The time to quit!

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
It is good to hear from you my trying to quit friend. I believe that our actual quit day is the first day that we go all day without 1 smoke. We should go several days without even 1 smoke and then we can use that 1st day as our actual quit day. Of course if we light up and have 1 puff we need to start over again. LOL.
I am still around 10 stinky weeds a day but making little progress with that terrible first one every day. I think we have to overcome the desire for that first one.
When we reach the point where we feel like we will die if we do not get a smoke but know we will die if we light up is the place we need to get to.
God be wih you my trying to quit friend!

Your trying to quit friend
Allan

 

[maltesecorsair]

Hi Allan,
You sir, put things so clearly. Yes, we'd have to go several days without smoking to be able to say we really did quit. And yes, to be able to just smother the craving and not light up at all even when we feel like we are going nuts would be a great achievement. God be with you too sir, in our endeavour to get ourselves off of this nasty habit.

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
Yesterday I felt like my lungs and throat were on fire. This was caused from a reduction of nicotene which acts as a medication to cover up the actual burning feeling caused by smoking. I tell you this in case you experience the same as you reduce your smoking. I took 2 aspirin and it took this very terrible sensation away almost immediately. I have read that the smoke from a cig. enters your throat at a very alarming 400C causing 1st degree burns right into your lungs. In time if we quit smoking in a few days all this area will heal. Our taste buds will recover so that we can taste food better as well as reduce our chances of heart attack or stroke. I know we will both be able to win out as long as we do not quit trying to quit.
God be with you my trying to quit friend.
Allan

 

[eckhart]

I took up smoking menthols at 14 and have tried to quit three times this year, threw out my last packet and have been praying about it. Feel so ashamed and ebarassed to be a Christian with this addiction i hate it but i love smoking.
Allen and others in this thread; offering you prayer and support!

 

[Allan McDougall]

Thank you for both prayer and support Evie227;
Yes indeed it is hard to quit something that one has enjoyed for many years but when our health is affected we need to consider stopping.
They put a sign up at church door that prohibits smoking witin 30 feet of the door so I decided to quit smoking rather then quit church. LOL
Best wishes
Allan

 

[maltesecorsair]

Allan: Sorry for the late reply sir. You actually felt your lungs and throat kinda burn? God that's awful!! You must have drastically cut down your smokes huh? Glad to know the Aspirin worked. The smoke from a cig is at 400C? *blinks amazedly* I never thought about the temperature of a burning cigarette, 400C is a lot of heat! Ah the sign at the door of the Church probably means God wants you to quit smoking hehehe.

Evie227: Well ma'am, I really hope you can keep away from the cigs and succeed in quitting. Although I actually never though about smoking and drinking as against the bible, thought of it just as habits which maybe bad for health. Perhaps I should think about it more. Thank you for your prayers ma'am, I sure need 'em as I am having a hard time reducing the number of smokes.

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
It is great to hear from you my trying to quit friend. Everything the same with me. I try to delay that first smoke as long as possible each day but by days end I have had about 10 cigs. Not concerned as long as I keep desire toquit up front in my thinking.
I look forward to the day when we both have quit for good and know that it will come if we do not quit quitting.
God be with you in your efforts as well.
Your trying to quit friend
Allan

 

[maltesecorsair]

Hello Allan,
Ty sir, may the Lord help you too in overcoming this blasted addiction. I am gonna try some snuff and see if that reduces the craving. I hadnt touched the little bit of snuff I have, but maybe using it will help me reduce my smoking. And I hope to God that I dont end up getting a snuff addiction! As I've said before, I have tried snuff before but never got addicted to it as I did with smoking. I have to confess, today I had a few extra ciggies. And that's made me get [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]ed off at myself. I am hopeless!*Turning around so you can kick my behind-hard!* You've been smoking so much longer than I have and yet you are strong enough to cut down a whole lot more than I have! Makes me feel positively stupid, it does!

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
Thank you for the comment but it is not so my trying to quit friend.
I am no more ahead of you in quitting the you are ahead of me. The fact is that the numbers smoked are not relative to our situation. That first smoke each day is the one we both desperately need to quit. I talked with a man at church who smoked up to 100 cigs a day for years until one day he said to himself "I will not light even one today." He said it was a terrible struggle for 3 days but he was so happy to quit that nothing could make him light up. That was 6 years ago and he still would like that 1st one but refuses to give in.
Keep up the struggle my trying to quit friend.
God be with you
Allan

 

[maltesecorsair]

Greetings, Allan
Well I guess when you put it like that, the numbers arent really important. Oh goodness, your friend from the church must have a cast iron will, to quit just like that! And even after 6 years he still feels the craving to light up? I read someplace that quitting drugs are comparatively easier than quitting cigarette smoking. Maybe that's true.

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
My friend at church does not think of himself as having an iron will and we also should realize that it is our will that we keep smoking LOL.
Keep up that great effort that you do indeed display and I will try to do the same.
Your trying to quit friend
Allan

 

[maltesecorsair]

Hi Allan,
Well I wish I could reduce my cigarette smoking by atleast one ciggy in the next few days. And noooooo it is not my will to keep smoking hehe!

 

[seanben]

Its is not just your problem but a problem for many as once you get stuck into some habit it is very difficult to come out of that addiction but it is not impossible. you have to be determined first towards quiting and then make a proper planning to do so . I dont say you that it will be easy but with a strong will power it will become easy for you.

 

[maltesecorsair]

Hi Seanben

It is the will power bit that is troublesome for me hehe. Allan has much greater will power than me, and I just wish I could keep up with him!

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
Well I am suprised with your comment that it is not your will power that keeps you smoking. You may have a good point here that raises the question "If it is not our will power that keeps us smoking then whose will power is it?"

Myself included and many other Christians would certainly not suggest that it it is God's will for us to smoke cigs. After all our body is the temple of God and I doubt that He wants us to smoke him out.

If it is not Gods will then it has to be satan's will that keeps us smoking.
Mabey we both should say everytime we go to light up: "away from me satan. You have no power over me to make me smoke. In the name of Jesus I command you to leave me alone."

I will say this everytime I want to light up and place my trust in God that I can overcome this cursed habit.

God be with you and bless you my trying to quit friend.
Allan

 

[Allan McDougall]

Thank you seanben; Matt and I need all the help we can get.
God bless you as well
Allan

 

[Allan McDougall]

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][BIBLE]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Psalm 32:7-8 (N.I.V.)
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.[/FONT]
[/BIBLE]
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic] [/FONT]
The psalmist encourages the Godly to draw near as we admit and yield every shortcoming (including smoking) to God’s transforming touch.
Even in great adversity likened to the rush of water through the narrow confines of a wadi the Lord will protect those of us who seek refuge in him! He is our hiding place! The joy in our deliverance expresses itself in shouts of glory as a tribute to God’s fidelity! There is a sudden shift from the encouragement of God’s protection to the exhortation to wise living as the psalmist quotes the Lord. He has promised to instruct his children and give them wisdom and watch over them. The pattern of three (Holy Trinity) is resumed in the promise of God to instruct, to teach, and to counsel!
This of course entails moving away from our willful and self-destructive ideas and habits if we can and will confess to them!

 

[maltesecorsair]

Hi there Allan,
Eeek, I didnt mean it was God's will that made me smoke. I was just saying it was my lack of my own will power that makes me keep smoking. Thank you sir, for that wonderful quote from the bible. It is my own weakness that makes me light up ciggies, and I admit to that. Perhaps, the Lord, in his infinite mercy, will give me more will power to keep away from the damn ciggies. And Allan, thank you for being such a good friend, sir.

 

[Allan McDougall]

Good morning Matt;
Thank you for the latest reply. You help me to remember that God uses our weakness to make us strong. It is a lesson in life that we might have trouble to understand but as with anything else God is in control and all we have to do is hang on and enjoy the journey.
I will not be online for 5 weeks as we are going away and will not have internet connection.
I hope you will continue to visit this site and post for the sake of our many viewers. Let them know how it is going for you because you have a lot of friends that are following your quit smoke process.
Please remember me in Your prayers as I too continue to try and quit. I think I have placed the whole idea of quitting in Gods hands so I will try to follow His guidance as we move foreward. I will be back and look forward to you and I discussing how great we feel that we have quit. God be with you my trying to quit friend.
Your trying to quit friend
Allan

 

[RuthD]

I quit smoking for 6 and one half mos. and then started again. While I am smoking I tell myself I will quit one day and why am I doing this to myself? I am smoking like a chimney lately. I found cigs I really like, the devil probably made me choose them.lol. I am going to quit one day again. Once went without smoking for 18 years and that means I can do it again. One day at a time. Peace. God bless.