Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A FAMILY AFFAIR


The typical family would spend time together in their back yard, playing games and eating fresh grilled hamburgers. The most famous place families spend time together is at the neighborhood park. However, the most desired place for our family to spend together is at the mall, or shopping center. Browsing through stores is a family affair for the McClure's. The three most prominent stores our family spends the most time in are clothing, book, and toy stores.
The first store my wife, Jenny, heads for is the clothing department store. My three children and I follow close behind my wife as if we were on a guided tour, exploring the variety of sales and special deals. It doesn't take long till each family member is engulfed in his or her own particular world of clothing My wife heads right for the little girl section with Aleena, our seven year old, hand in hand, scouting out the latest. Timmy, my sixteen year old "man", explores the latest power looks of hats, shirts, and gym gear. Chanda, our nineteen year fashion model, smothers herself in an array of cool frills, and the latest up-beat conservative fashions. We eventually came together and compared our findings. After a couple of hours and two hundred dollars, we're ready to move on. At least I am.
The next prominent store the family heads for is the book store. It's a good thing that the whole family loves books, or it could a division of a great relationship. I could easily spend all day looking through books, titles, topics, ideas, and yes, pictures. The family can just walk past a book store and my seven year old, will grab my arm, and say, "No daddy, no, not the book store." Our family experiences some of the greatest fun together, sharing jokes from joke books and the latest from the comics. The funniest of all is the subliminal new age section. We'll roll in laughter, as I read a line or two from one of the far out philosophies of the latest new age advocates.
The family's fun day can not conclude until we visit the toy store. Some may think that toy stores are for kids only, but there not. My wife usually sights the famous proverb to me: "The only difference between men and boys, is the price of their toys." I must admit, the toy store is the greatest cure for the problem with the generation gap. Our family never fails to hit it off at the toy store. The games and toys we take with us, provide months of entertainment at home.
Thank God for clothes, book, and toy stores. For our family, spending time at the mall, or shopping center is a great family affair.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

CURSE OF ADDICTION


It felt as if the walls were caving in on me as I walked down the long, narrow hall leading to the psychiatric ward extension of Wuesthoff Hospital. I was there to visit George Robinson, who was court ordered to receive psychiatric treatment. A creepy feeling overcame me when the security guard locked the door behind me. Shock overwhelmed me as I stared into the faces of what looked like three hundred neurotic deranged human beings. Even though I had only spoken to George a few times prior to this visit, I was there at his request. I came to help him overcome his sixteen years of alcohol addiction. As I walked through the crowd, looking for George, I saw people engaging in elaborate conversations with the walls, while others stared silently into space. Paranoia eased from me when a few "normal" people nodded and said hello. I remember thinking as I looked across the Ward, "this is the curse of addiction." If nothing else gave me reason to thank God I was not a drug addict, that experience did. As I gazed at the crowd of men and women, young and old, it became evident to me that drug addiction destroys the mind, separates families, and leaves the addict functionally helpless.
One of the first things alcohol and other drugs do to a person's mind is destroy virtually millions of irreplaceable brain cells. (According to the Center for Drug and Alcohol Treatment of America). From my experience at Wuesthoff Psychiatric Ward, I did not need many facts or statistics to prove to me that drug addiction destroys the mind. Drug addiction is a slow death, according to Dr. John B. James of Johns Hopkens Alcohol Research Center in Baltimore, Maryland. It was clear to me, after talking with George Robinson, that sixteen years of alcoholism had almost stripped him of his self worth and esteem. Even his conversation seemed to jump from one subject to another. I found it hard to make sense of what he was trying to say. It was evident that drug addiction was a psychological curse.
Another way that I saw drug addiction as a curse was the way it separated families. As I talked to George that day, he revealed to me that his addiction had driven a deep wedge between him and his father. George confessed that he lost every friend that he ever had. Drugs had destroyed almost every promising relationship George ever had. At thirty years of age, George Robinson had no real friends, no plans of marriage, no children, and no loving relationship with his mother or father. I was a preacher he had only met four or five times, and he said that I was the only one he could call for help. This brought new meaning to the latest government reports that found drug addiction to be one of the leading causes for divorce in America.
Finally, not only does drug addiction destroy the mind and relationships, it also renders the addict virtually helpless in securing a meaningful future. George Robinson had a bachelor's degree in agriculture. He was a skilled carpenter, a wind surfing champion, and a very skillful surfboard designer. George, at one time, owned a very successful surfboard manufacturing business, and alcohol addiction had taken it all away. I didn't need all the facts and figure that day to convince me that drug addiction would destroy a man's future success. If George was ever to enjoy a successful future, alcohol would have to go. Clearly, drug addiction was a curse to him.
It took George eight months of hard work to overcome his addiction. After nine years of drug free living, George Robinson has his right mind, is happily married and is a successful businessman in Melbourne, Florida. My experience with helping George overcome his addiction has revealed to me, the unforgettable curse of addiction.

Monday, April 12, 2010

12 Ingredients of a Perfect Day


Time is the most valuable commodity in your life. Time is more valuable than money, things, stuff, goods or prestige. If you lose your house, you can always get another one. If you lose your friends, you can make new ones. If you lose your time, you can never replace it. Cherish your time above everything that is given to you.
Energy is powerful substance you have been given with regard to your assignment. If you learn your purpose, educate yourself to accomplish it and network all the friends and family to assist you, but you run out of the energy to follow through, all your resources’ become in vain. You must always be conscious of your energy level – measured by passion, health, excitement, ambition and activity.

1. PURPOSE – what is that single most definite purpose in life that you were place on earth to accomplish? Why were you born? If you cannot articulate that in detail, then list the Single most important thing that you MUST do this year. What is it that you want to DO, ACCOMPLISH, HAVE, REACH this year? What is that one thing that you and you alone can and must do? Start with this. Every day of your life must be centered on your PURPOSE. If you don’t, you’ll spend a lifetime of doing stuff that matters NOTHING to you or yours. “To this end was I born and for this purpose I came (John 18:37).
2. PRAYER – converse with God daily about what it is that HE wants of you and for you. Never start a day without first “checking in with God.” It is a major mistake to go to God after you messed up something, asking his help to FIX it, than it is to go to God before you DO for direction on what and how to live. Prayer is getting the mind of Christ before your thoughts so you can KNOW what and how to do. “Everything by prayer (Phil 4:6).
3. PRESCRIPTION – To lay down as a guide or rule of action, to direct the use of something as a remedy. A written direction: (medical term = plan of cure). A LIST of what you want to accomplish towards your ultimate goal. Prescription is meant as preparation. Put all the stuff you want to accomplish on paper and sift through it before you plan. “Steps of a good man are order by God (Ps 37:23).
4. PLAN – written down outline or steps you must take to get you to your desired goal. This “plan” should only be two or three things per day that you MUST accomplish. Never write out more than three things. If you were able to accomplish just one a day, in one year, you would have accomplished 365 powerful plans – steps that took you towards your ultimate purpose in life. “Failing to Plan is a sure Plan to Fail.” “Set your house in order (Isa 38:1).
a. WRITE down your plan of action: “Success Schedule, To Do List, Action Plan, etc. but whatever you call it, you must write it down:
5. PRIORITIZE - Every plan must have some order to it of priority or you will simply move with your plan in mind – thinking you are getting things done. Obviously, you must put the first and most important thing you HAVE to do this day or else – if you are going to be successful with your time and energy. Place the first things first. If you have 10 things down on your list and stayed busy all day and all you did was drive, drycleaner, grocery, gas, mop, etc., but failed to DO your purpose, you will have wasted your day. “Seek first the Kingdom (Matt 6:33
6. ORGANIZE – Put your plan down in an order, such as 1, 2, 3, or by Hours, or Morning, Afternoon, Evening, or Action, Phone calls, Paper, etc. There is no way that your purpose, plan or priority will become a reality unless you organize it. You must put your purpose down in an ORDERLY fashion. What to do first?
7. NETWORK – Above communication, you need to network. Networking means touch bases with all those in your life you NEED in order to accomplish your single most definite purpose in life. Communicate with everyone you need to, connect with your mentor (person or paper), recap what your superiors have put in your IN box, ask, ask, ask what it is that you need, they demand, etc. = success.
8. EDUCATE – Every day should always have in it a book, audio or some source of tool that ADDS value to your Spirit, Soul and Body. If you are not GROWING daily, you are SHRINKING. Always keep a book, audio lesson, article, memory, etc. on your person, car, bathroom, work, etc. so you can access it when you have the time. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). “You shall know the truth, make you free (John 8:32). Use your activities, failures, short falls and successes to educate you also. Recap your day and learn from it.
9. EXERCISE – Your brain will only last as long as your body. Your health is the key to your endurance. Physical health is paramount to your emotional health. If your body is sluggish, so will be your brain. 8 minutes a day of some form of exercise can and will keep you on the top 10% of the world. Stretch, Move & use your daily routine to exercise: Squats, Pick-up, Posture, Leg movements, etc.
10. FELLOWSHIP – unlike networking, fellowship is for human development. While networking is meant for your purpose success, fellowship is for your personal success. Fellowship is with your spouse, children and friends. Fellowship is used to recap priorities, assist you with keeping things in perspective. Fellowship forces you to accomplish your purpose with others in mind, not a selfish motive.
11. ENTERTAIN – We all need to Replenish our mind from the daily depletion. Entertainment is a time to laugh, reprise, refuel, and refresh your soul and mind. Some can use exercise as entertainment while others use reading a book. Some use a hobby while others use sports or show. Mix it up if you can.
12. REST – Proper sleep will add up to 8 years to your life. Babies need 10-12 hours, youth need 8-10 hours and adults 6-8 hours of sleep. Each hour before midnight is worth more than 2 hours after midnight. If you sleep 10-12 hours and wake up, you will be sluggish all day. Why? Unhealthy. “Come aside and rest (Mark 6:31). I will give you rest (Matt 11:28).
By Dr Tim McClure