New beginnings!

For almost a year now I have been active with New Life Ministries. You can check out their web site yourself at http://newlife.com. When I first visited the site I was in so much pain and I was looking for a way to deal with so many issues. I found the message boards there and I was able to connect with other people who were hurting as well. I began emailing and posting to the message boards. I was also lucky to find people who were further down the road on the way to recovery. From this collection of people I received solid Godly advice. I also met a wonderful friend and throughout the last year we have developed an awesome friendship. I was in a place in my life where I felt I was unlovable. But God brought this tremendous person into my life and through her I have learned that I am a valuable person, created by God just as he intended me to be. This past summer I went to a workshop in Anderson Indiana. It was one of the most powerful events I have attended. When I got to Indiana I was ready to give up on myself and on some very important relationships in my life. As the hours went by and I listened to Steve Arterburn talk, my out look on life began to change. During the counseling sessions, I found love and support from complete strangers. I learned that God loves me and He is there for me even in my darkest hours. I learned how important it is to deal with the past hurts of my life. The only way for me to move forward was to make the choice to begin the healing process. The seminar was called "Healing is a Choice", I would recommend this workshop to anyone who is struggling in their life and looking for answers. I also got involved with New Life Ministries small group coaching. It is a small group of people along with a group coach who communicate by phone once a week. Our topic was "Boundaries". We learned about "Boundaries" through written lessons and applying these concepts in our daily lives. We learned how to include healthy boundaries in our daily lives. We spent time each week in prayer and sharing our experiences and finding new ways to approach the difficulties in our relationships. Our group coach helped us get to know ourselves and each other. He also showed me that it is safe to share my heart with someone even though when I tried this in the past it brought me nothing but pain. The coaching is offered as a group activity or individually. I urge you to consider giving this a try if you find you need someone to talk to. I continue to use the resources of New Life Ministries, be it books, cd's, the radio broadcasts, group coaching or visiting the message boards. In the past year God has given me the gift of new friendships and a new beginning. What an awesome God is He.