Living Free Every Day®

Take Time to Listen

Today's Scripture

"Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God." Joshua 3:9 NLT

Thoughts for Today

Communication is a vital key to every relationship. And so it is with our relationship with Christ. Intimacy with God is not possible without communication.

When we pray, we talk to God. When we listen, God can talk to us. Unfortunately, most of us spend all our prayer time talking to him, never taking time to listen.

God speaks to us in various ways: Through the teaching of the Bible. Through Scripture "explosions." (This is when a verse literally jumps off the page and speaks to us.) He speaks through a "still, small voice" in our hearts and minds. And sometimes he speaks though other people or through circumstances—in these cases, the message will usually be a confirmation of something he has already told us.

Consider this …

How do we know when we are hearing from God, not the enemy or even our own imagination? First, God comes openly with peace, never causing fear, anxiety or guilt. Second, his message will always line up with Scripture and will build faith. And third, his message will result in more love and more power in our lives—not in confusion.

God loves you and wants to communicate with you. Learn to listen!

Prayer

Lord, teach me to hear your voice. Help me to talk less and listen more when I pray. Help me to hear clearly from you as I read the Bible. And throughout each day, help me to be more open to hearing you speak to me no matter what else I'm doing or where I am. Teach me to listen. In Jesus' name …

A Passionate Pursuit of God: Drawing Nearer to Him by Dr. Mike Chapman. This study teaches participant how to move into God's inner circle, how to listen for the voice of God, how to enjoy the freedom of worship, and how to embrace the mission of worship. This 45-minute format will accommodate groups with limited meeting times. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

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Heroin Use in Florida Grows as Opioids Become More Difficult to Abuse

By Join Together Staff | January 3, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs & Prescription Drugs

As opioids become more difficult and expensive to abuse, heroin use is on the rise in Florida, according to law enforcement officials. A similar trend has been reported around the country.

The Miami Herald reports an analysis of drug-related deaths in 2011 shows heroin is one of the state’s most harmful drugs. Heroin-related deaths increased by 18.8 percent, to 62 deaths, compared with the previous year. The number of deaths from heroin use is down from a high of 270 in 2001, the newspaper notes.

The recent increase is worrying to local drug rehabilitation experts. They report seeing more patients who have switched from oxycodone or other prescription drugs to heroin in the last year.

“When I ask my patients, they say, ‘Yeah, I couldn’t get oxycodone, and now I’m using heroin, four or five bags,’” Dr. Patricia Junquera of Jackson Memorial Hospital’s detox unit told the newspaper. “I think more people are switching to heroin.’’

A study published in July 2012 found OxyContin abuse has decreased now that the painkiller has been reformulated to make it more difficult to misuse. Many people who abused the drug have switched to heroin, the researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. In 2010, the company that makes OxyContin introduced a new version of the drug that is more difficult to inhale or inject.

Florida has taken a number of measures in the past several years designed to reduce prescription drug abuse. In June 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill designed to cut down on prescription drug abuse by controlling “pill mills” in the state. The law authorized the creation of a prescription-drug monitoring database to reduce doctor-shopping by people looking to collect multiple painkiller prescriptions. The legislation also imposed new penalties for physicians who overprescribe medication and imposes stricter rules for operating pharmacies.

CADCA National Leadership Forum to be Held February 4-7

By Join Together Staff | January 3, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs & Prevention

Registration is open for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)’s 23rd annual National Leadership Forum, to be held February 4-7 in National Harbor, Maryland. The CADCA Forum is the nation’s largest training conference for community prevention and treatment professionals and researchers.

The meeting’s theme is “Science, Strategies & Solutions.” More than 2,700 participants are expected to attend, including leaders of community anti-drug coalitions, government leaders, youth, addiction treatment professionals, researchers, law enforcement professionals, educators and faith-based leaders.

Workshops will help participants develop comprehensive evidence-based strategies to create community-level change. Presenters will include Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Pamela Hyde, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Administrator; Michele Leonhart, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator; and California Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack. For more information, visit CADCA’s Forum website.

Navy Unveils Video Demonstrating Worrisome Effects of Bath Salts

By Join Together Staff | January 3, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs, Military & Prevention

The U.S. Navy has released a video that demonstrates the disturbing effects of bath salts, ABC News reports. The video is the latest weapon in the Navy’s effort to combat synthetic drug use.

The video shows a sailor who snorts bath salts. Shortly afterwards he vomits, then starts having hallucinations. His girlfriend appears demonic to him, and he assaults her. He collapses and wakes up in restraints as he is brought to the hospital, clearly in distress.

“When people are using bath salts, they’re not their normal selves,” Lt. George Loeffler, a Psychiatry Resident at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, tells viewers. “They’re angrier. They’re erratic. They’re violent and they’re unpredictable…People will start seeing things that aren’t there, believing things that aren’t true.”

Loeffler adds the effects of paranoia brought on by bath salts can last days or weeks after the drugs have left the body.

Synthetic drugs such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana fall under the Navy’s Zero Tolerance policy. Sailors found to be using, possessing, distributing or who observe an abuse and do not report the incident can be charged with violating the Navy’s policies.

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