Addiction may be stalking closer than you think…


I wanted to share this poem again today. This poem has been a very popular blog post for me, and I didn’t know who wrote it until today. From what I’ve found, a 21-year old woman wrote it by the name of Ashley Van Davis who lost her life to crystal meth. It was found in the top drawer of her dresser after she died.

She may have written it about crystal meth, but it applies to any addictive substance. Once your brain is altered toward addiction in any way, the addiction takes over.

God created our brains to handle whatever comes our way. It’s so complex only our almighty God could have only created it! Here’s a diagram that shows the parts of the brain most closely related to handling our feelings, emotions…portions of our brain that processes everything that happens to us. To see a description of each part of the brain click here. Even if you don’t understand any of the medical language, it’s worth a glance just to be awed by God’s creation. 



Anytime we put anything in our body that affects the way our brain works, God’s perfect system is altered. Unfortunately, in our society today with preservatives in food, prescription drugs, and all the chemicals in our beauty products, our bodies are struggling to process chemicals all the time. We are fighting an uphill battle as it is, so anything we put in our body that affects our brain causes the system to be off kilter. And if any of those substances are addictive, Satan gets a powerful strongholdthat’s hard to beat—a stronghold that is illustrated so well by Ashley’s poem: 

PILLS
I can destroy homes and tear families apart,
Take away your children, and that’s just the start.
I’m more costly than diamonds, more costly than gold;
The sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.

If you need me, remember, I’m easily found.
I live all around you, in schools and in town.
I live with the rich and I live with the poor.
I live down the street, and maybe next door.

My power is awesome. Try me, you’ll see.
But if you do, you may never break free.
Just try me once and I might let you go.
But try me twice, and I’ll own your soul.

When I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie.
You do what you have to just to get high.
The crimes you’ll commit, for my narcotic charms
Will be worth the pleasure you’ll feel in your arms.

You’ll lie to your mother; you’ll steal from your dad
When you see their tears, you should feel sad.
But you’ll forget your morals and how you were raised,
I’ll be your conscience, I’ll teach you my ways.

I take kids from parents, and parents from kids,
I turn people from God, and isolate them from friends.
I’ll take everything from you, your looks and your pride,
I’ll be with you always, right by your side.

You’ll give up your family, your friends and your home,
You’ll lose all your money, and you’ll be alone.
I’ll take and take, till you have nothing to give.
When I’m finished with you you’ll be lucky to live.

If you try me be warned, this is no game.
If given the chance, I’ll drive you insane.
I’ll ravish your body; I’ll control your mind.
I’ll own you completely; your soul will be mine.

Nightmares I’ll give you while lying in bed.
Voices you’ll hear from inside your head.
The sweats, the shakes, and the visions you’ll see,
I want you to know, they’re all gifts from me.

When it’s too late, you’ll know in your heart,
You are all mine, and we shall not part.
You’ll regret that you tried me; they always do;
But you came to me, not I to you.

You knew this would happen. Many times you were told,
But you challenged my power, and chose to be bold.
You could have said no, and just walked away,
If you could live that day over, now what would you say?

I’ll be your master; you’ll be my slave,
I’ll even go with you, when you go to your grave.
Now that you’ve met me, what will you do?
Will you try me or not? It’s all up to you.
I can bring you more misery than words can tell.
Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell…

Ashley lost her life to addiction. She wrote this poem from her heart. Share this anywhere you can to make others aware of what addiction can do. Addiction is happening all around us, but it’s not a subject that likes to be exposed. Social stigma, fear, and rejection are all reasons people hide addiction. For many, once addiction has hold of it’s prey, it’s impossible to break free. The best way to fight addiction is to educate people and arm them with the tools they need to never be trapped by an addiction in the first place. 

Don’t let it happen to you, your best friend, your neighbor, your daughter, or your son…because chances are it’s stalking closer than you think. 
From my heart, 
Celeste



Tips to a Happier You in 2012~Music Therapy

Everyone is affected by music. In one form or another, it’s all around us. 
In the Bible, David wrote the entire book of Psalm dedicated to singing to the Lord. David had a heart for God, but if you read the stories of David in scripture, you also know he was just another sinful human being saved by the grace of God. 
Music has been used for years as therapy for depression, stroke victims, and accident victims—virtually anyone, whose brain has been altered—to aid in their recovery. 
One particular study quoted in a Men’s Health article, “How iTunes Cures Depression” does a good job explaining how music helps our brain without getting too sciency 😉

  • It’s a distraction. “The brain is organized in such a way that thinking about one bad thing recalls another,” Salimpoor says. “Music provides a great intrusion and breaks this cycle. When you’re concentrating on the music you hear, you don’t have the mental resources to focus on other negative thoughts.”
  • It gets you high. Salimpoor authored a study earlier this year published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, which found listening to your favorite songs boosts levels of the hormone dopamine. “Dopamine gets us excited and motivated to do things,” she says. “There are many drugs that target this system, but music provides a natural high.”
  • It makes you feel understood. Just because you’re feeling sad doesn’t mean you should avoid sad songs. In fact, “listening to sad songs can make you feel like someone out there knows exactly how you feel,” Salimpoor says. “And that can help you feel less alone when 
One of my favorite old country songs is “The Song Remembers When” by Trisha Yearwood. Being a country song, you know it’s about some relationship gone wrong, but I love the gist of the song. No matter what you’re doing or where you are, a song can take you back to a specific memory in time. And how true that is! Even this song takes me back to driving into the mountains about 18 years ago on our way to a weekend away in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 
I know how horrible my memory is; yet I can hear a song and it will trigger a memory I hadn’t thought of in years. That’s pretty powerful. 
We know David sang to the Lord.
We know science has proven music to have positive effects to our brain. 
We know a song can take you back to a specific memory or event in time. 
So here’s my tip to a happier you for this week: I want you to listen to Christian Music and only Christian music for the next two weeks. Find a local Christian station, or use the free app, “TuneIn Radio,” on your iPhone and listen to my favorite, His Radio, WLFJ (89.3 FM).
Here are a few reasons why Christian music will be beneficial to you:
  1. Once you learn a few songs, you’ll love them.
  2. If you listen to the words, you can’t help but be blessed.
  3.  You end up worshiping every time you drive. 
  4. You’ll find that you and your kids will quickly learn the words and sing along. (You are writing scripture on their hearts.)
  5. You’ll begin thinking on good things, not putting songs in your mind about cheating, drinking, and gambling…subjects of a multitude of today’s pop and country music. (Just today I heard a 15-year-old refer to R&B music as “baby-makin’ music.”)
And the neatest benefit of all about listening to Christian music goes back to my favorite old country song: When “The Song” that you hear “Remembers When,” it will take you back to a time or a memory where there was Jesus. 
From my heart,
Celeste
P.S. For more articles on how music cures depression, check out my Delicious Stack here