The Solution News Since 1991
December-February 2014
Recovery
Happy, Joyous and Always Free!!
Growth
Renewal
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Lifestyles College of Development 1705 S. Federal Hwy Suite A5 Delray Beach, Fl 33483 Lifestyles College of Development's mission is to provide you with the educational tools to develop hope, inspiration, and courage to find your passion and reach your goals with SKILLS FOR LIFE. We are here to teach you the "How To," not the "Why Not." Traditionally you learn WHY NOT to have certain behaviors. We will educate you on HOW TO change certain behaviors as you develop your lifestyle with pride. The common struggle is knowing what to do, but not knowing HOW TO do it. At Lifestyles College of Development, you will participate in an active learning model that teaches you HOW TO be successful by using the same techniques that taught you complicated tasks such as riding a bike and driving. Just as these skills are now second nature to you, so will become the skills for life. As alumni of Lifestyles College of Development, you will be equipped with the skills to begin the life that you have always wanted. Why wait? Become who you really are and start your life TODAY. Lifestyles College of Development is a Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) Florida state licensed facility in partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and outpatient (OP) treatment. We serve the housewife, the business professional, the student, the employee, the employer, those transitioning from inpatient facilities, and those who would like to develop a healthy lifestyle but do not meet medical necessity for inpatient treatment.
561.450.6320 or call us Toll Free 1-855-SKILLS 4 LIFE lifestylescollegeofdevelopment.com
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The Solution News Contents Page 4 - Dave’s Page: Holiday Lessons
Page 14 - Resolutions Revisited
Page 5 - Dealing With Holiday Blues
Page 19 - Rebecca B.
Page 6 - Holidays Challenge Overeaters
Page 20 - The Lighter Side
Page 7 - 12 Steps To Holiday Sobriety
Page 21 - Lets Ask Bill
Page 8 - Hotlines & Helplines
Page 22 - Give Up 15 Things
Page 9 - Watershed Page
Page 24 & 25 - Volunteer Opportunities
Page 10 - Curbing Compulsive Spending
Page 26 - Holiday Humor
Page 11 - T’was The Night Before.... Page 12 - The Wit of Will Rogers Page 13 - The Wisdom Ben Franklin
Page 27 - New Years Laughs Page 28 - Emmet Fox Page 29 - The Golden Key
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Dave’s Page
I put down my last drink in September of 1977. All through the first three months of my sobriety I was obsessed with the thought of how I was going to get through the holidays without a drink. I was told to stay in the moment, to concentrate on the day at hand, to take my days one day at a time. My sponsor told me that for an alcoholic a holiday was just another day. I was far away from my family. The many losses brought on by my disease were magnified tenfold at the holiday season, as was the pain of early recovery. The holidays were the true test of my resolve to stay sober that first year. Experience is a great teacher and some of the greatest lessons in my recovery were learned at that time. I learned about The Fellowship of AA. By staying close to the people in my home group outside the meeting halls, I was able to associate with AA people throughout the holidays. We had Thanksgiving at the home of a newly sober
Holiday Lessons couple. They invited several people who had nowhere to be on that day to their home. We all cooked, watched football, talked program and laughed over “war stories”, our common bond. After dinner we went to a meeting and then back to the house for dessert and more coffee and conversation. When I woke up late Friday morning I was surprised to realize that I had made it through the first of the three holidays sober.
This inner city meeting was held in a smoke filled, cold basement. There were several hundred people there and the speakers were frequently interrupted by the sound of wine bottles dropping on the floor. For many of the active winos the sandwiches and relative warmth of the hall represented the total of food and shelter in their lives. Their presence helped me to “remember when” and filled me with gratitude for my new found gift of sobriety.
Christmas taught me how to ask for help. As the day approached I used the meetings to express my growing anxiety about being alone on Christmas. As a result a new friend invited me to his home on Christmas Day. He had seven kids, very little money and was newly sober himself. Yet when the gifts were opened that morning there was one with my name on it. I was absorbed into his family and spent the day putting together toys, playing with his kids and of course going to several meetings. The previous year I had spent alone with a case of beer and a TV dinner. By asking for help I was able to experience the unconditional love offered by my friend and his family. Another holiday had come and gone and I still hadn’t had a drink.
I had made it through the holidays. I had learned about fellowship, how to ask for help and how to get outside of myself and care for others. Were these holidays “just another day” as my sponsor had suggested or were they, in fact, holiday gifts from my Higher Power? Dave F. 10/2003 It has become a holiday tradition to reprint this article each year and each year it becomes more meaningful to me. At this time of year we give thanks on Thanksgiving and gifts on Christmas and Hannukah. This is something those of us working a program do every day. It is especially important to give back what we have been so freely given and as in every holiday issue this year you will find two pages of places to volunteer time or money. I truly believe that if we have our sobriety, our health and our friends and family everything else is just conversation. I am truly blessed this year with all of these things so it is important that I be kind and helpful to those who don’t. May the New Year allow me not to take for granted my gifts and allow me to redouble my efforts at sharing them with those in need. Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and a safe and sober holiday season. --Dave F.
New Year’s Eve taught me about getting outside of myself and helping others. In our area it was customary to have “alkathons” which were marathon meetings. The meetings were put on by individual groups each hour and offered food and plenty of coffee. My home group signed up for the midnight time slot on New Year’s Eve at Cambridge City Hospital. About ten of us piled into two cars early that evening. We stopped at a nice restaurant for dinner and then took the hour drive to Cambridge.
Due to a generous donation from an anonymous donor in memory of David DeOreo and James Lehman who taught us the meaning of helping others, The Solution News will devote two pages of this issue to not-forprofit agencies to present their programs and needs to our readers. The real winners in this gift will be our readers who will have an opportunity to get outside of themselves and perform a kind and generous selfless act of donating money or time to worthy causes.
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Dealing With The Holiday Blues Most people know the holidays can be a period of emotional highs and lows. Loneliness, anxiety, happiness and sadness are common feelings, sometimes experienced in startling succession. The bad news is the holiday blues can trigger relapse for people recovering from alcoholism and other drug addiction. The good news is the blues can be remedied by planning ahead. Why do the blues hit during this otherwise festive season? Doing too much or too little and being separated from loved ones at this special time can lead to sadness during the holiday season. Many recovering people associate the holidays with memories of overindulgence, perhaps of big benders that resulted in relationship problems or great personal losses. People experience feelings of melancholy, sadness and grief tied to holiday recollections. Unlike clinical depression, which is more severe and can last for months or years, those feelings are temporary, says Sue Hoisington, a licensed psychologist and executive director of Hazelden’s Mental Health Centers. Anyone experiencing major symptoms of depression, such as persistent sadness, anxiety, guilt or helplessness; changes in sleep patterns; and a reduction in energy and libido, should seek help from a trusted mental health professional, she adds. Whether you’re in recovery or not, Hoisington suggests developing a holiday plan to help prevent the blues, one that will confront unpleasant memories before they threaten your holiday experience. Your plan should include improved self-care, enhanced support from others, and healthy ways to celebrate. Hoisington offers a few suggestions to achieve a happy, sober holiday season: Good self-care is vital. Remember to slow
down. Take some quiet time each day and work on an attitude of gratitude. Plan relaxation and meditation into your day, even for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are. Relax your standards and reduce overwhelming demands and responsibilities. Don’t overindulge. Go easy on the holiday
fellow recovering people. Let others help you realize your personal limits. Learn to say “no” in a way that is comfortable for you. Find new ways to celebrate. Create some new symbols and rituals that will help redefine a joyful holiday season. You might host a holiday gathering for special recovering friends and/or attend celebrations of your Twelve Step group. Avoid isolation and spend time with people you like who are not substance users. Don’t expose yourself to unnecessary temptations, such as gatherings where alcohol is the center of entertainment. If there are people who have a negative influence on you, avoid them. Focus on your recovery program. Holidays are also an important time to focus on your recovery program. For example, ask, “What am I working on in my program now?” Discuss this with your sponsor. Release your resentments. Resentment has been described as allowing a person you dislike to live in your head, rent-free. Resentments that gain steam during the holidays can be disastrous for anyone, especially recovering people. The Big Book of “Alcoholics Anonymous” refers to resentment as the No. 1 of-fender, or the most common factor in failed sobriety. Holidays may also be a time to evaluate your spirituality and find a personal way to draw support from the spirit of the season. Return the holidays to a spiritual base, and stress the power of unselfish giving. Recovery is serious work, but it is also important to have fun. Laugh a little and a little more. Start seeing the humor in those things that annoy you. Take from the holiday season what is important for you and leave the rest.
sweets and follow a balanced diet. Monitor your intake of caffeine, nicotine and sugar. Exercise regularly to help maintain your energy level amid a busier schedule. Don’t try to do too much. Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue is a stressor. Maintain some kind of schedule and plan ahead; don’t wait until the last minute to purchase gifts or prepare to entertain. Enhance your support system. Holidays are a good time to reach out more frequently to your therapist, sponsor, spiritual advisor, or support ------Alive & Free Hazelden’s Newsletter group. If you’re in recovery, spend time with
The Solution News 180 Woodbury Street, Suite 716, Manchester, NH 3102 Phone: 63-657-5580 Website: thesolutionnews.com Email: solutionpublishingcompany@gmail.com The Solution News is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12 Step Program although our content is directed towards those who have found the 12 Step philosophy to be a significant factor in their lives. The Solution News is published by Sobersolution, LLC four times a year for people who are actively working on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. We are committed through articles and advertising to present a broad spectrum of recovery, growth and renewal information. The opinions are those of our contributors. We seek to attract advertisers who represent their products and services with integrity but we urge readers to be wise consumers.
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Holiday Season of Indulgence a Challenge for Compulsive Overeaters Overeating is a tradition of the holiday season, with most people taking great delight in big meals, high-fat munchies, high-calorie sauces and spreads, and rich desserts. For compulsive overeaters, however, the indulgence can get way out of control, with serious consequences. Like alcoholics, compulsive overeaters have intense physical cravings and a mental obsession, but with food. They can never get enough of it. For many, food becomes a way to deal with painful feelings. Despite the discomfort of weight gain and clothes that don’t fit, and the resulting shame, they continue to eat excessively. Some people induce vomiting to keep off the extra weight and make room for more food. Some diet and exercise but then--often to reward themselves for their good behavior--eat extra food or problem foods. Around attractive holiday spreads, the obsession with food can become unbearable. Linda, a member of a mutual-help support group called Overeaters Anonymous (OA), always offered to set up at parties. “I could eat like crazy during setup and then, when the party started, I would eat like I was just beginning,” she said. Trying to act and appear normal while overindulging is common for the overeater, as it is for the alcoholic. Yet, said Linda, “my whole focus was on the food. I didn’t notice the people, the music or the decorations, only the food.” For Monica, spending the holidays with her alcoholic, abusive family was full of anxiety. She survived by “sugaring up.” For compulsive overeaters, “Eating is a substitute for true inti-
macy and risk,” writes Judi Hollis in her book Fat is a Family Affair (Hazelden, $12). They try to “get nurturance without being vulnerable” by choosing “the controlled security of food.” To manage their compulsive urge to eat, members of OA use the Twelve Steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous, substituting the word “food” for “alcohol.” They also call on the experience, strength and hope of other food addicts and learn healthier ways to deal with feelings. To help recover, OA members get their nurturance from people instead of food, says Hollis. The OA recovery program begins with a daily commitment to abstinence from overeating. Rather than relying on will power, however, members turn for help to a Higher Power, or a spiritual source of their choosing. Members also conduct a gentle but honest personal inventory (Step Four) to examine the causes and effects of
their food addiction. Memories and feelings long hidden may surface. OA members gradually learn to make peace with their past, develop healthier relationships, and free themselves from the control food has over their lives. Years of recovery in OA have made it easier for Linda to go to holiday parties. “Now I don’t even think about going near the food table for a long time after I get to the party. I’m too busy enjoying the people, the decorations, the season.” Linda feels deprived and resentful at times when rich, attractive foods are served. But now she sees her food addiction as a handicap that she has learned to accept. Faithful attendance at OA meetings, daily prayer and meditation, and daily contact with other OA members help her abstain from overeating. For Monica, feelings became more intense around her family once she refrained from overeating. To protect her hard-won abstinence, she decided to stay away from family holiday meals for a while. She and her husband created new holiday traditions by traveling and spending time with supportive friends. When invited to parties, she calls ahead to find out what is being served. Before going to an open house, she eats an abstinent meal and skips the food served there. Around the holiday season, Monica goes to extra OA meetings, reads more OA literature, and increases her time in prayer. If she does feel an urge to binge, she retreats to a private place and says the Serenity Prayer.
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12 Steps to Stay Sober Over the Christmas Holidays By Larry Smith skating, cross country skiing, stretching, yoga, dinner for those less fortunate than you? You One of the most difficult times of the year for Tai Chi, Pilates or water aerobics. Instead of will be helping not only the needy but yourself! those recovering from alcoholism is the napping on the couch after dinner, go for a walk Christmas holidays. around the block. 10. Write a Letter to yourself. How I
Stayed Sober over Christmas.
If you find yourself struggling during the Christmas season, please remember that you are not alone. Help is only a phone call or a meeting away! Here are some helpful and practical tips to keep you from taking that first drink.
The act of writing your ideas on paper is very powerful. Write down all the activities and events that will help you have healthy happy sober Christmas. Now take action on them and make this letter come true!
1. Plan Each and Every Day of Your Holiday
11. Avoid H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T. stands for: Hungry Angry Lonely Tired There are very simple solutions for all of the above items. If you are hungry, get something to eat. If you are angry, talk to somebody about it. If you are lonely, go to a meeting or call a friend. If you are tired, get a good nights sleep.
Plan to spend the majority of your time with friends and family who are supportive of your recovery. If you are required to be present for a social gathering where alcohol is being served, bring a fellow AA member with you. Plan fun events and outings to replace your old drinking rituals.
2. Find an Alkathon in Your Area During the Christmas season, some AA groups hold a marathon of meetings called an Alkathon. It is a time when the members of Alcoholics Anonymous gather together to celebrate their recovery from alcohol addiction. Many AA groups have meetings on the hour every hour to share their experience, strength and hope. If you are a member of the fellowship or think that you might have a problem with alcohol, you are welcome to attend. Check the local papers for an Alkathon in your area.
6. Stay Away from Slippery Places
12. Live One Day at a time and Enjoy There is absolutely no reason to ever check out your Sobriety! your former favorite drinking establishments. It is very likely that your old drinking buddies are Stay in the moment. Have present time constill there and are still telling the same old sto- sciousness. Be in the now. These are all different ways of telling you to live 1 day at a time. Never ries. mind about what happened or what could happen. Enjoy today. Live today. Celebrate your 7. Create New Traditions to replace sobriety! your Old Drinking Patterns
3. Ask for Support from Your Family Try something totally different during the holi- If you follow these simple steps, it is totally feaand Friends
days. Buy a new board game; take the family on sible to stay sober over the Christmas Holidays. Those who are truly supportive of your recovery a sleigh ride; prepare a family power point pres- Take action now! will be happy to help you throughout the holi- entation. Use you imagination, be creative and have fun. days. Be up front and tell them your concerns. Dr. Larry Smith Chiropractor and Author of: Embrace the Journey of Recovery: From 4. Have a List of at Least Ten People you 8. Write out a Daily Gratitude List Tragedy to Triumph! Embrace the Journey of can call if you feel the Urge to Drink The quickest cure to get you out of the holiday Recovery will passionately reignite your spirit Make a list and check it twice. Carry your cell blues is by counting your blessings. Be grateful and teach you how to confront, conquer and phone and your list of names at all times. The for what you have by writing out a gratitude list powerfully triumph over any life threatening illurge to drink is very powerful and can happen at every morning. Dont stop writing until you have ness! Experience the remarkable story of two at least 10 items on your list. courageous yet ordinary individuals and their any time. astonishing recoveries from heartbreaking 5. Dont Forget about Regular Exercise 9. Volunteer your Services to a tragedy. The message is simple. They transformed their lives and you can too! Charitable Organization Regular exercise is an essential component of any balanced recovery program. If you have There are many people in your community who http://embracingthejourneybook.com/ extra time on your hands, it is a great idea to get are homeless and hungry. Why not volunteer to out and exercise. Examples include running, work at a soup kitchen or at a special Christmas
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Hotlines and Helplines AA BROWARD COUNTY
954-462-0265
FLORIDA INJURY HELPLINE
800-510-5553
AA FLORIDA KEYS
305-296-8654
FLORIDA INTERGROUP AA
407-276-4581
AA HOTLINE, North Palm Beach
561-655-5700
AA HOTLINE, South Palm Beach
561-276-4581
AA HOTLINE Broward
954-462-0265
AA MIAMI DADE
305-371-7784
FOOD ADDICTS IN RECOVERY
1-866-325-0500
FLORIDA PET GRIEF SUPPORT
352-392-4700
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS
800-891-1740
HEPATITIS-B HOTLINE
800-891-0707
HEPATITIS HOTLINE
800-545-2437
ABUSE REGISTRY
800-962-2873
ADD PARENTS SUPPORT
954-473-8644
HIV/AIDS HOTLINE
800-352-2437
AL ANON HOTLINE, Palm Beach
561-278-3481
HOSPICE
954-467-7423
AL ANON HOTLINE, Broward
954-491-1915
HOSPICE/HOMECARE BY THE SEA
800-3923189
AL-ANON/AL-ATEEN
8884ALANON
JEWISH FAMILY& CHILD SERV
561-684-8443
LAWYER ASSISTANCE
800-282-8981
ALIEN ABDUCTION SUPPORT GROUP
954-698-6926
RECOVERY, INC
561-642-1722
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
954-726-0002
LUPUS FOUNDATION OF S. FLORIDA
561-279-8606
ALZHEIMER’S COMMUNITY CARE
561-278-6649
MARIJUANA ANON.
800-766-6779
AT RISK YOUTH PROGRAM
727-726-8829
MIAMI HELPLINES
305-358-4357
BIG BROTHERS & SISTERS
561-966-4120
CAPITOL CITY YOUTH SERVICES
850-576-6000
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOUNDATION
800-441-7055
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORLANDO
407-658-1818
NTNL. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
800-799-SAFE
NAR-ANON, Broward
954-584-6578
NARC-ANON
888-947-8885
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Palm Beach
561-848-6262
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS, Broward
954-476-9297
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS gold coast
954-476-9297
NAT. CTR. ELDERLY ABUSE
800-96-ABUSE
CDC NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE
800-342-2437
CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE
800-4ACHILD
COCAINE ANONYMOUS
954-779-7272
CODEPENDENTS ABNONYMOUS
800-254-1333
CONSUMER HOTLINE
800-848-3792
COSA (co-dependents of sex addicts)
763-537-6904
COUNCIL ON COMPULSIVE GAMBLING
800-426-7711
NATIONAL RUNAWAYSWITCHBOARD
800-RUNAWAY
CRIMESTOPPERS
800-458-TIPS
NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE
800-SUICIDE
CRIME LINE
800-423TIPS
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
954-746-2055
DASH (Divorced and Separated Help)
561-451-2312
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS, Palm Beach
800-273-1696
DEBTOR’S ANONYMOUS
954=243-542
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS, Broward
954-476-9297
DEPRESSION & BIPOLAR SUPPORT
813-878-2906
DEPRESSION AND MANIC DEPRESSION
954-746-2055
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
1-800-273-TALK
DEPRESSION - OVER 55
954-746-2055
FAMILY CAREGIVER PROGRAM
305-292-8445
FLA. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE
800-500-1119
FLORIDA BAR LAWYER’S REFERRAL
800-342-8011
FLORIDA HIV/AIDS HOTLINE
800-FLA-AIDS
PALM BEACH COUNTY VICTIM SERVICES RAPE, CRISIS, VIOLENT CRIME HOTLINE 1-866-891-7273 DARKNESS TO LIGHT
1-866-FOR-LIGHT
NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE
1-800-656-HOPE
ALZHEIMERS CARE 24 HR CRISIS LINE
1-800-394-1771
SUBSTANCE AWARENESS COALITION
1-877-MEANS-21
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Therapists RN S &LPN S Admissions Department We are looking for Florida licensed LPNS and RNS who are friendly & compassionate and able to work with alcoholics and addicts. The hours are a mix of evenings and nights with weekend work involved. We are also looking for an RN to supervise the clinical aspects of the department and work as an integral part of an allied health professional’s team.
Admissions Coordinator The Admissions Coordinator is responsible for developing, managing and implementing systems, particularly inquiry/intake calls, patient screenings, admissions and contacts with utilization reviewers and case managers. He/she is also responsible for working with the admissions and facility staff to assure exceptional patient and community satisfaction, and in developing and achieving community education and awareness goals. Specific Job Duties Include: Answers inquiry calls efficiently and courteously.Answers any questions callers may have that are of a non-clinical nature; appropriately transfer calls if clinical issues arise. Appropriately completes inquiry call forms.Coordinates and schedules prospective patient screenings.Coordinates and processes all admissions to the facility.Responsible for obtaining demographic and financial information during inquiry calls.Forwards financial coverage information to billing unit; verifying insurance information as necessary. Maintains the Inquiry Call Disposition Log and follows up accordingly. Responsible for mailing program literature when requested.Works collaboratively with the Admissions Office Clinical Supervisor and Admissions Office Manager, providing update information; re: inquiry calls throughout the month.Ensures the clinical and financial screening criteria have been met prior to admission.Obtains necessary consents, identifications and financial documents needed to admit patient into the program." Able to recognize and assist in crisis situations and provide interventions based on training and experience. Provides community awareness education and in services on behalf of facility as assigned Requirements: Minimum of 1 to 3 years experience in healthcare, preferably in mental health. Exceptional customer service skills. Available Shifts: 4:00pm-12am
Are you looking for a place where the concept of "team" has deeper meaning? We are looking for caring, insightful therapists who are committed to the highest quality care for our patients and who have the desire to support those who are struggling with addiction. Our facilities offer our patients comfortable and safe surroundings to begin their journey of recovery. The Watershed is Joint Commission accredited and fully licensed by the State of Florida. Our therapists provide individual and group counseling to patients in our inpatient treatment program. The therapist is able to develop a relationship with the patient that begins in detox and lasts throughout the entire length of stay. The therapist functions within the limits of their licensure, registration and/or certification. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Masters Degree in a health-related discipline; licensed and/or accredited applicants preferred. Experience with chemical dependency and/or dual diagnosis programs preferred. The Watershed welcomes recovering individuals to apply! Recovering individuals must have a minimum of 1 full year of abstinence from drugs/alcohol to eligible for employment.
Behavioral Health Techs Are you a caring, compassionate individual? Are you able to provide supervision and support for others in a thoughtful, respectful manner? If you have these qualities we encourage you to apply for a position as a Behavioral Health Technician, (BHT). Our BHT's are directly involved in providing quality care for patients as part of the overall team and are responsible for conducting meetings and providing structure for our patients during their treatment experience. As a BHT you are the front line staff member, having frequent interactions with the patients throughout their stay. As a result you are in a position to have a positive impact on the patient's view toward recovery. The average day for a BHT involves a variety of activities; there isn't a lot of time spent in one place since our patient's care is conducted in different areas of the facility. The BHT should have a clear sense of personal boundaries and be able to enforce clearly established guidelines. People with their own personal recovery experience are encouraged to apply! Must have a minimum of 12 months of sobriety.
Call-Back Representatives We are currently seeking hard working, customer service oriented individuals with excellent communication skills to become members of our team. The CallBack Representatives will work collaboratively with the Admissions Coordinators in order to admit new patients into our treatment facilities. This position involves making follow-up calls to individuals who have previously called The Watershed seeking treatment but were never admitted into our facility. Our goal is to reach out to those who may have avoided treatment in the past and assist them with their struggles of addiction, by offering our treatment services. This position is full-time with some weekends involved & located in our Delray Beach, corporate building.A year or more of 12-step recovery experience is very beneficial to anyone working in this position. Prior call-center and/or healthcare experience are a plus!
The Watershed is a Drug Free Workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit: www.thewatershed.com. To apply, please go to www.thewatershed.jobs. ATTENTION ALL WATERSHED ALUMNI!!! Are you a graduate of The Watershed Treatment Programs? Do you have an interest in having personal growth in your recovery? Would you like to be able to help others, even as you were helped? If the answer to any or all of these questions is "YES", then we want to hear from YOU! The Watershed has a unique one of a kind ALUMNI PROGRAM that is quite literally filled with events, activities & services just for YOU!! It is a place to find support, fellowship and numerous ways to reach out and help others. We currently have almost 9,000 registered alumni members around the country and we want YOU to be a part of this community! We also have an Alumni Family Outreach Program for YOUR family members to offer them the same connection and support with each other that now exceeds 9,000 members nation wide!!! We hope that whether you are an alumnus or a family member of an alumnus, that you will join our social web site called Lives in Recovery. To register just go to www.livesinrecovery.com today! On this site, you will find support, friendship, resources and local meetings. You will have access to our Alumni or Family Magazines, the monthly Alumni or Family Newsletter and SO MUCH MORE! PLUS you will have access to the most up to date information on upcoming events and activities! We also have a new site where you can write YOUR recovery story or read and be inspired by the stories of other fellow alumni: www.write2recovery.com. You will also be able to find several stories under Rebecca's Corner that are now on Audio so that you can listen anywhere and anytime of your pc, iPad or cell phone! We hope that you will get involved with Alumni if you aren't already! (YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED!!) We have the Alumni Speaker Meetings EVERY SATURDAY from 10:30am to 12 noon at BOTH the BOCA and BOYNTON facilities. If you are a new alumnus with less than 90 days in recovery, we have special support meetings just for you and we WANT YOU TO COME! It is called the ALUMNI SUPPORT meeting and is held at THE WATERSHED'S TWA APARTMENTS in Lake Worth, FL on THURSDAY nights 5:30 to 6:45pm &/or on Friday's at the TWR APARTMENTS from 4 - 5:15pm. You will gain important information related to your early recovery and can also THEN attend the Sat. Speaker Meetings if desired AND upon reaching 90 days, you will receive your MEDALLION on Anniversary Saturday the last Saturday of the month! (If YOU feel that YOUR life was helped by your Watershed Experience, we REALLY want to hear from you through a Testimonial, Recovery Journal Story and even Video testimonial, (As seen on You Tube under Faces of the Watershed). You can e-mail it or contact Rebecca to discuss doing a video or writing your whole story!) You can reach Rebecca Balko (Alumni Program Manager) at 561-860-8045 or e-mail Rbalko@thewatershed.com
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T’is The Season To Put Compulsive Spending In Check David K. went through treatment for substance abuse seven years ago, and has been sober ever since. In recovery, however, he's had to deal with two other compulsive behaviors: compulsive spending and debting. "After I got sober, I maxed out all my credit cards," David recalled. "I never balanced my checkbook and I bought a lot of stuff I didn't need and couldn't afford. I spent a lot of sleepless nights, worrying about money and how I was going to keep dodging the collection agencies. It took a real toll on my relationships. Eventually, no one in my family trusted me with money, or anything else."
people. "Usually, compulsive spenders or debtors come from families where there was a real sense of emotional deprivation, abuse or neglect," Boundy said. "There may have been a chronic illness, addictions, or other stresses. When they come from that kind of family, it often shows up in their relationship with money."
Spending money wisely doesn't come naturally for many of us. Bombarded by slick advertisers who coax us into living beyond our means, it's easy to let our spending habits get out of control. For some folks, this becomes a chronic problem with life-damaging consequences. Compulsive spenders, for example, may incur huge debts, destroy trust in relationships, and live in constant fear of being discovered or punished. They may spend their life savings, lose their homes, or commit crimes to sup- The compulsive spender spends money to get a port their spending behavior. high, Boundy said. "It's like gambling in many ways. Shopping allows you to escape from your "A well-controlled study found that 6 percent real life. You are bombarded with sensory stimof all Americans are compulsive spenders," said ulation and your fantasy life is given full expresDonna Boundy, author of "When Money is the sion. You can imagine that your life will be betDrug." ter with that new pair of boots or that living room set. Spending can serve as an antidepresPeople whose compulsive behaviors center sant for some people." on spending, borrowing or the fear of money come from all walks of life. They also share When the compulsive spender finishes a some characteristics with chemically dependent shopping binge, however, he or she frequently is
overwhelmed with feelings of guilt or shame. "The feeling is, 'I've done it again. That money was supposed to pay for the kids' camp or school tuition,'" Boundy said. "The person is determined not to do it again and there's a period of control. But then the stress builds up and off they go again." Twelve Step groups such as Debtors Anonymous (DA) provide help and support for people with money disorders. At these groups, people find a safe place to share their stories. The group helps people start taking responsibility for their financial affairs and slowly get their money life back on track. According to DA literature, compulsive debting is caused by a person's unwillingness to accept present realities and responsibilities, emotional insecurity and immaturity, a strong inner urge to be a "big shot," and the fear of prosperity. The quality of David's life has dramatically improved since he started attending DA meetings. "Through DA and psychotherapy, I learned how my family background affected my spending habits. I didn't get touches or hugs when I was growing up, I'd get money. I never really grew up, I always felt that someone would bail me out if I got into serious financial trouble, so I didn't have to worry about my debt. "In DA, I've learned to take responsibility for my own finances," he continued. "My debt has stabilized and is slowly being reduced. I no longer use credit cards. I no longer take out any unsecured debt. Seeing that I wasn't alone reduced my shame and gave me the hope I needed to turn my money life around."
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‘TWAS THE NIGHT: THEN AND NOW 'Twas the Night After Christmas THEN
'Twas the night after Christmas, and boy, what a house! I felt like the devil, and so did my spouse. The eggnog and turkey and candy were swell, But ten hours later they sure gave me hell. The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care. The darn things were sprawled on the back of a chair. The children were nestled all snug in their bed, And I had a large cake of ice on my head. When at long last I dozed off in a nap, The ice woke me up as it fell in my lap. For some unknown reason I wanted a drink, So I started in feeling my way to the sink. I got along fine 'til I stepped on the cat. I cannot recall what occurred after that. When I came to, the house was all flooded with light, Although under the table I was high as a kite. While visions of sugar plums danced in my head, I somehow got up and climbed back into bed. Then what to my wandering mind should appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Then the sleigh seemed to change to a mammoth fire truck, And each reindeer turned into a bleary-eyed buck. I knew in a moment it must be old Nick. I tried to cry out, but my tongue was too thick. The old devil whistled and shouted with glee, While each buck pawed the earth and looked daggers at me. Then he called them by name and the names made me shudder. When I heard them I felt like a ship minus rudder. "Now Eggnog! Bacardi! Four Roes! and Brandy! Now Fruit Cake! Cold Turkey! Gin Rickey! and Candy! To the top of his house, to the top of his skull, Now whack away, crack it with thumps that are dull!" And then in a twinkling I felt on my roof The prancing and pawing of each cloven hoof. How long this went on I am sure I can't say, Though it seemed an eternity plus a long day. But finally the night after Christmas had passed, And I found that I really could think straight at last. So I thought of the New Year and few days away, And I made me a vow that no tempter can sway. I'm sticking to water, don't even want ice, For there's nothing so tasty, or nothing so nice. The night after New Year may bother some guys, But I've learned my lesson, and brother, I'm wise. You can have your rich food, and your liquor that's red, But what goes to my stomach won't go to my head. So here's "Happy New Year" to you I will say I’m going to stop drinking its time for AA.
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas NOW
"Twas the night before Christmas when all through the hall Not a member was stirring, nor sought alcohol. Coffee and cookies were set out with care; More AA members soon would be there. Each grateful member with no trace of vanity, Gave thanks to the Power that restores us to sanity. The leader of the meeting, like all who have missions, Assigned Chapter Five and the Twelve Traditions. When outside the hall there arose such a clatter, We sprang from our chairs to see what was the matter. In parking a car some bumpers were hit, The man who was wrong did promptly admit. And so to our grateful eyes did appear Our famous guest speaker, loved far and near. More rapid than eagles the member then came; He hugged them and kissed them and called them by name: Hi, Alice; 'lo, Jimmy; God love you, Harry... Betty and Carol and Birthday boy Larry! Again we all settled, ready to share; The leader of the meeting led the Serenity Prayer. As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly When they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky. So up to sobriety the members they flew, With Twelve Steps to follow, Twelve Traditions, too. The Seventh Tradition inevitably came. The leader then called on our speaker by name. He wore his red suit, a fur cap and no tie, But soon let us know with a wink of his eye, That Christmas for us, we must learn to think Means staying away from the very first drink. A bundle of joys he told us we'd find, "Read the Big Book for true peace of mind." At the end of the meeting he led the Prayer and gave us the word: "Continue to share." But I heard him exclaim as he picked up his pack, "Don't ever forget to Keep Coming Back!"
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The Wit of Will Rogers An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out. An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh. Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House? Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.
There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. There's the one thing no nation can ever accuse us of and that is secret diplomacy. Our foreign are an open book, generally a check book. This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
You know everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. You can't say that civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way. Well, all I know is what I read in the papers.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
Heroing is one of the shortest-lived professions there is.
Don't gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it.
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. For the American people are a very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of stupidity.
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.
See what will happen if you don't stop biting your fingernails?
I have always noticed that people will never laugh at anything that is not based on truth. I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today. I was not a child prodigy, because a child prodigy is a child who knows as much when it is a child as it does when it grows up. I'm not a real movie star. I've still got the same wife I started out with twenty-eight years ago. The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter-he's got to just know. The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself. The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.
Communism is like prohibition, it's a good idea but it won't work. I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can. We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by. We don't know what we want, but we are ready to bite somebody to get it. Rumor travels faster, but it don't stay put as long as truth. There is only one thing that can kill the Movies, and that is education. The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best.
There is nothing as stupid as an educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in.
The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has.
There ought to be one day-- just one-when there is open season on senators.
Everything is funny as long as it is happening to Somebody Else.
I was born on Nov. 4, which is election day. . . . My birthday has made more men and sent more back to honest work than any other days in the year. There is one thing in common with all revolutions (in fact they are pretty near like wars in that respect) nobody ever knows what they are fighting about. You can be killed just as dead in an unjustified war as you can in one protecting your own home. Man only learns by two things, one is reading, and the other is association with smarter people. Ten men in the country could buy the world and ten million can't buy enough to eat. We don't have to worry about anything. No nation in the history of the world was ever sitting as pretty. If we want anything, all we have to do is go and buy it on credit.
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The Wisdom of Ben Franklin A good conscience is a continual Christmas. A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.
Energy and persistence conquer all things. Genius without education is like silver in the mine. Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended. God heals, and the doctor takes the fees. Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
All would live long, but none would be old.
Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. Drive thy business or it will drive thee. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society. Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.
If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone.
If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write something worth reading or do things worth the writing.
At twenty years of age the will reigns; at thirty the wit; at forty the judgement.
Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.
If a man empties his purse into his head no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
If you would know the value of money, go try to borrow some; for he that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing.
Anger is never without Reason, but seldom with a good One.
By my rambling digressions I perceive myself to be growing old.
I am in the prime of senility.
If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting.
An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Beware of the young doctor and the old barber.
How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.
If you wouldst live long, live well, for folly and wickedness shorten life. He is ill clothed that is bare of virtue. He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face. He that can have patience can have what he will. He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals. He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. He that lives upon hope will die fasting. He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows nor judge all he sees. Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?
If your head is wax, don't walk in the sun. Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults. Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. Old boys have their playthings as well as young ones; the difference is only in the price. Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy. He that rises late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.
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New Year’s Resolutions Revisited RESOLUTION #6:
RESOLUTION #1 2008: I will read at least 20 good books a year. 2009: I will read at least 10 books a year. 2010: I will read 5 books a year. 2011: I will finish The Pelican Brief 2012: I will read some articles in the newspaper this year. 2013: I will read at least one article this year. 2014: I will try and finish the comics section this year.
2011: I will not let my boss push me around. 2012: I will not let my sadistic boss drive me to the point of suicide. 2013: I will stick up for my rights when my boss bullies me. 2014: I will tell Dr. Hodger and the group about my boss. RESOLUTION #7:
RESOLUTION #2: 1908: I will get my weight down below 180. 2009: I will watch my calories until I get below 190. 2010: I will follow my diet religiously until I get below 200. 2011: I will try to develop a realistic attitude about my weight. 2012: I will work out 5 days a week. 2013: I will work out 3 days a week. 2014: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.
2011: I will not get upset when Charlie makes jokes about my baldness. 2012: I will not get annoyed when Charlie kids me about my toupee. 2013: I will not get angry when Charlie tells the guys I wear a girdle. 2014: I will not speak to Charlie.
RESOLUTION #3: 2008: I will not spend my money frivolously. 2009: I will pay off my bank loan promptly. 2010: I will pay off my bank loans promptly. 2011: I will begin making a strong effort to be out of debt by 1999.
RESOLUTION #8: 2011: I will not take a drink before 5:00 p.m. 2012: I will not touch the bottle before noon. 2013: I will not become a "problem drinker". 2014: I will not miss any AA meetings.
2012: I will be totally out of debt by 2000. 2013: I will try to pay off the debt interest by 2001.
RESOLUTION #9:
2014: I will try to be out of the country by 2006. RESOLUTION #4: 2011: I will try to be a better husband to Marge. 2012: I will not leave Marge.
2011: I will see my dentist this year. 2012: I will have my cavities filled this year. 2013: I will have my root canal work done this year. 2014: I will get rid of my denture breath this year.
2013: I will try for a reconciliation with Marge. 2014: I will try to be a better husband to Wanda. RESOLUTION #5: 2011: I will stop looking at other women. 2012: I will not get involved with Wanda. 2013: I will not let Wanda pressure me into another mar riage. 2014: I will stop looking at other women.
RESOLUTION #10:
2011: I will go to church every Sunday. 2012: I will go to church as often as possible. 2013: I will set aside time each day for prayer and medi tation. 2014: I will try to catch the late night sermonette on TV.
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JEANNIE SAROS
CAP, LMHC, CCHT, MH8070
National Board Certified Counselor
EMDRA trained and certified Clinical Hypnotherapist Specializing in Trauma and Healing for Individuals and Families Curriculum Development and trainer/supervisor of a nationally recognized Recovery Coach Online Training Program Featured in documentary “Sobriety First”, local and state news, Vanity Fair Magazine and the New York Times for community and professional contributions Continuing Education Provider for thr Florida Certification Board offering a 75 hour curriculum to satisfy the requirements of becoming a CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist)
Holistic Life Coach
Specializing In: Recovery/Addiction/Trauma Group & Individual Therapy Clinical Hypnotherapy, EMDR, Recovery Coach Training Offering “koffee and kounseling” as a free service to the community at Gizzies Coffee (2275 S.Federal Hwy, Delray Beach) every Tuesday from 7- 9, all seekers welcome! WEB SITE: http://authenticpresencecounseling.com EMAIL: jeanniesaros@authenticpresencecounseling.com FAX: 561.999.8853 OFFICE: 6699 South Federal Hwy, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL 33487
Phone: 561-542-0941
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Rebecca B
What if Santa Doesn't Know Where I Am? At no time of the year are logistics more important than during the holiday season ~ especially Christmas time! I have a memory of one year in particular; I would guess that I was probably somewhere between 6 and 8 years old, when I was told that we would be spending Christmas at my grandmother's houses in Little Rock and Texarkana, Arkansas. I recall that upon hearing this, all my feelings of anticipation for the things I looked forward to, like: Getting a Christmas tree; Decorating it; Shaking presents under it; and seeing what Santa brought me - were quickly replaced with what initially began as mild anxiety and rapidly grew into a state of pure out right panic!
numbingly ridiculous! What were they thinking? The number of things that could go disastrously wrong as the result of a ripple effect caused by this type of change would likely mean utter chaos…and could mean, (I feared), NO SANTA!!! I mean the letter had already been sent to the North Pole for crying out loud! There was no time to alert him that we were going to be at a different location! My mind spinning with only one prevalent thought dominating all others, "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO MEEeeeeee!!!!" Of course the outcome was that everything worked out just fine. We did all the same things, just in a different house and thankfully, Santa had no problem locating us.
quiet while my husband was doing his very best to be positive and make light of the fact that not one single thing about this day was very "Christmas-y". We got the tree in and while he began setting it up, I began to cry. In fact it wasn't a small reserved cry either…it was the kind of cry that was sloppy and bordering on hysterical. I could hear myself moaning about the heat, the fact that we could still swim and that we were not "home". In that single moment I couldn't imagine Christmas, much less our life, in this new place I'd come to refer to as Jurassic Park. I had pretty much reached the peak of Mt. Self Pity at this point and was thinking, "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO MEEeeeeee!"
A little over 30 years later, I would to some degree, re-live this very same emotional upheaval. We had moved to Palm Beach, Florida from Birmingham, Alabama in 2006 and were coming up on our first Christmas. I had not wanted to move to Florida and was still very home sick. My dear husband was doing his very best to try and make a go of it, though the move was difficult for him as well. The hardest part of moving was being separated from my two wonderful step-daughters, who continued to reside in Alabama. The highlight we all anticipated was that they would be with us December 26th for an entire week. But at this point, we were still a good 3 weeks away from that date. One night we left to go select a Christmas tree from a lot at a local high school. Wearing shorts in the humid 80+ degree heat, we were sweating profusely All this being said, to now have someone as we searched for our "perfect tree". even SUGGEST that we go somewhere else for Christmas was absolutely mind Upon arriving to our house, I remained
Now, my husband is a very kind and thoughtful man ~ and he suggested that we go get some ice cream, and so we did. (You know, ice cream ALWAYS makes things better!) Upon return, we walked into our house which was now FREEZING. Do you know why? Well I will tell you why: Because that sweet man had turned the air down to 50F! He then put on Christmas music, made hot chocolate, told me to go put on a good warm sweater, (which I did), and we decorated our tree together while Christmas music filled the house, and a funny thing happened… our house became home that day.
I wouldn't say that I was necessarily OCD or anything, but certainly I knew how things were supposed to be done and that was: Going out to get the "perfect" tree with the smell of pine filling the car on the way home; The smell of the yummy baked goodies that my mom made filling every room of our house; Decorating the tree with my sister; Picking different hard candies out of the mason jar on the coffee table; Searching daily for that elusive Christmas mouse; Wrapping presents to put under and in the tree; Touching and shaking the presents that bore my name; Watching the Christmas specials on TV; Putting our stockings up; Setting cookies out for Santa and most importantly: Running into the living room Christmas morning to see ALL the stuff Santa brought and open those Christmas presents!
The holiday season can be a tough time of the year, but certainly home can be found wherever we are…all we have to do is allow ourselves to embrace it with those around us. It is my most sincere hope that you will have a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! © 2013 Rebecca Balko
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The Lighter Side This guy was staggering along the road, much the worse for the drink, throwing empty beer cans into the street and falling into peoples gardens. His singing gained the attention of a passing policeman who decided to question him. “What do you think you’re doing there?” the policeman asked. “I’m on my work’s Christmas Party!” came the slurred reply. “Then” the policeman queried, “where are all the others?” “Ah” the man grinned, “You see officer, I’m self employed!” ********** A sponsor and his newcomer are at a meeting when the newcomer suddenly collapses, goes into cardiac arrest and falls to the floor. The paramedics arrive, perform CPR and bring the newcomer back to life. “My GOD!” says the sponsor. “I thought we had lost you”. The newcomer looks up and tells his sponsor, “I believe I was actually dead for a short time. I saw a bright light and felt myself basking in the light of my Higher Power. I’m sure it was Heaven. It was an amazing experience!” “What was Heaven like?” asks the sponsor. The newcomer smiles and replies, “Well, I got good news, and I got bad news. The good news is that in Heaven they have a huge speaker meeting every Thursday night. All the greatest AA speakers that have passed away speak there”. “And the bad news?” asks the sponsor. The newcomer looks his sponsor in the eyes and replies, “The bad news is that you’re scheduled to be the speaker next week”.
You know you've had too much coffee when... * You can type sixty words a minute with your feet * You chew on other people’s fingernails * You answer the door, before people knock. * You sleep with your eyes open. * You go to sleep, just so you can wake up and smell the coffee. * You don’t even wait for the water to boil anymore. * You're the employee of the month at Starbucks and you don’t even work there. * You help your dog chase its tail. * You lick your coffeepot clean. * You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee. * You’re so wired you pick up FM radio. * You have a picture of your coffee mug, on your coffee mug!
Signs You’ve Got a Really Bad Hangover 1. You’d rather have a pencil poked in your eye than be exposed to sunlight. 2. Trying to gain control of the situation, you continue to tell your room to “stay still.” 3. Looking at yourself in the mirror induces the same reaction as chugging a glass of fresh paint. 4. You’re convinced that chirping birds are Satan’s pets. 5. You set aside an entire morning to spend some quality time with your toilet. 6. You replaced the traditional praying on your knees with the more feasible praying in a fetal position. 7. The bathroom reminds you of a carnival barker shouting, “Step right up and give it whirl!” 8. All day long your motto is, “Never again.” 9. You could purchase a new bike just by recycling the bottles around your bed. 10. Your natural response to “Good morning,” is “Be quiet”.
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Let’s Ask Bill 5Q - When you first sobered up how did you approach alco- that one must be prudent. It was also certain that something ailed holics and did you change that approach? the deflationary technique. It definitely lacked wallop. Reasoning that the alcoholic's "hex" or compulsion must issue from some 5A - I took off to cure alcoholics wholesale. It was twinjet propul- deep level, it followed that ego deflation must also go deep or else sion; difficulties meant nothing. The vast conthere couldn't be any fundamental release. ceit of my project never occurred to me. I Apparently religious practice would not touch the pressed my assault for six months; my home alcoholic until his underlying situation was made was filled with alcoholics. Harangues with ready. Fortunately, all the tools were right at hand. scores produced not the slightest result. You doctors supplied them. None of them got it. Disappointingly, my friend of the kitchen table, who was sicker The emphasis was shifted from "sin" to "sickthan I realized, took little interest in other ness" - the "fatal malady," alcoholism. We quoted alcoholics. This fact may have caused his doctors that alcoholism was more lethal than canendless backslides later on. For I had found cer; that it consisted of an obsession of the mind that working with alcoholics had a huge bearcoupled to increasing body sensitivity. These were ing on my own sobriety. But why wouldn't any our twin ogres of madness and death. We leaned of my new prospects sober up? heavily on Dr. Jung's statement of how hopeless Slowly the bugs came to light. Like a religious crank, I was obsessed with the idea that everybody must have a "spiritual experience" just like mine. I'd forgotten that there were many varieties. So my brother alcoholics just stared incredulously or kidded me about my "hot flash." This had spoiled the potent identification so easy to get with them. I had turned evangelist. Clearly the deal had to be streamlined. What came to me in six minutes might require six months in others. It was to be learned that words are things,
the condition could be and then poured that devastating dose into every drunk within range. To modern man science is omnipotent; it is a god. Hence if science could pass a death sentence on a drunk, and we placed that verdict on our alcoholic transmission, it might shatter him completely. Perhaps he would then turn to the God of the theologian, there being no place else to go. Whatever the truth in this device, it certainly had practical merit. Immediately our whole atmosphere changed. Things began to look up. (Amer. J. Psychiat., Vol.106, 1949)
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Give Up These 15 Things And Be Happier Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go: 1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can't stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It's just not worth it. Whenever you feel the `urgent' need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: "Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?" What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big? 2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel. "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning." Lao Tzu
stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and 12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing fly! and tell them they're fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because "A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing idea that holds the mind" Elly Roselle and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all 6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time need to complain about those many, many, many are not even real. things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make 13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It's hard. you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or Especially when the past looks so much better miserable unless you allow it to. It's not the sit- than the present and the future looks so frightenuation that triggers those feelings in you, but ing, but you have to take into consideration the how you choose to look at it. Never underesti- fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now mate the power of positive thinking. longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. 7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything need to criticize things, events or people that are you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey different than you. We are all different, yet we not a destination. Have a clear vision for the are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all future, prepare yourself, but always be present want to love and be loved and we all want to be in the now. understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all. 14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to 8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop try- tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it's ing so hard to be something that you're not just not something impossible. You get better and to make others like you. It doesn't work this better at it with time and practice. The moment way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be you detach yourself from all things, (and that something that you're not, the moment you take doesn't mean you give up your love for them – off all your masks, the moment you accept and because love and attachment have nothing to do embrace the real you, you will find people will with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is be drawn to you, effortlessly. pure, kind, and selfless, where there is love there 9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is can't be fear, and because of that, attachment and good. Change will help you move from A to B. love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so Change will help you make improvements in tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to your life and also the lives of those around you. a place where you will be able to understand all Follow your bliss, embrace change – don't resist things without even trying. A state beyond words. it.
3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don't have, for what you feel or don't feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for "Follow your bliss and the universe will open your life. doors for you where there were only walls" Joseph Campbell 4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves 10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, because of their negative, polluted and repetitive people or events that you don't understand as self-defeating mindset? Don't believe every- being weird or different and try opening your thing that your mind is telling you – especially mind, little by little. Minds only work when if it's negative and self-defeating. You are better open. "The highest form of ignorance is when than that. you reject something you don't know anything about." Wayne Dyer "The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very 11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn't exist – you created it. It's all in destructive." Eckhart Tolle your mind. Correct the inside and the outside 5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you will fall into place. can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer "The only thing we have to fear, is fear going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you itself."Franklin D. Roosevelt
15. Give up living your life to other people's expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people's expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don't let other people's opinions distract you from your path.
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Do you want to help those people in your life currently caught in the grips of the progressive and fatal disease of addiction…to get the very life saving help that they need? Do you want to spread the message that WE DO RECOVER? To make an impact on YOUR community one person at a time? The Life Saver’s Club is a recovery resource offered by The Watershed Addiction Treatment Programs and is unique in that we don’t simply offer help to those who are going to come HERE. We have a department of full time Resource Specialists, who are trained and experienced in throwing out a life line to those who are suffering with facilities and services in their area that will fit whatever budget or financial situation that they may have. By joining and becoming a member, you can have the peace of mind in knowing that the person you refer to call us will receive prompt attention and that NO REFERRAL goes unassisted. Becoming a member is fast and easy! Simply go to our new web site: www.LivesinRecovery.com and register or give us a call at 877-416-9566 Ext.88426 and start the process of healing for those around you needing help! Membership benefits include: Acknowledgements, Recognition Gifts, Intervention Materials, Life Saver’s Club Cards and soon Educational Packets that will enable you to be an educator about addiction and recovery for your community and more! The Watershed’s Support Team is available 24/7 for any questions or support you may need along the way.
We look forward to hearing from YOU soon!!! Rebecca Balko, C.A.C. Alumni Department Manager # 877-416-9566 (Ext.88204) Rbalko@thewatershed.com
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Volunteer Opportunities: Giving Back..... The American Red Cross, (561) 994.2060 Boca Raton Society for the Disabled, Inc. 306 NW 35th Street, Boca Raton, FL 33431 “We are a local non-profit organiza tion that seeks volunteers to help in our day facility for adult developmen tally delayed individuals. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30am-3:00pm. Please contact the Exective Director at the facility for specific duties that may be requested.” (561) 391-4874 url: www.TwinPalmsCenter.com Center for Group Counseling (561) 483.5300
Children's Home Society of FL 3335 Forest Hill blvd. West Palm Beach, Florida 33406 561.868.3400 “At Children's Home Society of FL we offer a program called Project 18 Mentoring. This is a mentoring pro gram for children in foster care ages 12-18. We serve children all over Palm Beach County including Boca Raton. The children in foster care are in need of adults to help guide them in: furthering their education goals, hav ing a sense of self-worth and helping them prepare for independence in adulthood.” url: www.chsfl.org/mentoring.php (The) CJ Foundation for Children in Need 3600 S. Congress Ave., Suite D Delray Beach, FL 33426 Telephone: 561-364-2001, ext 1115 Volunteer to help support our causes in fighting Autism, Cancer, as well as raising funds for Educational Programs. The CJ Foundation is a national non-profit charity focusing on children in need. We need volun teers for event planning, fund raising, grant writing, sponsorship programs,
advertising, marketing, networking, administrative duties, web work, etc. You are the secret to our success... help us “Create a World of Good for Life's Challenges” Website: www.cjfoundation.net
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 954.739.5006 x31 Call for information on exciting fundraising events.
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and college students, adults and retirees and even former patients. They play valuable and meaningful roles in the lives of our patients throughout our hospital. If you are interested in volunteering at Boca Raton Community Hospital, please call the Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League office at 561-9554098. No special skills are required. You bring a compassionate heart and we will take care of any training!” www.brch.com
Florence Fuller Child Development Center 200 NE 14 Street Boca Raton (561) 391.9379 The Florida Humane Society Volunteers needed to help with cat adoptions at PetSmart, 20841 U.S. 441. Must be at least 18 years old. Volunteer Office, 1520 SE 14 Court, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 954.570.9507 Gift of Life Bone Marrow Ask how you can get involved in the Foundation fight against cystic fibrosis! 800 Yamato Road Boca Raton, FL 561-982-2939 Debbie-Rand Memorial Service Our Walk for Life is in February at League Florida Atlantic University and we’d Boca Raton Community Hospital 800 Meadows Road love to get local community members Boca Raton involved! We’re offering community Telephone: (561) 955-4098 service hours for volunteers and “Each year hundreds of people serve there's also a discounted student as Debbie-Rand Memorial Service rate! League volunteers, meeting the needs Website: www.giftoflife.org of patients, their families and the staff at Boca Raton Community Horses and the Handicapped of Hospital. Our volunteers are an inte - South Florida, Inc. gral part of the hospital: acting as 3600 Sample Road hospital ambassadors to patients, Coconut Creek, FL employees and visitors; assisting 954-974-8889 patients and staff on a nursing unit; web url: www.HandhMagic.org raising funds for equipment and serv - Please visit our website and print out ices; serving on an event planning the volunteer paperwork and attend committee; organizing children’s one of our many scheduled orienta tours; helping with our Pet Therapy tions to become a volunteer at Horses program; delivering flowers and so and the Handicapped of Hospice by much more. They include high school the Sea, Inc. - “Are you 15 or older
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......What We Have Been So Freely Given!
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and looking for ways to make a dif ference in your life and in the lives of others? Please contact Michelle Williams, Volunteer Coordinator, at 561-4165040.or send an E-mail to volun teer@hbts.org
Hospice by the Sea, Inc. 1531 W. Palmetto Park Road Boca Raton, FL 33442 Tel: 561-395-5031 Website: www.hbts.org
meeting and greeting participants, one on one socializing, leading group activities, sharing musical abilities and assisting with center program ming. You may volunteer for any peri od of time. Please come for a tour to explore our volunteer possibilities. We look forward to your becoming a member of our warm and caring fam -
Hospice of Palm Beach County 5300 East Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33407 561-848-5200 Web url: www.hpbc.com To learn more about the volunteers opportunities available through Hospice of Palm Beach County, please visit www.hpbc.com/volunteers or call 561-227-5146. The Humanitarian Society (561) 362.8530
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Palm Beach Area Chapter 4360 Northlake Blvd. Suite 109, Palm Beach Gardens For information on LLS programs, Call (561) 775-9954 Visit On The Web: www.lls.org/pb Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center FAU - 777 Glades Road Bldg. AZ-79 Boca Raton (561) 297-0503 Web url: WWW.fau.edu/memorywell nesscenter/index.html “The Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, located on the campus of FAU is in need of volun teers for its day center. The center is open Monday through Friday and provides socialization as well as men tally stimulating programs for those with mild to moderate dementia. Volunteer opportunities include
ily.”
The Northeast Focal Point Alzheimer's Day Care Center 227 NW 2 Street, Deerfield Beach 954.480.4447 PROPEL – People Reaching Out to Provide Education and Leadership 499 East Palmetto Park Road Boca Raton, FL 33432 PROPEL supports at risk youth and their families in the North Broward and South Palm Beach County areas. Volunteers are needed to conduct life skills sessions on character, personl finance, drugs and education. Please call 561-955-8553 and ask to speak with the executive director to discuss an area you might be qualified to share your knowledge and experi ence. url:www.PropelYourFuture.com
Spirit of Giving Network 261 NW 13th Street Boca Raton, FL 33432 You are invited to Community Volunteer Training by the Spirit of Giving Network. You will be provided with a 1-hour training to learn how to make a difference. Find a meaningful volunteer experience by donating time, talent or treasure. Training is open to the public: citi zens, high school students, college students, seniors, corporate employ ees, and anyone looking for a short or long-term volunteer project. Nonprofit organizations are welcome to send new and serving volunteers. Call Volunteer Program Manager at 561-299-1205. Website: www.spiritofgivingnet work.com Tri County Humane Society 21287 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton Telephone: (561) 482.8110 Hours: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday thru Sunday Cat companions; dog walkers and bathers; front desk; adoption coun selors; painters, plumbers and handypersons; fund raising volun teers are needed. Volunteers must 18 years of age or older. (The) Wayne Barton Study Center 269 NE 14th Street, Boca Raton Needs volunteer teaching and library assistants, coaches, food service workers, field trip helpers, general office help, etc. (561) 620.6203 Whitehall Boca Raton 7300 Del Prado Circle South Boca Raton (561) 392-3000 Whitehall is a long term care and rehabilitation facility. Caring and compassionate volunteers are needed to help in the Activities Department assisting in group activities, going outdoors, visiting residents on a one to one basis. Minimum age: 16 years old.
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Holiday Humor SOME FACTS ABOUT SANTA CLAUS 1) No known species of reindeer can fly. But there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, this does not completely rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.
The Month After Christmas... 'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
2) There are 2 billion children in the world (persons under 18). But since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, or Buddhist children, that reduces the workload by 85% of the total leaving 378 million according to the Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million homes. One presumes there is at least one good child per house.
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
3) Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has 1/1000 th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household, a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding, etc. That means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second - a conventional reindeer can run, at tops 25-30 miles per hour.
When I walked to the store
4) The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming each child gets nothing more than a medium sized LEGO set (2 lbs), the sleigh is carrying 321300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting the 'flying reindeer' can pull TEN TIMES that normal amount, we cannot do the job with eight, or even nine - we need 214200 reindeer. This increased the payload - not even counting the weight of the sleigh to 353430 tons. 5) 353000 tons travelling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance. This will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as spacecrafts re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair will absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy per second, each. In short, they will burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and creating a deafening sonic boom in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa meanwhile, will be subject to centrifugal forces of 17500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250 lb Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by a 4,315,015 pound force. In conclusion, if Santa ever
DID deliver presents on Christmas eve, he's now dead.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste At the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
(less a walk than a lumber). I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared; The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared, The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please." As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt And prepared once again to do battle with dirt--I said to myself, as I only can "You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!" So--away with the last of the sour cream dip, Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip Every last bit of food that I like must be banished "Till all the additional ounces have vanished. I won't have a cookie--not even a lick. I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore--But isn't that what January is for? Unable to giggle, no longer a riot. Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
New Years Laughs A New Year may be a significant event for many. But the absurdities of the celebration cannot escape a skeptic. Here are some funny New Year quotes. What better way to start a New Year than with a hearty laugh? Share your joy by greeting everybody with these funny New Year quotes. Mark Twain New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.
Jay Leno Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average‌ which means, you have met your New Year's resolution. James Agate New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.
Brooks Atkinson Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.
Eric Zorn Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle.
Bill Vaughan Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.
Bill Vaughan An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
P. J. O'Rourke The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to.
Charles Lamb New Year's Day is every man's birthday. Oprah Winfrey Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.
Mark Twain New Year's Day now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. Judith Crist Happiness is too many things these days for anyone to wish it on anyone lightly. So let's just wish each other a bile-less New Year and leave it at that. Anonymous Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. Joey Adams May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions! Anais Nin I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. Oscar Wilde Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
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MEET DR. EMMET FOX (1886 - 1951) Dr. Emmet Fox was a Minister, Author, Teacher, Healer and Mystic. Emmet Fox, probably more than any other New Thought leader has influenced more people simply because, in his day he attracted wider audiences than anyone else for longer periods of time. To this day, Emmet Fox is read more widely and is understood more clearly than any other New Thought writer. Closet readers of Dr. Fox can be found in the Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist and Methodist churches, among others. His objective, as a New Thought teacher has always been, not to establish yet another religion, not to establish yet another set of religious doctrines, but to encourage individuals, whether they attend church or not, to develop their own creative power and to personally understand what God is, and what God is all about, and then to be able to relate that to their own lives. In His day, and to this day, Emmet Fox reached more people because he had a talent to speak and write with great clarity, and in a very dynamic way. His message was simple and direct. He said, "Sooner or later you will have to put God first in your life, God must become the only thing that really matters. It need not be and better not be the only thing in your life, but it must be the first thing." He said, "When that happens your life becomes simple, richer and infinitely more worthwhile." He brought new meaning to millions of people around the globe with his golden keys of health, inner peace and success. In 1931, he became the pastor of The Church of the Healing Christ in New York city, founded by Dr. W. John Murray in 1906, and was called The First Church of Divine Science, in New York City. He was ordained a Divine Science Minister by Dr. Nona Brooks. This was the beginning of one of the most remarkable ministries in America. His Sunday morning lectures at the Hippodrome Theatre, the Manhattan Opera House and Carnegie Hall were attended by over 5,000 people. His meditations were powerful and his sermons never lasted more than twenty minutes. He spoke to, and of God in the most personal and intimate terms. Over six hundred thousand copies of his book Sermon on the Mount have been distributed and are still popular today. It is in this remarkable book that he reveals a source of universal power that is rightly yours. "This power states Dr. Fox. is the real source of all things that exist. It needs only to flow into your being and transform itself into health, into true prosperity, into inspiration, or into anything else you may be needing. The power is
there. It is present everywhere. It belongs to nobody in particular because it belongs to all. It is waiting at all times for men and women to call it into use -not merely in crisis, but in every problem however small every day of your life.� "The fact that most people do not suspect the existence of this Power does not change the fact that it is there," says Dr. Fox. "Remember that hardly anyone except a few philosophers suspected the existence of electricity, or the power of the steam emgine, until a few generations ago, then these things were brought into the service of man and have transformed the world. The laws of Nature were just the same then as they are now; only people did not know that such a force existed, and so they had to go without. I believe many of the limitations and difficulties that people take for granted will be things of the past." In this book, Emmet Fox gives the keys to success in life by tapping into the realm of Infinite power. He teaches that man is a child of a perfect God. Over one half million copies of Power Through Constructive Thinking are in circulation. It can be conservatively estimated, that the books and pamphlets he has written have come into the hands of tens of millions of people. His booklet The Golden Key, has topped all sales of new thought books worldwide and continues to be the most sort after booklet in his collection of writings. Dr. Fox was born in Ireland, raised in England, he ministered in America and made his transition in France. The theme of his teachings is Life is Consciousness and we are what we think. He emphasized that if we want to change our life, we must change our thoughts first. We set forth our own destiny by our thoughts, words, and actions. That there is only one presence and power in the universe, God, all else is an illusion. He gave us the Golden Key. "Love is by far the most important thing of all", he said, "It is the golden gate of paradise. Pray for the understanding of Love, and meditate upon it daily. It casts out fear. It is the fulfilling of the law. Love is absolute invincible." Emmet Fox left a mark. Life has been richer for hundreds of thousands of people, because he lived. He built his church on consciousness, knowing that God is instantly available and everywhere present. Like Peter, he built his church upon a rock, the rock of understanding that God is the only power and the only presence. From: Emmet Fox His Life Story
A CHRIST CENTERED 12 STEP PROGRAM Every Tuesday 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm RSVP for Free Childcare New Children’s Recovery Celebration Station nrunhaar@FUMCBocaRaton.org FUMC,625 Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33432
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A Holiday Gift To Use The Whole Year: Emmet Fox’s The Golden Key The Golden Key
Scientific prayer will enable
you to get yourself or anyone else, out of any difficulty. It is the golden key to harmony and happiness.
As for the actual method of working, like all fundamental things, it is simplicity itself. All you have to do is this: Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead. This is the complete rule, and if only you will do this, the trouble, whatever
To those who have no acquaintance with the mightiest power in existence, this may appear to be a rash claim, but it needs only a fair trial to prove that, without a shadow of doubt, it is a just one. You need take no one's word for it, and you should not. Simply try it is, will disappear. It makes no difference what kind of it for yourself. trouble it is. It may be a big God is omnipotent, and we are thing or a little thing: it may God's image and likeness and concern health, finance, a lawhave dominion over all things. suit, a quarrel, an accident, or This is the inspired teaching, anything else conceivable: but and it is intended to be taken whatever it is, stop thinking literally, at its face value. The about it and think of God ability to draw on this power is instead -- that is all you have not the special prerogative of to do.
shoulder in order to see how matters are progressing is fatal, because it is thinking of the trouble, and you must think of God and nothing else. Your object is to drive the thought of the difficulty out of your consciousness, for a few moments at least, substi-
Stop thinking about the difficulty, whatever it is, and think about God instead.
the mystic or the saint, as is so often supposed, or even of the highly trained practitioner. Everyone has this ability Whoever you are, wherever you may be, the golden key to harmony is in your hand now. This is because in scientific prayer it is God who works, and not you, and so your particular limitations or weaknesses are of no account in the process. You are only the channel through which the divine action takes place, and your treatment will be just the getting of yourself out of the way. Beginners often get startling results the first time, for all that is essential is to have an open mind and sufficient faith to try the experiment. Apart from that, you may hold any views on religion, or none.
It could not be simpler, could it? God could scarcely have made it simpler, and yet it never fails to work when given a fair trial. Do not try to form a picture of God, which is impossible. Work by rehearsing anything or everything that you know about God. God is wisdom, truth, inconceivable love. God is present everywhere, has infinite power, knows everything, and so on. It matters not how well you may think you understand these things: go over them repeatedly. But you must stop thinking of the trouble, whatever it is. The rule is, to think about God. If you are thinking about your difficulty, you are not thinking about God. To be continually glancing over your
tuting for it the thought of God. This is the crux of the whole thing. If you can become so absorbed in this consideration of the spiritual world that you forget for a while about the difficulty, you will find that you are safely and comfortably out of your difficulty -- that your demonstration is made.
If you find that you can do this very quickly, you may repeat the operation several times a day with intervals between. Be sure, however, each time you have done it, that you drop all thought of the matter until the next time. This is important. We have said that the golden key is simple, and so it is, but of course it is not always easy to turn. If you are very frightened or worried, at first it may be difficult to get your thoughts away from material things. But by constantly repeating a statement of absolute Truth, such as: There is no power but God: I am the child of God, filled and surrounded by the perfect peace of God: God is love; God is guiding me now; or, perhaps best and simplest of all. God is with me -- however mechanical or trite it may seem -- you will soon find that the treatment has begun to "take." And that your mind is clearing. Do not struggle violently; be quiet, but insistent. Each time you find your attention wandering, switch it back to God.
In order to "golden key" a troublesome person or a difficult situation, think. "Now 1 am going to 'golden key' John, or Mary. or that threatened danger: then proceed to drive all thought of John, or Mary, or the danger out of your mind, replacing it with the thought of God. Do not try to think in advance what the solution to your difBy working in this way about a ficulty will be. This is called person, you are not seeking to "outlining" and will only delay influence his conduct in any the demonstration. Leave the way, except that you prevent question of ways and means to him from injuring or annoying God. You want to get out of you, and you do him nothing your difficulty that is suffibut good. Thereafter, he is cient. You do your half, and certain to be in some degree a God will never fail to do God's. better, wiser, and more spiritual person, just because you "Whoever calls on the name of have "golden keyed" him. A the Lord shall be saved" (Acts pending lawsuit or other diffi- 2:21). culty would probably fade out harmlessly without coming to a Emmet Fox crisis, justice being done to all parties concerned.
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