Learning to Love Healthy

Before I came to Celebrate Recovery, I falsely believed my greatest strength was being self-reliant. This belief led me to develop a false sense of pride in myself.

Self-reliance was a tool that I learned to use to protect myself from being betrayed... it was all about self-preservation. I had lots of problems, but they were not visible, my problems were on the inside and I worked hard to keep them hidden behind a facade of self-assurance. My "before" picture reflects the most important thing in my life at that time, me. I was very self-centered and because of this it was nearly impossible for me to have relationships with others. Eventually, it became hard for me to love anyone, especially myself. It was when I began to work the Principles of Celebrate Recovery that God began to change my heart.

My "after" picture reflects my improved ability to nurture and love others. Today it's no longer just about me. I’m so glad that I can be a loving husband to my wife and set a good example for my daughter. I'm so glad that my daughter never has to meet the old me. But, most importantly, I'm so glad I learned that there is no room for God if I am full of myself!"