Over the last few months my life has been changing. Back in August last year at the request of my GP I had a blood test. He rang me the next day to request I come in and see him. At the appointment he advised me I had a high PSA reading and said he wanted me to see a specialist. I did, and the specialist conducted more tests then advised me I needed to attend an appointment at The Alfred Hospital to have a biopsy on my prostate. I did, then at a follow up appointment I was advised I had prostate cancer.

Now I know lot’s of other men have had this diagnosis but for me at 52 years old to be told “You have a cancer.” was the most terrifying news I have heard in my life in a lot of years. So I began attending all the tests, listening to all the doctors and everyone elses wisdom on what I should do and I prayed. Prayed like I have never prayed before. I started for the first time since I went through the recovery process in my life taking an honest, fearless moral inventory of my life.

I stopped working for The Salvation Army and started asking God the question “What’s next?” God then started putting on my heart recovery curriculum and I began writing. The way it happened was one day I was feeling sorry for myself and decided to go through recovery curriculum I have aquired through the years. Because I am used to using stuff other people have written and I heard the Holy Spirit say “No that’s not it to everything I picked up.” But I kept looking until I picked up a pocket size copy of “The Serenity Bible Companion for Twelve Step Recovery.” Previously owned by Major John Henderson. In it were three lot’s of hand written notes from Major Henderson from messages I had heard him deliver to men in The Salvation Army Bridge Program. As I read those notes and looked at the corresponding scriptures it was like a light went on and I knew what I had in my hand was what God was guiding me to use to lead people to personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I started writing using Bible Verses from “The Serenity Bible Companion for Twelve Step Reovery” and believe, because of the ease at which my writing flows using this simple little book I am now preparing God directed recovery based on His guidance and His purpose for my life. I am currently in the process of writing a “365 Dailt Reflection” book based on those scriptures from that bible and my own experience of recovery for the last 30 years (I am up to 265 so it won’t be fara way). Through the process I have also accumulated “31 Principles of Recovery from the Gospels” Principles I believe Jesus commanded each of us to adapt in our own characters in order to help others meet Him and understand His purpose for them.

Back in 2005 when God introduced me to Living Life Recovery He, through the Holy Spirit gave me Twelve Steps, which you can find on this website. Around the same time I also prepared for a leadership team a six week Leadership Training Course on ‘Christian Mentoring’ Which I believe is God’s guidance for how He wants Christian Recovery Leaders to lead.

So much happening, oh and yes I still have cancer but I am not letting it get the better of me. God has a plan and a purpose for everyone of us and if we continue to follow that plan He will help us to overcome any and every hurdle that get’s in our way. I believe that and I hope you do to.

Why am I sharing this now? Because God says it’s time! Over the next few months I will be concentrating on developing what God has given me to make it ready for others to recieve so they too might be encouraged to stop doing their own thing and start doing what God wants… My God is a Great God, I don’t have a job at the moment and yet I am busy. I am in the process of establishing and developing a number of new Living Life Recovery meetings, visiting hospitals and helping individuals who still reach out to me for help.  I don’t know what the future holds. I do know I am in His hands and He will never drop me so to that end I will keep writing recovery currculum stepping into gaps He opens up for me to fill. I will keep moving forward in His strength, His Power with His Love and protection.

Ibelive that through what I am now doing with God’s help and guidance lives will be changed and I would like to ask anyone reading this to add myself and Living Life Recovery to their prayer lists. God has a plan and it includes us all supporting each other to achieve His mission for us all.

My new verse for 2016 is the one above. God is using us all – no matter where we came from. His Kingdom is now my home country I hope it’s yours too.