One Day at a Time

Rees Larcombe Justyn

Description

Through testimonial, anecdote and scriptural reference, this book allows the reader to share in recovery from secret habits of all kinds. Covering subjects such as alcohol, food, gambling, sex and smoking, Justyn Rees Larcombe demonstrates how to avoid the traps of the modern world. Justyn Rees Larcombe's account of gambling addiction - three years of destruction followed by three years of restoration - is interwoven throughout the book. The chapters are short and thematic, ending with helpful questions and exercises.

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 17 juin 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857217196
• Langue: English

Extrait

One Day at a Time
Justyn Rees Larcombe’s inspirational story of recovery from overpowering addiction is a wonderful testimony to being lifted out of the deepest pit by the power of Jesus Christ.
Nicky Gumbel
My son’s life seemed to be going wonderfully well; I never suspected a secret addiction was destroying everything – until it did! At the time his latest book would have helped us so much, but of course he had to “live it” before he could write it. I know it will be a great resource to us here at Beauty from Ashes, helping to mend lives which have been broken for many different reasons.
Jennifer Rees Larcombe, author, speaker and founder of Beauty from Ashes
This book is a wonderful companion to have, for those of us wishing to understand and grow, finding freedom from addictive behaviours and habits. Justyn speaks with conviction and wisdom about his journey of faith whilst overcoming addiction and finding recovery. His strength about this topic comes from both his personal experiences and the pain that comes hand in hand with destructive habits. Justyn tells his powerful story with great warmth and compassion, which will strike a cord deep in the hearts of those wishing to grow spiritually, whilst tapping into an inner freedom that only God can give.
Emma Heath, Recovery Course Leader, Bournemouth
 
 
Also by Justyn Rees Larcombe:
 
Tails I Lose

 
 
Text copyright © 2016 Justyn Rees Larcombe This edition copyright © 2016 Lion Hudson
The right of Justyn Rees Larcombe to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Monarch Books an imprint of Lion Hudson plc Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England Email: [e-mail] www.lionhudson.com/monarch
ISBN 978 0 85721 718 9 e-ISBN 978 0 85721 719 6
First edition 2016
Acknowledgments Unless otherwise marked, scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation , copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “NIV” taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. “NIV” is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790. Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. pp. 101, 201: Extracts from Breathing Underwater by Richard Rohr, copyright © Richard Rohr, 2011. Used by permission of St Anthony Messenger Press.
Cover image: Justyn Rees Larcombe
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Dedication
To the real JRL. For everything, but especially for being there at the lowest time and for encouraging me to follow in your footsteps.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
 
Acknowledgments
Foreword
About the Book
Part 1: Fundamentals (Steps 1 and 2)
Chapter 1: The Journey
Chapter 2: The Start Line
Chapter 3: Getting to Know You
Chapter 4: What is an Addiction? (Steps 1 and 2)
Chapter 5: Honesty without Masks
Chapter 6: Recognize it is a Spiritual Battle
Part 2: The Practical Stages of Recovery (Steps 3 to 9)
Chapter 7: “You Have Control” (Step 3)
Chapter 8: Moral Inventory and Resentments (Step 4)
Chapter 9: Confession and Removal (Steps 5 to 7)
Chapter 10: Making Amends (Steps 8 and 9)
Part 3: Preventing Relapse (Steps 10 to 12)
Chapter 11: The Maintenance Steps (Steps 10 and 11)
Chapter 12: Helping Others (Step 12)
Chapter 13: Dealing with the Addiction Voice
Chapter 14: How Can I Help an Addict, and What About Me?
Chapter 15: Alcohol
Chapter 16: Eating Disorders
Chapter 17: Pornography
Chapter 18: Compulsive Gambling
Chapter 19: Financial Addictions and Buying Disorders
Chapter 20: Social Media
Chapter 21: Recovery Partner
Chapter 22: Practical Advice
Part 4: Beware
Chapter 23: Beware of Secrets
Part 5: Living in the Light
Chapter 24: The Light of the World
Chapter 25: Journey’s End
Postscript
Resources
Acknowledgments
My thanks must go to the whole Monarch Books team at Lion Hudson. For the faith of Tony Collins; for Rhoda Hardie and the whole PR team, who never seem to stop; but most of all for my Editor, Alison Hull – my perfect foil and one of the wisest people I know. I also want to acknowledge the work of Nigel Skelsey, author of The Recovery Course, and an inspiration to so many of us in Christian recovery. Finally, a big thank you to Chris Mungeam, who is so much more than my agent, mentor, and the person who first told me to write down my story; he’s my friend.
Foreword
It’s OK to hurt. In the words of the rock band REM’s most iconic song, “Everybody hurts”.
Most of us won’t reach adulthood without some pain, fear, or anxiety. The storms of life hit hard and without warning, and they affect us all: young, old, rich, and poor. Bereavements, disappointments, unfulfilled ambitions, broken relationships, let-downs, ill-health, redundancy, trials, setbacks, and temptations; even success can cause upheaval. And if we don’t deal with it, but bury it instead, it is still there.
We find a way of coping with pain because pain is, well, painful. Often our coping strategies are not healthy and their indulgence has consequences that just add more pain on top. For Christians, we fear people finding out about our coping strategies, so we hide them. They become our secret habits. Covering them up causes more complications and can damage our relationships. And even more pain is added on top, so we protect ourselves with our habits, our medication. It’s a cycle, but one which can be broken. There is another way – to freedom, fulfilment, and joy, despite life’s storms. There is hope.
This book is written for anyone who has a secret habit. For anyone who has lost control and can’t stop. Anyone whose life contains a thorn that harms their relationship with their Creator, their family and friends, their work colleagues, or themselves.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand why they keep going back to the same place, even when they don’t want to. It’s for anyone who wants to break the chains that hold them back from living a free, joyful, and fulfilled life. It’s for anyone who wants to take their relationship with God to new heights, but instead of climbing the mountain they just keep walking along the same plateau.
This book is for those of you who have experienced the pain of helplessly watching a loved one struggle with behaviour patterns that harm them and hurt you.
It’s for anyone searching for hope in a modern world where it’s easier than ever to become ensnared in habits that hold us back from living a life of freedom and joy, free from depression and anxiety.
I wrote this book for those who want to experience the freedom our God has for us in abundance, now and forevermore. And because I want you to know that God loves you completely, unconditionally, and more deeply than you or I will ever understand in this life.
This book is not for those who are perfect already. You can pass.
About the Book
One Day at a Time is not just a memoir. Neither is it just a recovery manual. It’s both, and it can be read in different ways. I wanted to write something that can be picked up and enjoyed. Not in a fluffy way, but in a gritty and challenging but wholly satisfying way. It is also intended to be used to help break behaviour patterns, by stating the truth that we are loved by God, unconditionally, and by suggesting simple, practical exercises to enhance that understanding.
If I am honest, I don’t really enjoy reading books where the author keeps challenging me to stop reading and do some task or other. You can read this book from cover to cover like a novel if you want to. But I am assuming you want to be free from your habit. So if you want that freedom, you have to do something in response to the words. The exercises at the end of each chapter are there for your benefit. My prayer is that you will be challenged by what I say enough to take the time to take action. You can’t read yourself to recovery. You need to take the steps, sequentially, to claim it.
So if you just want to take this book with you and read it like a story, feel free. You may well grasp the truth if you simply do that. If you really need it to transform your life, you may need to follow up on the suggestions I make at the end of each chapter. It’s up to you. How much do you want your freedom; how much do you need it in your life?
I am not a psychologist. I haven’t studied addiction – at least, not in an academic way. Nor do I pretend to be a qualified counsellor or cognitive therapist. I am just somebody who let an addiction take over my life and have since experienced wonderful freedom from it, through Christ. I want to share my own experiences: nothing more. Throughout this book, I also share stories of others to enhance the narrative. Where appropriate, their names have been changed to protect their privacy.
The truth
In the 1999 science fiction film, The Matrix , the main character, Neo (played by Keanu Reeves), is offered two pills by a character called Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne). The red pill and its opposite, the blue pill, represent the choice between embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality (red pill) and the blissful ignorance of