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a Non-Profit 501 (C) (3) Organization Founded by Award-Winning Christian Author/Speaker Lisa Freeman "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal…" Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
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~AWARDS~
Best New Book of The Year 2007 Writer of the Year, 2000 & 2007 Honorable Mention Awkward Romance Contest May 2006 All Time Best Award Fanstory.com 2006 Finalist in Chicken Soup Contest 2005 Distinguished Achievement Award, 2005 2nd Place Photo Say More Contest 2005 Top Story in Obadiah Contest 2002 2 Top Stories in Obadiah Contest 2003 Diploma from Guideposts for Teens, 2002 Merit Certificate from Writer's Digest, 2000 & 2001
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"STAY PURE" A Monthly E-Zine For Those Recovering From Addictive Behaviors
December 2002 "Celebrate Christ-mas" Have a Merry Christmas! BE BLESSED!
A Special Thanks To Our Talented Writers and our Supportive Subscribers!!!
Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." by Author & Founder Elisabeth Freeman copyright@2002, December
Mail Corner: "Letters/Insights From Our Subscribers"—all kept anonymousFeature Article: "A Gift That Keeps On Giving" by Elisabeth FreemanCouples Forum: "How We Keep The Romance In Our Marriage" by Katherine Kehler"Finding Freedom From Sexual Addictions" by Paul Cook @ http://www.porn-free.org"Flying Through A Terrible Storm" Insight From Bill BrightThe Laughing Corner: A few short jokes… Remember, laughter is the best medicine… A merry heart doeth good like a medicine! Prov. 17:22 Helpful Sites :http://www.porn-free.org; http://www.no-porn.com Now there’s a 12 step program for those who have or are concerned about HIV… HIV Anonymous… email is info@hivanonymous.com Lannie Self is back on the web with his help page for those struggling with addiction. For more information, click here… http://www.geocities.com/lannie307/restoration_fellowship.htmATTENTION!!! New Book In The Works… A Teen Book "From Pitiful To Powerful" which will include true short stories about and for teens… I NEED SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING TO SHARE THEIR STORY of being a teen, involved in pornography, how you got into it, and how the Lord helped you out of it… please email me ASAP. atime2heal@chartermi.net
New Book Available!!! To Help All Who Are Affected By This Demon Of Pornography: "Coming Out Of Sexual Addiction"Other Helpful Books are available at porn-free.org!!! ***The Bible tells us that "people perish for lack of vision". Don’t perish, get a vision of healing and learn how to BREAK FREE FROM THIS STRANGLING ADDICTION! ***Our Mail Corner is our newest feature: please feel free to submit short letters of what God’s doing in your life through this ministry and we’ll be happy to share them in one of our upcoming issues! ***We Need More Talented Writers… if you have something you’d like to share, please email me at atime2heal@peoplepc.com.***Thank you for the "thank you" notes that come in all the time!!! I’m so blessed to be in such a wonderful ministry. May God bless each of your lives and families as you take a step closer to Him today! Here at STAY PURE, we’d like to hear from you. What are your comments and thoughts, how could we better serve your needs. Without your input, we may never know. After all, this is a service for YOU. Mail Corner: This letter came from one of our subscribers:Lt. Col David P. Barlett Jr., a former Army War College research analyst, was sentenced to 25 years in prison Oct 30 for bludgeoning his wife to death after a three-day argument over PORNOGRAPHY, that Bartlett had DOWNLOADED ON THE COMPUTER in their home. This man was not only an officer but a high ranking one as well. I'm sure there is probably more to this than we will ever know, but the bottom line was he killed her over such a ridiculous incident. This is an addiction that is stronger than most people realize. I often wonder if it wasn't for Jesus Christ where would I have ended up.Again I say, THIS ADDICTION IS POWERFUL. I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE CAN BE GRIPPED BY THIS. MY SAVIOUR HAS BEEN PATIENT WITH ME OVER THE YEARS. BUT I KNOW ONE THING, I AM NOT GIVING UP. SOMEONE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST IS HELPLESS WITH THIS ADDICTION. IT IS SAD. AND IT IS GROWING… God bless you for your ministry.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving by Elisabeth A. Freeman It’s customary at this time of year to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate than we are. In fact, Jesus stated, "Truly I tell you, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will never lose his reward." (Matt. 10:42 NIV) But shouldn’t this be our attitude every day of the year, not just at Christmas?We are also told, "Give, and it will be given to you. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, you will be measured." (Luke 6:38 NIV) This is surely not the only reason to give, but I even read earlier today that the one who clings to his wealth will lose what he has, but the one who gives freely will have an abundance. And I can proclaim, the more I give, the more God blesses!The Bible is also very clear when it says that the worker is worthy of his pay. In fact, when Jesus sent the disciples out, he sent them two by two and told them to find a place to stay when they got there. If they were received they were to bless the city, but if they were rejected the city would be cursed. Many of our laborers in the Lord’s work are suffering today because we want what they have to offer, but we never stop to think how we can give something back to them. In the past few days it has been brought to my attention that my very dear friend, and co-worker in this ministry is suffering financially. His name is Paul and he works one of the best websites on the Internet. However, due to lack of support, he’s considering giving up this much needed ministry to find a paying job to support his family. As many of you know, I offer a FREE MAGAZINE and I’ve NEVER ONCE asked for a penny, but I feel led in my spirit to ask each of you, to pray about what can you give to keep Paul in the ministry? Could you give up $5 a month (that’s just one trip to McDonald’s) or maybe $10, $15, $20, or even more? Pornography is a demon I want to see defeated, not Paul and his family. Paul labors night and day to offer prayer, help and support for those struggling with sexual addiction. Will you show him how much you value his work, ministry, and commitment by writing and saying "I’d like to support you with a gift of ……. every month." paul@porn-free.orgScripture already tells us that we cannot out give God. He ALWAYS blesses us with more. Won’t you put the devil in his place and give the gift that keeps giving? Because, as soon as you make that commitment, others are going to hear the Good News, get saved, change their lives, and someday thank you in Heaven! I thank you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for your support! I love you with all my heart. Thank you for allowing God to use you to change others lives! And have a very Merry Christmas!
Couples Forum: HOW WE KEEP THE ROMANCE IN OUR MARRIAGE Katherine Kehler ------------------------------------- "Honor Christ by submitting to each other" (Ephesians 5:21). Marvin and I have been married for over 46 years. We have lived, slept, worked, played, prayed, traveled and eaten together for that many years. Marvin travels at least 30 percent of each year - probably more. When he is away, he calls me most evenings, and his voice still thrills me. I still think he has the most wonderful smile in the world, a calm, gentle voice and the most friendly eyes. And I still love his touch. * What do we do to keep the romance alive in our marriage? * First I'll tell you what *he* does to keep our romance alive, then I'll tell you what *I* do to keep our marriage interesting and exciting. * He does and says kind things. * He tells me many times a day that he loves me and that I am beautiful. He kisses and hugs me a lot. At night, because he knows I like to take a bath, the bathwater is usually in the tub and the room is nice and warm. He often brings me flowers. He opens doors for me. When in a group meeting, he winks at me, and it still gives me a thrill. * What I do to keep our interest in each other. * I cook his favorite meals - especially after a trip when he has been eating in restaurants for days. I keep his clothes in A-1 condition, so he is always ready to meet anyone. I tell him he is handsome and looks sharp. I take care of many of the small housekeeping details at home, so he doesn't have to concern himself with them. Some evenings when we are at home alone and watching TV or a video, I will put my head on his lap. He likes me to touch him and kiss him when we are alone. In public places, a touch or squeeze on the arm communicates, "I love you!" without saying a word. When he is relaxing and has his feet up, I never walk by without tickling his feet. We have fun. We laugh a lot. We have spiritual discussions. Over breakfast we usually discuss what God has pointed out to us during our quiet times and we pray together. * We work at trying to please each other, rather than insisting on having our own needs met. * Our love for each other is still growing and glowing. You see, romance doesn't start in bed. It begins first thing in the morning. The way you greet each other in the morning, how you treat and talk to each other during the day. Then when you go to bed, it is natural to want to snuggle. Try some of these tips - maybe they will help ignite or strengthen the romance in your marriage as well.
Finding Freedom from Sexual Addictions By Paul Cook I thought it would be good to write an overview of the path to freedom from sex addiction this month. Over the past 5 years since God delivered me from sex addiction, He has been teaching me about the issues involved. Without a doubt, freedom is possible! Not only have I been living free, but many people I know are also walking in victory. If God has been prompting you to take steps to arrest an addiction, I encourage you to put the below steps into practice. The first step is to confess our sin to God. The scripture says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness"(1 John 1:9 NIV). Sometimes people have trouble receiving God’s forgiveness because they think they’ve sinned beyond Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sin! The second part of confession is that we break secrecy with a fellow Christian who will encourage and support us in our walk to purity (James 5:15-16). Many people turn away from this, because they fear reject and breaking their spiritual façade. If we truly want to be free, we have to be willing to shed our pride and get real with people about what’s really going on. The next step is to shut down temptation sources. This requires us to take radical action to shut off the "trigger pathways" that have been enabling our sin. For example, if the Internet has been the source, we can install a porn filter or used a filtered service provider. If sexually explicit movies have been the problem, we can commit to reading a Christian movie review before deciding to go. If seeing people in swimsuits are our weakness, we can choose not to go to the beach during the prime sunbathing hours. As we shut down the temptation sources, we must then exercise control of our eyes and thoughts. Sex addicts often have been so accustomed to letting their eyes roam freely that they have forgotten they have power to control what they look at. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us regain control of our bodies and actually put our sinful deeds to death! If we cooperate with the Spirit and obey his promptings to "look away," or "close our eyes," or "change the channel," we’ll discover that we can eliminate a vast amount of the visual temptations that come our way. Controlling thoughts could be the most challenging task in walking to purity. Paul described it as "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV). Here too the Spirit will help us stop our thoughts from fantasizing and remind us of the truth about the devil’s lies. The final step is to present ourselves to God as instruments for his purposes. Paul wrote, "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness" (Romans 6:13 NIV). When we present our bodies for righteous uses, we cut off the opportunities to use them for sin. Let me offer some examples: The teen who decides to volunteer at the homeless shelter after school during the week will not have the opportunity to surf for porn at home before his parents get home from work. The girl who ends her Saturday date by 10:00 PM will avoid the temptation of sex with her boyfriend during the late night hours. The woman who decides to turn off the soap operas and have a quiet time with God will avoid loading her mind with ungodly thoughts. Whatever our situation is, God will guide us in making wise decisions in honoring him with our bodies. God is the reliable source of life and power that will help you live a changed life as an honorable vessel for the Master. If you have further questions, please visit us on the web at www.porn-free.org.
Flying Through a Terrible Storm Dr. Bill Bright Founder and Chairman Campus Crusade for Christ International "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats and keep your seatbelts fastened. We should be out of the storm in a few moments..." The calm voice over the intercom was hardly reassuring as our Pan Am 707 jetliner pierced the fury of a storm during our flight from New York to Washington, D.C. The sky flashed as lightning forked its tongue seemingly just inches away from the plane. Swirling winds tore at the plane's metal skin, and the aircraft bounced and shuddered in the turbulence, like a leaf in a windstorm. I gripped Vonette's hand and turned to look at her strained face. "I don't know how much longer the plane can endure this storm without breaking into pieces," I said. The 707 began to twist -- first to the right, then to the left -- in the increasing fury. The shaky laughter around me faded into an eerie silence, broken only by the calm voice of the flight attendant. Through the windows we could see the wings flapping almost like those of a giant bird struggling frantically against a violent downdraft. Vonette leaned toward me, and I felt the gentle pressure of her hand entwined in mine. Softly, we began praying, our words flowing together in supplication to our precious Savior. Convinced that our aircraft could not survive the turbulence much longer, I tenderly said goodbye to my dear Vonette and she to me. Then, together, we told our wonderful Lord that we were ready to meet Him if He desired. Suddenly, I thought of how the Lord Jesus had calmed the winds and water on the sea when His disciples feared that their boat would capsize during another violent storm. Knowing His power and love for all His children, I prayed aloud, "Lord, you are the God of all creation. You control the laws of nature. You quieted the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Quiet this storm!" Immediately the rain and turbulence stopped! Vonette stared at me in amazement, then smiled slightly. "Now, why didn't we pray that prayer earlier?" I squeezed her hand and grinned back. You can be sure that Vonette and I continued to thank and praise the Lord for hearing our prayers and saving our lives. We learned later that the lightning had knocked a huge hole in the fuselage near the cockpit, destroying all the radar equipment. The pilot said this was the most violent storm he had ever experienced in millions of miles of flying. Let us always remember to pray God's Word, at all times, not just times of danger
"I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other saints right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line."
*Smile For the DMV* *GOLF, n.* GOLF, n. [1] a game that consists of a lot of walking, broken up by disappointment and bad arithmetic. [2] a game of opposites - the world's slowest people are ahead of you, and the fastest are behind. [3] a colorful sport that keeps you on the green, in the pink, and financially in the red. [4] a game which is allowed to be played on Sunday (under blue laws) because it was not considered a game by the law, but a form of moral effort. [5] a game a lot like taxation - you drive hard to get to the green, and then you find yourself in a hole. GOLF CART, n. [1] A popular mode of transportation because, unlike a caddie, it can neither count, criticize, nor snicker. GOLFER, n. [1] a person who yells "fore," takes six, and puts down five; [2] a guy who has the advantage over a fisherman - he doesn't have to bring home anything when he brags he had a great day. *Texas Vacation* A couple was relating their vacation experiences to a friend. "It sounds as if you had a great time in Texas," the friend observed. "But didn't you tell me you were planning to visit Colorado?" "Well," the husband said, "we changed our plans because, uh..." His wife cut in, "Oh, tell the truth, Dan!" He fell silent and she continued, "You know, it's just ridiculous. Dan simply will not ask for directions." *Putting the Cat Out* A couple is going out for an evening on the town. When they are almost ready to go, the wife tells her husband not to forget to put out the cat. However, after a Taxi arrives and as they go out the door the cat darts back in the house. Not wanting the cat shut in the house while they are out the husband goes back in to get the cat as the wife goes and gets in the cab. The wife not wanting it known that the house will be empty while they are out explains to the cab driver, "He is just going upstairs to say good-bye to mother." A short time later the husband comes down and gets in the cab. He says, "Sorry it took so long but the stupid old thing was under the bed and I had to poke her with a coat hanger!" *10 Most Wanted* Little Sammy's kindergarten class was on a field trip to their local police station. There they saw pictures tacked to a big bulletin board. The label clearly read, "The 10 Most Wanted." One of the youngsters pointed to a picture and asked if it really was the photo of a wanted person. "Yes," said the policeman, "the detectives want him very badly." So Little Sammy asked, while tugging on the man's belt, "Um, mister, why didn't you keep them when you took their pictures?"
*Daaaad!*
*Miscellaneous Ponderings* A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station... GO FIGURE! If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP? I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions. If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what goober came up with, "Quit while you're ahead?" Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks? What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men? I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me...they were cramming for their finals. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do...write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they deliver the mail? *Beware of Dog* Upon entering a little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the door glass. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor near the cash register. He asked the store's owner "Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?" "Yep," the proprietor answered, "That's him." The stranger couldn't help being amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me," he chuckled. "Why in the world did you decide to post that sign?" "Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him." |
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