[Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety.

[Lynn Ronkainen]

happy 30th David. I have come to understand how wonderful events like this 
are, be they months, years or decades!
peace
Lynn

My email  is changing soon to: houstonKLR at gmail.com


website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Jay Weigel" <jay.weigel at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2014 10:06 AM
To: <Cantor03 at aol.com>; <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety.

> Happy 30th, David!
>
> On Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 11:02 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
> magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> December 27, 1984, I entered the diocesan committee room in the
>> Eau Claire Diocesan Offices just next to Christ Church Cathedral in
>> that City.
>>
>> I had suspected something was up when the Cathedral Dean called me
>> the day before and said he wanted "to chat" with me.  The subject  was
>> avoided.
>>
>> The committee room was set up with a table and four chairs on the  side
>> opposite the entry, and there was one chair on my side.  The other  four
>> chairs were occupied by (1) +Eau Claire, (2) Cathedral Dean, (3) the
>> O/C who was a good friend, and (4) one of the Cathedral deacons, a
>> fellow physician and friend.
>>
>> It was a classical intervention, by the book and by the clerical  orders
>> (bishop, priest, deacon, and layman).
>>
>> I almost turned on my heels and walked out for it was obvious to me  what
>> this was all about.  Thank God I did not.  I sat down.
>>
>> I was gently but firmly raked over the coals.  The message:   alcohol was
>> quickly sending me to hell in a handbasket, and I needed to clean up  my
>> act or risk losing everything.
>>
>> My reaction was initially (1) embarrassment, and then (2) anger.  How
>> could
>> these people possibly put me through this after all my activity and
>> support
>> for the Cathedral and the Diocese?  Then, blissfully, and I can't help 
>> but
>> feel miraculously, (3) appreciation.  I became aware that "these  people"
>> valued me enough to take the time and effort to mount this  intervention.
>>
>> I owed them and myself no less than to enter outpatient rehab and AA 
>> that
>> same day.  I has been TBTG 30 years since I picked up a  drink.  With
>> God's help, I never will drink again.
>>
>>
>> David Strang.
>>