Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
April 16
Treat your friends as you do your pictures,
and place them in their best light.
Jennie Jerome Churchill
It was probably a grace that Brenda passed away, I thought. My elderly neighbor was a severely addicted alcoholic, and, from what I saw, her life had little meaning. The few times I attempted to converse with Brenda I looked into her eyes, and it appeared that no one was home. She had to be in a better place now, I imagined. Then I talked to Marvin, a man whom Brenda and her husband had taken in as a caretaker. Marvin felt a great sense of loss in Brendas death.
She was so good to me, Marvin tearfully confided. Like a mother. I will miss her a lot. Through Malvin's words, I gained a profound realization: I saw only one limited aspect of Brendas life. Even while I judged her life as empty, she had riches. She loved someone, and someone loved her. Her life, broken as it appeared to me, was a blessing to at least one other person. In spite of the ravages I beheld, God lived through her.
The Bible tells us not to judgenot because we should not judge, but because we cannot judge. When we hold a judgment about someone, we are focusing on one moment from one angle. At another moment or from another angle, we would see an entirely different person or story.
While visiting a children zoo, I watched a man become very abusive at the snack bar, ranting and raving at the clerk over a minor mishap. I thought, This guy is one ornery hombre. A few minutes later, I saw a man feeding a fawn through a fence. As he tenderly stroked the deers nose and gave it love, he reminded me of St. Francis. When he turned his head, I saw that it was the same man who created the scene at the snack bar.
When we release judgment, we find God in every person. Moreover, we free ourselves to be lovable and forgivable. Judgment is illusion, and love is real.
I pray to see Your children as You do,
through the eyes of love and appreciation.
I focus on the good and let all else go
A Deep Breath of Life , Alan Cohen
Treat your friends as you do your pictures,
and place them in their best light.
Jennie Jerome Churchill
It was probably a grace that Brenda passed away, I thought. My elderly neighbor was a severely addicted alcoholic, and, from what I saw, her life had little meaning. The few times I attempted to converse with Brenda I looked into her eyes, and it appeared that no one was home. She had to be in a better place now, I imagined. Then I talked to Marvin, a man whom Brenda and her husband had taken in as a caretaker. Marvin felt a great sense of loss in Brendas death.
She was so good to me, Marvin tearfully confided. Like a mother. I will miss her a lot. Through Malvin's words, I gained a profound realization: I saw only one limited aspect of Brendas life. Even while I judged her life as empty, she had riches. She loved someone, and someone loved her. Her life, broken as it appeared to me, was a blessing to at least one other person. In spite of the ravages I beheld, God lived through her.
The Bible tells us not to judgenot because we should not judge, but because we cannot judge. When we hold a judgment about someone, we are focusing on one moment from one angle. At another moment or from another angle, we would see an entirely different person or story.
While visiting a children zoo, I watched a man become very abusive at the snack bar, ranting and raving at the clerk over a minor mishap. I thought, This guy is one ornery hombre. A few minutes later, I saw a man feeding a fawn through a fence. As he tenderly stroked the deers nose and gave it love, he reminded me of St. Francis. When he turned his head, I saw that it was the same man who created the scene at the snack bar.
When we release judgment, we find God in every person. Moreover, we free ourselves to be lovable and forgivable. Judgment is illusion, and love is real.
I pray to see Your children as You do,
through the eyes of love and appreciation.
I focus on the good and let all else go
A Deep Breath of Life , Alan Cohen
I am reminded when my significant other came home from a college course years ago. Very upset with himself he related the class experience as looking at how jaded we are, judgemental, predudice, etc. He explained he found himself judgemental of people who were judgemental, which made him judgemental. I look at this way now..... if I am careful I know that at any given time I am believeing my opinion is the correct one, and I must practice seeing things from many different viewpoints or I am setting myself up for the fall in being very wrong in my limited sight. Someday maybe..... I will get better at not being so self-centered and become more God-centered which will improve my sight immensely!!! LOL
Love u Billy. Get that computer cleaned up!!
In Love, Light, Truth, & Service
Stubborn TerrieAnn
ralop
I thought this was very touching ...
and useful ... strange word to describe this wonderful
collection of thoughts you shared ... useful ...
But, I am going to try to put some of these ideas to USE.
Surely a person can improve & grow if they can put some of
these wonderful concepts to use.
Thanks,
jimmy
Unconditional Love, Love Without Condition..(by Sandy Stevenson)
I love you as you are, as you seek to find your own special way to relate to the world.
I honour your choices to learn in the way you feel is right for you.
I know it is important that you are the person you want to be and not someone that I or others think you "should" be. I realise that I cannot know what is best for you, although perhaps sometimes I think I do.
I have not been where you have been, viewing life from the angle you have.
I do not know what you have chosen to learn, how you have chosen to learn it, with whom or in what time period.
I have not walked life looking through your eyes, so how can I know what you need.
I allow you to be in the world without a thought or word of judgement from me about the deeds you undertake.
I see no error in the things you say and do. In this place where I am, I see that there are many ways to perceive and experience the different facets of our world. I allow without reservation the choices you make in each moment. I make no judgement of this, for if I would deny your right to your evolution, then I would deny that right for myself and all others.
To those who would choose a way I cannot walk, whilst I may not choose to add my power and my energy to this way, I will never deny you the gift of love that God has bestowed within me, for all creation. As I love you, so I shall be loved. As I sow, so shall I reap.
I allow you the Universal right of Free Will to walk your own path, creating steps or to sit awhile if that is what is right for you. I will make no judgement that these steps are large or small, nor light or heavy or that they lead up or down, for this is just my viewpoint. I may see you do nothing and judge it to be unworthy and yet it may be that you bring great healing as you stand blessed by the Light of God. I cannot always see the higher picture of Divine Order.
For it is the inalienable right of all life to choose their own evolution and with great Love I acknowledge your right to determine your future. In humility I bow to the realisation that the way I see as best for me does not have to mean it is also right for you. I know that you are led as I am, following the inner excitement to know your own path.
I know that the many races, religions, customs, nationalities and beliefs within our world bring us great richness and allow us the benefit and teachings of such diverseness. I know we each learn in our own unique way in order to bring that LOVE and WISDOM back to the whole. I know that if there were only one way to do something, there would need only be one person.
I will not only love you if you behave in a way I think you should, or believe in those things I believe in. I understand you are truly my brother and my sister, though you may have been born in a different place and believe in another God than I.
The love I feel is for all of God's world. I know that every living thing is a part of God and I feel a Love deep within for every person, animal, tree and flower, every bird, river and ocean and for all the creatures in all the world.
I live my life in loving service, being the best me I can, becoming wiser in the perfection of Divine Truth, becoming happier in the joy of ...
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
Here is a bit of what i am talking about . Doctor Paul is talking about his wife Max.
Over the years as I thought about Max her good qualities grew and grew ,and we married ,and all these qualities became more and more apparent to me,and we were happier and happier.
But then as i drank more and more ,the alcohol seemed to affect my vision : Instead of continuing to see what was good about my wife, I began to see her defects,
And the more I focused my mind on her defects the more they grew and multiplied .Every defect I pointed out to her became greater and greater .Each time I told her she was nothing she receded a little more into nowhere. The more I drank the more she wilted.
Then one day in AA, I was told that i had the lenses in my glasses backwards the courage to change in the Serenity Prayer meant, not that I should change my marriage , but rather that i should change myself and learn to accept my spouse as she was.
AA has given me a new pair of glasses . I can again focus on my wife's good qualities and watch them grow and grow.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And for me today through AA and the 12 step program i to have been given a new pair of glasses and today I don't look at the lampshade I look at the LIGHT.
There have been big changes in my life.
An alcoholic is the only person I know who can look down on someone from the gutter.
Thank you for the post .
God Bless...
Lionel
Only joking TY
God Bless...
Lionel