CASTIMONIA

Sexual Purity Support & Recovery Group

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Drax’s Wisdom – VIDEO

A short while ago I watched the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and made a short Deepest, Darkest Secret video.  As I continued to watched the movie various Drax scenes stood out to me.  As I have stated before, now that I’m in recovery the Holy Spirit has allowed me to see movies differently and notice subtle (and sometimes blatant) recovery tones within the movie. 

The plot of this movie has been pasted below courtesy of Wikipedia:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill learn more about his mysterious parentage.

What I saw in this movie was a humorous example of what to do when confronted with “another woman” in recovery.  This movie, although not therapy-accurate, brings humor to a very stressful and intense time in a man’s life.  Hopefully, men who are in recovery can see the humor in this movie as much as I do.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, & education, etc. This constitutes a ’fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their owners.

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When God Answers

One of the many joys in life is seeing how the Lord shows up in our lives, such as through our friends and family but especially through the hearts and acts of strangers.

A little over a month ago, pre-Harvey, a gentlemen from Tennessee contacted the Castimonia ministry after listening to one of our Sexual Purity Podcasts.    He is on the road to recovery and found the podcast useful and a blessing to him.  Then Harvey hit!

As many individuals in the ministry were recovering from Harvey, one Castimonia member in particular let me know that his house completely flooded and unfortunately he did not have flood insurance.  He and his family had to move out and live with his wife’s family until the water went down (which took almost a week) and the first floor of their home was rebuilt.  It is then that I asked the Lord for help.  I wanted to help out this Castimonia member and his family just like I was helped out so many times in my recovery.

The first thing the Lord answered with was to encourage a group of men to go to his house and help him and his wife “Muck Out” his house, removing several feet high of sheet rock, insulation, furniture, and other items.  This all day event turned into such a blessing for the men who were able to perform this work.

Then, the Lord prompted the individual from Tennessee about helping out post-Harvey.  He gathered people from his church for prayer and also sent a package of gift cards donated by him and his church family to our brother in Katy whose home was flooded!  How truly amazing it was to see a stranger multiple states away send a sign of hope to a family in Katy who he has never met.  And what a blessing for a church in Tennessee to gather around their brother in Christ whom they have never seen to bring some joy to this family in Katy.  I am amazed at God’s love and so blessed to have witnessed these acts of kindness.

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You Can Break Free From the Self-Destructive Dance of Love Addiction

by Bevill and Associates

Does it seem like the same thing keeps happening to you in all your relationships? Does your heart get repeatedly broken? When you are a love addict, your relationship is almost always the most important thing in your life. When it’s good, it feels really good. But frequently your relationships are unfulfilling, disappointing and maybe even painful.

You might think of yourself as the unluckiest person on the planet. Somehow you keep being attracted to people who appear to be everything you’re looking for at first, but in the end you never seem to get back as much as you give. This isn’t really because of bad luck. You have patterns in your relationships that continually repeat themselves. It’s important for you to recognize your part in these patterns.

Falling in Love Too Fast

Here’s an example. You have recently ended a relationship and are heartbroken. In a very short amount of time, you meet someone else. The encounter may be a random meeting, or it may be that you sought out a new partner through online dating sites or other means. Without allowing yourself time to heal from a breakup, you are immediately looking for a new partner.

Once you meet someone new, you fall head over heels in love. This is your soul mate, you are sure of it. Family and friends urge you not to rush in so fast, but you repeatedly fall deeply in love with people you haven’t known very long, and you get completely carried away with each new relationship.

Missing the Signs of an Inappropriate Partner

There are a lot of reasons why someone you meet may not be right for you. Some are more serious reasons than others. Inappropriate partners usually give off signs that you should pay attention to early on in a dating relationship. He or she may let you know that drinking is the most important thing in life or that he or she has been unable to hold a job for longer than a few months. Your new partner may need someone to lie for him or her or to be bailed out of trouble. Because you are so desperate to be connected, you disregard red flags that should stop you in your tracks.

Your pattern is to miss the subtle hints that your date isn’t mentally healthy or is unavailable to have a committed relationship. The signs are there, and you will recognize them as long as your head is in charge rather than your needy, vulnerable side.

Giving More Than You Get

Your partners are typically self-centered and emotionally unavailable. They may have a problem with alcohol or drugs. They may be married. But you try to win them over anyway.

Your pattern is to give a lot more than you get. You call more often. You may contribute more than your partner on a financial level. You’re quick to be available when your loved one needs you, but you find that when you need someone to be there for you, he or she may not always come  through. You wonder why you can’t seem to get back all the love you are giving.

Hanging On When It’s Not Working

When love causes more pain than joy, most people recognize that it’s time to end the relationship. The pattern of a love addict is to keep hanging on long after others would have given up. You keep hoping that the other person will change and that he or she will be all that you’re looking for. You look for reasons to blame yourself for whatever has gone wrong and you are continually trying different strategies to make the other person love you as much as you love him or her. This is a sign that you probably have a very deep-rooted fear of abandonment. To you, love is like a drug that you can’t live without.

Do you recognize your recurring patterns in your relationships? Once you realize that there are patterns and that you are participating in this self-destructive dance, there is hope that you can heal. You can learn to get past patterns of love addiction by working with a counselor or attending meetings of Co-Dependents Anonymous. Recovery starts with recognition of your patterns.

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EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENDED! – Castimonia’s Paratus Retreat 2017

CASTIMONIA’S PARATUS MEN’S RETREAT 2017

Due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey, we have decided to extend Early Bird registration until October 1st!  Please register ASAP.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/castimonias-paratus-mens-retreat-2017-tickets-36664868609

Here is some information on the retreat.  I pray that the Lord uses this retreat to help men in their sexual purity journey.  The link to register for the retreat will be available later this Summer.

Friday, November 3rd – Sunday, November 5th

Castimonia’s Paratus Retreat is a retreat for any man who struggles with any type of sexual purity.  Paratus is Latin for equipped.

If you are wondering about whether to attend this retreat, ask yourself these questions:

  • Are you fully equipped for the spiritual battle that is raging around us right now?
  • Are you a man who strives for biblical sexual purity?
  • Are you a man who struggles with maintaining that sexual purity?
  • Do you want a circle of brothers helping you in your sexual purity journey?

Join us for a weekend dedicated to equipping adult men of all ages, all walks of life, and various levels of struggle with the tools necessary to wage this spiritual battle and emerge on the other side as the sexually pure men that God intended us to be.

At the retreat, we will discuss strategies for equipping ourselves with tactics necessary for battling the enemy. We will discover the true meaning of brotherhood and fellowship. The leaders of the retreat will set the example of vulnerability and accountability. We hope to pave the way for all men to be fully equipped to wage war against Satan’s tempting assaults and emerge VICTORIOUS.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/castimonias-paratus-mens-retreat-2017-tickets-36664868609

Early Bird Registration up until September 15 October 1st – $175

Regular Registration after September 15 October 1st – November 1st – $200

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The Prodigals Recovery Service in Katy Falls Short ….

… and this is a GREAT thing!  THIS is what church should be but many are too concerned with production value and broadcasting of the services and fail to be “real” when it comes to spreading the Gospel, the dirty, beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ and His power of redemption.  It “falls short” because it is not trying to live up to the production standards of some of the churches in the area who pride themselves on “entertainment” rather than spreading the message of God’s love and our redemption.

Come worship God with other broken individuals

Those of us in recovery will sometimes walk into our church service thinking that others are looking at us with downcast eyes; Pharisees? This is especially true early on in recovery when we have just been “found out” or rumors spread of our marital or personal problems.  We fear that these “normal” people are without addictions or compulsions and look down upon us that struggle with these issues.  We feel that the people in this room have never committed adultery, been black-out drunk, or used illegal drugs.  We fear that these people have never sinned; at least not like us.  This, of course, is not the case at a Prodigals service.  Those that attend this service are all broken, are all sinners, and are all loved by God.  This is because we are not blind to the fact that we are sinful and selfish people. For most of us attending this service, the 12 Steps have taught us this about ourselves; we are no longer blind.  Performing a deep and thorough inventory of who we really are has enlightened us of our character and leaves us with no choice but to turn to Jesus and His power to set us free.

The message at Prodigals is largely Recovery-based

The setting is fantastic, intimate and inviting.  The worship music is tailored to resonate with addicts and the broken.  It cuts to the core of our want and need for redemption and our cry out to the Lord to heal us from our affliction; to free us from our self-imposed bondage.  Freedom.  Along with the praise and worship music, a testimony is given in this service which adds to the welcoming environment needed by those of us in recovery.  We feel like we are not alone after hearing a testimony to which we can relate.  The short but effective sermon is one that we can also relate to.  It typically includes recovery-related themes with recovery-related language.  It also is raw, unblemished, and truthful.  They are not afraid to share of their brokenness or of their addiction.  They are not afraid to speak truth to those of us who are listening.  And they rejoice at having been restored from a life of addiction and compulsion to where the Lord can now use them for His good purpose.

If you are in any recovery program and feel like you don’t “fit in” at your church, I encourage you to visit the Prodigals service and see for yourself how powerful the experience can be worshiping the Lord with other recovery individuals.  Even if you are comfortable at your own church like I am, visit the Prodigals and experience a different side of praise and worship and the Word of God with your fellow recovering members.  Experience hope! It is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Prodigals information is written below:

Location: Loft Worship, Student Building of The Fellowship
Date: Every Saturday Evening
Time: 5:30PM
Website: http://theprodigals.org/