Hi,

It’s Archie, it’s 2:23am in the morning and I couldn’t sleep. Not because anything is bothering me but because I am excited. After so many years of walking the recovery road with God’s help I feel like tonight I rediscovered a part of me that has been missing for many, many years. A wee scottish boy who won’t shut up, is excited about everything, wants to know about everything and be involved in everything.

In order for you to get a grip of where I am coming from let me start at the beginning. I went to bed and was in discussion with The Holy Spirit. Who said to me “You Better Warn them!” To which I said “What are you talking about?” On Friday night at 7:30pm you have committed yourself to delivery of a recovery podcast on your website. “That’s right, I said.” “Well I don’t think they are ready for you He said, you better warn them.” So after a number of hours in discussion and debate with the Holy Spirit, where we discussed numerous things here I am putting out a warning.

You see since 1987 I have been learning about The Twelve Steps. Since 1989 I have been learning about the Bible and to say my mind and heart is filled with much is an understatement. Every day of my life I get new thoughts about God, the Holy Spirit and recovery. So on Friday night my intention was to bring a message entitled Living Life Recovery is About Rebuilding centred around the Scripture passage Nehemiah 2:11-20. Because at the time that is what I was reading and sharing with the Holy Spirit and has some really interesting stuff in it around the topic of discussion. Some of which are:

• Nehemiah started out as a governmement worker (a cupbearer) Now if you are like me you would have no idea what a cupbearer was. From checking it out my understanding is it is someone who guarded the Kings cup to make sure nothing was put in it that shouldn’t be in it and on occasion taste what was in it to make sure it was safe and suitable for the King to drink. (Pretty important Job)  He went from that to being a building contractor called on to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

  – Which to me says Be prepared because you never know what God is going to call you to do going forward. Something I can relate to in my own life having been in numerous God-created jobs since I became a Christian that I knew nothing about when I started and had to rely on Him completely till I found my feet.

• Nehemiahs co-worker Ezra, whom Ezra chose to take with him was a scholar and teacher of the Scripture.

  – That tells me that Nehemiah, even though he was a man of prayer and faith knew his own strengths and weaknesses and knew he needed Ezra’a help in the task ahead.

• For 52 days rebuilding the walls became a relationship building excercise.

  – Which suggests to me Nehemiah knew the importance of people working together in the process of change.

• After the building Nehemiah appointed Ezra to the task of teaching people from the scriptures and showing them how to rebuild their lives.

  – Which indicates to me Nehemiah knew the importance of God and Mentors in the process of rebuilding.

The reason I raise these now is because after my discussion with the Holy Spirit I still want to talk about the same topic but what I have to say will be different.

There you are warned! Between now and then, and after some sleep I do not know what will come out but I do promise you it will be God initiated and worth listening too.