My Mom. She's my angel and she has this deep, abiding faith and trust in the Lord. Mom has this huge, light green pillow. It's really an ugly thing to look at until you see her kneeling on that pillow. She calls it her "prayer pillow." She has to have it because her 76 year old body is riddled with arthritis and it's so hard for her to kneel. Bless her heart though, she's on her knees each and every night. That pillow isn't ugly at all when an angel is kneeling on it, with her eyes closed, and her head bowed. My Mom, she's not even 5 ft. tall but her prayers can move mountains. Years of praying, asking God to lay it on her daughter's heart to Quit smoking have finally been answered. Years of praying but Mom never lost her faith. She believed that God would answer her prayers. She understood that the Lord answers prayers in His own time. It took a long, long time but still, Mom prayed. My Mom, my angel. I thank God for her, her prayers, her faith, her love, and her big beautiful green "Prayer Pillow." Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 27 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,217 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $96.93 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 12

Hey Convicted, I was that way too. I didn't know if setting a date would be better than just up and quitting. I really felt that setting a date would drive my batty as the days went by. I'm the type of person that if I agree to go to an event of some kind, I'm tossing and turning the night before the day of the event. LOL Don't ask me why but that's the way I am. Since I know that about myself, I thought it would be better to go a different route about my Quit. What I did was read the workbook over on the left side of this page under Quit Program Tools. I didn't have to read for long and I just broke a half a pack of cigarettes up and was done with it. Between reading that workbook and reading so many posts on this site, I got so disgusted with myself all at once and destroyed those cigarettes. Maybe you should try that. 1. Be prepared to drink lots and lots of water...I mean LOTS of water. It flushes your system and oddly enough, it helps with the cravings. 2. Have plenty of hard candy, gum, sunflower seeds, etc. to keep your hands and mouth busy. 3. List some things that you can do to take your mind off of a crave like take a quick walk, clean something in the house, go wash your hair, just anything to get your mind off of the crave. 4. Steer clear of those triggers...You know, those times, places, or things that you associate with smoking. If you can't steer clear of those triggers, change them up. For example, my PC was a huge trigger for me so I had to clean it, rearrange everything, put a nice candle and candy jar where the ashtray use to sit, pictures of my loved ones, etc. Just change them up or make them different. 5. You should do this first but get rid of any and all smokes and ashtrays in the house or car. 6. Try to get rid of as much of the smoke smell as you can with candles, carpet deodorizer, a cleaning, etc. That'll keep you busy too. 7. Read lots and lots of posts, work the workbook, and YOU post a lot too. Okay? You will be able to help others during your quit, even at the very beginning. You CAN do this and we're here for you. We will be praying for you. I don't tell anyone that I'm going to pray for them without actually praying. That would be offensive to God. Keep talking to us, we're here for you

My body is truly a temple of the Holy Spirit so by harming my body with cigarettes, I'm not honoring God. Life is a miracle, a gift from the Lord, not smoking is me asking God's forgiveness for harming the life He gave to me and also, it is my way of thanking Him and praising Him for the gift of life. We should worship the Lord, put Him in the center of our lives, and not cigarettes. This list can go on. I can't wait to read other posts. Blessings to All, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 27 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,215 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $96.93 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 39 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59

Today, my Quit was tested and so was my faith. I kept praying and God knows how important this Quit is to me. I prayed for strength to resist the temptation to smoke so, so hard. My youngest son came for a visit. Now, my youngest son has had a lot of problems in his young life and the one child that tries EVERY SINGLE NERVE I have. LOL Well, he smokes and I was sooo hoping that he would appreciate the fact that I'm a Non Smoker and just not want to smoke outside on the porch. I had already told him that this is a non smoking home a couple of weeks ago. But I didn't even want to smell it drift in the front door and really didn't want to smell it on him right after he put one out. I'm still protecting my Quit and didn't want to expose myself to too much this soon. Thankfully, he never lit up one time while he was here. We even went for a drive in his new truck and he didn't light up once. I did see cigarettes on the seat of his truck but that didn't bother me. I guess my son was afraid that it would so he took them and put them in the glove box. His truck smelled a little like smoke but not too bad since he hasn't had it long. The fait odor didn't even trigger a craving. Yee Haw!!! Lookingglass, you're so right. Life is truly a gift. I can't believe how I took that gift for granted and abused my body with nicotine for so many years. I have really enjoyed reading all of the posts today. This is great. Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who trust in Him. My prayer for every member and support worker here is: Precious Lord, please fill my friends here with strength against all temptations and fill their hearts with sweet, sweet peace. In Christ's most precious name, Amen. Love to All!! Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 898 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $57 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 47 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

Well shoot!!! What did ya'll do with my post!!? ha ha ha ha Seriously, I did post here and now it's gone. First time that's happened. Yes, I love the Lord and have relied on Him countless times in my life. And yes, I pray through each craving and draw strength through His word. I would love to read and offer words of encouragement. Mercy, this is a great idea. Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 846 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $54 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 50 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34

Audrey, you are just entirely too cute!!! Isn't this great? I have thought about a prayer forum for a while now but it was Mercy who had the strength and faith to be the first to get one started. Mercy is a very appropriate name too!! Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Blessings to All, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 855 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $57 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 56

[i]And if God is your co-pilot, switch seats. [/i] MomMom, I love that!!!! He does a fine job when we get ourselves out of the way, doesn't he? Hugs, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 851 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $54 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 42

Hi Peteg, I'm not going to speak for everyone. Phew, I'd be all full of myself if I did that now, wouldn't I? LOL Do you remember the event that happened several years ago where the military pilot crash landed behind enemy lines? Man, I've got that blank slate brain going on right now so I can't give you his name, where he crashed, or which branch of military he was in. That stinks!! Anyway, he said that he could "feel" everyone's prayers. People were praying all over the world. I'd like to see this thread go like this: If you hit a horrible day, if I do, or anyone here hits one of "those" horrible days, I'd like to for us to just come here, vent, and ask for prayer. Like a prayer chain so that we all feel the power of prayer. We all feel uplifted. The last thing I want to do is get into a religious debate any more than I want to get into a political debate. That'll make us want to smoke!!! LOL I feel like we should be able to post a piece of scripture to encourage our buddies and pray. That's it. That's enough. That's a blessing. Whatcha think? Hugs, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 855 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $57 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21

I keep going back to the first page and reading all of the posts. I love this thread and I'm so thankful to have it. The last few days have been really tough. I was doing so good, having very few cravings, and had days where I rarely thought about cigarettes. Over the last three or four days now, I've felt sad, so exhausted, drained, and sleepy, alittle irritable, I can't get motivated, and I'm being slammed with cravings again. The other day, I actually took off walking across the room to get my ashtray and cigarettes which I don't even have and haven't had for almost a month now. Really strange. Today, I'm asking for your prayers. I'm praying too for everyone on this site and for myself. But, I need to feel the strength that comes from others praying......I can really feel it. God Bless, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 25 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,144 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $89.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2

Both of these scriptures from Proverbs speak to me about my own personal quit journey: [i]"A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength." (Proverbs 24:5). "In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:6). [/i] I truly believe that God led me here, to this very site, so that I could learn more about this addiction. It is, for me, without a doubt, the knowledge that will make the difference. I am quit for good this time, thank God. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 76 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,309 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $228 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 59 [B]Seconds:[/B] 8