by Crystal Knapp
My friend,
Have you ever watched a boxing match? I can remember the cute twinkle in my sweet grandma’s eyes when I caught her watching boxing. I never would have guessed that someone who loved to cook and was not into sports could like
boxing, but Grandma did. Though I was never excited about boxing, I did learn something from it: Stay in the ring! If you get out of the ring, there’s no chance of winning. To the jeering crowds, you may look as if you are down for the count. But crawl back up one more time and swing!
The same is true for real-life battles we fight like addiction or depression. Stay in the fight. You may get knocked down, but get back up and start swinging again.
All our writers have stayed in the ring. Crystal Schippling lets us in on her secret for fighting the crippling effects of depression: doing one thing before breakfast, then the next. Bobbi-Jo Reed shares the one goal she made after she had gone through rehab which helps her with daily sobriety: help ten women a year. (Watch the movie or read the article to find out how that is going.) Allan Scott tells his story of victory over addiction through music and media. And MaryAnn Gardner keeps on swinging by helping men and women stay in the ring and overcome addiction. Don’t miss her practical advice.
All of these writers and their circle of friends, along with the Reach UP team and the people who gave you this issue of Reach UP, are cheering you on. Stay in the fight!
You can win the battle and be a victor. We also want you to know about our not-so-secret secret weapon: Jesus Christ. He’s in the fight with you. “Because the LORD God fights for you, just as he promised.” JOSHUA 23:10b CEV.
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Crystal Knapp is the founder and editor in chief of Reach UP Magazine.
You can find this article and more in Reach Up Edition: Fall 2021
