We have scoured the blogs and found countless stories of lasting damage caused by the ntcc in peoples lives. This damage in many cases seems irreversible and only God can heal those whose hearts have been broken. When that happens there still remain memories and questions that people have a hard time dealing with. Many will say give it all to God and let time and God heal you. When everything is said and the veneer wears away, there are voices that must be heard. There is a need to share. When you keep things bottled up inside you, they eat away at you and that is where true bitterness takes place. When you begin to share those experiences with others that have gone through the same thing you begin to feel true healing.
Many people just want their lives to be normal. In the words of Doc Holiday, there is no normal life, there's just life. This is true in many cases but when you have been living on the edge of "extreme" you desire a return to normalcy in your life. We have a life outside of the blogs. Blogging is very therapeutic but you have to do things to enjoy your life so you can bring things into perspective and achieve balance in your life. God has given us a planet to enjoy. When I come home from work, sometimes I have to wind down before I can fall asleep. When your life has been going a trillion miles per hour, sometimes you have to wind down and enjoy yourself a bit. What do you enjoy doing? Can you allow yourself to have fun without feeling condemnation?
The following is a list of things that people might consider to bring about a sense of normalcy in their lives.
1. Treat yourself. Do something for you and you alone. Go somewhere or buy yourself something that you've always wanted. Realize that it's okay to have nice things and it's not a sin to do something for yourself.
2. Do something nice for the loved ones in your life. It feels great to make a difference in the life of the ones you love the most. I buy my wife plants and flowers and stuff. It feels so good when you give to someone you love.
3. Show kindness and take opportunities to help those that are in need. Example: When I see another truck driver that needs help, I take the time to help them. If they need a jump or help securing their load, I think, what if it were me or someone I love? There is satisfaction that goes along with loving your neighbor as yourself.
4. Show kindness and have charity towards a complete stranger that doesn't have anything. Buy a KFC dinner or a combo meal for someone that is homeless or afflicted. It's not a sin or a waste of money to help someone who is helpless. We have been taught that they are in that position because they made the wrong decisions in life, but allow your heart to be tender towards those in need and you will find a degree of peace in your heart.
5. Load up your family, wife, kids or friends and go somewhere fun. Go see something you haven't seen. Find a state park or something in your area that you've always wondered about and enjoy the afternoon.
6. Get a dog or a cat. I'm not crazy about cats but to me dogs are very cool. If you like cats don't allow the ntcc teaching to deprive you of having something you want. It's not a sin to have a dog or a cat or an alpaca as long as you take care of it. This sounds crazy but before I met Ange, I had a dog that kept me company in my truck and I enjoyed it. That dog loved me without any conditions. Don't let the ntcc dictate to you that you can't love animals or have one of your own. I'm not talking about anything freaky or unnatural. It's sad but sometimes a dog can be better company than some humans.
7. Try to separate false teachings from what's really in the bible. Download the blue letter bible for free and study the scripture on each questionable subject that you were taught by the ntcc. Look at every scripture pertaining to that subject in the bible and take it in context. Filter out all the garbage and trash that the ntcc taught you and keep only what is in God's word. Try to unlearn all that was said that never made sense by studying what God says about it in His word. Keep that which is written and get rid of the rules that restrict your freedom in God.
8. The greatest of all commandments is to love God and your neighbor. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. If you concentrate on these two everything else will fall into place.
9. Don't condemn yourself for past mistakes and failures. Try to learn from your past by changing the way you do things now. We can't find any peace if we condemn ourselves all the time. What is done is done and can not be changed. But we do not have to repeat our past mistakes. Forgive yourself and you will find it is easier to forgive others.
10. Share your past experiences with others. If you do not feel comfortable talking about it with anyone you know, try blogging. Post anonymously if you want and realize that there are many that have gone through what you are going through. We all have differing opinions and views but don't take things personally if someone disagrees with you. If you don't feel comfortable with this than get some professional help. Find someone that you can talk to and let it all out. All you need is a listener and if you can get some of this off your chest you will feel much better.
11. Trust your instincts and believe in yourself. Don't let others walk on you or think less of you because you no longer live under the delusions of the ntcc. If it looks or smells bad, it probably is bad. The ntcc has spent years teaching us not to trust our own feelings and even after you've been out for years they still want to tell you that you are wrong. Don't let them tell you that you are bitter and angry. You know the real deal.
12. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be too quick to believe everything you hear. Study things out in life before making big decisions. When people want you to believe something really bad, question their motives. That doesn't mean to think bad about everyone or not to trust anyone, but don't be too quick to jump on somebody's bandwagon without knowing what they are all about.
We hope some of this might help you. These are things that we try to practice in our lives but there will always be memories and clouds of doubt that try to obscure the true light. This is our way of getting on with life.
Don and Ange
