I taught Second Grade and First Grade at a private school in Detroit, Michigan for five years. Everything seemed to be going good until I started using crack cocaine recreationally. At this point I was rest assured that I was in control of the drugs and will stop when I was ready. That was the biggest lie I ever told myself!

I moved to Dallas in 2001. I taught school here in Dallas (substituting) for five years with many long term assignments for D.I.S.D. I was an excellent teacher and favorite of the kids, parents and teachers. What they did not know was that I was living a double life. I was getting high on drugs outside school and with time what I was doing behind closed doors came to light.

Unable to control my habit because it was steering my fate towards the path of destruction, I allowed crack cocaine to take control of my life. It wasn’t recreation anymore, it became a lifestyle. I found myself missing work, not paying bills, missing rent and so on. Before I knew it, I LOST EVERYTHING including my… CONTINUATION AT http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/homeless/school-teacher-turned-homeless-from-drug-addiction

By Justin Terveen

In the summer of 2004, I was on one of my daily photo excursions in downtown Dallas. These long walks from my apartment in Expo Park would often warrant short breaks in a shady area or green space somewhere along the way. Today, the space was located at the corners of Akard and Main streets in Pegasus Plaza, Dallas. More often than not, I would share these shady spaces with at least one or two homeless individuals attempting to escape the same scorching Texas heat I was avoiding. Having lived in close proximity to the urban core for a number of years, I had become somewhat desensitized to the plight and the homeless struggle…even a little bitter. This would all change today.

As I sat there, flipping through the photos I had taken that day, I heard a voice from a few rocks over saying “Hey! Come here!” in an almost whisper-type shout, as not to attract the attention of anyone but myself. Before I had even turned my head to acknowledge this persons request, it was already in my mind of what they wanted and exactly how I planned to respond. Of course it was going to be nothing short of an emphasized “No.”

I looked over my shoulder and saw a withered old man with a bushy white beard motioning for me to approach him. I asked him what he wanted, to which he replied, “Wanna have a beer?” I quickly responded that I didn’t have any change and wrote him off as another panhandler… But before I could even turn back around, he quickly fired back in the same whisper-shout voice “I don’t want your dang money! I just wanna have a beer with ya!” Skeptical but intrigued, I moved over to the large piece of stone he was sitting on.

Curiosity got the better part of me as I sat down next to him and asked, “Now, what was that again?” With a quick scan of the surrounding public space, he pulled a backpack from his side and sat it on his lap. He opened it revealing two large 40oz bottles of malt liquor. “I just wanted to drink a beer with ya!” he quickly proclaimed. I couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed with my actions, but this scraggly old character brought a huge smile to my face. Joking that it wasn’t my brand, I politely turned his offer down, but he insisted…”here!” I finally admitted to him that I did not drink, but greatly appreciated his offer…not to mention the fact that an open container charge really wasn’t on my list of things-to-do that day.

CONTINUATION AT http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/homeless/the-story-of-a-homeless-veteran-called-rusty

Everyone has thoughts or desires that can lead to poor decisions and actions. But some people seem to have a knack for doing well, while others tend to suck the life out of the world around them. This article is not a definitive answer for every situation that could ever arise, nor is it a 3-step plan that will make every reader equally able to make their wildest dreams come true. If such an article could exist, it already would. However, there are some principles that are accessible to the willing-they are not glamorous, but the truth rarely is.

Begin to think of a situation either in your own life, or with someone you know. Let this situation be some kind of stumbling block that either keeps resurfacing, or never really leaves in the first place. For the sake of discussion, let’s have this be a situation that is not completely outside the person’s control. Instead, let it be some behavior pattern, addiction, habit, crime, attitude, something the person wants to move past but cannot seem to do so.

CONTINUATION AT http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/empowerment/hitting-rock-bottom-and-making-good-decisions

These paraphrases illustrate the depth of mind battle that Christianity encompasses. They do not fully detail from where do the imaginations come. Neither do they explain the development of thoughts that lead to disobedience. They do not expound upon the length of the battle.

In this tale, I will be brief, and not focus on all aspects of Christian warfare. Indeed, I speak of only one example, of a battle that is long running.

CONTINUATION AT http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/deliverance/christian-warfare-dealing-with-demons-of-the-mind

By Bill Krause

Let’s first look at the fact that when you do not forgive you are imprisoned. Matthew 18:55 says, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” In text, a man who was forgiven by his master did not forgive his fellow servant and threw him into prison, only to be thrown into prison himself by his master.
The fact is that when you do not forgive others, you put yourself in prison. The problem of being in prison is that freedom is non-existent. You are told what time to get up, what time to go to bed, what to do, when to do it and how to do it. There are bars and rules that keep you from others and them from you.

I imagine that the worst parts about prison are not being able to trust others and not being able to be embraced physically, spiritually or emotionally. You are alone, locked away and unable to engage with those who are in your life. Touching becomes a thing of the past, trust does not exist and caring and sharing are unavailable. This cuts you off from the most wonderful things in life – those things that are brought about by freedom.

The second condition that is evident in those who are imprisoned in unforgiveness is that other people affect your choices and dictate your life. You are unable to go where you want to go because you might run into the wrong person. Unforgiveness prevents you from being free to move about. If you go to the store and see the wrong person, it throws your day into a tizzy. You can no longer attend your church or go to a gathering because… Continue reading at http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/empowerment/3-side-effects-of-unforgiveness

-  When you pray for healing, do you really want your prayer answered?
Do you think it cruel for me even to ask? Before you question my questions, think about what is required of you if you’re healed.Several weeks ago, I prayed for healing. Not from physical illness; I prayed for emotional healing—the internal handicap that keeps me from my full, God-ordained potential.

Immediately, I felt God lovingly question my prayer.

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This was the desperate plea in my heart as I checked into a hotel in DeSoto, Texas, early in the morning of June 22, 2006. I paid for three days but was prepared to stay more. My Bible, a notepad, a bag of toiletries, and a fierce determination to hear from the Lord accompanied me. I declared a three-day dry fast – no food, no water. Like Jacob in the Bible, I wasn’t going to let the Lord go until he blessed me with the solution to the problem I came with.

Something had happened in my personal life the night before that grieved me beyond my ability to cope. I was at my wits’ end emotionally and mentally. A tide of frustration, mixed with bitterness and anger, was threatening to engulf me. I knew something had to give way or I would retaliate. Either I drew a line or permitted the line of life to draw me into a contorted shape. The time for a change was now.

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I remember a time in my life when God prompted me to tell someone about Christ. A family friend and I sat outside after dinner one night catching up in conversation after years apart. We picked up right where we left off, talking over each other in excitement as we recalled our childhood experiences. Though we looked much the same, we had matured—graduated from college, found successful jobs, engaged in serious relationships. Pretty soon the light, superficial chatter turned to a more serious discussion about life goals, family values, and partners’ living arrangements. Within minutes, it was obvious that we approached life with radically different perspectives.

Continue reading here: http://www.mannaexpressonline.com/featured/what-is-that-to-you