My Video Game Addiction

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We all struggle with different addictions. I used to be a huge video game addict. I grew up in a home where we would play all night and go to sleep at 3 am and then sleep in so we could do it all again. I weighed about 300 pounds in that lifestyle After God delivered me I was down to about 200.

When we bought bigger and better TV's and game systems I thought that I would be satisfied with them. When I would play them they were fun but they didn't have the satisfaction I thought they would give me. I realized that I was just starting at the TV screen all day and night and not really accomplishing anything.

When I started working with Jews for Jesus as a student at Moody Bible Institute I asked God to help me stop my addiction and He slowly has!!! One verse that convicted me was in Proverbs:  "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty." Proverbs 28:19 NIV

One of my favorite games to play was Final Fantasy and this verse shows that I should not be wasting my time in that way. I wanted to ask God to help me use that time instead for serving the Lord.

Since then I for a long time tried to stay away from them, knowing I could easily fall back into the same temptation.

To replace that time I found ways to store up treasure in heaven instead using the same tools. We at Jews for Jesus had a way to go walk around in the game "Second Life' and tell people there about Jesus. I also used my computer and phone to tell people about Jesus on sites like Omegle.com or Facebook.

I have two daughters. I hadn't been gaming for a long time. One day I read a study that said that daughters who play video games with their dads feel closer to him than those who don't. My daughters and I have "daughter dates" each week, and we switch whose turn it is weekly. I decided from that study to take only a few minutes with them each week playing video games on the computer one on one.

Last week we were in St Louis. While there we saw my brother-in law who is moving to Japan. He offered me his Wii. At first I said no. Then I flip-flopped, and said yes. He packed it up, and put it in a box for me to bring home. The next morning I was reading the Bible and I read a chapter of Proverbs. (Each day I read the chapter that matches the day--chapter 5 for day 5, etc as there are 31 chapters and usually 31 days of a month. I would suggest this for anyone as it is so practical and applicational) Guess what day of the month it was and chapter it was? You got it, 28th!!! The one I mentioned above: "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty." Proverbs 28:19 NIV
I prayed and asked God if it was wise to take it home or not and I feel He said "No." I was tempted to take it anyway, and I asked God to help me leave it there, and He did!!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!

That was not my power. Jesus did it all!!! I keep reminding myself I will get plenty of time to play games in heaven.


IF JESUS CAN HELP ME, HE CAN HELP THEE!!  (with this or any other addiction of choice)

Happy Hanukkah!!!!
Thank you all so much for your prayers! It has gotten harder and harder for me to be able to do as much work. I praise God that I have been able to have the support of the ministry of Jews for Jesus and they have been an amazing source of encouragement. Many times the doctors ask me if my work is willing to be flexible and I praise God they sure have!!! It helps that I work with other people who all believe like I do that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and He died for your sins and mine and rose again to save us from hell. I love having the chance to tell others just that.
I praise God I have been accepted on disability and I am thankful for having insurance that covers part of my missed salary. God is amazing!!! Today when working downstairs my feet got pretty bloated and started tingling. Exciting, but then I came upstairs to rest and stretch and put on some worship music, and was having such joy worshiping Jesus despite the pain!!!
He is the Light of the World!!! Do you know him??

I would love to let you in on a way to be able to help our family and I will be letting you know soon how you can do that by buying a children's book I wrote. More info soon...
Happy Hanukkah!!

Phil Wickham - Glory (Official Lyric Video)

I love Phil's worship. It helps me feel closer and closer to Jesus all the time. I saw him open for David Crowder Band a long time ago with my sister Lizzy and he got me hooked then. My amazing sister bought me a couple of his CD's as well. Many a tear of Joy from his worship!!! Enjoy!!!

Surprise Date

My amazing wife surprised me last week with a surprise, early celebration of our 12th Wedding Anniversary!!! She is an amazing woman. She told me first that I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon. I looked in the back of our van and saw suitcases in the back but didn't really notice, or realize that anything was happening. We got to a friend's house and dropped off our daughters. I thought they were watching them for my appointment. When we were there, she said surprise, we were going to the same place we went for our honeymoon 12 years ago, an amazing bed-and breakfast in Lake Geneva called Lazy Cloud!!! An amazing woman indeed!!! When we returned the next day she surprised me by taking me to a Christmas concert at Moody Bible Institute called the Candle Light Carols. It was beautiful, and they had an amazing meal beforehand at the event for alumni from the school. I was quite blessed with the gift of MAWWIGE..(THAT BWESSED AWANGEMENT) and to have time with my amazing wife. She gave me a gift of new Christmas music, which I love, and I bought her a hanging with pictures of us on it. Praise God for an amazing wife!!! I still remember the first day we read the Bible together, when we were dating trying to see if she was the one I should marry or not. We opened up our Bibles and read the chapter of Proverbs for the day, which just "happened" to be from Chapter 18. When I got to verse 22 it said this, 

[Pro 18:22 NASB] 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.