Tuesday, January 22, 2013
HIS MANSION MINISTRIES NH
About
Christian
counseling and long-term care for those dealing with addiction and
other harmful habitual behaviors. We also offer volunteer and intern
opportunities.
Company Overview
His
Mansion is a Christ-centered residential recovery program. We help men
and women between 18 and 35 years of age that have difficult life
situations.
We provide help for adults dealing with Alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, pornography, eating disorders, depression, abuse, and other harmful habitual habits.
The program is approximately one year long.
We believe that true and ultimate healing comes by God the Father, through the work of Jesus Christ's atonement, by the agency of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, emphasis is placed upon the importance of becoming a new person in Christ.
From the day a new "resident" arrives, he or she is a member of His Mansion’s Healing in the Context of Community process. Their day consists of early rising, quiet time, breakfast, work assignment, Scripture-based classes and counseling, lunch, work assignments, supper, and evening routines.
During this daily time stream, Long Term Staff and Mentors serve beside the "residents," coaching and encouraging them. One-on-one counseling with a trained counselor is available as appropriate and necessary.
This process of mentoring, encouragement, intake of God’s Word, meaningful employment, and healthy lifestyle are regularly bathed in prayer. When all is said and done, if God’s Spirit doesn’t energize the process, no amount of counseling, coaching or encouraging will get the job accomplished. At His Mansion, we believe in miracles — and witness them!
We provide help for adults dealing with Alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, pornography, eating disorders, depression, abuse, and other harmful habitual habits.
The program is approximately one year long.
We believe that true and ultimate healing comes by God the Father, through the work of Jesus Christ's atonement, by the agency of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, emphasis is placed upon the importance of becoming a new person in Christ.
From the day a new "resident" arrives, he or she is a member of His Mansion’s Healing in the Context of Community process. Their day consists of early rising, quiet time, breakfast, work assignment, Scripture-based classes and counseling, lunch, work assignments, supper, and evening routines.
During this daily time stream, Long Term Staff and Mentors serve beside the "residents," coaching and encouraging them. One-on-one counseling with a trained counselor is available as appropriate and necessary.
This process of mentoring, encouragement, intake of God’s Word, meaningful employment, and healthy lifestyle are regularly bathed in prayer. When all is said and done, if God’s Spirit doesn’t energize the process, no amount of counseling, coaching or encouraging will get the job accomplished. At His Mansion, we believe in miracles — and witness them!
| Phone | (603) 464-5555 |
| Website | http://www.hismansion.com |
Monday, January 21, 2013
Tell Your Story JANUARY 21 2013
Today's Scripture
"Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 MSG
Thoughts for Today
Appropriate self-disclosure can be a useful tool in a helping relationship. Sharing your own personal experiences and insight may help your friend understand how to deal with a life-controlling problem. Keep the conversation positive, telling about your mistakes but focusing on how God helped you and the things you learned through the process. A word of caution—don't overuse self-disclosure by talking too much, shifting the focus of the conversation toward you and away from the person you want to help.
It is also important that while sharing with others, you do not talk down to them, making them feel as though you are treating them like a child or an inferior person. Your self-disclosure should have a clear goal of providing insight your friend does not appear to have and moving him or her toward healing. Try to stay at the level of insight relevant to the person's need.
Consider this …
Freedom from a life-controlling problem is a process. Pray that God will help you disclose all that will assist your friend in that process, but not so much as to produce confusion. And pray that God will use what you say to help set your loved one free.
Prayer
Father, help me be generous with my life and share with my friend those things that will hasten deliverance and healing. I pray that my self-disclosure will be an encouragement to my friend to open up to you. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding the Times and Knowing What to Do by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee. This book offers biblical strategies for ministry to our family and friends. Contemporary issues and needs faced by society are addressed with biblical principles that are timeless. Ideal for small group leaders and Sunday school teachers who want a better understanding of ministry in an addictive culture.
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
"Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 MSG
Thoughts for Today
Appropriate self-disclosure can be a useful tool in a helping relationship. Sharing your own personal experiences and insight may help your friend understand how to deal with a life-controlling problem. Keep the conversation positive, telling about your mistakes but focusing on how God helped you and the things you learned through the process. A word of caution—don't overuse self-disclosure by talking too much, shifting the focus of the conversation toward you and away from the person you want to help.
It is also important that while sharing with others, you do not talk down to them, making them feel as though you are treating them like a child or an inferior person. Your self-disclosure should have a clear goal of providing insight your friend does not appear to have and moving him or her toward healing. Try to stay at the level of insight relevant to the person's need.
Consider this …
Freedom from a life-controlling problem is a process. Pray that God will help you disclose all that will assist your friend in that process, but not so much as to produce confusion. And pray that God will use what you say to help set your loved one free.
Prayer
Father, help me be generous with my life and share with my friend those things that will hasten deliverance and healing. I pray that my self-disclosure will be an encouragement to my friend to open up to you. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding the Times and Knowing What to Do by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee. This book offers biblical strategies for ministry to our family and friends. Contemporary issues and needs faced by society are addressed with biblical principles that are timeless. Ideal for small group leaders and Sunday school teachers who want a better understanding of ministry in an addictive culture.
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
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Researchers Say MRI Could Help Predict Success of Drug Addiction Treatment
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania say MRI scans
may be able to predict which patients will succeed with certain
addiction treatments, and which ones will relapse, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Researchers at the university’s Center for Studies of Addiction are
watching how regions of the brain react to drug-related photos, such as
pictures of a heroin needle or a crushed pill. They hope to use this
research to develop more effective treatments. One day, they hope that
treatment could be tailored to a person’s mental strengths and
vulnerabilities. These factors are influenced by genetics, life
experiences and drug use, they say.
“We’re interested in seeing if, among the people that do better,
their brains are different now,” Teresa Franklin, who directs nicotine
and marijuana MRI studies at the university, told the newspaper. “This
is not something that gets better in 12 weeks of treatment. This is a
lifelong process where the brain has to be retrained. Just as if you
have diabetes or high blood pressure or a heart condition, you have to
change your lifestyle and you may need medication.”
She said her group thinks if a person’s “stop” regions of the brain,
which deal with consequences, are not working well, and are not
communicating well with regions that say “go” and drive the motivation
for rewards, then it is likely that person is going to do poorly in
treatment.
The group’s research show that in a person who is addicted to drugs,
the brain’s reward region will light up in an MRI scan, even in response
to subliminal cues, such as an image of crack rocks that flash
on-screen for a few milliseconds while the person looks at a photo of a
neutral object, such as a stapler.
“If we can manipulate that response with medication or behavioral therapy, that’s our goal,” Franklin said.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Access to Health Care Services for Addiction Will Improve Dramatically: Faces & Voices of Recovery
Once the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is fully implemented in
2014, access to effective health care services for addiction will
improve dramatically, according to Faces & Voices of Recovery. In an issue brief,
the advocacy group describes how the new legislation will make it
possible for many in or seeking recovery to be included in the health
care system for the first time.
Those who will benefit from the new law include people who were
previously enrolled in Medicaid, and then were disenrolled; those who
are coming out of the criminal justice system; and people who have not
been able to afford insurance.
Under the ACA, a single enrollment application will determine if you
are eligible for either Medicaid or the state insurance exchange, based
on your reported annual income. People who do not qualify for Medicaid
will be able to buy affordable health insurance through state health
insurance exchanges. These are marketplaces that will be available to
people who are not covered through their employer’s health plan, and
those who work for small employers who provide employees with multiple
health plan options.
The law guarantees that insurance companies will not be allowed to
deny someone coverage or place a lifetime cap on what is deemed
reimbursable because of a pre-existing condition. According to the
brief, “The new policy regarding pre-existing conditions, already in
place for children, has direct applications to the recovery community.
Addiction to alcohol and other drugs (or a substance use disorder, as it
is sometimes called) has been considered a pre-existing condition by
many insurers, and used as a means to deny claims and a disqualifier for
coverage. That will no longer be legal.”
Read the entire issue brief for more information on addiction treatment and the ACA.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Take Off Your Mask JANUARY 18 2013 Today's Scripture
"You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known." - Luke 12:2 MSG
Thoughts for Today
Many of us wear a mask. We don't want other people to know the "real us." And yet, if we want to help someone we care about who is struggling with a problem, we need to take off the mask and be real. This quality of being genuine will enable us to be more effective in relationships with those we want to help—actually, in any relationship.
If people you are trying to help believe that you are a phony, they are not going to trust you with what you say and do. They need to see you living a consistent life from day to day, whether you are at church or on the job or having a good time with friends. They need to hear you be honest about your feelings—although you do need to find a balance. Don't be so transparent that you hurt or offend people with your honesty.
Consider this …
As a genuine person, you will not act superior or pretend to be someone you are not. You will honestly admit when you've been wrong.
Being openly genuine will open the door to a trusting relationship between you and those you want to help. It will encourage them to come to you and to respect what you say.
If you want to help others, be willing to be real.
Prayer
Father, teach me to set aside my pride and be willing to be real. Help me to be honest about my feelings and genuine in all I do. Help me to take off the mask. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding the Times and Knowing What to Do by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee. This book offers biblical strategies for ministry to our family and friends. Contemporary issues and needs faced by society are addressed with biblical principles that are timeless. Ideal for small group leaders and Sunday school teachers who want a better understanding of ministry in an addictive culture.
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
Prescription Drug Overdoses Number One Reason for ER Visits in Los Angeles County
Prescription drug overdoses are the number one reason for
emergency room visits in Los Angeles County, according to public health
officials.
A new report
finds the number of people who checked into publicly funded drug
rehabilitation programs for prescription pain reliever abuse doubled
from 2005 to 2010, NBC Los Angeles reports. More than 60 percent of drug-related deaths in 2011 were due to prescription drugs in Los Angeles County.
The report found 11 percent of 9th graders and 14 percent of 11th
graders said they had misused prescription drugs at least once.
“Prescription drug abuse has become a growing public health concern
in Los Angeles County. Many people are not aware that the misuse or
abuse of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drugs, and
can lead to unintended injury, addiction, and even death,” Jonathan E.
Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, said in
a news release.
“We need to ensure that we are addressing this growing concern by
engaging and collaborating with our partners in the public and private
sectors to reduce and prevent prescription drug abuse.”
Thursday, January 17, 2013
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New York Police Department to Use Decoy Pill Bottles to Track Painkiller Thieves
The New York Police Department has announced it will put
decoy pill bottles with tracking devices on pharmacy shelves, in an
effort to track stolen painkillers. The fake bottles will appear to
contain oxycodone, The New York Times reports.
The bottles will not actually contain painkillers, but will have a
GPS device. “We would anticipate the burglar and robber will take
numerous bottles, and among them will be the bait bottle,” said the
department’s chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne.
The fake bottles rattle when they are shaken, as if they contained
pills. They sit on a special base. When the bottle is lifted from the
base, it starts to send out a tracking signal.
The department hopes to have the program in place by March, and is asking all of the city’s 1,800 pharmacies to participate.
Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, developed the bottles. They are
already being used in some pharmacies around the country. Around the
nation, pharmacies have been robbed
by armed criminals looking for narcotics, anti-anxiety drugs and other
controlled medications. Some are addicted to the drugs themselves, while
others sell the pills.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Today's Scripture
"Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers …" - Romans 12:10
Thoughts for Today
Yesterday we looked at the importance of developing the quality of empathy in order to more effectively help a loved one struggling with a problem. Another essential quality is warmth.
Genuine warmth is communicated more by our actions than by what we actually say. Speaking the right words will most likely be totally ineffective if our body language reflects condemnation or impatience or if we seem distracted or unfocused.
A caring tone of voice, eye contact, non-possessive touch, pleasant facial expressions, friendly gestures and a relaxed stance impart a sense of warmth and caring. A warm voice and a caring touch can bring peace and calmness to a brokenhearted person. Warmth communicates openness and lessens defensiveness.
Consider this …
When planning to meet with a hurting friend, set aside time when you can focus and not feel rushed. Pray for him or her before you meet. Ask God to make you sensitive to the need. This preparation will help you show the warmth of caring. You won't just be saying words—your heart attitude will be reflected in body language that will help create an environment for encouragement and healing.
Prayer
Father, help me help my friend. May my heart be filled with your compassion and may my body language reflect the warmth of caring. In all ways, help me to demonstrate real warm affection. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding the Times and Knowing What to Do by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee. This book offers biblical strategies for ministry to our family and friends. Contemporary issues and needs faced by society are addressed with biblical principles that are timeless. Ideal for small group leaders and Sunday school teachers who want a better understanding of ministry in an addictive culture.
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
Lance Armstrong Offers Apology for Using Performance-Enhancing Drugs
Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong has admitted to using
performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and apologized for doing
so during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Associated Press reports.
The interview is scheduled to be broadcast on Thursday on Winfrey’s network.
The winner of seven Tour de France victories, Armstrong strongly
denied he used performance-enhancing drugs for many years. His admission
came shortly after he apologized to the staff at Livestrong, the cancer
charity he founded and was forced to surrender, the article notes. He
created the charity after surviving testicular cancer that spread to his
lungs and brain.
Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles, and was forced
to leave his charity in 2012 after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a
report that accused him of a long-running doping scheme, according to
the AP. He was also banned from competing in elite triathlon and running
events. Currently, his lifetime ban cannot be reduced to less than
eight years, according to World Anti-Doping Code rules.
Using Bath Salts: Playing Russian Roulette With Your Brain, Expert Says
Using the designer drugs known as “bath salts” is like
playing Russian roulette with your brain, according to an expert at the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Michael H. Baumann, PhD,
Chief of the Designer Drug Research Unit at NIDA’s Intramural Research
Program, recently published a study that explains how bath salts cause
dangerous effects in the brain.
“People using bath salts can’t be sure about what psychoactive
chemicals are present in them, and studies have shown that ingredients
on the label often are not present in the products,” he says.
The active ingredients in bath salts that have been identified thus
far are structurally similar to cathinone, which is a naturally
occurring stimulant found in the khat plant, explains Dr. Baumann. In a
rodent study recently published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology,
he and his colleagues reported that synthetic cathinones disrupt the
transport of the brain chemical dopamine, thereby causing large spikes
in the amount of dopamine outside of nerve cells. Dopamine is implicated
in the pleasurable effects of drugs, as well as their potential for
abuse. “When a drug causes increases in dopamine, people will want to
take that drug repeatedly,” he says. The study found a bath salt
ingredient, MDPV, is 10 to 50 times more potent than cocaine in its
ability to increase dopamine in the brain.
Emergency rooms around the country have reported cases of people
taking bath salts who become psychotic, violent and delirious. These
patients also may have a very high body temperature. Some people have
died from bath salts use.
Data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers
indicate that calls due to bath salts dropped from January to November
2012, though Dr. Baumann notes the data for the year are not yet
complete. “If it is indeed the case that bath salts calls are declining,
perhaps it is because of all the publicity about these substances being
quite dangerous,” he says.
Michael H. Baumann, PhD
Dr. Baumann also notes government action may be playing an important
role in the decrease in bath salts calls. In the fall of 2011, the Drug
Enforcement Administration announced a temporary ban
on three synthetic stimulants sold as bath salts—mephedrone, methylone
and MDPV. The ban made it illegal to possess and sell these chemicals or
the products that contain them. In July 2012, President Obama signed legislation that permanently bans a number of synthetic drugs including mephedrone and MDPV.
A troubling trend is the availability of newer, similar compounds
that chemists are devising to replace the banned substances, Dr. Baumann
observes. “This cat-and-mouse game is likely to continue,” he says. It
is possible some of these newer compounds may no longer be called bath
salts, and are thus not showing up in the poison control data.
Much is still not known about bath salts, such as how they interact
with alcohol and other illicit drugs. Scientists also don’t know what
happens when several different cathinone products are mixed, or the
long-term effect of bath salts use.
“Bath salts are dangerous,” Dr. Baumann says. “We don’t know a lot
about how they affect the body, and there is no quality control in their
manufacture or packaging. There’s just no way of knowing what
byproducts or toxic impurities are in these products.”
For the latest information about bath salts, visit the NIDA website.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
New Ice Cubes Change Color to Track Alcohol Use
A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology has invented ice cubes that can warn drinkers when they’ve
consumed too much alcohol, ABC News reports.
Dhairya Dand came up with the idea after he suffered an
alcohol-induced blackout. The incident inspired him to invent ice cubes
that change colors in response to the amount of alcohol a person
consumes. An instrument called an accelerometer tracks how often the
glass is raised to someone’s lips, while a timer helps estimate how
intoxicated the person is, according to the news report.
A light encased in the waterproof ice cube will flash green to signal
a first drink. When the ice cube flashes yellow, it indicates a
person’s alcohol level is rising. A red flashing ice cube is a warning
to stop drinking. The ice cube can send a text message to someone to let
them know the person needs assistance.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Serve One Another
Today's Scripture
"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." - 1 Peter 4:10 NLT
Thoughts for Today
God has given each of us gifts—and he wants us to use those gifts to serve one another. Galatians 5:13 admonishes us to "serve one another in love."
We each have a responsibility to develop our gifts and use them to serve others. We are to serve one another in the family of God in love … and reach out with that same loving service to those outside the church, demonstrating the love of Christ to them.
Consider this …
Sometimes we might not appreciate the gifts God has given us. We might look at someone else and think I wish I could do what they do … I wish I had that talent or organizational ability or their way with people. It is important that each of us recognizes and appreciates—and uses—the special gifts God has given us. Only then can we fully accomplish his purpose for our lives.
Some of us might just ignore a gift, letting it lie dormant. Or we may use it in other ways, but not to serve others. Let us ask him to help us develop a servant's heart.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gifts you have given me. Help me not to neglect them or get sidetracked in the way I use them. Teach me to use them to serve others in your love. Give me a servant's heart. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding Depression: Overcoming Despair through Christ by Donald G. Miles, Ed.D. This study deals with depression, a condition common throughout the world, and is suggested for use in support groups and Christian counseling.
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." - 1 Peter 4:10 NLT
Thoughts for Today
God has given each of us gifts—and he wants us to use those gifts to serve one another. Galatians 5:13 admonishes us to "serve one another in love."
We each have a responsibility to develop our gifts and use them to serve others. We are to serve one another in the family of God in love … and reach out with that same loving service to those outside the church, demonstrating the love of Christ to them.
Consider this …
Sometimes we might not appreciate the gifts God has given us. We might look at someone else and think I wish I could do what they do … I wish I had that talent or organizational ability or their way with people. It is important that each of us recognizes and appreciates—and uses—the special gifts God has given us. Only then can we fully accomplish his purpose for our lives.
Some of us might just ignore a gift, letting it lie dormant. Or we may use it in other ways, but not to serve others. Let us ask him to help us develop a servant's heart.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gifts you have given me. Help me not to neglect them or get sidetracked in the way I use them. Teach me to use them to serve others in your love. Give me a servant's heart. In Jesus' name …
These thoughts were drawn from …
Understanding Depression: Overcoming Despair through Christ by Donald G. Miles, Ed.D. This study deals with depression, a condition common throughout the world, and is suggested for use in support groups and Christian counseling.
- Understanding what depression is and how it affects relationships
- Understanding the relationship between depression and spiritual warfare
- Ways to fight depression with scripture, prayer and mutual support
- Understanding the special prayer needs of depressed persons
- How to pray for healing and what to expect
- Serves as a powerful evangelistic tool by providing a way to minister to people's felt needs and then lead them to Christ
Would you like to have these devotions appear daily on your church or ministry website? Learn More
PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
© Living Free 2007. Living Free is a registered trademark. Living Free Every Day devotionals may be reproduced for personal use. When reproduced to share with others, please acknowledge the source as Living Free, Chattanooga, TN. Must have written permission to use in any format to be sold. Permission may be requested by sending e-mail to info@LivingFree.org.
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