Friday, March 21, 2014

LDS Living article on pornography and women! YES!

So Annette sent this to me the other day and I really did a dance of happiness (in my chair).
LDS Living just posted an article:

Talking to Your Daughter About Pornography

HALLELUJAH!
While I wish that they had mentioned that porn addiction is actually sex addiction, there are so many good things in this article!
Just read it.

I especially love encouraging mothers to set an example for their daughters. I know so often in this world, we make excuses (I still do it too!) for watching, reading or looking at inappropriate stuff. Whether it's a scene in a TV show/film or book, we can't keep saying "it's just that one bad part." We need to set an example for those around us, especially our children or the young people that look up to us.

So I'm saving this article for future use with my children (boys and girls) and my future nieces and nephews.

Seeing a major LDS publication print this. Seeing that people are recognizing its importance, makes me smile. It's a battle we can win!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Whatever I do...

The past month, excluding the great feeling of completely Step 10 (YAY!), has been hard. I've had trouble sleeping, feeling very idle and just overall blah.

There's been a lot of grief in this past month in my ward, in my life, with my friends. I know that grief has been a big part of my sadness.
Then, last Friday, I had a near slip. I'd downloaded a song, a fun 80's pop tune I'd heard that day and remembered I liked and was clean. So I bought it and that night I was playing a game on my phone and listening to it on repeat. Well, then I started imagining singing it with someone famous (I think I've been watching too much Jimmy Fallon) and then, well, I realized that I should stop it, but it took a few prompts to get me to do so.
I lived in a fantasy world almost all day every day, so my brain is programmed to seek it out. It was a struggle and I kneeled and asked for forgiveness in prayer, THEN that night I has an emotional user dream. Meaning, the emotions in the dream triggered me, not the dream itself, as everyone in the dream was dressed in Edwardian clothes. Weird. So I woke up triggering and emotional because of a stupid dream in which I was triggered emotionally. Frustrating!

However, I feel… better. Happier. Nicer.
There are still struggles and triggers and temptations, but I've found as I focus on the Lord, He helps me.
I am working on studying my scriptures daily. On sincere, not-by-rote- prayers daily, hourly, etc. On turning hard moments over to the Lord.
I still have days where I feel I don't succeed. Where I've been grumpy or stubborn or hurtful to others, BUT I can turn those feelings over to my Heavenly Father and He replaces them with calm and peace.

Today's song is one of my favorites. It's what I'm doing now. I'm not losing heart. I'm pushing through the dark.


Josh Wilson Pushing Through the Dark

Friday, March 07, 2014

It's a miracle (and I say this only half joking)

Last night I finished the last question in the Study & Understanding section of Step 10!!!!!
YAY!!!!

I have completed it!
Meaning, I'll keep working on daily inventory, and it needs a lot of work, but I need to move on to Step 11. I've been feeling this for a while.

So, it's taken a year. But Step 10 is DONE!!!!! I am no longer on Step 10! 

Hurrah!


This is totally how I feel right now.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.