ask of you is long term suffering. I've been there for you always. When things were going right in your life, you invited me. You said you didn't deserve these good things, & I was the only one who would agree with you. Together we were able to destroy all things good in your life. People don't take me seriously, they take strokes seriuosly, heart attacks seriously, even diabetes they take seriously . I am such a hated disease , & yet I do not come uninvited . You choose to have me. So many have chosen me over reality & peace . But no one takes me seriously. Fools that they are.
More than you hate me ,I hate all of you who have a 12 Step Program . Your program, your meetings, your Higher Power all weaken me & I can't function in the manner I am accustomed to. Now I must lie here guietly. You don't see me, but I am growing.Bigger than ever . When you only exist, I may live. When you live, I only exist. But I am here & until we meet again , if we meet again .........I wish you DEATH & SUFFERING!!!

I Am Your Disease
I hate meetings. I hate Higher Power. I hate anyone who has a program. To all who come in contact with me, I wish you death & I wish you suffering.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am the disease of alcholism & drug addiction. Cunning, Baffling, & Powerful. That's me. I have killed millions, & I am pleased. I love to catch you with the element of surprise. I love pretending I am your friend & lover . I have given you comfort, have I not? Wasn't I there when you were lonely? When you wanted to die, didn't you call me? I was there, I love to make you hurt. I love to make you cry, Better yet, I love when I make you so numb you can neither hurt nor cry.You can't feel anything at all. This is true glory.I will give you instant gratification & all I ask of you is long term suffering. I've been there for you always. When things were going right in your life, you invited me. You said you didn't deserve these good things, & I was the only one who would agree with you. Together we were able to destroy all things good in your life. People don't take me seriously, they take strokes seriuosly, heart attacks seriously, even diabetes they take seriously . I am such a hated disease , & yet I do not come uninvited . You choose to have me. So many have chosen me over reality & peace . But no one takes me seriously. Fools that they are.
More than you hate me ,I hate all of you who have a 12 Step Program . Your program, your meetings, your Higher Power all weaken me & I can't function in the manner I am accustomed to. Now I must lie here guietly. You don't see me, but I am growing.Bigger than ever . When you only exist, I may live. When you live, I only exist. But I am here & until we meet again , if we meet again .........I wish you DEATH & SUFFERING!!!

<this is not my writing but of that of another addict in recovery...shydawg>

LETTING GO
In the 1954 movie classic 'The Long trailer" starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, one of the funniest scenes of the movie for
me, was during these newlyweds cross country honeymoon trip in a car and trailer, Lucy has secretly saved a stone as a memento
from each location they have visited. At one point of the trip they are unable to cross over a mountainous road, and when Desi opens
up one of the closet doors, to his surprise out comes a mountain of stones.
Could it be possible that the world loved the antics of these two extraordinary individuals, because they allowed us to see
ourselves in their adventures?
We may only have to look as far as our own closets at home, to see how easy it is to hang onto things that we no longer
need. It's safe to say that the same principal applies to our mental and spiritual life. Think about it! How many of us have found
ourselves burdened with unresolved issues of the past? You know, those secret heavy stones, that we have hidden in the closet of
our mind and soul? It's a good possibility that these mementos are the very factor, which has never allowed us to make it over the
top & experience true freedom? Either we fell into one of these two categories of people. The first group is those who have gone
through life pointing fingers and blaming the world for their failures. The latter group has taken a completely different approach;
they have had the courage to take a good look at themselves. William Shakespeare was so right on when he pinned these famous
words, "The problem lies not in the stars, but the problem lies within ourselves. (Paraphrased)"
We are encouraged in the 4th of the 12 steps of the N.A. program to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of
ourselves, and through the healing process of the 5th & 6th steps, we found ourselves at the threshold (step 7) of a very liberating
experience. You see, now we were able to come to God and humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings and to loosen us from all
the anger, pain & shame that have weighed us down to long!
As our understanding of God our Father grows, we can begin to imitate His forgiving, loving, and graceful character. I found
it very interesting that He does not allow Himself to be weighted down with our offenses towards Him.
My friends, my prayer is that we all seek and receive the God given courage to confront and deal with those unresolved
issues. May we learn the secret of serenity, as we cast all these unwanted burdens behind our back, and for once enjoy the
mountains and valleys of this journey called life. Hey, see you on the other side!
Your friend in the journey
Joe Rivera - Temecula, CA - 10-10-07

<this is not my writing but that of another addict in recovery...shydawg>

There is no model of the recovering addict. When the drugs go and the addict works the program, wonderful things happen. Lost dreams awaken and new possibilities arise."
- Basic Text, pg. 88
Every morning when I wake up I pray to thank God for waking me up clean and alive. I pray for the willingness to do what needs to be done throughout the day and for freedom from obsession, compulsion, and my total self-centeredness. I say the Third Step prayer and I call my sponsor and we read the morning meditation. I do all these things in order to stay reliant on a power greater than myself and to help give me the strength I need.
I've been through relapse twice in this process. The first time, I used thinking I could control my using. The second time, I used because I used a medical surgery as an excuse to take pain medication as I wanted to. God had enough Mercy to allow me to live through my last time using, and my clean date is now January 26, 2004. When I got back, my sponsor asked me what I was going to do different. I didn't really know then, but I did know that using was not an option any longer. I suffer from HIV as well as the disease of addiction and my last run took me down in weight. It was nothing but God that kept me from advancing from HIV to AIDS.
I went to meetings every day. I had withdrawal from the dope. I prayed everyday for God to give me strength, and He did! I started back on the Steps and started paying my home group back the money I had stolen from them during active addiction. Then I learned that the Louisville Area had a newsletter and that they needed help. With some gentle guidance from my sponsor, I started to show up at Newsletter meetings and soon, I got a service position. Then I stepped up and started to help put the Newsletter together on my computer, and working closely with another addict, we collaborate every month to get the version that you read completed.
With some more encouragement and after bringing up the issue with my sponsor, I enrolled back into college. I applied for financial aide, and I got it. I started slowly with just two classes, I applied myself, and I passed both of them. Also, due to some help at school, I got a good part-time job that will help me through school. All this is due to a loving and caring God, and people in NA that love me and care about me, and a supportive sponsor who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. It's true what the literature says: lost dreams do awaken and new possibilities arise.
- In Loving Service
David M

<this is not my writing but of another addict in recovery.shydawg>

Diversity: IT WORKS
The reality of surrender to this NA program is ever
increasingly revealed as I continue along this
journey of recovery just for today one day at a
time.
Through working the steps, attending meetings
regularly, sharing with other recovering addicts and
doing service work is helping me to surrender to
group consciousness for the common welfare of
NA rather than cater to self will. I must always
remember that my personal recovery depends on
NA unity.
When you said you were not interested in what or
how much I used or whom my connections were,
what I had done in the past, how much or how little
I had and that any one could join NA regardless of
age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion or lack of
such, it gave me the impression that I was
accepted no matter what and this was a safe place
to learn a new way to live.
We come from diverse backgrounds and
persuasions and through the principles and
traditions of NA. We are together learning how to
be acceptable, responsible productive members of
society, living a new way in unity because of a
common problem and a common solution.
We are being given the ability to "Carry the
Message" to an addicted world that any addict
seeking recovery of life can loose the desire to use
and find a new way to live and experience a higher
point of freedom.
The proof of NA is the way we care, share, and
love one another No matter what, No matter who,
No matter when or where. Diversity in NA is
strength to live happy joyous and Free.
Much Gratitude
Anonymous

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

-- Matthew 5:43-48, KJV

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

-- John 14:27, KJV

Just read over some of my old threads, I had no clue that I was clueless. I am just now realizing I haven't had an ounce of humility, just false denying pride......the journey always begins today.:162:

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~
^*^*^*^*^
(\ ~~ /)
( \ (AA/ )
( /AA\ )
/AA\
^*^*^*^*^
Traditions
^*^*^*^*^
"The Twelve Traditions point straight at many of our
individual defects.
By implication they ask each of us to lay aside
pride and resentment.
They ask for personal as well as group sacrifice.
They ask us never to use the AA name in any quest
for personal power or distinction or money.
The Traditions guarantee the equality of all members
and the independence of all groups.
They show how we may best relate to each other
and to the world outside.
They indicate how we can best function in harmony
as a great whole."
c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 96
^*^*^*^*^

Thought to Consider . . .

AA is not something you join, it's a way of life.

*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
A B C = Acceptance, Belief, Change

by Rick Warren
"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV).

Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they're moved emotionally, they're inspired, and they're stimulated. But that doesn't mean they're walking in faith.

The Bible says faith is something we do, not just what we feel: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16 NIV).

In other words, faith is not mere sentimentality. Let's say I go out on the street and I see someone who is homeless and destitute. I see that person is hungry, cold, in need of clothing and shelter. Would I be showing great faith if I walked up and said, "Cheer up! Don't worry, be happy! Feel good! Put on a happy face?"

It doesn't take much faith to do that. Faith carries compassion. Faith says, "I'll do anything I can to stop your hurt." Throughout the New Testament, the witnesses say Jesus was moved with compassion for people. Jesus showed us that faith is practical.

When we see a need, we do something about it. We don't just toss out a quick --"Well, I'll pray for you." The Bible says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food." If we see a Christian in need, we respond because that brother or sister is part of our family.

When you become a believer, you became part of God's family. And as a result, you have some family responsibilities: You care when other Christians are hurt, or in pain, or in grief, or in sorrow, or in need. You show your faith by what you do.

It's easy to think, 'But I can't meet everybody's needs!' That's right. None of us can. But we can meet some. What we can do may not make a difference to everybody, but it will make a difference to those we help.

Think of it like this: When the tide went out, hundreds of starfish were stranded on the beach. A little boy began to pick them up and throw the starfish back into the ocean.

A man came along and asked, "What are you doing?" The boy said, "I'm putting the starfish back in the ocean."

The man said, "But there's too many! You can't make a difference for all of them!"

The boy tossed another starfish into the water, and said, "I bet it makes a difference for that one."

One-by-one. Great opportunities to serve God often come as small opportunities to serve those around us who are in need.