What We Offer to Addicts

Some of our best advice

1. Look forward to the day you fully understand, accept and feel that a life of total sobriety and relief from addictions(s) is one amazing gift from God.  We cannot fully describe the feeling of waking up each new day not regretting actions and decisions of yesterday, and knowing that the new day is going to be free of cravings and free to serve His kingdom to the best of my ability. 2. Trust is the easiest thing to lose, and the hardest thing to gain back, and it is your most important asset!  Make earning it back your new life purpose. 3. Helplessness - If you don't make some clear decisions now, others are going to be making them for you, for a long time to come. 4. Let's talk about freedom. For maybe the last two decades trapped in my alcohol addiction I simply could not imagine giving up the freedom to have a drink (almost) anytime I wanted. I was entitled to it, I deserved it and honestly, I loved the buzz. Could not imagine living without that freedom. I eventually lost the freedom to be a healthy person, be gainfully employed, to be with my loved ones, to have any self pride and more. A person is not 'free' while handcuffed and thrown onto a cold jail cell floor. Or while being hauled away in an ambulance after creating an accident that literally killed some innocent person or two. 5. We express extreme gratitude for the nearly 100 years of AA.  Millions have been saved through their principles, practices and 12 Steps.  But we respectfully disagree with one theme in the rooms, which is "once an addict, always an addict". The feeling is that an addict has to hang on white knuckled "one day at a time" for the rest of their lives.  Our church preaches "your past behavior does not define who you are".  We clearly believe in the "born again" concept, feeling that the past self-destructive person we were is now dead and buried.  We have become new souls, with His love, acceptance and grace.  Among other passages, we believe and follow these: John 3:7 - You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again' Romans 6:4 - We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus Romans 12:2 - Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 6. With addicts, we work together to create a 2-column list called "What will be gained" and "What might be lost" from taking their next drink or drug. We come up in the "gained" column with things like "temporary buzz, feeling of rebellion, liquid courage" and some other trivial benefits. On the "might be lost" side we start with pride, self-esteem, family love and work our way to "life in prison as a paraplegic with a sentence of vehicular manslaughter".  This is a really healthy exercise every time. 7. Hiding, sneaking, deceiving, lying are symptoms of a disease. The disease has had control of our true being, our true soul, and our true beliefs. As addicts, it was not US that behaved with those actions. It was the devil drug inside us that had control. Removing that drug, and totally curing that disease, allows our true soul to shine. Let it shine! When we do let it shine, it reflects back to us in the eyes of our family and friends. 8. Your next low will be lower than your lowest low so far. This is a progressive disease. It only gets worse. Something, or more certainly, a series of lows brought us to the reality of our affliction. It is with total certainty that we now understand that the next low will exceed all others in the life-changing calamities experienced. It is a sad fact that millions of addicts today will never bounce off their next bottom. 9. We have caused immeasurable pain to others. The addict has no clue regarding the depth of pain and damage caused to others while they are in their disease. The addict's only concern is for finding the next high or the next escape. No one else's feelings or desires matter. The pain is deeper than we have the ability to perceive through brain fogged (and empty) glasses. 10. Our good friend Dr. Don Middleton has authored some books that have been extremely valuable to my group. He places a wonderful Christian blanket on top of AA's 12 Steps. He actually takes them back to their original Christian roots from the Oxford Group. In AA's wisdom, they diluted the Christian base of their steps, to welcome addicts from any and all faiths plus non-believers. Saving millions for around 100 years, what a great success. We like discussing them from the Christian base offered through the good Dr. Visit Dr. Middleton's website below to start with The Dunamis Effect, book and workbook.