Monday Thoughts 8/30/2021

Forward to a Friend “To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow, this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.”  ~~Elizabeth Gilbert “Love is always bestowed as a gift—freely, willingly and without expectation.  We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.”  ~~Leo Buscaglia “You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing.  You don’t have to do anything to earn it.  Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success—none of that matters.  No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.”  ~~Ram Dass  #10 All love given returns. I am learning to know that I am loved. Statement #10, the second of the “Love Statements” can feel uncomfortable to practice at first but understanding that I was deserving of love for simply existing opened up a whole new way to live.  Before sobriety and recovery, I was under the assumption that love needed to be earned…. from family and even friends.  This created a seemingly never-ending cycle of “receipt chaos” in my mind (why, who needed payback and when).  Turning to alcohol for relief, I simply shut down and love was lost. Our founder, Jean Kirkpatrick, PhD, put some missing puzzle pieces together and brought the WFS New Life Program to life.  Built with exploration and insight, every woman who embraces the 13 Statements today receives love directly from Jean.  That love continues on through each of us, weaving together a strong and vibrant tapestry that continues to flow outward. Loving without expectation creates a portal for life to simply be and releases a need for receipts.  Relationships and experiences begin to feel genuine and authentic, while cementing healthy self-awareness.  Love is a powerful force and like our WFS Program booklet states “Love is the wellspring of a New Life.” Hugzzz Karen Hi 4C Women, I relate to what Karen has shared.  I have found that giving love was always easier than accepting that I was loved just for being me.   I belittled myself over and over again to prove I was lovable.  I found myself making choices that only validated my feelings of unworthiness, feeling invisible.  Thank goodness for therapy and the WFS New Life Statements.  I read an article a while back that touched my heart and expressed clearly what I have learned from rejection from others and even rejecting myself as a lovable person.  It starts with “Remember this” – Remember this when you are in familiar territory and someone new walks up looking for guidance Remember this when you see someone on the outskirts anxiously holding her own hand Remember this when someone approaches you and asks a question – see the bravery behind the words Remember this when you see someone stop trying – perhaps she’s been rejected one too many times Remember this when you see someone being excluded or alienated – just one friendly person can relieve the painful sense of feeling invisible. Remember the deepest desire of the human heart is to belong…to be welcomed…to know you are seen and worthy of kindness. These are the lessons I learned in WFS, how becoming a 4C woman could change my life and others who want to be accepted, cared about, listened to and knowing they belong just as they are.  As you go through the week, think about how you welcome people into your life based on the “Remember this” comments above.  I do know that WFS was and is a place of acceptance and it was how I learned to love myself and know, while challenging at times, that others love me just for being me!  Bonded in giving love and receiving love for who you are at this very moment, Dee Shape the future of WFS! Provide feedback on our corporate logo on our WFS Logo Feedback survey. Vote by September 10th to make your voice heard!

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August 2021 Newsletter

AUGUST 2021 BAPTISM  "The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 3:21 The LCC wants to congratulate our three alumni for dedicating their life to Jesus! We watched as they let go of their past and made steps for a brighter and better future! They overcame tough obstacles that tested their faith and came out victorious. Our hearts rejoice with the heavens above because they have received the truest freedom and made the best decision. May they only look forward from this day and never turn back to their old ways. When the hard times come, may they lean on the one who has all the strength and comfort, Jesus.

ANSWERED PRAYERS “Oh how long we have prayed and waited for this moment! We see how God has turned Christina‘s life around and gave her new desires and goals and most importantly a new heart that belongs to Him. It was beautiful to see her dedicate her life to the Lord. There is no greater joy on earth than to witness the dead come to life and the bound set free!” - Family Member "It is impossible to estimate the power of a praying mother's influence. She acknowledges God in all her ways. She takes her children before the throne of grace and presents them to Jesus, pleading for His blessing upon them..." - Ellen White This is for all the parents or family members that are praying over their loved one, DO NOT give up!!! God has a plan and He is never too late! Sometimes it is very hard for us to understand His ways, but His ways are the best ways. We want to encourage you all to keep praying and calling upon His name and grace. There are many testimonies that prove that a prayer can go a long way. Stay persistent.  Where do good morals come from? Where do we learn about good character traits? How do we control our actions? How do we know what is good from evil?   Answer: THE BIBLE Our LCC program uses the Bible as its foundation. The Bible is the truth and the words written in there never changes. The students have Bible studies, prayers and worship every day as part of their daily schedule. This has been very beneficial for their growth, not only spiritually, but also in their everyday decisions and self discipline.   TESTIMONY "I'm grateful to God that He has saved me in my trespasses and today I can rejoice in His love that He has for me and my family. He has reunited me with them and now I can be the priest in my household and a husband to my wife. The Lord has restored me to the man that I am supposed to be for them and He has given me all that I have lost. He also gave me the opportunity to serve Him and help other who are lost as I once was." -LCC Alumni MULTI CULTURAL CUISINE The women's center had a yummy opportunity to learn how to bake macarons. We are blessed with amazing experienced bakers and chefs who volunteer their time to come to the facility and teach the students new home skills!  A transformational journey through drug and alcohol addiction. ABOUT US Life Change Center (LCC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing a cost-free, residential, nine-18 month program that welcomes adults 18 years-of-age and older. LCC shows our students’ God’s love while providing 24/7 support through their detox and withdrawal periods. Here they are provided with mentorship and guidance to help learn life skills; and, crisis management to transform them into productive men and women of our community. The LCC success rate, within our first two years of serving this community (2016-2018), has shown 81% of our students succeed and graduate from the program. OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS Life Change Program Handy Man  Multicultural Cuisine Basics In Life Creation of Recreational Community Service If you would like to become part of our programs in any way please contact us at 210-760-2008. BECOME A SUPPORTER Sponsor a student for a month Donate supplies or toiletries Donate a vehicle Sponsor student's trip to the Yearly Conference where a student can learn the history of Life Change Centers, meet the Leadership and renew his/her choice of an addiction-free life        http://www.lcctexas.org/donate/  https://www.facebook.com/lifechangecenterstexas Forward https://www.instagram.com/lcctexas/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/life-change-centers-texas-196604183/ LIFE CHANGE CENTERS - TEXAS P. O. Box 691585 San Antonio TX 78269 email: info@lcctexas.org phone: 210.760.2008 www.lcctexas.org

This Is For All Of You Fighting Battles Alone (God Will Fight For You)

I Now Have A Solid Foundation For My New Life

Success Story: I Now Have A Solid Foundation To Start To Build My New Life Coming to Narconon was my last chance live, I would not of admitted at the time but I was getting involved in dangerous situations, living out of my car, literally fighting for my life for drugs, not eating or hydrating, doing anything I could to get drugs and not thinking about the consequences of any of my actions. I was living minute by minute surrounded by people that wanted to steal from me or want me to use drugs that were killig me. All I could think about was using, nothing else mattered. I had been to other drug treatment center and never felt ready to live my “new life” after completing those programs; I was not prepared to deal with the reality of my life. My mind was still in a haze, I was not ready to work, deal with problems or people, I had no plan, no goals and no idea what was happening to me, I had no reasons to survive. Meeting Thomas the Narconon Interventionist for the first time, he looked like he was lost; I asked him can I help you? He looked at me then at his phone like he was looking at a picture then he looked down at me again (he must be 6’6 maybe taller) He asked me like maybe I wasn’t who he was looking for or I didn’t look like myself “I’m looking for Rudy Martinez do you know where I can find him” oh that’s me I said hoping it was someone who owed me money or something, “I’m Thomas from Narconon Rudy, are you ready to get better; do you want to stop using drugs?” I didn’t even put up a fight it was now or never. My options were, I knew I would be dead in 30 days or less or surrender now and let this man help me. Before I knew it we were on the first flight to Los Angeles. I arrived at Narconon Ojai weighting 145 lbs. dehydrated and malnutrition. My pants held up by my belt pulled tight to the extra hole I had made, my shirt hanging loose on my boney shoulders like oversized pajamas on a skeleton, my hair was thin and falling out. I was greeted like I was VIP or movie star, I had a sandwich served on a very nice tray with fruit and ice cold water brought to me. Everyone was so nice. The center looked amazing, a famous movie stars home once turned drug recovery oasis. They showed me to my room, high ceiling glass and marble through out, the last thing I remember was thinking how incredibly cozy the bed was, I slept for days. I was ready for the first phase of the program, detoxifying my body from a lifetime of toxins, drugs, alcohol and who knows what else . The Detoxification program includes many hours in the Sauna sweating out all the drugs, taking copious amounts of water, vitamins and minerals and doing some simple mental exercises to get my body and mind ready for the rest of the program. The detox program allowed my body and mind to function normal without drugs. My body started feeling alive again, I was eating three meals a day of the most amazing food I had eaten in a long time and I started exercising, lifting weights and going on daily walks. My energy and cognitive function started coming back. I could focus a little bit better everyday, I started thinking creatively again all within the first couple of weeks of the detox portion of the program. I now walk around with a smile on my face most of the time now, wanting to use drugs to handle my problems doesn't even enter my mind . I know that I’m not an addict for life, the things I’m learning here are powerful shifts in the way I was shown how to handle drug addiction. I learned how to identify and deal with negative suppressive people and disconnect from dangerous and manipulative people and groups. I disconnected permanently from everything related to drugs. I Learned how to identify and nurture good positive relationships with people that care about me and my success and taking those good relationship and building stronger bonds with honest and ethical behavior and communication. I learned that when I better myself I increase the success of all the areas of my life. I’m 190lbs now, my eyes are clear my smile is bright, my mind is calm and my body is clean and strong. I have goals for all the areas of my life and I have the mental persistence and physical strength to carry out the daily action plans to reach those goals. I have a Solid Foundation to start build my new life when I thought all was lost before I came here. I’m telling my story as I hope it inspires others to reach the goal of a happy and drug free life , which is where I’m at now in my life. If you or a loved one need help with alcohol or drug addiction please call the Narconon Ojai Team at 805-798-8040. Narconon is a long-term, residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that has been in existence for 50 years, with programs and facilities throughout the US and abroad. The program’s unique approach starting with a drug free withdrawal, full detoxification program and life skills allows the person to fully recover. The length of the program is individualized and is not based on a set amount of time, rather, the individual can work on the underlying issues at his own pace in a secure, safe environment with built in support systems. The average length of program is 10 weeks. While we offer all the tools the individual will need to lead a drug and alcohol free life, it is ultimately up to the individual to apply what he has learned. Therefore, we also offer an after care program to further the support system that the individual has as he transitions back into society, to ensure he has every available opportunity for success. Our facility, located in Ojai California, is the only premier Narconon which is tailored to meet the needs of personalized care. Here are some features of our property: Maximum of 6 students at a time making it private and personalized care. Chef that cooks organic meals, three times a day with prepared foods that accommodate all dietary needs 20,000 Sq Ft property, overlooking 40 acres of open mountainous land for a panoramic view of Ventura County. One-on-one care and attention from technical and administrative staff for students needs. A distraction free environment to remove all barriers to students getting through the trials of addiction. You can also check out more of the successes of our center by going to our website: www.narcononojai.org  New Podcast Appearance: Executive Director of Narconon Ojai on the Tim & Jenn Show Hosts Tim Ryan and Jennifer Gimenez have conversations on health, wellness and life issues. They talk about overcoming life's adversities Click Here to Watch Interview

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© 2017 Narconon Ojai. All Rights Reserved. Narconon and the Narconon logo are trademarks and service marks owned by the Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission. Narconon Ojai is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit organization.

Nick Bush - former Heroin Addict - Inspiring Others to Live their Best Life

‌  ‌  ‌ Nick Bush - former Heroin Addict - Inspiring Others to Live their Best Life Behind closed doors, millions of people abuse opioids. Nicholas Bush was one of them. In this beautifully raw and refreshingly honest memoir, Bush boldly allows readers into his addiction-ravaged community. We see how heroin nearly claimed his life on multiple occasions, how it stole the lives of his young siblings and friends, and how it continues to wage a deadly toll on American neighborhoods—claiming thousands of lives and decreasing the average lifespan. But we also see that there is a way off of the devastating rollercoaster of opioid addiction, even for the most afflicted. Nick fights for recovery, claws his way out of a criminal livelihood, and finds his footing with faith and family, providing Americans with the inspirational story that is deeply needed today. Nick's story is told more in depth in his book - One by One: A Memoir of Love and Loss in the Shadows of Opioid America Kindle Edition. Available on Amazon. CLICK HERE to listen and CLICK HERE to watch on our YouTube channel. Are you Looking for Some Good News? Sign up for our other podcasts. All about good news. SIGN UP HERE GOOD NEWS NEEDS SUPPORT. BECOME A PATRON TODAY. Steve Sigal, Producer 727-314-7080 Joanie Sigal, Host 727-314-7080 theaddictionpodcast@yahoo.com www. theaddictionpodcast.com Please connect with us on social media by clicking the icons below.  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

The Addiction Podcast - Point of No Return | 1927 Sever Dr, Clearwater, FL 33764 Sent by theaddictionpodcast@yahoo.com powered by Try email marketing for free today!