Monday, Whoo Hoo!

I haven't had a cigarette since Saturday morning. That means this is Day 3 of not smoking. Is it a challenge? Oh yeah! It's hard work to not pick up a cigarette and smoke it to the stub. I' have teased myself by bringing my fingers to my lips as if I were smoking, and saying out loud, "pain and death. This is the way of pain and death."

So far it has worked. There are some spiritual lessons in all this, but the most helpful for my reflections is how total the mastery over my body is the power of that Nicotene addiction. For someone who is trying to keep his focus on God, that has not been a pleasant thing to face.

It is giving me a chance to observe what tricks my mind is playing on me to rationalize how good it is to smoke, how I need to smoke, how smoking yadda yadda yadda.

So, whoever is out there, please pray for me right now. And I will pray for you.