jingle bells

Merry Christmas

I do not mean to offend those who are of different beliefs. Primarily those whose religious persuasion does not recognize Christmas. I value your beliefs and believe them to be just as real to you and your belief’s to be just as relevant and of God as those that choose to recognize Christmas. However I was raised Catholic, and Christmas has always been part of my life. Even though I choose today not to be Catholic or a member of any recognized formal Christian religion. I do choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However I do not promote or detract from any religion on this site. I choose here to recognize Christmas. With that said.
Here it is Christmas Eve, one more sleep. Well 2 for me as it early Friday morning as I write this 1:20 A.M... I am becoming quite anxious, and excited to celebrate Christmas. Yes I have found the spirit and Joy. Yet as I anticipate Christmas, I also find myself wanting time to slow, As Christmas eve will pass so fast and then Christmas will be here, and just as quickly it will be over far too soon. The joy and harmony and all that goes with it will all be but a memory. Albeit another cherished one. The build up is long and fraught with anxiety, stress, planning, only to over in a blink of an eye. Or so it feels.

This also sets me to pondering, how strange it seems to me that basically a nation, the nation I call home is basically for all intensive purposes considered a Christian nation. I state this as the government and law of the land has Christmas day legislated as a statutory holiday. However as a Christian nation, based upon the recognized Christian idea that Christ was god and Christmas being the birth of Christ and there by being the most significant day in history, possibly by this religious assumption the most important day in history. Definitely a day that changed the course of history more than any other to date. Yet it is only given one day. Even then some have to work on this day and as such in reality the world does not stop and definitely the search for monetary gain is more pronounced than at any other time of the year. Not to detract from any other religious event for other religions. It would appear that nothing Christmas or any other significant religions holidays are given very much true devotion and reverence, as they are due. However basically no matter the religion involved or aspect. All are just categorized as just another day basically, with some acknowledgement. However when one sits back and studies how many wars and lives lost due to religious conflict and how strenuously would tell you how devout they are and that there way is the only. What reverence is truly given compared to how much time and energy is spent on acquiring possessions and/or money. Just a thought.
Remember God does not create garbage

Addiction Roots

By accident or design, you stumbled into a 12 Step meeting or met someone in recovery and, through the fog of your addiction, you’ve managed to hear a few things: “one step at a time,” “easy does it,” or “let go and let God,” but none of it makes much sense to you. If you’re just starting out in a tentative sober state, your life and relationships are most likely in a shambles, your job lost, children gone, husband/wife fed up and disgusted. You have played the great pretend game every addict is familiar with “I don’t give a shit!” But deep down you know you’re just lying.

The problems of our addictions are rooted in the toxic shame of our childhood, trust in our families has been shattered, boundaries violated, and we’re feeling confused, alone and afraid. This is common in addicts and dysfunctionals – those impacted with personality and substance abuse disorders Somewhere along the line we’ve gotten a message and internalized it -- that we are defective and hopelessly flawed. We know that our addiction is abnormal, that it’s a beast that’s gotten loose and is consuming everything in our lives -- yet we continue to let this beast roam wherever it chooses.

Our addiction is the manifestation of how we feel about ourselves inside. It tells us that we feel less than and are not worth much effort. How can that be, you say, when I feel so good when I’m getting high? If you felt good about yourself to begin with, you wouldn’t need to mind or mood-alter with drugs, other substances or behaviors. The end result for many of us is that we jail ourselves, prostitute ourselves and get ourselves into abusive and/or impossible situations. Is this how you would treat someone you loved? Would you treat a 5-year old this way? You would be horrified. Yet this is how we treat or have treated ourselves. This is the nature of addiction.

In examining the true nature of our problems, our addictions and dysfunctions, what do we see? What patterns come leaping out to derail our spiritual progress? What stops us from getting the help we need? There is something inside of us that wants to get better, then why can’t we? Is there a step that can help us through this tough beginning time where we don’t know whether to leap off the train, risk breaking our legs, or riding this recovery train a few more miles and see what happens.

Take the ride – you’re worth it. Listen, listen and listen with an open mind. Share, share and share what you’re feeling. Is this hard for you? I was so shamed I only went to candlelight meetings and shared in the dark. After about 3 months, I graduated to the early evening meetings. No, it won’t be easy at first. Get someone to hold your hand. That’s what so great about 12 Step fellowship – someone will be there for you – if you hold out your hand. Is your recovery going easy for you? Or are you fighting it tooth and nail?
Lynda Lyons

remember God does not create garbage

A Visit to the P.L.O.M. Tree

Yes today I thought I would take a walk down to the ole P.L.O.M. tree. Yes you know the one, the old tree we all like to visit once in awhile. That good ole P.L.O.M. Tree, you know the Poor Little Ole Me Tree. Yep that`s the one. I was just stewing on how I just seem to have that Christmas spirit and I don`t really see it, coupled with that I`m not finding the job I want for the wages I want. When I ran into my own little version of `I complained of having no shoes, until I met a man with no feet`. I met this guy who I used to work with; well no exactly he delivers supplies to where I used to work. Well we get to talking, And I tell him what`s going on for me. Then he proceeds to tell me about his life in the past week. Well let`s see, he starts with last Wednesday, His cat that he and his family (wife and kids) have had for 12 years has diabetes, well last Wednesday the family cat went into a diabetic coma. They took him to the vet; the vet could not do anything so they had to put the family cat of 12 years to sleep. Now you’re saying, OOHH that`s sad, yet not really that bad, he has a job, a house and family. ` Hold on now we just started. Well Thursday the smoke alarms goes and a couple of the outlets in the house spark and blow out. Well it seems that a circuit in the electrical panel has fried out and blown out 2 or 3 outlets they all have to replace as well as the electrical panel and the wiring all checked. However we are not done yet, Friday night the furnace goes on the fritz, the furnace isn`t working and there is no heat, Well he finally gets a guy to come out and the motor on his furnace is gone. That`s not the best part yet this guy wants to be paid in cash, and after phoning around find a motor for the furnace, says it going to cost $200.00 for the motor, make a long story short the motor only cost $120.00 So all this stuff going on and then repair guy trying to stick it to you as well. Pretty great week he`s having, wouldn`t you say? Well hang on a minute, because on Sunday buddy goes to pick a few things up and, wham, a new driver on the phone takes a left turn right into the front end of my friends SUV. No word of a lie this is a true story. Well how`s that for a Merry Christmas? You know as he said all he could do was laugh, and say what ya going to do É So how bad is your life after all.
Remember God does not make garbage

Christmas Spirit

Here we are just 3 days away from Christmas Eve. Now I know I’ve been blogging on Christmas Issues, as well as the joys and wonders of Christmas. To just get out and enjoy it. However here it is just 3 days from Christmas eve, I not quite sure what it is, I’m not depressed or down in anyway, life is okay and I’m striving for more however I’m okay where my life is, I’m trusting the process and my higher power. However that being said I don’t have that Christmas enthusiasm or that gleeful Christmas spirit, and I am not seeing it out in public. I thought maybe it was just me; however a few of my friends and acquaintances have mentioned the same. I’m not sure if perhaps part of it for me is the lack of snow where I am, as I grew up with snow on the ground during Christmas. It also appears to me there is less community spirit these days as opposed to when I was growing up. There are not the school Christmas pageants there were when I was growing up, nor the little craft fairs. Not the little community activities. No carollers. Not as many houses with lights. Very little Christmas spirit on the streets and malls. Oh there are activities to be had if you can afford it as they are quite pricey. However not much affordable for the average Joe, or the struggling family. Maybe it’s just me but have they finally managed to commercialize Christmas as to dampen the real Christmas spirit. To take away the community and family aspects of Christmas unless you can afford it. I know, sadly enough, that times are different and the aspect of family and the family unit are rare these days perhaps should be on the extinction list, as well as community and community spirit, perhaps this is part of it we have all gotten city mentality that we no longer know are neighbours, we no longer look out for and care for each other. Perhaps it is these things that are our society that has dampened the Christmas spirit. However I even notice not as many specials on TV, and/or Christmas stories in the dailies just repeats. I hope that I am wrong and it is just me. However whichever is the case I just need to get out and be more involved with people and help create the spirit. If I truly want it, I need to be part of making it happen.

Remember God does not create garbage

Why Daily concsious contact

Joy and happiness are directly proportionate to our recovery. Our recovery is proportionately experienced through our relationship with our higher power. Basically the degree of recovery, joy and happiness in our live, is directly related to how in tune we are with our higher power. If you are living a God centered life then you are experiencing happiness and successful recovery. If you are finding difficulty maintaining clean and sober time, and thus not experiencing a lot of joy and happiness. Then you are not living a God centered life. I say this because the 12 step program is first and foremost a spiritual program. Let me make this abundantly clear. There is no spiritual part of the program. The whole program is all spiritual.

Virtually from the beginning of the program, (Step two and Step 3) you were directed to acknowledge that there was a power greater than you. You were further directed to “turn your will and life over” to a God of your understanding. You were then further directed to follow several spiritual principles. In essence to have a God centered life. In doing so we live our lives according to the principles and value systems attributed to our chosen higher power. In doing so we all found a renewed strength and faith. We began to find recovery, as well as a new freedom along with experiencing happiness once more. However as time went on and our natural human tendencies showed themselves, in ways like selfishness, and wanting things our way and when we wanted them. Doubt, fear and overall lack of faith crept in. This usually is a wakeup call to show us how we have strayed from reliance upon our higher power, a lack of trust in our higher power as well as reduced contact with the God of our understanding. This usually shows us that without our god we are nothing. It is a call back to faith and a God centered life. The “return of the prodigal child” if you will.

It is in these times that we see that in our god’s house all is well> that there is a ways and means to things. There is a bigger picture, That if I just do what is right and what is right in front of, based upon spiritual principles , and the teachings of my God. Everything works out to the good. No matter what name you choose to call your God. The principles are all the same—LOVE, HONESTY, CHARITY, TOLERANCE, PATIENCE, and INTEGRITY. These and more, are in all the Sacred and Holy texts. So remember a god centered life is a Happy, Joyous and Free life.
Remember God does not create garbage