I
Want A New Deal Dept: It wasn’t in the cards that man should
control the world around him without God, but we try to anyway we can!
Wait a minute, what’s this about cards? Just another example on how we
can’t control things. Step 1 is the opening of the door of our
lives to the reality of our spiritual condition. When we admit to
ourselves, that there is something rotten in our hearts, we begin the
journey. When we live in Garbageville, we don’t smell the trash, when we
see broken glass and concrete, we don’t know about trees and fields. The sinful nature of man is foreign
to the Spirit of God. Where there
is a glimmer of light in the darkness of addiction and dysfunction, then we
feel the hope of God. For without hope, the people perish. Look to the hope
of God, Jesus Christ, for He can make meaning out of this life.
p 1: We admitted that we had become
powerless
over alcohol or the substance we had
abused
(the alcoholic or the substance abuser)
and
that our lives were unmanageable.
(Abusers)
Step 1: We admit without blaming, we are
powerless
over the dysfunctional (unhealthy)
behaviors
and memories from childhood, and
our
lives are unmanageable. (Adult
Child)
Step 1: We admitted that we had become
powerless
over alcohol or the substance we had
abused
(the alcoholic or the substance abuser)
and
that our lives were unmanageable.
(Family)
The 2000 Retreat Dates Are In! Couples’ Retreat: March 17-19 At Maumee Bay,
OH (1 hour from Detroit) $180.00 per couple. Call Ralph or
Denise for more information at 313-534-6383. Ladies Spring Retreat: April 28-30 Fall Retreat: September 22-23 At St. Mary’s Conference
Center, Monroe, MI. Call Sharon
Terry for cost and more information at 248-887-6394. $25.00
Saturday (one day). Call Dave Callies for more information at 810-795-2434. Don’t
miss the opportunity to be blessed. Sign up early! The Lord will meet you there and has
always blessed
and changed those in attendance. Fall Retreat: October 20-22
Men’s Spring Retreat: May 12-14
Fall Retreat: October 20-22. Echo
Grove Conference Center (Salvation Army)
Leonard, MI Cost is $85.00 for the
full weekend.
(Family 
Reflections Of Faith In The Mirror Of Years
19 years ago, I was 11 years old. I was riding in the backseat
of my girlfriend’s mom’s sedan. We turned at the corner where the trees meet
like an umbrella. In only a few seconds, my home would come into view. Today,
unlike other days, there would be people all over, in the driveway, on the
front lawn, and assembled along the front porch. There was furniture and bags
everywhere and the blue truck. Three days earlier, Heidi had her head on my lap
as she gave birth to four healthy pups, two brown and two black. Yet today, the
blue truck with it’s four locked cages on each side was leaving my house. As we
pulled into the drive, my heart pounded and my small hands trembled. I didn’t
know any of those people and I never
saw their faces. I searched the big house until I saw my mom desperately
arguing with a man. At that instant, my sister, who had moved into her own
house with her husband and their two little kids, grabbed hold of me and said,
“You guys will have to live with me now.” I simply asked her, “What about
Heidi?” She replied with that fatal blow. My heart stopped as she told me the
answer. I watched every part of her face as she spoke those tragic words,
“Heidi will get a good home!”
After we lost the house, as all of us moved into that
tiny two-bedroom apartment on the other side of town, the money became very
tight. I could hear them putting dollars together late at night to buy the
milk, bread, and the essentials. As the weather became colder, it was difficult
to pay the heat bill. I was powerless to do anything to make it better, or
easier for anyone. I wasn’t even old enough to do any work to help pay the
bills. I know I could help by trying to be as good as possible. Two weeks
before Christmas, I lay on the floor next to mom and whispered to her that it
was o.k. if I didn’t get anything for Christmas. I saw tears roll down her face
in the moonlight. She never said a word as she kissed me goodnight. I was very
proud of myself for being so strong and making suck a bold statement. On
Christmas Eve morning, I began to worry. I thought about the kids at school
asking me what I got. What would I do? Lie! That afternoon, my sister came in
and announced that the church had sent a package. I remember her eyes aglow as
she spoke with exasperated excitement. I was excited that the little kids would
have gifts for Christmas.
The Next morning, we woke up and the little kids were so
excited. I got up and sat on the couch as my sister read names on the packages.
We got socks and gloves. Way back behind the other presents, was a blue and
white stuffed clown. My sister looked at me and said, “This one has your name
on it.” He had the cutest cross-stitch face and two big yarn pom-poms for
buttons. That was the year I learned about faith.
19 years latter, I watched my own daughter hug that very
same clown as I placed him under the tree. I thought about the day, two months
ago, that I was told that all but one vertebrae in my mother’s back was broken
and they were unsure of what the future held for her. I thought about how awful
to spend life in bed. How long could she live like that? That night in my
living room on my knees, I looked up at the Lord with tears rolling down my
cheeks. I prayed that I didn’t want her to live in pain, or as a vegetable. She
is my best friend and I would be devastated without her. But I asked God to do
whatever was necessary. If the only way she would ever walk again was on
clouds, then he should take her. But I told the Lord that she wouldn’t mind
riding a black horse named Sugar every once in a while. That night, my heart
became peaceful. I felt settled. Eight weeks latter, the news came that all her
vertebrae’s healed and with no explanation. Tonight, as I watch my daughter
played with that clown, I thought about that first lesson of faith. Did it
prepare me for this one?
Thank
you Lord, for that clown so many years ago. I ask you to send a special
blessing to the person who put their Love into it and all the volunteers who
give of their time during this demanding season. Thank you, Lord, for allowing
my mother to take another walk with me. Most of all, I thank you for these
lessons as I appreciate your most precious gift
on that first Christmas so many years ago. Amen.
Who’s on First
Department: The A/C Board of Directors
continues to grow as A/C grows in this new year. We have three new members on the Board of Directors; Ola
Allen, Dave Callies, and Julius Carson.
With these three, and the current twelve- member board we hope to
better serve the recovering community locally as well as throughout the
world. Your Board
Members are: Bill Keaton Jeff Sheetz Will Garrett Joe Jacobs Joan Marie
Jacobs Clarence Eubanks Sharon Terry Ken Horan Jesse Washington Jim Holden Dave Callies Julius Carson Ola Allen Laurie The A/C
Board of Elders: Jeff Sheetz President Will Garrett Vice- President Joe Jacobs Treasurer Ken Horan
Office Coordinator Jesse Washington
Inner City Office Jim Lyons
Signed, Kathy
Bill Keaton Co Founder
Came To Believe Dept: I have decided to accept I’m a sinner…
If so, then where is there hope? I was like a car without
brakes, a reckless parachutist without a parachute.
Flattened by the gravity of sin and denial. A wise businessman once noted that his
lack of skills concerning advertising was hurting, not
helping hisbusiness. He went out and hired a man who had given a competitor a great ad campaign. This
man helped him to identify who and where his customers were and targeted a winning set of ad’s for
him. If the businessman kept trusting in himself, he
would of suffered bankruptcy. We are like the reckless man Jesus spoke
about in the parable of the sand and rock. Jesus is
the experienced one who can show us the ins and outs of
our hearts. Let Him lead you on into His way and
grow strong with His love. James Alan Holden Came
to believe that through Jesus Christ we could be restored to a right
relationship with God, the Father, and subsequent sanity and stability in
our lives
(Abuser) Came
to believe that through Jesus Christ, an intimate and true relationship
with God the Father will be restored. along
with sanity and stability in our lives, and our identity will
be made whole. (Adult Child) Step 2:
Came to believe that through Jesus Christ we could be
restored to right relationship with
God, the Father, and subsequent
sanity and stability in our lives. (Family) Hope For The New Millennium
(Received at the A/C office on Monday,
December, 27th 1999)