Becoming so heavenly minded that we are of some earthly good.

Year: 2012

8 Years Ago Today I Woke Up After Relapsing on Cocaine

Cocaine Addiction

8 years ago today I woke up in my parent’s bedroom after another relapse.

The night before I took my new ADHD medication, Adderall, and it reminded me of the feeling I got when I used cocaine.

So I took some more Adderall, called some friends and went and bought an 8-ball of cocaine.

My mind immediately returned to a state of paranoia as I crept around the house peering out the windows looking for cops.

This is how I spent countless nights before I was set free from addiction. I would usually drink a fifth of Malibu Rum and about 6-10 Coronas, snort/smoke about $500-$1,000 worth of cocaine, smoke a pack of Camels all while looking out windows and peepholes in fear that cops were watching me and about to break in.

It was not what you call fun.

I didn’t use or drink to “have a good time” like many do. I used because I didn’t feel normal sober.

I used because drugs were my master. I worshiped them, sang songs to them and desired to be with them 24/7.

And on May 23, 2004 I thought my life was over.

I hadn’t used cocaine – my drug of choice – since the prior September (although I relapsed on alcohol and marijuana 2 months prior). So when I used again I heard voices in my head tell me, “See, God gave you 2nd and 3rd chances and you screwed it up. You’re going to die because God is going to teach others a lesson about what happens when you screw up.”

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About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

I Made the Mistake of Reading George MacDonald (aka C.S. Lewis’s “Master”)

I didn’t even know who George MacDonald was until recently. I think the first time I heard his name was last summer when my good friend Matt Perkins of Northwest Anglican and my mother-in-law Tiffany Seppala were discussing his books over lunch. They said he was a great influence on C.S. Lewis.Discovering_the_Character_of_God

So I started reading, Discovering the Character of God by MacDonald recently and realized his writings aren’t something I can just quickly read through and say, “Oh that was good,” and move on with life. No. I say “I made the mistake of reading George MacDonald” because I can’t do that. I can’t read a chapter, smile and then just go on with life like nothing happened.

For whatever reason, his writing has challenged me at the core of who I am. As he writes about the character of God I begin to think about who God really is.

And I want to share a statement that really rocked me last night. So much so that I had to sit my book down, sit up straight in bed and really consider what I had just read. But before I share that let me give you a little background on George MacDonald in case you aren’t familiar with him. Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

They Broke Through and Jesus Called it Faith – We Call it…?

Spiritual breakthrough hole in the roof

What happens when you or a loved one has a need. A need that only Jesus can meet? A need that can only be met by a miracle?

When it comes to having these needs met I’ve noticed there are primarily two schools of thought in the church.

2 schools of thought regarding breakthrough in the church

 

The first teaches that you can, and should, press in for breakthroughs. And even if circumstances seem to oppose this need being met you should still contend for the breakthrough and overcome the obstacles by the power of God that resides in you.

The second is more of a passive approach. This belief system teaches that God will move in His own time and there is nothing we can do to influence Him to move. And the breakthrough is not what’s important anyway, what’s more important is “accepting” that God has ordained these circumstances and that they are all part of a bigger plan. Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

Fighting or Embracing the Process?

I just finished listening to a sermon (on podcast) by Banning Liebscher from Bethel Church in Redding, CA. He shared his story of being young and zealous for the Lord. At 19 years old he felt like all he wanted to do was travel around and preach (I think he’s in his mid-30s now). He didn’t feel “called” to the local church or to youth.

Today he is the youth pastor at his local church and loves it.

As he shared I found myself laughing out loud a few times because I could relate to what he was saying and his type-A personality. He talked about how he would think about the timeline of his life and how he would always feel like he was “behind” a few years (something I’ve thought about a time or two). Continue reading

About Josh Monen

Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.

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