Stop Smoking praise thread!!

[childlike2002]

:thumbup Vickimac ! mercyandgrace dont give up, praying for you! May GOD give you grace over this.

[all things]

My husband, a very heavy smoker all his life, has been smoke free since before Thanksgiving. This is a major miracle.

[Lazarus]

I finally quit smoking. It has been 64 days (since February 12) since I have smoked a cigarette. I know I am done for good.

There was this guy on campus (USF, where I'm a copy editor). He is a hell, fire, and brimstone preacher who preaches outside the liberal arts building. He always condemned people to hell, whether you smoked cigarettes or looked at porn. He was always heckled by students, but I understood his message. I took offense to the condemnation, but I know the wages of sin, too. This guy got me thinking about smoking being a sin. Every time I lit up, I could feel the Holy Spirit working on me through my conscience.

There was another guy I would see on campus. He was giving away $5. I always saw him when I was smoking a cigarette on my way to the Starbucks in the library. Well, I never wanted to talk to the $5-guy because I had no need to take my time to win a measly $5. But he caught me one day.

I bit. He said he would give me $5 if I could name the ten commandments in 3 minutes. I had nine in about 30 seconds. I was smoking a cigarette. I could not get the last commandment.

Which one did I forget? Thou shalt not worship graven images. I had my other god between my lips. I confessed the sin to this $5 guy; his name is Roger. It was Friday. I smoked my last cigarette that Monday. I have been smoke free for about 2 months - very few cravings.

I smoked for over 10 years. I tried to quit all the time, but the cigarette is like an old friend. I couldn't imagine myself without a cigarette. They accompanied me everywhere. They got me through the stressful times and celebrated my successes. I tried everything to quit. I leaned on lollypops and gum and my will (what a joke).

I think about the gifts God has given me. God has given me the ability to communicate through writing; I am a good student; I can teach things to people. There are many ways God can use me in this world, but how can he use me if I squander the gifts for an early grave. God is very patient, but if I did not heed his call, He would have gotten my attention somehow. I hope I will not get cancer for it. I hope He got me in time to continue His work.

Realize that smoking (or whatever your addiction) is a sin, confess that sin, and nail it to the cross like I did. That is the only way to quit. Only Christ can do it for you.

Love in Christ!

[Dean]

I have been smoke free for 5 weeks and 5 days!

Praying for all my brothers and sisters out there who are trying to break the habit - don't give up! I smoked for 14 years (trust me, if I can do it there is hope for everyone :) )

[johndigiovanni]

If you want to quite somkeing GREAT. It does get in the way of witnessing due to the fact it is hard to let people know they can trust and ask God for help in their lives yet we professing such things are addics.

On a personal note a seperate from the above statement I DO NOT believe smokeing is a sin anymore than eating some of our processed foods and partially hydraninated oils.

Quitting smokeing is a huge health bennefit and I feel tons better over the last few months.

Quick question,

Did any of you actually tell yourself you enjoyed it and did not want to quit?

[kenny1659]

I am pulling and praying for all of you, I quit last April after 30 years of smoking. Toward the end I was smoking 2 packs a day. I used patches, welbutrin and lots of prayer. God was with me this time, I did not have massively intense cravings like other times I tried to quit. I also did not have that insane desire to rip someones head off that was smoking to pull the cigs from between their bleeding lips to smoke it myself. All praise be to God it has been over a year.

[mercyandgrace]

It's good to read everyone's testimonies. I wouldn't recommend ripping someone's head off, though. I quit for 5 years and like an idiot, I picked them up again. And, in reply to what John said, it's interesting that you don' see it as a sin. It vexes the Holy Spirit. Plus, I don't like the thought that it controls me, instead of me controlling it. Another thing that bothers me about smoking...what if the Rapture were to occur while I am smoking a cigarette? YIKES!!!

[Vickimac]

Quick question,

Did any of you actually tell yourself you enjoyed it and did not want to quit?


I kicked and screamed and railed against the whole idea. When I gave it up, I cried daily for 2 weeks and was mad at the world. (A series of events led me to that day in which I was given a miracle at a heart catheterization and I knew that to keep smoking after would be slapping the Hand that gave me a great undeserved gift).

Did I want to quit? NO!!!! I LOVED smoking. But what I figured out during the first few weeks was that I loved it way too much. I started to realize it was my own personal idol, my best friend and I knew that God did not like that!!! I didn't like that. Smoking wasn't some innocent pleasure for ME, it was way too important, I was really addicted. When I realized just how important, I knew I had to let it go.

I still wish I could smoke. But I know that I can't any more than an alcoholic can drink. And I have not picked up a cigarette in 2 yrs because I never want to go there again or go through the process of quitting again.

Most of the time, there are no more cravings or even thoughts of smoking which is "strange" because used to be, the second my brain became concious in the morning, I was reaching for my cigarettes. It's almost surreal to think I don't need them anymore after 38 years! NO way that I could do that, it has to be God.

God can do anything, even when WE can't! :)

[Live4Jesus]

Praise the Lord for everyone who has quit!!

Praying for all those who are reading this trying to get up the courage to make that final step! You know you want to quit. Let the Lord heal you of this addiction!!

We are all here to support you and lift you up!!


YSIC
Missy

[Justdust]

By Vickimac:
I still wish I could smoke. But I know that I can't any more than an alcoholic can drink.


This is exactly the way I feel. I KNOW I can't even take 1 puff.......or I'll be hooked again.