When the roof caves in

What to do when the roof caves in by Marilyn Meberg

I saw this book on my mother's bed and skimmed through the TOC. three chapters focuses on addiction, pornography, and pleasure. 

Pleasure Chapter:

Pleasure is one of God's gifts  (p. 77) but we are not to love pleasure more than God (p. 77)

but she that lives for pleasure is dead while she lives Timothy 5:6

Traitors, heady, high-minded, loves of pleasure more than lovers of God. 2nd Timothy 3:4

You are a pleasure--a crazy kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure, bragging as if you are the greatest in the world. Isaiah 47:8

If taken out of context, we might not believe pleasure is one of God's gifts (p. 78). 

Pleasure can be a call to worship (p. 79). we can experience pleasure with disciplined common sense. we need to strive for balance. 

we need to monitor the pleasure center because it loves the concept of more. More keeps us craving and not satisfied. The enemy baits the hook with more and dangles it in front of the pleasure center and waits for us to swallow it. If we swallow it, we can lose our balance. one or two candies is good, but if we eat the whole box, we may get sick. (p. 80)

The enemy hangs out in the pleasure center. the pleasure center also stores the bait and sharpens the hooks. this does not mean the pleasure center is evil. just means the enemy will take the good and turn it into evil, if given the opportunity. (p. 80 to 81)

addiction occurs when we devote ourselves habitually and compusively to get it (whatever it is). Your world revolves around getting that high and maintaining it. Addiction usually precedes a cave-in. May lose everything, such as reputation, support, and family. (pp. 82 to 83).

addiction can distract from pain (p. 84). feelings may be overwhelming, threatening, and persistent, and you may not can cope with them (p. 84). You use the addiction to not deal with the pain 

Pornography: 

what was now at one time unthinkable is now excused as a matter of personal chose (p. 91). 

our culture has become desensitized to sexually explicit content. 

Sex addiction: 

sex addiction can affect women and men

1. just because you have an addiction, does not mean you are not a Christian. 
2. sex addiction, like any other addiction can become  unmanageable and out of control. 
3. sex also can be used as an escape from pain. 
4. addictions can have root in abandonment issues. 

• you need an accountability partner. can not fully recover in isolation
• make friends with others going through the same thing. 
• you may need personal counseling to work on problems, which may lead to the addictive behavior or problems, which followed the addiction. 
• choose to be courageous 
• know it can not be done without God.