So I am new on this site. Not new to the internet, just new on this site. I feel like I ought to quantify myself just a bit (if that's alright with you).....

I accepted Christ in August of 2006 when I was in rehab for the third time. Rehab took awhile to work for me, I quit doing meth in November of 2006. I then moved in with my parents and got a job near our apartment. I was also going to be working for my beloved federal agency (which is ALOT for someone in recovery....but thats me----overachiever). But God had a different plan.


January 2007, I got my children back from my exes parents. Also January 2007, I was set to start my new job. I decided to put the federal job on hold, because it was only seasonal. At the other job (which was a call center), I did pretty well. Then I met someone, and had the good fortune of working with him everyday.

We started seeing eachother, and eventually we fell in love. Now, we are both avid somkers. We have been talking about quitting ever since we got together (two years ago today). It just hasn't happened for us.

Three months ago, we moved the whole family in with his parents. His dad was not very healthy and had just lost his means of income. So we came here to help them out. On June 4th of this year, I got the patch to quit smoking. I put it on, and away I went....my fiance was ready willing and able to go cold turkey.

Then on June 5th, we got woken up by his mother saying that dad was not breathing. We ran into the livingroom, assesed the situation, called 911, and immediately started CPR.

He did not make it.

There were alot of people at our house, alot of sadness and life changing stuff. So, I took the patch off, bought me and him a pack of smokes, and here we are today.

Its been almost three weeks since dad died, and I told my fiance yesterday that I was gonna "try to try to quit". I had no idea how to....but i would try. I still have the patches (my out????).

I come onto the community here, look at the daily devo.....and its 1 Corinthians 10:13!!!

But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.

So, in a nutshell....I realize that quitting smoking should be the least of our worries at this moment....but it seems to be where the enemy has a foothold on us..It is very reassuring that God won't give us more than we can handle.....

I just wanted to throw my two cents in there

Have a great day everyone!!

Hi Sammantha:
I am new on this forum as well. I have been in a similar situation 19 years ago. I was a smoker and my second son was born with heart disease. I had quit smoking but was so stressed out that I needed a smoke! However when I lit it, God immediately took my cravings away and I remember dropping it to the ground and stepping on that cigarette. That's the last time I ever smoked. ....I am so thankful that God did that! Now I'm not saying that God works that way with everyone...just that that is what happened to me. Just know that God indeed is faithful and he won't let you be tempted beyond what you can bear....but when you are tempted he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1Cor 10:13) I am praying for you and your family. Just take one step at a time. Praise God that you are off the meth. That's awesome.
Love in Jesus, B

Sammantha and InHim, welcome to our little corner of the Internet. Amen to what InHim said. I don't have much practical advice beyond seeking God in prayer and through His word. Servant has more experience in this area so hopefully he'll be around to share some of His wisdom. Chat later.

Hi Samantha! Hi InHim! Welcome to the both of you!

Addiction, in any form, is ball and chain that enemy likes to attach to our ankles and, once there, can be difficult to remove. Our only chance of freedom is to look to Christ and the power He has to break the chains that bind us.

My sister was a crack addict for over 15 years, during the course of which she lost EVERYTHING. Family. Home. Friends. She lost it all. But for the last five years she has lived a crack-free life. After hitting her rock bottom, she made the decision to seek help through a professional state-run facility where she entered a twelve step program and, in doing so, rediscovered her relationship with Jesus Christ.

I'm sharing this only to say that I have some experience with addictive personalities and that Jesus can work through others to help us achieve victory over whatever it is that binds us.

I would like to recommend an online course called Setting Captives Free. They have a substance abuse course that has helped many overcome their addictions. I encourage you, Samantha, to sign up (it's free) and dig deep into God's Word and let HIM work in you to set you free.

If you decide to do it, please keep us posted on how it's going. I want to be able to keep you lifted in prayer and look forward to hearing your testimony of how God brought you out of the desert of addiction and into the land of milk and honey.

And, before I close, please accept my condolences on the loss of your father in law.

Hi Sammantha: I agree with Servant...Setting Captives Free is an excellent website. Very compassionate and helpful. God willing, you may want to check it out.
You are in my prayers.
In Him

Thank you for all the lovely sentiments and words guys. I am going to check out that site in a minute, just wanted to say thank you.

Still smoking, turns out that nicotine is a very strong addiction, and I am an awfully weak person....but what did occur to me the other day is that I had fallen out of reading the Word everyday, did not have my Christian music pumping through the house, havent gone to church in a few weeks....

I am disconnected! How does that happen so quickly and easily?? I don't get that. God commands that we stay steeped in His word, He made us social creatures for the fellowshipping purposes, He loves a sweet song to rise out of us....and yet...we disconnect. From the one being that PROMISES to love us unconditionally.....

Then I start to get angry. I am angry at myself for falling of the grid, I get resentful towards my fiance for mentioning that we are running out of ice or something silly like that (are his arms broken????? no.) I start to get short with my children...then, when things get too painful in my little world, I reconnect....ugh.

I pray that I can become more faithful, just as God is faithful to me.....I pray that everyone else will accept this God-given gift and that all of can get and stay connected cause that is where true faith lives.