)
Great irony isn’t it… and I didn’t catch it until last week… I was on the phone with my friend who’s been a great support with the smoking issue… I cracked up and made hyenas look like they’re merely chuckling. He thought my cheese had slid off my cracker for a moment, until I told him. Luckily it was while on the phone, so I got to miss soda spew.
Yeah, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself after it happened…
Praying for you Ericka that you can kick it. Not sure if there’s a Patron of Not Smoking or Quitting bad habits, maybe you can check this out and let us know…Again, thanks to everyone for their advise and prayers! I am very touched and happy, and now I have a written list of things to do (if I don’t have anything written down, when I become anxious or stressed, I will forget everything!!! Makes confession really hard at times too…
I have moved my quit date to Feb 4 (a week from tomorrow). I figured that if I was ready to set a quit date, I’m ready to go ahead. Plus, I’ve been smoking more in anticipation of the quit date, and if I waited until Ash Wednesday, there is no telling how much I would have to quit from then. It’s going to be hard enough with a pack and a half… what’s bad, is 3 weeks ago when I set the quit date, I was only smoking a pack a day.
I am somewhat disappointed that I’m not going to be quitting on Ash Wednesday, but I figured part of the extra money I was saving not smoking could go towards either my parish or a charity. Either way, it’s still penance.
And this talk of not smoking is raising my blood pressure a little… In the long run, this isn’t a big deal, because in previous times, I would have a huge panic attack running out of smokes knowing that all I had to do was walk a little over a block to get more. I know the amount of calm I have now is not me at all. If it were up to me, I would be freaking out right now. I can only say it is God working through your prayers and Mass intentions. Again, I want to express my deepest gratitude for everyone who is praying for me.
God Bless!
Ericka
Well, both of the sources I checked it listed St. Maximilian Kolbe. I never thought to look that up until you mentioned it, but strangely enough, I’ve been reading up on his life as of late. I couldn’t think of anyone better to intercede for me!
St Maximilian Kolbe please pray with us that Ericka can put this habit away and find constructive ways in times of stress and anxiety.Well, both of the sources I checked it listed St. Maximilian Kolbe. I never thought to look that up until you mentioned it, but strangely enough, I’ve been reading up on his life as of late. I couldn’t think of anyone better to intercede for me!
I have been pretty anxious most of the last week, but I’ve been getting good piano practice in! I guess I’m following Mr. Rogers’s advise about finding constructive ways of working out any unpleasant emotions.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers, and I beseech them especially the next 3 days. Thank everyone of you, and may God bless and keep you!
Ericka
I love his life story, as well… when I was 9, my mom took me to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC, and ever since then, I have wanted to learn more of the stories of “small sacrifices” and “everyday heroism” that has come out of it. I only put those phrases in quotes because they only seem small and everyday, but the small and everyday was made extraordinary.
… both Zero. The next 60 hours are going to be hell (my friend quit smoking cold turkey a little more than a year ago, so he’s already let me know what to expect, thank God), but I’ll take it one hour at a time. I will hopefully be either at Mass tomorrow or at the very least Vespers.Congrats thus far!!I love his life story, as well… when I was 9, my mom took me to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC, and ever since then, I have wanted to learn more of the stories of “small sacrifices” and “everyday heroism” that has come out of it. I only put those phrases in quotes because they only seem small and everyday, but the small and everyday was made extraordinary.
I’m almost at 12 hours of no smoking… my cigarette count and body count is the same
I want to again thank everyone for their prayers!
Ericka
Actually have been handling it pretty well… It’s been 24 hours with no ciggys, and more importantly, no bodies…
Actually I’ve not been too bad, surprisingly, but I think that’s because I’ve had the nicotene inhaler attached to my mouth pretty much the whole day… and still managed to use only 5 of the recommended 6-16 cartridges per day. 
God is definately with me, through all of your prayers.Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragment, Simon! I really like seeing you here on the forums, and I really, really appreciate your prayers!
Yeah, I had talked about quitting but loved cigarrettes too much to want to quit. Then one day (July 7th, 2005 to be exact
) I looked at my pack of cigarrettes and had only one left.
Thank you for the suggestion. I’ve actually been praying the Hail Mary everytime a craving hits. sometimes I have to pray it quite a few times before the craving lets up, so I think I’ll try Our Father for the next one. Also, thank you for your beautiful prayer. I hope you don’t mind me writing it down in my prayer journal to read the next time a big craving hits.
I was doing good, but yesterday, it was really bad… up until then, the cravings were like a tap on the shoulder, but then it started like a monkey jumping up and down on my back… but still, no cigs and no bodies…Yeah, I had talked about quitting but loved cigarrettes too much to want to quit. Then one day (July 7th, 2005 to be exact
Enter my laziness…
My first thought was - “don’t feel like going to the store.”
So since I was too lazy to go get a pack of cigarrettes, I just quit cold turkey…
But enough about me…don’t want to hijack your thread.
I am glad to hear that you’re doing good! You’re still in my prayers for your success
I prayed Vespers at the parish 35 miles away last night, and oddly enough… that was the only time yesterday I had no cravings… and after they came back, it wasn’t as bad. I was raise Presbyterian, so I have a hard time believing in coincidences, and I think that yesterday was no exception.Thanks for your prayers, and for everyone else for their prayers! May God bless you all!