PRIDEFUL ARROGANT ME

Hello Readers,

          Not to often I openly express and share my personal experiences, but in this case I must!  Recently I was presented with an awesome opportunity, as I have been presented these opportunities throughout most of my life.  Life changing opportunities, that I have turned into failures and for the longest time, I could not figure out why they did not pan out. Once I was delivered from addiction by the LORDS grace, I wanted to dedicate my life to doing HIS work!  These past ten years many opportunities have been brought my way by HIS hand! I would join churches develop recovery programs, open a recovery house and be blessed with the opportunity to expand these opportunities beyond my imagination. Somehow, and I now know how these opportunities became some of my greatest failures. Growing up I lived in household of cynical and destructive negative thinking.  My days were filled with the comments of your going to screw it up or the thinking that there was nothing good in people in the outside world.  Working the twelve steps did not even open my eyes to the fact that I have been a prideful, arrogant fool my entire life!  Learning this now is deliverance from self and just one of HIS divine ways of HIM revealing  why I have not reached my full potential in life!  Joy is what I need to share with you, ,joy because I see now it was not everybody else who was causing my failures it was me.  This most recent opportunity was one of the best I have been presented with in quite sometime and it is my hope that prideful arrogant me has not shut the door on this one.  In everyone of these opportunities their was excitement at first and then came the negative thinking which was embedded as a child then along comes, doubt,  fear and self destructive behaviors.  How many of  you out there spend countless hours spinning your wheels trying to figure out how did this go wrong!  You did everything right, or did you?  Fear, doubt, and self destructive behaviors are satans way of keeping us from reaching our full potential!  Satan even used scripture against me,  like he did to JESUS!  A wise man has many councils, is what was whispered over and over throughout my mind.  So that is what I did with all of these opportunities,  listened to other people and to that nagging voice!  What I missed was what GOD was trying to tell me!  Stop listening to you and others when presented with an opportunity, you just might get a surprise and discover who you truly are and reach your full potential!

PHILADELPHIA RECOVERY COMMUNITY CENTER CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY



Dec. 10 dinner marks holidays and five years of service



PHILADELPHIA, Pa. —Dec. 4, 2012 — When the Philadelphia Recovery Community Center (PRCC) hosts its holiday dinner on Dec. 10, the celebration will mark more than the season. The party will also celebrate the fifth anniversary of the center, which was established in 2007 to provide programs and services to help individuals sustain long-term recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol.



“The center provides a place where people can come to build a strong foundation for recovery and to meet other people in recovery,” said Sean Brinda, senior peer services coordinator at PRCC.



PRCC is a collaboration between Pennsylvania Recovery Organization-Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT) and the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services. Programs and services include peer-to-peer recovery coaching, life skills workshops, housing and credit information sessions, health and nutrition programs, discussion groups, drug- and alcohol-free social activities and more. In fiscal year 2011-2012, the center provided 1,561 individuals with more than 17,100 hours of recovery support services.Drawing on staff and volunteer resources, PRCC offered an average of 85 events and activities each month.



In its first five years, PRCC has made a positive impact. Its programs and services contributed to a 64.3-percent increase in education or employment among clients and a 81.1-percent increase in stable housing. The center also helped clients avoid substance use and illegal activities, according to data obtained from the Government Performance Results Act (GRPA) baseline and six-month follow-up assessments.



PRCC is located at 1701 W. Lehigh Ave., Unit 6, in North Philadelphia. To learn more, visit http://www.councilsepa.org/programs/pro-act/philadelphia-rcc/ or call 215-223-7700.





About PRO-ACT

PRO-ACT is the regional nonprofit organization working to mobilize and rally individuals in recovery from addiction, as well as their families, friends and allies in a campaign to end discrimination, broaden social understanding and achieve a just response to addiction as a public health crisis. PRO-ACT is hosted by The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania.



About The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. is a private nonprofit prevention, education, advocacy, and intervention organization, providing a wide range of services to families, schools, businesses, individuals, and the community. Founded in 1975, The Council serves the Southeast region of Pennsylvania and is a member of a nationwide network of National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Affiliates. The Council has offices and Recovery Community Centers in Doylestown, New Britain, Bristol, and Philadelphia. For help with alcohol, tobacco or other substances, or for information on the disease of alcoholism and addiction, call 800-221-6333, toll-free, 24-hours a day. For more information, visit www.councilsepa.org.

  

Recovery from the disease of addiction is possible!

  Reminder!

This is a busy time of the year so this is just a friendly reminder! 

In the event you cannot attend,

order your ornament now and we will place it on the tree for you

 

ORNAMENTS AND DEDICATIONS Think about those you know whose lives have been affected by alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. To honor them with an ornament and personal dedication message click HERE, then click Store, Tree of Hope (above the calendar) and select from several options including        Note that one option is to  underwrite stars so those unable to afford them can dedicate an ornament on the tree. We will arrange that. Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. MUSIC MUSIC will be provided by Cordus Mundi  Cordus Mundi is an a cappella group that performs throughout the Bucks County region. Their widely varied and entertaining repertoire spans several centuries and musical styles. Click here for Cordus Mundi

22nd Annual Dedication Ceremony Wednesday, December 12 6:30 pm  Bucks County Courthouse Lobby 55 East Court Street, Doylestown (Park in the VIP Parking Lot at Court & Broad Streets  or use street parking)   Join us for an evening of hope and dignity. Enjoy fellowship, music, personal testimonials and light refreshments. The Tree of Hope CELEBRATES freedom from addiction, honoring persons successfully achieving recovery; DEDICATES rays of hope to those still struggling in the illness and those working in the field; and COMMEMORATES lives lost to this tragic and misunderstood disease.       Join us and members of the public to decorate the Tree of Hope with personalized ornaments bearing the names of people we wish to honor. Whether in commemoration and remembrance for a life lost, or in celebration and recognition for a life gained in recovery, each ornament placed on the 18-foot evergreen tree is a representation of the hope of recovery and a symbolic reminder that recovery benefits the entire community. Attendees will have special opportunities to place their dedicated ornaments on the tree during the ceremony and enjoy refreshments afterward.        If you are unable to attend, you may order an ornament and dedication and choose to have us place your ornament on the tree for you.   TO ORDER YOUR ORNAMENTS AND DEDICATION MESSAGES, PLEASE CLICK HERE, then click Store, Tree of Hope (above the calendar)  HOW WE USE PROCEEDS              Proceeds from the Tree of Hope will go toward providing Recovery Support Services to individuals and families and to supporting programs in our PRO-ACT Recovery Community Centers to help people access and sustain long-term recovery.         To make a cash donation to the Tree of Hope, please click HERE, then click Store, Tree of Hope (above the calendar) and you will see the red gift box. Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.  CONTACT     www.councilsepa.org www.councilsepa.org/programs/pro-act/

Living Free Every Day®

Today's Scripture

"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it." - 2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG
Thoughts for Today
Yesterday we considered the importance of taking a regular inventory of our lives. A good place to start is by examining our relationship with God. As you begin to do this, ask yourself some hard questions like these:

• Do I know God better today than I did last month or last year?
• Am I asking God about his plan for my life—or just forging on ahead, doing my own thing?
• Am I too busy for God?
• Am I persisting in some behavior that I know is displeasing to him?

Consider this …
You can trust Jesus to forgive your failures and give you the strength to get your life back on track. The changes might be small or large. The important thing is to always be moving in the right direction … toward God and his plan for your life.
Prayer
Father, I desire to grow in my walk with you, to know you better, to accomplish your plan for my life. As I celebrate the birth of your Son and all that he means to me, help me see the areas in my life that need change—and then to do something about it. In Jesus' name …

---

These thoughts were drawn from …
Stepping into Freedom: A Christ-Centered Twelve-Step Program by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This twelve-step program is suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

 

 

PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
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Kratom Popularity on the Rise in South Florida

By Join Together Staff | December 3, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related & Drugs

Kratom, used as a medicinal plant in some countries in Southeast Asia, is increasingly popular as a drug of abuse in South Florida, the Sun Sentinel reports. The drug is available online, and at tobacco and head shops, the newspaper notes. Some people use it recreationally, while others use it for pain relief, or as a treatment for depression and other ailments. It is also used by some people as a substitute for heroin, prescription painkillers or opium.

“It’s very easy to get,” said Nancy Steiner, founder of The Sanctuary, a transitional living facility for people in recovery from chemical dependency in Delray Beach, Florida. “It’s not just a problem for the recovery community, but it’s in high schools and colleges. It’s a mass problem.”

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), kratom is mainly being abused orally as a tea, but some people chew kratom leaves. Kratom has been described as producing both stimulant and sedative effects. Acute side effects include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination and loss of appetite. Kratom consumption can lead to addiction, according to the DEA.

The agency notes that while kratom is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act, there is no legitimate medical use for kratom in the U.S.

Kentucky Finds Heroin on the Rise as Prescription Drug Abuse Declines

By Join Together Staff | November 30, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs & Prescription Drugs

As Kentucky begins to see results from its crackdown on prescription drug abuse, officials report a rise in heroin use.

Earlier this year, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear signed into law a bill aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse. The law requires that all pain clinics be licensed, specifies requirements for ownership and employment, and obliges Kentucky’s licensure board to develop regulations for pain clinics. It gives law enforcement easier access to the state’s prescription drug monitoring database. Doctors must examine patients, take full medical histories, and check electronic prescription records before writing prescriptions for opioids.

“There’s always some type of drug to step up when another gets taken out,” said Dan Smoot, Law Enforcement Director of Operation UNITE, which combats substance abuse in Kentucky. “We didn’t know it was going to be heroin. We knew something was going to replace pills.”

Law enforcement officials say heroin is imported from Mexico and Central America, according to the Associated Press. It is cheaper and more easily available than prescription opioids, such as oxycodone. Van Ingram, Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, told the AP that a single oxycodone pill can cost between $80 and $100, compared with $15 to $20 for a bag of heroin.

The rise in heroin use as a result of prescription drug abuse is part of a national trend.