[Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety. - prayer request

Sat Jan 3 14:15:29 UTC 2015

Wow, that's a tough age. You are thinking that now you are ready to take on
adult stuff, and yet your brain is still maturing, and most kids that age
have a long way to go, which is why we see so much risk-taking behavior.

And it is so easy to drink to excess once one gets started -- another
reason why I avoid the party scene.

Ryan does have one ace in the hole, fortunately, which is you.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente

On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 3:20 AM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com> wrote:

> Congratulations, David!
>
> This reminds me: please pray for 17 year old Ryan, a good friend of my
> nephew Chris. Chris went to a New Year party that should have been huge fun
> and instead had a nightmare of a night due to Ryan's out of control
> drinking. Ryan's mother is a heavy drinker and did nothing to help her son.
> When he dropped his (new expensive) cell phone into a Portaloo, she blamed
> Chris and their other friend and skulled them out!!
>
> Chris has been very quiet ever since, I'm sad for him as he's often been
> withdrawn this year and is not a very socially confident young man - he so
> didn't need this horrible experience of embarrassment and shame.
>
> And I fear for Ryan, drinking to self destruction at such a young age in a
> culture which continues to venerate the so called "ability to drink" as a
> marker of adulthood in males.
>
> Sally D
>
> On Saturday, 3 January 2015, H Angus <hangus at ctcn.net> wrote:
>
> > I agree, Lynn and Jay. But there are differences in the approaches
> between
> > Al-Anon and ACOA too, and those differences can *make* a difference at
> > various stages in our "journeys," I think.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jay Weigel" <jay.weigel at gmail.com <javascript:;>>
> > To: magdalen at herberthouse.org <javascript:;>
> > Sent: Friday, January 2, 2015 6:29:25 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety.
> >
> > As with anything of that nature, I think it depends on the group.
> >
> > On Fri, Jan 2, 2015 at 6:01 PM, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com
> > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > Heather, I found ACoA 7 years ago when I showed up at a new location
> for
> > > an AlAnon meeting. The schedule I found online was incorrect and the
> > > meeting of the night was ACoA... for people who grew up in an Alcoholic
> > > 'or' dysfunctional home.  It has literally changed my life in ways that
> > > AlAnon, never could have.
> > >
> > > peace
> > > Lynn
> > >
> > > My email  is changing soon to: houstonKLR at gmail.com <javascript:;>
> > >
> > >
> > > 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: "H Angus" <hangus at ctcn.net <javascript:;>>
> > > Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2014 11:41 AM
> > > To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org <javascript:;>>
> > > Subject: Re: [Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety.
> > >
> > >  I am so glad for you, David! 30 years is a wonderful testament to you
> > and
> > >> to the program.
> > >>
> > >> It was February of 1986 when I entered my first meeting of Tough Love,
> > >> for parents of "difficult" children. Lots of people there said I
> should
> > go
> > >> to Adult Children of Alcoholics, which is a 12-step program. I asked ,
> > >> "Why? My parents weren't alcoholics -- they barely drank a glass of
> > wine in
> > >> a month!" They answered "We still think you should go to ACOA." I was
> of
> > >> course rigid with terror when I entered my first ACOA meeting, and I
> > >> practically ran out the door when that meeting ended, so I wouldn't
> > have to
> > >> stand in a circle and hold hands with anyone and pray! (Hold hands,
> > eeww!
> > >> Pray in a circle with others, eeww!)
> > >>
> > >> Most ACOA meetings have gone away -- its a very tough program and I
> > >> suspect that nowadays most people just take anti-depressants. But for
> me
> > >> the program was like being let out of a dark box into a new world, and
> > I'll
> > >> always be glad I did it old-school.
> > >>
> > >> This morning, as an Al-Anon member I attended my regular open
> > >> (all-12-steppers welcome) AA meeting, and afterwards I clasped hands
> > >> joyfully with the people on either side as we recited the Lord's
> Prayer.
> > >> Was it the Eagles? or Socrates? who said, "What a long strange road
> it's
> > >> been."
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> From: "James Handsfield" <jhandsfield at icloud.com <javascript:;>>
> > >> To: magdalen at herberthouse.org <javascript:;>
> > >> Sent: Friday, December 26, 2014 9:31:47 PM
> > >> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] 30 Years of Sobriety.
> > >>
> > >> Getting caught up- congratulations on a wonderful milestone.
> > >>
> > >> Jim Handsfield
> > >> Sent from my iPhone
> > >>
> > >>  On Dec 26, 2014, at 9:30 PM, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com
> > <javascript:;>>
> > >>> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>> 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 <javascript:;>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> 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 <javascript:;>>
> > >>> Sent: Friday, December 26, 2014 10:06 AM
> > >>> To: <Cantor03 at aol.com <javascript:;>>; <magdalen at herberthouse.org
> > <javascript:;>>
> > >>> 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 <javascript:;>> 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.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>
> >
> >
>