Doing my share removing ... stigma ?

[vahn]

Always have a hard time with titles ! My mind goes so many places with each word that by the time I find something "fit" I even end up forgetting what my name was , let alone what was it I was thinking of sharing . So , I think I best go back to Pops and see where He is , and I'll write from His Office , (less clutter there!)

One of the many sponsor-suggested habits I had learnt to develope is that whenever I get the same question asked or a situation(s) present themselves for three or more times , it is best to scratch your head and take a look as to why that is happening . "There must be something The Lord is trying to tell you something" said my spiritual adviser/sponsor , ( yes , I do ,or rather did have three sponsors , one for my personal recovery from alcoholism [receive] , one for service work [give back] and one for spiritual maintenence [progress] ) , some are sicker than others you kno , just kiddin ! . The truth is that alcolism is a three fold disease , physical , mental and spiritual , and if you were to recover from one and neglect the others , you're still two thirds drunk ! .

I hope I can get this thing done sometime today , got distracted again , and its supposed to be my day off !!

Anyway , on three diff occasions within a one week period the question of " Dont you have anything better to do with your life vahn ? " was tossed at me , and my response to all three was the same , " No , I dont have anything better to do ! I do have a lot that I can choose to do , but not better " .
These questions came up from concerned observations of some "close" friends who , seeing the time I spend here at Christianity Oasis , AA Hotline , their (AA) website and meetings and driving (work) .

For quite a while now (almost 9 months) the "calling" had been occupying mind considerably and ranges from anywhere from "what am I called for " or "am I called at all " - "maybe I'd mistaken this for something else alltogether " - and yada yada yada , almost none-stop , until that is yet another sponsor gem , in combination of the three Q's came to mind , "If you're constantly thinking about what God's will for you is , you're not doing God's will , you're just thinking! , and the way you think vahn ? HaH !

Ever since my sponsor's (spiritual adviser) passing a little over three yrs ago , I found myself completely at loss and disillusioned ,so I threw myself into more work with alcoholics and AA as a whole at the same time stocked up my then floor-to-ceiling-wall-to-wall library shelf with all and any book pertaining to spirituality and God I can put my hands on , and , needless to say , the confusing whirlwind spiraled into a downright toronado , until , that is , I found (called ? led ?) myself here at the Oasis ( I think my sponsor lives here now ) .

Part of my service work I do with Alcoholics Anonymous's web site , aside from guiding newbies to their respectful channels as far as meetings , finding sponsors , guiding them thru the steps , is the work I do with the not so newbies who , for one reason or other find themselves , like me, at "odds" , so to speak , with spiritual matters , and so , having my own blog @AA , to those who come there asking me for "directions" , the only thing I can share with these people is my own experience(s) and the results I got since joining Christianity Oasis , and I suggest they do the same , for if it works for this thick-headed alkie , I kno it'll work for anybody .
Another area of AA svc. work I do is in my involvement in PI/CPC commitee , it stands for public information / in cooperation with the professional community , and that is where we attempt to help the public to better understand , look for signs and try to seperate the alcoholic from his disease in other words , the alcoholic is a person who just happened to be, beyond his control, addicted to alcohol . Also by educating the public of alcoholism being a Spiritual malady first , then the physical (actual drinking) symptom or "alergy" , meaning that he/she is NOT at "fault" in this , and there is help availeable , if they were to give it a shot first before the STIGMA .

So , my dear brothers and sisters , I do know the fact that there are forums that deal with addictions here at the Oasis , but , if we (alkies) were ALL go there , who will be here to guide them to the other forums ?
I ask that please just because a person that comes here identifies their problem as drinking and drugging to please stick to the spiritual aspect of it as opposed to the consequences "caused" from drunken actions taken .

[vahn]

P.S.

My only hope for writing all that is , that all who come here with that specific problem would get the same exact treatment as I got , for which I am forever greatful and indebted to , epople like , Lizzie , MLG , Real , Flo, Pine < the list goes on ad infinitum , who played a crucial part in my spiritual recovery .
May God bless you and keep you , until then .

[mlg]

Vahn you have such a valid point. One time I was struggling to reach a member here so I wrote Oasis asking for help...you know what he told me? Your focusing too much on the problem and not on the solution....Jesus. So I have to agree that we need to focus on the Spiritual with members, more than focusing on the "wrongs" of what they are doing.

Take care vahn and God Bless

[Dora]

one for my personal recovery from alcoholism [receive] , one for service work [give back] and one for spiritual maintenence [progress] ) ,

Interesting. I like the way you put this. It opens up understanding.

some are sicker than others you kno , just kiddin ! .

You're to funny.

The truth is that alcolism is a three fold disease , physical , mental and spiritual , and if you were to recover from one and neglect the others , you're still two thirds drunk ! .

I never realized this. Then isn't every addiction as such.

Thank you for sharing Vahn.

God Bless

[vahn]

Yes Pine , every addiction is a Spiritual void in our souls (the hole in the pit of our stomach) that we try to fill with any kind of substance or activity to gain a temporary relief from the restlessness , irritability , and discontempt we suffer from in the absence of the substance , whether it be alcohol , drugs , gambling , even sex or food . Anything that is used beyond its proper use and purpose .
To use my own experience as an example , prior to discovering the effect alcohol produces , I could not do anything that I aspired to do because I never thought of myself being worthy , smart , good or even stupid enough , to be able to achieve all or even one my ambitions , and I had a lot of them . The very reason of having all these so called ambitions , always thinking the grass is ever greener over "there" , is because of the fact that there was always something missing over "here" , I was never satisfied with where I was the way I was , and the way out of it was missing ,whether it was courage , confidence or faith . So , with the advent of the discovery of the effect that alcohol produced ie: the removal of those "inadequacies" or "fears" whether real or fancied , I found the solution ! (it filled the gap , so to speak) , and I didnt draw a sober breath for many , many years , and the rest is history , you see , alcohol was the solution for me , it was doing for me what I could not do for myself . So , if it had been chocolate that produced that effect , I'd be 600 lbs. bigger by now , or if had been the "church", I'd be in the Vatican somewhere, if not the Pope himself !!
Besides the fact any or all substance or activity was used primarily, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves , it takes priority over all other activities , hence , negligence , irresponsible behaviors and so on follows which in turn causes us shame, guilt, and remorse and the only solution for those feelings is more of the hair of the dog that bit us , and the cycle continues until , 1) we self destruct , or 2) we find or wish to find something else to do for us what we could not do for ourselves , and 3) we just admit the fact that the "hole" we'd been trying to fill is God's , not ours ! and He alone can fill that , so it is God who is doing for me today what I could not do for myself ! Without Him , I am nothing .


Jesus said to the samaritan " He who drinks of this well will thirst again . The water I give you comes from the Father , he who drinks of that water shall never thirst . "

[Lani]

*Wave* Hey Vahn,



Thank you so much for taking the time to see this post through... I pray it encourages others to reach out, if for no other reason then to know they are not alone.

That difficult season was the foundation for which He taught you. Now that you are a willing "tool" for His work, the work He will continue to do through you is amazing to say the least.

You are an inspiration bro, and called... no doubt, you already do His will, He knows your heart.

Looking forward to hearing more from ya Vahn.

Peace and Luv in Christ,

Lani