FEBRUARY ‘22 ISSUE 2
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
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Bob and Marsha: Missionaries at the Wesleyan Hospital on the Haitian Island of Lagonave, Part One. . ............................................................8 Self-Care........................................................... 10 Just Believe: A Canvas for Modern-Day Miracles............................................................20
FOR THE SOUL A Living Hope. . .................................................... 7
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HOLIDAY SHARING New Year - Knew You......................................... 11
MKR HEADLINES An Interview with Philip Dvorak on Recovery Church Movement............................................. 16
WALKING IN FAITH The Winter Garden............................................23
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ROCKERS IN RECOVERY Lessons Every Christian Can Learn From The 12 Steps Part Two: When The Rubber Meets The Road. . ......................................................... 12 Am I An Addict? A Question Worth Answering...24 The 8 Absolutes Of Relapse Prevention............25 DIRECTORY.. ......................................................29 EVENTS.............................................................29
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OUR MISSION: Welcome.
Music Kingdom Radio is a multi-cultural lifestyles-based live stream radio production, podcast and magazine featuring current news and interviews with artists, authors, and health experts, along with music (old and new), musical reviews, and live music. Our mission is to educate and support people about health and wellness issues through the lens of current news topics while staying neutral, providing people from different walks of life a place to share their views of love, respect, strength, positive change and hope - something this world needs more of. I so believe the following to be true: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence Second Continental Congress Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MKR helps to heal and shine a light of love and respect of others’ opinions and creativity. I feel we can accomplish this by talking with each other, instead of about each other, by talking to our fellow human beings and not at them. Everyone has an opinion and has the right to speak it and open a discussion. I hope you enjoy our multi-media approach and feel free to engage in a friendly way. John Hollis Founder - Music Kingdom Radio
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Music Kingdom Radio LLC 570-807-1080 5677 Route 115 #563 Blakeslee, PA. 18610 info@musickingdomradio.com FB@MusicKingdomRadio TW@MusicKingdomRadio musickingdomradio.com Owner/Founder/VP John Hollis Sr. Owner/MKR Printer Keith McManus Owner/Co-founder Gail Hollis Layout and Graphics Philip Salvagni Editor In Chief Becky Barnett Contributors Rev. Steven Grey Rev. Lyle Fried Author Gail Hollis Author Becky Barnett Author Keith Bayard Author Lena Argot Author Cynthia Bellino Author Kaylene Argot Author Ricky Byrd Photography Contributors Becky Barnett Lyle Fried Nancy Agnew
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Email: info@musickingdomradio.com Phone: 570-807-1080 Web: musickingdomradio.com MKR Magazine February 2022 5
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FOR THE SOUL
A LIVING HOPE BY BECKY BARNETT
There’s a lot of fear in the world today. For many, COVID cracked open the truth of how vulnerable and out of control we actually are. It’s been two years since the pandemic began; but anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are still on the rise. According to the CDC, before COVID, eleven percent of adults in the US reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Currently, forty-two percent of us are battling these intense manifestations of fear. It can feel pretty bleak. So, what is the antidote? In The Hunger Games, the villain, President Snow, makes the statement “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” If there’s something out there stronger than fear, I’d imagine we all want a double portion of it. The Bible has this to say: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3). This is a form of hope with substance. A living hope, based upon the power of someone with the authority to rise from death. Biblical hope is alive. It is a hope that does something in our hearts because it is based firmly on the promises of God. It is something we are invested in, and it changes us. Hebrews 6:19 describes it as “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” Two foundational truths make living hope so secure and encompassing. First is the promise of salvation for all who believe, and second is the sovereignty of God over all things. Scripture, in its entirety, tells us the story of redemption for God’s people. This central theme is what each story, prophecy, and psalm is wrapped around. The whole Bible is about Jesus, and what God has done through Him to save His people for His own glory. Jesus made a way for us to be accepted by God and live in loving relationship with Him, now and forever. This promise fills the pages of our Bibles! What greater hope could we have? When this life comes to an end, if we have trusted Jesus and followed Him, we will enter paradise and be in His perfect presence for all eternity. But, what about daily life in the broken world we now live? This is where the second part of our foundation for
living hope comes in; God’s sovereignty. God’s purposes come to pass and are never thwarted. What God ordains is what will happen. This is good news if you know The Lord! He is in control of every single moment of our lives. We see only a minuscule portion of His great plan, what might look to us like only defeat and darkness is part of something far bigger. While writing this article my Great Uncle Paul passed away and I saw biblical hope in practical action. Uncle Paul was a wonderful man who loved Jesus, and there were few dry eyes in the church on the day of his service. But amidst the tears, there was something powerful— there was immense hope and great joy in the middle of mourning. As Uncle Paul breathed his last breath on this earth, what looked to us like an ending, was a glorious new beginning. In an instant Uncle Paul saw the splendor of The Lord, he met Jesus face to face. He is reunited with believing family and friends who he had not seen in decades. The tears we cry are for us, not for Uncle Paul. We know that Uncle Paul has stepped into an eternity of unspeakable joy alongside The Lord, and one day we will see him again! Life on this earth is not the end of the story. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 we read about putting on “as a helmet the hope of salvation.” Just as helmets protect our brains from physical forces, the hope of salvation protects our minds from spiritual forces. We need to keep in mind the end of the story to avoid being overcome by the storms of life along the way. As we slip into another new year, keep your heart focused on what is coming! Think about Heaven every day, think about the promises of God. Practice walking through life with a living hope and watch as fear is forced to flee. “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes…And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:5-8; 10 ESV MKR Magazine February 2022 7
HEALTH & WELLNESS
BOB AND MARSHA: MISSIONARIES
AT THE WESLEYAN HOSPITAL ON THE HAITIAN ISLAND OF LAGONAVE, PART ONE
Bob and Marsha Vermaire have been serving at the Wesleyan Hospital in Haiti for the past seven years. Last week they sat down with MKR founder, John Hollis, and I to share a bit about their work and how they manage their mental health in the midst of life as missionaries. Becky: You’ve both been taking shorter term trips to work in Haiti for years. What was it like starting out and adjusting to Haiti this time, knowing you were signed on for a much longer period of time? Bob: Well, I’m a family physician, I have a practice in Michigan and I love what I do. I didn’t leave the practice because I was dissatisfied, but just really felt drawn to Haiti. Our call has been to follow Jesus from day one, and now just happened to be the time God said to us, we felt, “go to Haiti” but before that we were no less following God, I pray. In 2013 we signed up with the Wesleyan Hospital in Haiti and said “we’re willing God, for two years we’ll go.” I began doing clinical work and teaching young docs, I loved it, I was right in my groove. Marsha: I had a harder time settling in, I really wrestled with God during the first couple years we were there. I felt like George Baily in It’s a Wonderful Life, like “okay I just want out of here.” After I wrestled with God for a while, I felt like I came to terms with some things. A lot of it for me was really believing that if God says “this is my best for you” then it’s what’s really best for you. A friend who works for WISH, He used to say: “you come down here and think you’re going to do all this work for Haiti and then you realize God is really working on you” It’s all individual, it’s all about what God is doing. It’s all about God working on each one of us, our Haitian brothers and sisters, each one of us. It’s been a great place to see God’s bigger vision. 8 MKR Magazine February 2022
John: What is it like as a missionary to have to deal with the day-to-day struggles of dealing with helping other people, because eventually it’s got to come back to you and how do you deal with it. Because if your attitude changes, that’s going to now have a repercussion on the people you’re working with. Marsha: There’s a lot of dysfunction in all of us and I think knowing God and knowing yourself are just incredibly important. They’re incredibly important here, but they’re even more important in a place like Haiti. You don’t go to a place like Haiti without dealing with those kinds of things. And then, you go and you try to live with other missionaries. It’s like living in intentional community anywhere, you rub against each other, and if you don’t deal with that, sometimes that’s not pretty. We had a lot of things that we all dealt with together very early on in the time we were there. Bob: We have “Toro time” where a group of us from the hospital get together and some drink Toro, the local soft drink. It’s a time to share with each other informally what is going on each week. That’s been really helpful. John: What are some things to help you with your mental health? Because listen, we get depressed, we have anxiety, we go through all of those things, we’re human. At the end of the day, what are you doing to help yourselves so you can help others? Marsha: Both of us, over time, have realized more what we need, and one thing we need is time alone with God. That has to happen, there are certain things we have to have and they’ve become disciplines. One is devotional time that we do every day together before we even get out of bed—read scripture and pray. Another one for
me is once a week I take a morning and go somewhere quiet.
MARSHA TAKING A BLOOD PRESSURE.
Bob: The other thing is, in our family history, there’s a lot of depression and suicide. A lot of our family is on Prozac. Medications are something we don’t deny the benefits of, and we pay attention to our mental health.
Marsha: Expectations are so important in how you handle things. If you like control and results, Haiti is a tough place to go to. People would go down there and someone doesn’t live up to their expectations that they’re working with and it’s easy to push that person aside and say “okay I’m done with that person…”
DOCTOR BOB PERFORMING AN ULTRASOUND.
Bob: For us, maybe through our history, maybe through the kind of personalities we have, we’ve kept an attitude that says we ALL fail. We’re not going there because we’re the saviors of Haiti. We fail, you fail, let’s keep trying to learn together. We have to still love each other. Adjusting expectations is a big deal in being able to handle it well. Part 2 coming in the next issue of MKR Magazine. Interested in helping out? Send an email to Bob and Marsha at mbvermaire@gmail to find out how!
THE WESLEYAN HOSPITAL
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
SELF-CARE BY GAIL HOLLIS
What are the first things that you think of when you hear the term “self-care”? Throughout my life I have learned the importance of self-care; but at first, I thought that it was actually something selfish. I pictured someone who sat around brushing her long hair all day long, getting facials, manicures and pedicures. Experience in life, with God helping me learn who I am and my self-worth, I now realize that self-care is so much more than pink polish. It is an important part of acknowledging that we are worthy of care, taking care of the temple that God has given us to dwell in. I relate it to when I flew South West one particular time. The stewardess was hysterical in her delivery of the safety precautions on flying with them, the flotation devices and such. When she explained that we should definitely put the oxygen mask on ourselves first, before “him” (meaning our spouses) or anyone else, because “God knows girl, he won’t help you first!” Yes, it sounds funny, but it is true. If you don’t help yourself in some instances, no one else is going to do it for you, and you
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won’t be able to help anyone else in return. As a woman, I have found that we tend to put others first all of our lives. Trying to fill others with an empty cup is futile. There are many ways that we can revive our soul, body and mental fitness. I have found that selfcare can include simple things. Things that don’t cost an arm and a leg and are worth the effort of time that they take. Things like stretching, breathing with intent, taking a walk or making a new healthy recipe can bring forth self-awareness. Taking time to be quiet and listen to a new artist, or maybe read a good book can stimulate creativity. Resting in the presence of The Lord can bring peace. Learning what works for you to grow as person is an endless journey. Doing something for yourself that lets you rest and renew is important. Humans are wired with a need to rest. Acknowledge to yourself that you are worth the time and effort to be the best you. Then you can continue to fill others with joy and love.
HOLIDAY SHARING
NEW YEAR - KNEW YOU BY GAIL HOLLIS
2022 is underway! It seems every year many of us make resolutions for the New Year without really knowing ourselves. In the past I’ve made convictions about losing weight, working out, and improving my finances. Some years these were lasting decisions, other times they were short lived. Often the decision was clear for a moment in time, but then other things started to take priority. That extra little bit of yummy casserole that was left in the pan and couldn’t be left behind, and for goodness sake, don’t throw it out! That cute sweater at the store was on sale at the end of the season, and somehow turned into a wardrobe. Oh, and don’t forget how nice the couch was, instead of going back out to the gym. Often times I made decisions without really knowing myself and without having a plan of action, or having the support behind achieving those convictions. I have found that all of these elements work together and help to sustain changes in my life. I have learned my limitations through trial and error. I have learned that “going it alone” is harder than I thought. No man or woman is an island after all. Teaming up with others in activities can promote commitment in each other. Whether it be losing weight and measuring our reductions, sharing healthy recipes, or scheduling a one on one consultation with a trusted professional on physical activities to help energize my physical being. Working with another person brings newness, and a perspective that may have eluded us in the past. Doing one small thing each day towards your goal, is certainly better than no action at all. Small bites of change are easier to digest than a major overhaul. So, this year, may I humbly suggest that you explore new ways in discovering yourself and share what you have learned with others as well!
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ROCKERS IN RECOVERY
LESSONS EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN LEARN FROM THE 12 STEPS PART TWO: WHEN THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD BY REVEREND STEPHEN GRAY We are continuing our look at the 12-step program used by AA and other recovery organizations. AA was founded as a way to lead people to God. However, AA did not put Jesus right out there, for fear people would walk away without giving the program a chance to work. As people came to work the step program in AA, they would learn to connect with Jesus. Last magazine issue we covered steps 1-4. Today we look at steps 5-8. They are the steps that really challenge. This is where the rubber meets the road for the recovering addicts or alcoholics. These same steps would bring us to a much closer walk with Christ, if as Christians, we would follow them. Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. “Confession is good for the soul” the old saying goes. And it’s true. There is something about sharing our
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struggles with a confidant that strengthens us. To know that someone accepts us even when we have messed up. To get good sound advice and help moving forward. To know that you really aren’t any worse than anyone else. What do you struggle most with? We all seem to have one pet sin that keeps rearing its head. Maybe it’s lying, or cheating, or stealing ketchup packets. For many there seems to be one area of sin that comes up over and over. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The three people you have to make confession to: God, yourself, a trustworthy friend. In AA members sponsor one another. The sponsorship isn’t just for the new person, it’s also for the teacher. If you are telling someone to live a certain way, it reminds you that you must also. If you are teaching others, you are reminding yourself of these principles too.
What if Christians sponsored others? We do, it’s called discipleship. Unfortunately, I have never seen any church do it well. Yet, this is a critical step both for the new Christian and for the old Christian. God didn’t give you all that you know so that you could just sit on it. God wants us training others in the Word and in the Walk.
This is a step of complete surrender. God doesn’t want to just fix your problem. He wants to fix your life. We have to be able to surrender it all to God. When we don’t surrender, it’s like loaning a friend your car without the steering wheel. God needs all of us so that he can fix us all the way through.
Discipleship is powerful. It helps the new person realize they aren’t so horrible, other people sinned the way they did. It helps them realize that Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. It helps them see that they don’t have to be righteous right away, that they grow into it. And it helps the teacher reinforce the principles they are being taught in their own life. It is a beautiful opportunity to train new Christians in the basics of the faith and to refresh yourself with God’s simple truths.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. This is one of those attitudes of our will. We have to want this. Notice it says “entirely ready.” For the Alcoholic this is a big step. It requires going back, possibly to childhood, to look at our flaws and defects. It can be very painful. For the Christian, we don’t do this enough. We need to take time to go back and look at ourselves. Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. When we are asking God to work in our lives it can make us anxious. What will God ask of me? Was I too bad for him to want to work with? What sacrifices will I have to make to please him? What if I can’t do it? Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Jesus understands. There isn’t one area of life that Jesus doesn’t know about and understand. He lived life as a human being. God, who sits in heaven on his throne, seems so far off and bigger than us. His perfection startles us. Yet Jesus, lived on earth. He was fully human; He knows our struggles and all the temptations that we face. AA has a great prayer for step six, it goes like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character, which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here to do your bidding. Amen.” That prayer is perfect for us too. We need complete surrender. A desire to be cleansed and made new. A desire to be useful and helpful to God’s kingdom. And the awareness that we need God’s strength to do it. Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings This step isn’t a one-shot deal for the person in AA,
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many of these steps are things that are done daily. There is a constant effort to keep focused on recovery. There is a constant awareness of failing and falling away if the steps are not followed. As Christians, many of the difficult faith times for us have to do with us NOT keeping up with God. Look at when you are down and compare it to how much you are reading the Bible. Look at the times you are struggling and look at the health of your prayer life. Often, we are down because we allow our connection with God to get distant. That is why we encourage a prayer time daily. Even multiple times a day. That is why we encourage you to read your Bible daily. Our daily acts of focusing on God helps us to get past our failures. Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord... Repent means to “change your mind.” When we confess our sin, and put it before God, what happens? Times of refreshing come from the Lord. Our efforts to overcome our past are painful. Sin is hard to look at. But when we have conquered our past with the Lord’s help, we are refreshed. The dragon that plagued us is dead. The burden that weighed us down is no longer there. We are better people for taking the time to deal with our struggles. Psalm 30:2-3 Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. This verse speaks of the degree to which God wants to help you. He Heals. He Brings back from the Dead. He Pulls you from the Pit. He defeats those struggles we keep buried, if we just surrender and allow Him to deal 14 MKR Magazine February 2022
with them. Step 8: Made a list of all person we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Making Amends is healing. For AA this is a constant process. The list is ongoing. If you ever remember somethings, you are expected to deal with it. God has called Christians to do the same thing. Numbers 5:6-7 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged. Why must I make restitution? Because God told you too. And It’s freeing. God has called me to go back and take care of some issues that I had. It was hard to swallow my pride. I had letters to write to people I had not seen or spoken to in years. It was painful to say what I had done. But when you get a letter back and you find forgiveness, it is so freeing. I have even saved those letters because of the peace they have given me. We run from things like this, yet this can be one of our greatest sources of encouragement We have all hurt others. God home today and make a list. Is there something you have been too prideful to face up to? We need to face the issues that we have created, because it frees us. I used to remember those things I had done with embarrassment and pain. Now I am forgiven and I can look at those things and know I am free of them. If you need to make amends. Just do it! Don’t put it off. Next issue we will finish our series with steps 9-12.
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MKR HEADLINES
AN INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP DVORAK ON RECOVERY CHURCH MOVEMENT BY BECKY BARNETT
Pastor Philip Dvorak is a leader at the forefront of Christian addiction treatment in the United States and the founder of The Recovery Church Movement, a fast-growing group of churches that serve as a bridge between 12-Step Fellowships and the Church. Recovery Church is a transparent, encouraging, raw, and authentic place for those in recovery to find love, acceptance, and freedom from addiction through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. “Recovery Church is not a perfect place for perfect people, but a healing ground for those who want to get well.” BB: One of Recovery Church’s values is “raw” can you elaborate a little bit on what the vision behind that value is? PD: Oh, absolutely! The heart of it is this: we are going to choose people over perfection, we are going to choose people over profit, people over performance. Sometimes if things are too shiny and too perfect and too clean, for the addict and alcoholic in their early recovery, that doesn’t represent their life very well. And so, by allowing a person to get up, and maybe they’re a stutterer or they’re not the best communicator, but it’s their time to share. We’re going to choose them over their performance. And the second part of it is, we’re going to choose people over perfection or refinement. So, you might come into a Recovery Church and someone’s giving their testimony and they might slip a word that you’ve never heard in a traditional church out in the middle of their testimony. And we’re not encouraging that, but we’re still going to choose that person and their journey over the fact that they cursed, over the fact that something was a little more graphic than maybe the traditional church would feel comfortable with. The focus is going to be the life change. And so sometimes, the attitude and the culture of Recovery Church 16 MKR Magazine February 2022
can be a little more raw. We allow for a place for people to be real and honest and transparent. At the same time, we’re not using it as an excuse AP STOR PHILIP DVORAK for them to be dishonoring of The Holy Spirit, or dishonoring of God or dishonoring of what a worship gathering is supposed to look like. BB: When you grow up in the church you learn from the beginning what is considered acceptable and what is not. Entering into church culture for someone wasn’t raised in the church, and seeing how people often act a certain way, I’d imagine that’s strange. We sometimes forget that Jesus wasn’t just sitting in the temple doing what church culture of His day thought was normal…He was out in the mud with the people. PD: Absolutely! And that’s at the heart of this! Jesus friend of sinners, that’s the idea here. When a person starts out, we can’t expect them to come in, a prostitute two weeks ago and be the preacher this week, or be the Sunday school teacher, or step in two weeks later and be perfectly refined and understand all the cultural norms that we expect in a church setting. Sometimes people in the church forget that when people are far from God, there is going to be a journey of
sanctification. Yes, they are positionally sanctified before Christ, but actually working out their sanctification, actually allowing God to refine them, is going to be a process. And we’re not going to focus on those little character defects as much as what God is doing and celebrate what God is doing. BB: That is an awesome approach. You’ve talked a bit about how Recovery Church is focused on loving and accepting people right where they’re at, but also not wanting them to stay where they are. How do you at Recovery Church bridge that gap of being loving and accepting, while also encouraging forward progress toward freedom and growth in a relationship with Christ. PD: It’s a beautiful mess. I mean the first thing I kind of touched on is we get dirty. It’s hard at times. We understand people are coming from brokenness, but man, we’re calling them to rise. From the teachings, from the accountability, from the sponsorship relationships, we dive into their life with them and as long as they’re making progress we’re not asking for perfection. But if their heart is not repentant and they’re not willing, and they’re not trying to move forward, and not being honest with us, and not allowing us to walk alongside them, then we’re holding them accountable. But its messy, because we don’t want to throw away people either. Our leaders, we walk alongside them when mistakes happen, but we hold a high bar. I’ll give an example, we had one of our church leaders relapse and obviously he couldn’t be leading that location in active addiction. But now we have walked alongside him for almost two years, we’ve been filling in the leadership, we have a team in place, and for almost two years we’ve been walking alongside him and now he’s back into teaching on occasion. He’s not leading the location, but now he’s in the rotation of teaching and we’ve been in a process of
restoration with him during this whole time because we really feel strongly that God has a call on him and God hasn’t given up on him. BB: In a previous interview you spoke about realizing that for a lot of people walking through the doors of a traditional church can be a big hurtle. Even if the church is loving and meets them with love, it can be hard. And we know Jesus went to people’s homes, he met them in the streets, on the roadsides, among the tombs. He didn’t require them to go to the temple if they wanted to hear Him, He went to them. How would you encourage the church to reach out into the communities around us and share the gospel in ways that are tangible and maybe less-intimidating? PD: A lot of churches spend the majority of their time and finances focused on the Sunday morning worship experience. To me that should be an outflow of community, that should be an outflow of what is the real ministry that’s taking place. To reach addicts and alcoholics it’s going to be messy, it’s going to be hard, you can’t reach people who are enslaved by this world and stay clean and tidy. There is rarely a week that goes by where someone I know doesn’t pass away. And these are people we’re praying with and loving on and talking to their families and spending time with. That’s hard. That’s a weight that if people are really willing—you’re going to be stepping into that. There’s brokenness and divorces and there is abuse and all the things that we think go along with substance abuse—all that pain exists. And you have to be willing to sit with that, you’re not going to be able to get in and fix it. You’re going to have to be okay with some of that mess. Share the gospel, and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to a person, and walk alongside them as they’re making a decision to pull toward Christ and pull away from these other things. Until those roots grow down, they can really get tossed by the waves and tossed by everything to the side. It’s going to take time to help them and disciple them and walk alongside them. The other practical thing a church can do, is understand their language. Sometimes Christians are afraid of things like Alcoholics Anonymous, afraid of things like the big book of Alcoholic Anonymous or other recovery literature. But if you’re going to reach any culture, any group of people, MKR Magazine February 2022 17
ceiving and understanding that culture a little bit better. BB: What would you say to someone who is struggling with the feeling that they need to “clean themselves up” before they can come to Jesus?
you would learn their language, you would learn their culture, you would understand where they’re coming from and you would find common ground. Just like Paul did with the statue of the unknown God. He found a way to speak a language that made sense to the people he was trying to reach. I think the larger church world would really be blessed and really see much more fruitful ministry into the recovery community if they were open to learning and re-
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PD: Well, I would say to them that that’s NOT the message of Jesus. That might be the message that they’ve received, or maybe they have been a part of churches that have presented a distorted gospel. Jesus is very clear—come to Him all that are heavy laden and He’s going to give us rest. He says “WHOSOEVER believes in Me,” that wasn’t a conditional statement—that wasn’t “okay the religious or the perfect”— that was the prostitute, that was the drug dealer, that was the drug addict. And He was calling ALL of us to repentance and to follow Him. And we don’t have to wait to be perfect, because that’s not going to happen. We can’t do it in our own strength—you can try to clean up but you’re never going to achieve it. With the power of the Holy Spirit and with Christ in you, you’re going to be able to live this new life, but without that you’re going to stay on the roller coaster.
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
JUST BELIEVE: A CANVAS FOR MODERN-DAY MIRACLES For most of us, miracles are few and far between. (At least the ones we’re consciously aware of, that is). But for Cindy Bellino, they’ve become a rhythm of her life. They’re the one thing she can depend on when she wakes up each morning.
However, she soon found out that she did, in fact, have a problem with addiction. And after a couple of years of relapsing, she once again committed to a life of recovery. The Just Believe CEO has now been sober for 15 years consecutively (and 25.5 of the past 27 years).
“I enjoy seeing the miracles happen,” Bellino says with the gritty confidence of someone who has had her fair share of desolate stretches that were, at times, absent of the kind of hope she now gets to witness on a regular basis.
“Today, I couldn’t even imagine not living this way,” Bellino says with the kind of conviction that’s only possible when you’ve been given a second chance at life.
“Every day, I see miracles. I see the light come on. The spirit comes alive.” Bellino is the CEO of Just Believe, a drug and alcohol recovery center with locations in Florida and Pennsylvania. And for the better part of a decade, she’s been helping people walk through addiction – a battle that she herself is all too familiar with. From Palm Beach to Pennsylvania, she plays daily witness to hope, transformation, and life change. When most of her peers are thinking about settling down into lives of comfort and leisure – a retirement community is the furthest thing from Bellino’s mind. She’s in the middle of the greatest work of her life and doesn’t plan on forgoing the miracles anytime soon. From Addict to Ally: A Shift Decades in the Making In the early-1990s, Bellino found herself in the throes of addiction. But through a series of events, she understood the need to get sober. And for the past 27 years, she’s been in recovery. While she’s spent nearly three decades of her life in recovery, she admits they haven’t all been consecutive. When she was in early recovery, it came very easy and, like many addicts, she thought she might not have a true “problem.” So after eight years of being clean, Bellino figured she could ease back into some of the crutches of her past life. 20 MKR Magazine February 2022
Though her recovery story has spanned nearly 30 years, it wasn’t until the age of 56 – after losing everything she owned in her entire life and being so broke that she “couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread” – that she realized her life calling. While Bellino may have a history of addiction and, like any addict, has to actively work to fight the disease on a daily basis, she’s very clear on who she is. She’s not just a recovering addict; she’s an ally. And with three adult children, 10 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, her “why” has never been more clear. “What can I do to help families so that they don’t have to be separated? Our society today is a mess, and millions of children are growing up in messy situations,” Bellino laments. “These kids really don’t have a shot, unless [someone] steps in.” Bellino is too self-aware to see her team as heroes or miracle workers, per se, but they certainly get to be daily firsthand witnesses to the miracles. And whether it’s in sunny Florida or the snow-dusted foothills of Pennsylvania, she’s rejuvenated and motivated by the thought of keeping families together. Just Believe: A Safe Place for Healing Just Believe is more than just a recovery center. It’s a place where people go to turn addiction into long-term, life-changing sobriety that has a generational impact on families and communities. Bellino describes Just Believe as her “heart put into words
that people can actually understand.” She sees it as a direct reflection of what her heart is made of.
ty to experience new things that they’ve never been able to experience before (because of their lack of sobriety).
“The words ‘Just Believe’ mean a lot to me, because when people first come in and surrender to getting help, they have a hard time believing that it’s possible to live differently than what they’re used to,” says Bellino.
According to Bellino, one of the best parts about the program is the camaraderie that residents establish. She says they become like a family and, in many cases, closer than their actual families.
“One of the phrases we used to say to each other is, ‘Just believe that I believe. That’s all that you need to do right now.’” And it’s out of those hopeful words that Just Believe, the recovery center, was brought to life.
From the mental and emotional side of things, residents learn more about themselves and their capabilities in life. They learn how to stop beating themselves up. They also learn how to give up guilt and shame. Residents discover pretty quickly that they’re not the same person they were when they were on drugs and alcohol.
But it hasn’t always been what it is today, with beautiful campuses, clean facilities, and the kind, warm team that’s come to define Just Believe. In the early days, it was a much smaller operation. Bellino admits that she never had any intentions of ever opening a rehab center, but thanks to a Pennsylvania judge who must have had some sort of premonition as to what her life calling would be, that’s exactly what happened. The origins of Just Believe can be traced back to Bellino’s decision to open a safe house for women who had been discarded from their treatment programs when their insurance ran out. It was the first women’s sober house in the state of Pennsylvania. At the time, it was 17 girls living under one roof with Bellino and her paralyzed father in their Carbondale home. It was messy but rewarding work – rewarding enough that she was willing to spend two years fighting with the state to get approval to stay open. “It was Judge Corbit who ruled in my favor for a drug and alcohol treatment center, which left me in shock,” Bellino admits. “Because all I was doing was opening a sober home. It was almost like she had bigger plans for myself than I was aware of. And so many years later, here I am.” Less than a decade later, Bellino and her team of incredible therapists and decorated medical professionals, like Dr. Richard LoSardo, MD, Psychiatrist, have centers in Florida and Pennsylvania (with a brand new location opening in Union Dale, PA). Just Believe offers treatment for individuals who are struggling with alcohol addiction and/or drug addiction. They offer a wide scope of programs ranging from detox and residential treatment to partial hospitalization programs (PHP). This includes a variety of flexible programs ranging from 10-day drug and alcohol detoxes to 45-day inpatient treatment to long-term rehab that can last as long as 90 days. When clients come to Just Believe, they can expect to start or continue their recovery. And while every treatment plan is tailored to the individual, residents are going to experience group sessions, 1-on-1 sessions, and the abili-
There’s also a very practical side of treatment at Just Believe. On the back end of their recovery, they learn how to write up a resume and manage a checking account. There are also parenting classes to equip them with the necessary skills to be there for their children. Even legal matters are addressed. The “normal” path into recovery starts with 10 days of detox. Once the substances are safely and medically cleared from the body, residents go into residential treatment (typically a four-week program) where they begin to unfold the psychological impacts of addictions. Once they’ve completed residential treatment, they’re moved to a PHP program for 30 to 90 days, followed by IOP (intensive outpatient) therapy once or twice per week. Recovery is For Everyone While Just Believe’s detox and treatment plans are covered by most insurances, Bellino has never been motivated by the money. It’s not a numbers game for her and her team. They’ll never throw people out if their insurance lapses, and they even go so far as to give out 20 full scholarships as part of their Gift of Life Program every November and December for people who don’t have the financial means to pay for the program – something that’s totally unheard of in this industry. Everything is included with the Just Believe Scholarship Program. It’s not a watered-down or “lite” version. It includes everything from detox to residential to 45 days of PHP. It doesn’t matter that it’s free – it’s the real thing. “I didn’t get into this based on dollars and cents. I did it for an entirely different reason,” says Bellino. “I’ll never be the richest treatment center. I just like to pay my bills. When I can walk into a grocery store and buy whatever I need or want to eat without going broke, that’s rich.” Bellino believes every rehab center in the industry should be giving out scholarships. She points out that even in the early years when they were barely breaking even, financial aid was a priority. MKR Magazine February 2022 21
“My people said we can’t do this. And I said we can do it, and we are going to do it. We have empty beds, so we might as well fill them up and help people. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” she passionately recalls. While she quietly wonders why every single treatment center can’t give out 15 or 20 scholarships per year, she’s also not one to worry about what others are doing. Her sole mission is to help the people she’s entrusted with. And a big part of that role is addressing the root of addiction so that moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters can go on to live meaningful and productive lives. The Root of Addiction (and the Hope of a Second Chance) When Dr. LoSardo came to Just Believe in 2012, he already had a successful practice and impressive resume. His educational background included esteemed institutions like NYU Medical School, Cornell, and Brown. Earlier in his career, he also completed a pediatric residency at New York Hospital-Cornell. And while he never would have seen himself working at a drug and alcohol treatment center as a lead psychiatrist, he (like Bellino) believes he’s found his calling. It’s Dr. LoSardo’s background and upbringing that make him so sympathetic to the cause of helping people who are battling the demons of addiction. Because despite his heralded resume, he understands the people he works with. He was raised in the lower-middle-class part of Queens with very little money. His dad was a mailman and passed away from lung cancer when Dr. LoSardo was just 15. He’s had to work hard for everything he has, yet has no trouble remembering what it was like to struggle. “Coming from a blue-collar background, it really helps me,” he says. “Patients identify with the fact that I’m down to earth.” At a time in his career when he could be looking for an opportunity to wind down and “ride out” his career with easy paychecks, Dr. LoSardo is as passionate as he’s ever been – going so far as to say he never wants to retire. “I see myself as a father and a husband – someone who is dedicated to my family. But I also have a responsibility to treat everyone as best as possible, with respect,” he says. “I don’t jump to conclusions based on how someone is dressed, because that’s how I used to dress at one point. I do my best to treat them as the human beings that they are. Being a doctor is a big part of my identity, and treating addictions is a passion of mine.” When it comes to treating addictions, Just Believe uses a variety of modalities that include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and group therapy (based on 12-step programs). 22 MKR Magazine February 2022
Dr. LoSardo believes it’s his role to get to the root of addiction. While most treatment centers detox a patient and then send them out into the world, he knows that you have to get down to the underlying mental health issues. And that’s why Just Believe uses a bio-pscyho-social treatment framework. “You have to get to the heart of any mental health issues that exist. If you don’t get to the bottom of something like bipolar disorder, MPD, or anxiety disorders, you do the patient a disservice,” says Dr. LoSardo. “It’s not just about getting them off substances.” Introducing Just Believe at Mountains Edge With one location already established in Jensen Beach, Florida and another in Bellino’s hometown of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Just Believe is in the process of launching its third location in northeast Pennsylvania. Just Believe at Mountains Edge opened on November 1, 2021. This gorgeous, serene setting provides a spacious yet homey atmosphere for those entering recovery. In addition to PHP treatment, the center will offer a variety of activities on the 18-acre campus and 100-plus adjoining acres that they’ve been given the rights to use. Activities include horseback riding and, potentially, skiing and snowboarding. Just Believe at Mountains Edge is also proud to have a state-approved ETHOS Program, which intertwines things like art, music, writing, and drama into the therapy process. As Dr. LoSardo explains, “Addicts don’t know what it’s like to have fun without getting high. So in addition to all of the psychotherapy modalities, we have to show them that they can enjoy their lives without being on drugs.” A Life of Recovery There are 45 million people directly impacted by addiction. This includes 22 million people with active substance abuse disorder and 23 million people who are in addictive recovery. We can’t put our heads in the sand anymore. Society spends so much money on so many other things. It’s time that we emphasize the need for recovery. And Just Believe, directed by CEO Cindy Bellino and psychiatrist Dr. Richard LoSardo, is leading the way. “There is so much beauty in the world. People just aren’t used to looking for it,” Bellino says. “They’re too busy. They miss the miracles. Everyone is given the right to see it all on a daily basis. But for some people, they’re just too busy or too much into their disease.” As for Bellino, she’ll never stop looking for beauty. And it’s her life’s mission to help others experience their own miracles.
WALKING IN FAITH
THE WINTER GARDEN BY KAYLENE ARGOT
Hi! It’s your gardening friend back again! I’ve been considering recently what lessons in faith the garden can teach us through winter. At first glance you may wonder what can be found in a winter garden except death, remnants of what was once beautiful? Yet it’s from the winter garden that the spring garden bursts, and through winter energy is stored to sustain the plants into the summer and fall! Have you ever considered the seasons you walk through in your faith and applied the lessons that can be seen in a physical garden to the garden of your heart? I’m a busy person. I love working and it brings me great joy to be able to help others. Although these aren’t bad things, it is something I’m having to confront after a long time of skipping “winter,” or skimming over it as if it were something to simply get out of the way. Can you see the problem? Although I never questioned that my strength came from the root, from being found in Christ, I was skimming over the times to build upon that root and wondered why I wasn’t blooming like I wanted. Friends, learn from my journey, as winter is critical to the health of a garden, rest is critical to the health of a heart that is rooted in Christ. The bible talks about the necessity of rest so many times in verses like Psalm 62:1, Psalm 37:7, 1 Peter 5:7, Isaiah 30:15, Isaiah 40:29-31 and in Mark 6:31 where Jesus cares for his disciples by calling them away to rest. Jesus himself was recorded many times going away to secluded places to rest and pray. Every garden has weeds, even the most immaculately cared for ones. In my experience when winter comes around and the busyness dies down, the weeds become more easily seen. There are three ways to deal with this, one, you can avoid the garden, if you’re not in it you can’t see the weeds! Two, you can go through quickly and pluck off the tops of all the weeds so you can’t see them anymore. Quick fix, you’ll deal with it later. Or three, you can get down on your knees, embrace the dirt and maybe even get some friends to help you dig up each nasty weed, roots and all! Although this is practical and true for a garden, it’s also another wonderful analogy for challenges we face when
we enter “winter” in our spiritual life. The weeds are there, even in the most immaculately cared for people. These weeds are the hidden struggles and temptations we overlook or ignore and may be able to hide with busyness. Sometimes we know they are there, and sometimes it takes entering “winter” to recognize how much soil they are claiming. If rest brings attention to the weeds, many people would much rather keep on working. Others seek the quick fix, only to reap the consequences when the weed comes back with extra vigor. I’ve traveled both these paths and can say that neither is helping your garden. Truly the only solution is to get into the garden and get on your knees. Pray and call out to the God who sees you; to the One who knows you inside and out and loves you not for what you do, but because you are His child. You’ll probably have to get dirty along the way, sin is messy and there are situations and struggles that can’t be tied up neatly. But when you finish you will be satisfied and through God’s grace you will have peace. Remember though, when you feel discouraged by the depth of the roots on your weeds or when the garden just seems overrun, there is absolutely no shame in seeking the help of others. In my physical garden I work alongside an awesome group of gardeners who are ready and willing to help when I need a hand. The same has proven absolutely true for the garden of my heart. Not everyone has the expertise needed to work in your garden, but there are those who do! When, by prayer, God shows you who they are, be sure that you unlatch your garden gate and lend them a pair of gloves. Whatever season you are in right now, I pray you will remember that the winter garden is in fact a garden overflowing with God’s grace. It is by grace that you have been called, by grace you are saved, and through grace that God continues to draw you closer to Himself. So, this winter don’t give up on showing up in the garden. When you get there, be still and let God help you take inventory of your weeds, allow others to come alongside you as you draw them up from the root. Rest in God’s grace and the promise that God sees you, God knows you, and God loves you. MKR Magazine February 2022 23
ROCKERS IN RECOVERY
AM I AN ADDICT? A QUESTION WORTH ANSWERING BY ROBIN BRIGHT
My struggle with addiction lasted about ten years. I didn’t wake up one morning addicted to alcohol, it happened gradually. I drank socially, I drank alone, I drank to cope with bad days, I drank to make good days better, I drank to numb the pain of losing people I loved, I drank to escape an abusive relationship, and then I drank to stop the trembles. In the beginning I could always rationalize my drinking. I would ask myself if I was drinking too much, and in the same moment assure myself I wasn’t. I just wanted to relax. But I was addicted, and I had been on a path leading to addiction for a long time. Why didn’t I do anything to stop it? I don’t know. To this day I don’t have an answer to that question. But if I could go back and stop myself, I would. To get those ten years with my children back, I would. My journey to recovery wasn’t easy. I detoxed, I lived in sobriety, I relapsed. I detoxed, I lived in sobriety, I relapsed. I relapsed. I relapsed. I relapsed. But I didn’t give up. I didn’t forget about the old Robin that loved her life, and her children, and her friends. Finally, I succeeded. I am currently living in success. In recovery. I share my story all the time, because I wish someone would have shared theirs with me. I didn’t need to hear about some celebrity who disappeared to a magical island, where recovery works, and came back a different person. I needed to hear about a mom, some lady from church, my neighbor, someone I could relate to. Maybe it’s because I’m relatable, maybe it’s because I’m candid, I don’t know really; but in sharing my story so openly, I have had countless encounters with men and women, teens and adults, all looking to share the truth about their addiction with me. One of the most common things I’ve heard is, “Do you think I’m an addict?” Maybe you’re not really asking me if you’re an addict. Maybe you already you are. Maybe you’re just asking 24 MKR Magazine February 2022
me if the same thing that worked for me, will work for you. It’s hard to come to the conclusion that you have an issue. To admit a weakness, a flaw in the essence of you. If you’re looking for confirmation either way, here are a few signs, as defined by Medical News Today, that you may be struggling with addiction. Have you tried to stop using, but found it to be extremely difficult and eventually gave up? • When you tried to stop using, did you experience intense cravings, mood swings, depression, etc.? Did you experience other physical changes such as trembling, nausea, or hallucinations? • Are you aware of the negative health impact using may cause, or already has caused, to your body but continue using regardless? • Do you decide against hanging out with friends or participating in other activities where using won’t be an option? • Is it more important to have a good supply of drugs or alcohol than it is to have food or electricity in the home? • Do you use in secret? The signs of addiction go on and on. Do you relate to any, or most, of these queues? If so, it’s time to get help. Don’t allow years, or decades waste away in the name of addiction. Maybe you’ve already tried to stop using before, and maybe you feel like you failed, but it’s not failure until you stop trying. Are you looking for help for yourself or a loved one dealing with addiction? Please contact The Shores Treatment and Recovery at (888) 775-9377. I found sobriety at The Shores, and I will be forever grateful for the care I received from the individuals at this facility. If you aren’t sure whether treatment is right for you, feel free to call us with your questions. We have a caring staff that will be looking forward to your call. Don’t let another day slip away without making a change.
ROCKERS IN RECOVERY
THE 8 ABSOLUTES OF RELAPSE PREVENTION BY LYLE FRIED
A lot of people do well in treatment, but struggle tremendously in aftercare. “I can’t believe I relapsed. I never even saw it coming.” These are the words of many who experience relapse. Whether you’ve said them yourself or are putting together a plan against potential relapse, here are 8 absolute truths that will help lay a solid foundation for successful sobriety:
1
Relapse is not a ‘suddenly’. It is a process. You are not helpless against relapse. Every day you are either moving closer to it or farther away, depending on the choices you make.
2
Relapse prevention is intentional. We do recover, but we must continue to work a program of recovery. We should never leave our sobriety to chance. Laying out a protected plan for ourselves is vital to our continued sobriety. Compromising here and there with people, places and things; just a little, just enough to justify, will eventually lead us down a path of destruction. Remember, a ship just a fraction of a degree off course will eventually end up miles from the intended destination.
3
Fearless honesty with self. Self protection and denial are best friends. Instead of listening to the advice of our sponsor, our therapists, our recovery mentors and those closest to us, we choose the slippery slope of denial. When we begin to think we’ve ‘got it’ or that we don’t need others input in our lives, we are in a dangerous place.
4
Avoid high risk situations. Have you gradually started surrounding yourself with people you used with? Are you getting closer and closer to the fire? Do you have a desire to ‘prove to yourself’ you’ll be okay around the substances that used to control your life? If you ask yourself these questions honestly, you already know the answer.
5
Cultivate a positive mindset. So many people struggle and relapse because they are coming from a negative mindset. “Why can’t I drink like other people? Why can’t I use successfully?” are the questions they won’t stop asking. On the other hand, those who flourish in sobriety have cultivated a love of being sober. They realize the beauty of the world around them and they want to experience it with 100% clarity. Sobriety is the higher life. It is the good life and they know it.
6
Avoid isolation. Isolation is your worst enemy in recovery. Building a positive support network of people who don’t engage in substance use and are supportive of your sober lifestyle is key. Engaging in fun, sober activities on a regular basis will help develop healthy habits that will lead to a healthy lifestyle.
7
Have a healthy schedule. Developing a healthy routine starts with a schedule. Structure creates a safe environment, which is especially helpful when unexpected temptations pop up. A schedule can help you run on autopilot, making proper choices out of habit, without the struggle.
8
Relapse prevention involves spirituality. Lastly, when we are spiritually fit, we are able to turn over our problems, our lives, our schedules, and most importantly, our will over to the care of God. We realize His plans are better than our own, and we rely on His leading throughout our days. If you do relapse, don’t fall into shame and view it as the ultimate failure. It is this type of thinking that will keep you sick. Instead, take a look at what happened and use the event to help build a stronger foundation. Keep working your program of recovery, and know that your life has a beautiful purpose.
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ARTICleS
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Rockers in Recovery Magazine
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DIRECTORY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 1-877-SAMHSA (1-877 726 4727) www.samhas.gov Substance Use Treatment Locator 1-800-662-4357 FindTreatment.gov National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800 273-TALK (8255) TTY: 1-800-799-4889 suicidepreventionlifeline.org Drug Free Workplace 1-800-WORKPLACE (967-5752) samhsa.gov/workplace/resources/drug-free-helpline Disater Distress Hotline Call or Text 1-800-985-5990 https://www.samshagov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline
Recovery Church Treasure Coast - Port St. Lucie www.recovery.church/treasurecoastPSL 5200 Olender Avenue Fort Pierce, FL 34982 772-261-0690 Just Believe Recovery Center LLC 1802 Northeast Jensen Beach Boulevard Jensen Beach FL 34957 877-978-1208 HOT LINE 888-380-0667 Florida’s Drug And Alcohol Rehab Center | Just Believe Recovery Center Just Believe Recovery Center LLC 100 Lincoln Avenue Carbondale, PA 18407 HOT LINE 888-380-0342 Pennsylvania Drug Rehab and Inpatient Alcohol Rehabs PA (justbelieverecoverypa.com)
EVENTS: Five Loaf House Events 133 Firehouse Rd. Pocono Pines, PA. 12 Step Recovery Meetings Mondays at Noon - Fireplace Room Mondays at 6:00 pm - Fireplace Room Wednesdays at 6:00 pm - Fireplace Room Grief Share Mondays from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm 13 Sessions starting Monday, Sept 13th (Sign up at the Community Connections page. Monthly Events TOMEC Food Pantry Food Distributions at Five Loaf House Distributions are to qualified persons and families
only. To learn more go to TOMECpantry.org. Distributions are the Second Monday of each month and the Tuesday following that Monday. Monday Hours 8:00 a.m. to Noon. or by appointment after these hours Tuesday Hours 8:00 am. to11:00 am. In The Beginning Seminar See the Community Connections Page for more info. Meeting the third Thursday of the month from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Lifetree Cafe See the Community Connections page for more info. Meeting the first Thursday of the month from 6:30 7:30 pm
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ROCKERS IN RECOVERY: Musicians Recovery Network was founded by 2 therapists who also happened to be musicians. They wholeheartedly believe in the power of all art but specifically music to be an integral part of the healing process, especially when it comes to substance abuse issues. We know that on a cellular level that music creates vibrations that lead to healing and change in everyone. It’s a scientifically proven fact that listening to or creating music can help with anxiety, depression and even alters ones mood by increasing the release of dopamine in the brain. This establishes music as a therapeutic tool to also bring healing properties to anyone struggling with substance abuse. MRN has set out to help anyone, anywhere when they reach out for help. This can be done in any number of ways. MRN helps provide funding for anyone seeking alcohol or drug treatment or help with the cost of admission to a sober living facility. Musicians Recovery Network hosts large scale concerts featuring other well known recovering musicians to help fund these efforts. MRN also can provide quality music therapy programming and curriculum and has a top notch recording facility to help stir the creative process to bring about healing in those individuals struggling with substance abuse. Call 570-807-1080 for more information or you can email us at info@musickingdomradio.coM.
CLOSING THOUGHTS: “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” -C. S. Lewis Christmas is over, the New Year is growing ordinary, the resolutions are beginning to fade. Are you satisfied? Are you filled with hope? Is there something missing? Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set eternity in human hearts. We are created with a deep, continual, permeating longing for something more. Friends, may I suggest that this something more is Jesus Christ. The truth is, there is nothing in this world that will bring lasting fulfillment to our souls. We were created to thirst for something beyond what this earth can offer. But there is a God who created you, and who placed you where you are, and surrounded you with the circumstances you are in, for a simple purpose. “So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:27
Radio Station Sponsorship Opportunities Available CONTACT
Email: info@musickingdomradio.com Phone: 570-807-1080 Web: musickingdomradio.com 30 MKR Magazine February 2022
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At Just Believe Recovery Center at Mountain’s Edge we believe that recovery is possible for everyone. Recovery often starts with a residential program; after residential clients benefit from transitioning to a partial hospitalization program (PHP). While in PHP, clients complete their therapy program during the day and return to sober living at night. Therapy consists of group, family, and individual sessions. Clients also attend a primary caseload that provides a more intimate setting for therapy. Just Believe offers a holistic approach to treat addiction including; massage therapy, chiropractic services, recreational therapy, equine therapy, and yoga. Our master’s level and licensed therapists use a variety of therapies to address each client’s individual needs including; trauma-informed therapy, EMDR, art therapy, music therapy, CBT, and DBT models. Our specialists can assess your needs and help you get the treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery. 32 MKR Magazine February 2022
Mountain’s Edge Recovery Here to help.
(888) 635-1159 306 Sugar Hill Rd Union Dale, PA 18470
