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Click Here Christian Recovery: August 2005

The Truth about recovery

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

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Millions have Hepatits C and dont know it.

You might have Hepatitic C and dont know it. Even if you shot drugs over 30 years ago and never had any symptoms, you might have it. If you had a blood tranfusion in the 1980's or before you might have it and dont know it.


http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:fCcW4C1A0YwJ:www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/special_packages/hepatitis/+surgeon+general+2000+letter+on+hepatitis+C&hl=en


The following letter was drafted by the Surgeon General to warn Americans but never sent to the American Public.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Vx4wimSSF3sJ:hepatitiscandme.com/department_of_health_and_human_s.htm+surgeon+general+2000+letter+on+hepatitis+C&hl=en

Its pretty unconscionable that it was never sent to the American People.

Monday, August 29, 2005

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The Reality of Hepatitis C (What the Govt. wont tell you)

“I will bring you the reality of what we have faced and are still facing with this disease called Hepatitis C.All of this information should and could have made public at least seven years ago. However, it was and still is being conviently swept under the carpet”


http://www.hepatitiscandme.com/

Thursday, August 25, 2005

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Hang your head in Shame

Ok, this post may be a little different. My blog is dedicated to recovery and recovery related issues and this may seem a little off topic, but I dont think it is. Let me explain. Recovery from addiction to alcohol and drugs requires that you face up to the truth and repent-- be repented that is. In other words, you have to see through all the sick lies that our culture has foisted on us and see your part of it. We are ashamed by the Light of a Power that is Greater than us.

So if you are really going to recover you are going to have to face up to the truth. And that can be an exceedingly painful process. Thats why we use drugs/alcohol to run from the Spirit of Truth.

So, if you want to believe you have a disease, that you havent been a bad person, then you are definetely in the wrong place.

There is a very good chance if you are a woman who used drugs or alcohol, you also had an abortion. After all, there have been 20 million or so in this country.

Anyway, if your one of them, then check out this post:

http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/category/child-killing/

and find the redeeming shame and pain of God's Truth.

And remember, there is no sin so great that God cant forgive it.

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Letter to the Editor (Riverside Press Enterprise)

The Riverside Press Enterprise published a letter of mine today about the drug problem. Here it is:


LOVE TRUMPS DRUGS

The Press-Enterprise article "Drug Gaining at schools" (Aug.19) details the ongoing epidemic of
drug abuse on campus. For more than 25 years, "experts" have offered drug education through Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and a variety of other programs.

It should be obvious by now that "education" is not the answer to the problem. How long will it be before we realize it?

The answer is homes with love in them.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

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You could die, or worse ( Heroin Overdose)

Drug addicts in their addiction seldom give any thought to the possibility of dying. So if your using you might consider the following true autobiographical story:

********************************************************************************



One day while at Don’s (my connection) we got word that one of the local dealers had some new drugs that were especially good. Word like that spreads fast amongst drug addicts and it didn’t take long before we were over there. The dealer, a guy called Mel, was someone we occasionally bought drugs from. He invited us into the house and we payed the $25 each for a spoon of Mexican brown heroin ( which is what it cost in 1974) . He told us that we could fix there at his house if we wanted too. Of course, the less time we had to wait then the better it was as far we were concerned. Mel was in his 20’s ( as we all were) and he was living at his parents house, and he was dealing right under their noses. He told us to go back into his back bedroom to fix. I had my outfit (hypodermic needle attached to a plastic ice cream tube with a pacifier on the end) stashed in my sock. Mel gave me a blue ballon which was filled with heroin and knotted at the top. I unknotted it and poured some of the brown powder into a bent spoon that Mel laid out on top of his dresser. I pulled some water from the glass Mel has set on the dresser with my outfit, and squirted it into the spoon. It mixed into a dark brown sludge. Then I took my bic lighter and heated up the mixture until it bubbled. When it cooled down, I took a cigarette out of my pocket and broke the filter off. I pulled some of the cotton out of the filter tip and rolled it up into a ball, and dropped it into the clear brown liquid in the spoon. Carefully, I laid the tip of the hypodermic onto the cotton and sucked it up into the ice cream tube and into the pacifier bulb. I had a full syringe of good Mexican brown heroin.

I took off my belt with one hand and gave it to Don. He wrapped the belt around my bicep like a tourniquet. Carefully, I looked for a vein. One was bulging out in the ditch of my arm and I carfully inserted the hypodermic into the vein. I hit it and a dark spume of blood popped up into the syringe like a minature atomic explosion. Carefully and steadily I applied pressure on the pacifier bulb and the dark liquid slowly pushed into my vein. When it was all in, I started taking the needle out of my vein. I remember pulling it out of the vein and starting to get wobbly in the knees. I fell towards the dresser and heard Mel say “S**t, as he clutched me and kept me from falling into the dresser.”

“Get him the f*** out of here,” said Mel to Don. Don grabbed me under one arm and Mel grabbed me on the other. I was conscious as they walked me out of the bedroom down the hallway and into the laundry room. In the laundry room, they opened the garage and were walking me through the garage, and then I lost consciousness. It was the early afternoon.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in a different garage at Don’s house.
‘Its morning,” he said. “You’ve been out since yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t sure you were going to make it. You overdosed at Mels house. How do you feel?” Really, I didn’t know. After I woke up for a while my back felt sore but that was from how I was positioned in the garage. Actually, I didn’t feel too bad. Don hadn’t taken me to the hospital for fear of what they would do to him. So he did nothing. I was ok and didn’t die but many are not so lucky as I was. Strange to say Heroin addicts in their addiction seldom think of this possibility. According to the DEA about 4000 heroin addicts die each year. I didn’t find out until years later at an NA meeting that Mel eventually died of an overdose.

Not only do addicts give scant thought to the possiblity of dying, they even give less thought to an even more important matter.

Where do you spend eternity if you die of a self-inflicted heroin overdose? Something worth thinking about if you are still using.

©2005 Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

Monday, August 22, 2005

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Proposition 36 and Senate Bill 803

There an article today in the Riverside Press Enterprise Peter Banys ,M.D., clinicial professor of psychiatry, and Donald Kurth, M.D., Associate professor of Clinical psychiatry and they both oppose attempts by the legislature top impose jail sanctions on prop 36 offenders who give dirty tests or who fail to show up for appointments with drug counselors. There is to be a hearing and debate on the bill tommorrow August 23 in Sacremento. I'll try and post an update. Here are several articles about what is happening to prop 36 in California.


http://www.modbee.com/local/story/11063062p-11821034c.html


http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=3456


http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/courts_legal/story/13381565p-14223177c.html


The current debate rages over whether their should be jail sanctions or not. Im not going to get into that now.


However, I want to point out something else.

Here are the stats on Prop 36:


Between July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004:
• 51,033 individuals were referred to treatment.
• 37,103 of those actually entered treatment.
• Of that number, a little more than one-third completed treatment.




According to my caculator we are talking about 24% completing treat,emt. What I want to point out that the figures are misleading. "Completing treatment" doesnt mean that a person is able to get off drugs and stay off drugs. The Proposition 36 treatment has been around for 5 years and we have not been given any statistics about how many people have completed treatment and then successfully stayed off drugs and didnt re-offend.


My position has been that the "treatment methods" used by the treatment industry as a whole are ineffective. Their whole policy of convincing people they have a "disease' is misguided.

At the very least, Californian deserve to know how many many people going through Propositon 36 treatment stay off drugs and dont re-offend.

And the studies dont tell us that.


©2005 Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

Saturday, August 20, 2005

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"Disease Concept" threatens Teen Challenge

Well, I've railed at length about the so-called "Disease Concept" on this site before . Ive reposted several articles on the subject below. But I ran across an article this morning you should all know about.

Im not a graduate of Teen Challenge, but they believe in Christ and their program has been sucessful in helping a lot of people get off alcohol and drugs.


Teen Challenge was threatened with closure in 1995 when the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse threatened to shut them down because they did not embrace the “disease concept”. President Bush helped them out then.


What appears to be happening now is that bureaurats at the United States Department of Agriculture are refusing to issue food stamps to teen challenge residents.Why? Because they are not licensed drug treatment facilities? And why aren’t they licensed you might ask? They are not licensed because they don’t embrace the lie that alcoholism and addiction are diseases !!.

So if you lie to people and tell them they have a “disease” you can get government help for your drug treatment program. If you tell them the truth, then you can’t!! Pretty screwy huh?

Here is a link to an article on the issue:

http://www.worldmag.com/subscriber/displayArticle.cfm?ID=10969


Here is the policy of our government then : If you are using alcohol or drugs you are eligible for food stamps but if you go somewhere for help and they tell you the truth., then we are going to take away your food stamp eligibility.

While it is true that maybe Teen Challenge shouldnt have become so dependent on government handouts, it is also true that they shouldnt be punished just because they refuse to embrace a lie.


Really, its enough to make you want to go out and get high.



May I politely suggest that a letter to President Bush to reign in the burearats at the Department of Agriculture is in order.

©2005 Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

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Alcoholism is a disease and thats settled!!

An acquaintance of mine tells me he went to an AA meeting in Des Moine, Iowa. There was a speakers podium and on it a sign that read "Alcoholism is a disease and that is settled" right under the signs that said "no profanity" and "we talk about the problems of alcoholism, not the problems of the alcoholic."Let me discuss why the group felt to put a need to put up such a sign. First of all, isnt it because the subject must have come up before?. Yes. And apparently the matter could not be resolved.So in order to stifle any further discussion on the matter, it was decided to put up a sign to limit discussion. Why?Wouldnt it be simpler just to have the discussion, present the irrefutable proof that alcoholism is a disease and then go on to other matters. The problem, of course, is that AA cannot present any irrefutable proof that alcoholism is a disease,and that the idea does not stand up to the Light of Reality.So, like good alcoholics, they solve the problem by refusing to allow any discussion of the matter. Shades of Stalin and the Soviet Union!!In other words, its much like putting up a sign that says "The world is flat. Thats settled".What is less well known is that one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Dr.Robert Smith, did not believe that alcoholism is a disease:“Doc dwelt on the idea that this was an illness, but Doc was pretty frank with me. …..He pointed out that probably it was moral or spiritual illness, than it was a physical one”* ( *P.219, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition)


Well, Alcoholism is not a disease and its definetly not a settled manner. And they can put up a sign on a podium in Des Moine, but they cant stop me from shouting the truth from the rooftops of the internet.

Stop using drugs, stop getting drunk-yes. But that doesnt mean you have to subscribe to the belief that its a "disease". Read some of my other articles and see if they dont make a lot more sense than the "disease concept".

Thursday, August 18, 2005

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What causes Drug Addiction and Alcoholism?

That is a very good question. Many treatment professionals would have you believe there is some mysterious genetic cause. But when you look carefully at the evidence you find that is not convincing at all. So what causes it?Please read the following articles on this website:"The newly recognized shattering effects of child abuse""Hate: The Root of Addictions"and"The Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addicton Treatment"There is also a letter from the late Father Malachai Martin on this website. You should especially read it if you have a Catholic background. Malachai Martin was a Jesuit priest and official exorcist for the Catholic Church. His book, "Hostage to the Devil" is especially recommended.Here is a link to a news article linking alcoholism to child abuse. I can assure you from personal experience its equally true of addiction to drugs.http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/abuse/a/blcah030917.htm

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Do Demons exist?

Do Demons exist?

I'm just addressing my comments to those that dont believe Demons exist. There are at least two books that are worth reading. One is M. Scott Pecks book , "People of the Lie". The other that is worth reading is Malachi Martins , " Hostage to the Devil". Hostage to the Devil is out of print I believe but is available on Amazon.com. Scott Peck is a psychiatrist who investigated whether Possession by the Devil is real. "People of the Lie" details his investigations. "Hostage to the Devil" details the sucessful exorcism of 5 Americans.I also bring your attention to the following Blog.
http://fifthnail.blogspot.com/

It was written by Joseph Edward Duncan III prior to his arrest for murder and kidnapping: One excerpt from his entry "Wrestling with Demons":"The current battle is of epic proportions (I do not make this claim idly either). It is a battle between me and my demons. Only two people in the world have a clue as to the power and nature of my demons (besides me) and they will probably never read this. But just the same, these demons are stronger than even I gave them credit for, and now they are taking my best blows and not even staggering. I’m afraid, very afraid"

Also the Riverside Press Enterprise did a story on July 8, 2005 quoting BTK Killer Dennis Rader,"I just know its a dark side of me. It kind of controls me. I personally think it' a --- and I know its not very Christian---but I actually think its a demon thats within me."

Still think Demons dont exist?

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Letter from a Catholic Exorcist

Letter from a Catholic Exorcist

The following letter was sent to me by the Late Father Malachai Maritn shortly before his death. Dr. Martin was an advisor to several Popes. The letter speaks for itself. Sooner or later we are going to have to face up to facts that we are dealing with Demonic forces. Is it any wonder that drug treatment programs are ineffective when they dont even know what we are dealing with?

Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version)12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Here is the complete letter sent to me in 1997 by Father Malachai Martin.

*********************************************************************************Dear Ted:

Thank you for your most kind letter of December 24th. Im glad you were able to listen to me on the Art Bell program. Please forgive my delay in replying. But since the publication of my novel, Windswept House, I have been kept busy with TV and radio shows. As a result, my volume o fmail has considerably increased.Yes, as I mentioned on Art Bell, possession can occur as a result of drug or alcohol addiction. It opens a doorway into the soul. The will becomes extremely weak due to its desire for a drink or drug. This weakness and compulsion for addictive chemicals allows evil spirits an avenue by which they may enter a person. This process may begin subtly,even gradually. As the disease of alcoholism and addiction progresses so too does the evil spirit strengthen its foothold in the unfortunate’s soul. If you suspect your girlfriend is plagued by demonic forces, I always tell Catholics they must first contact the Bishop of their diocese and thus have him investigate the case. Authority must at all times be followed. This is mandatory in cases of exorcism and I adhere to these principles myself. If you cannot find a bishop to cooperate then I suggest your girlfriend say the prayer of St.Micheal the Archangel. It is a very powerful prayer. Also, have her invoke the most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in times of trial and temptation. The Son of God died for her—he died for you and me—He will never fail her.In the meantime, know that I shall keep the two of in my Daily Masses and prayers. I ask that you pray for me as well as I once again take up the pen to continue work on my upcoming boo. And please, be at peace. Our God is merciful God of Love. He will look after you.God Bless you Always,Malachai B. Martin

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Saint Micheal Prayer

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in our day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

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Not to long ago, I e-mailed a copy of this letter to Mel B. Mel B. is an AA with over 50 years of sobriety. He is also the author of several AA books including " My search for Bill W". Mels response to this letter was the following:

Hi Ted,Thank you for your email and for sharing the letter from Father Martin. I see that Malachi is a different Father Martin than the popular one that speaks around AA and has the Ashley program in Maryland.I like this letter and will keep it to share with one of my priest friends in the program who is also quite a Catholic scholar. There is no doubt that a practicing alcoholic seems to be under the grip of the Devil. As Bill Wilson wrote, if there is a Devil, he sure had me. And Carl Jung, in his 1961 letter to Bill, even thought the Devil was an apt description of the demonic force that holds us.My priest friend says that an appeal to St. Anthony will help us find lost items. I am not a Catholic, so I simply say, "Come on, Tony, get with it and help me find this stuff!"All the best,Mel BargerMel B. has a website at:

www.walkindryplaces.com

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The Spirit of God Dwells in the Heart of Man

1: THE SPIRIT OF GODDWELLS IN THE HEART OF MANIt is certain from Scripture, that the Spirit of God dwells within us, that a "manifestation of this Spirit is given to us to profit withal," and that this is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." This is the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and which hath appeared unto all men; teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. But we make too little account of this internal Teacher, which is the soul of our soul, and by which only we are able to form good thoughts and desires. God ceases not to reprove us for evil, and to influence us to that which is good; but the noises of the world without, and of our own passions within, deafen us, and hinder us from hearing him.We must retire from all outward objects, and silence all the desires and wandering imaginations of the mind; that in this profound silence of the whole soul, we may hearken to the ineffable voice of the Divine Teacher. We must listen with an attentive ear; for it is a still, small voice. It is not indeed a voice uttered in words as when a man speaks to his friend; but it is a perception infused by the secret operations and influences of the Divine Spirit, insinuating to us obedience, patience, meekness, humility, and all the other Christian virtues, in a language perfectly intelligible to the attentive soul. But how seldom is it that the soul keeps itself silent enough for God to speak! The murmurs of our vain desires, and our self-love, disturb all of the teachings of the Divine Spirit. Ought we then to be surprised, if so many persons, apparently devout, but too full of their own wisdom, and confidence in their own virtues, are not able to hear it; and that they look upon this internal word as the chimers of fanatics? Alas! What is it they aim at with their vain reasoning? The external word, even of the gospel, would be but an empty sound without this living and fruitful Word in the interior, to interpret and open it to the understanding.Christ saith, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock —if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and sup with him and he with me." His knocks are the monitions of his Spirit; which touch us, and operate in us. And to attend to these monitions and follow them, is to open unto him.He speaks in impenitent sinners; but these, engrossed in the eager pursuit of worldly pleasures, and the gratification of their evil passions, are not able to hear him. His word with them passes for a fable. But woe to those who receive their consolation in this life. The time will come when their vain joys shall be confounded.He speaks in sinners who are in the way of conversion: these feel the remorses of their conscience, and these remorses are the voice of the Spirit, which upbraids them inwardly with their vices. When they are truly touched, they have no difficulty to comprehend the secret voice, for it is this that so pierces them to the quick. It is that two-edged sword within them, of which Paul speaks, which goes even to the dividing of soul from itself: "The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."He speaks in persons enlightened, learned, and whose life, outwardly regular, seems adorned with many virtues; but often these persons, full of themselves, and of their knowledge, give too much ear to themselves to listen to his teachings. God who seeks only to communicate himself, finds no place (so to speak) where to introduce himself into these souls that are so full of themselves, and so over-fed with their own wisdom and virtues. He hides his secrets from the wise and prudent, and reveals them to the low and simple; Jesus said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth! Because thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." It is with the humble and childlike that he delights to dwell, and to disclose to them his ineffable secrets. It is these who are more peculiarly qualified for receiving in a greater measure the gift of faith; for, being willing that the pride of Reason should be laid in the dust, they obstruct not the entrance of this gift of their vain arguments; but believe with simplicity and confidence.This is an excerpt from a Guide to True Peace. It is in the public domain. I post it here to get your interest. You can read the rest by going to:A Guide to True Peace is available free (thanks to Terry) at :http://home.comcast.net/~terryoregon/page5.htm

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

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Origin of the Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is often used at the end of AA meetings. And most AA's know it from there. However, there is a longer older version of this prayer.


The Serenity Prayer
(full text)
GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living ONE DAY AT A TIME;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen
-- Reinhold Neibuhr-1926

If you would like to know more about the history of the prayer in AA, you can find it here:

http://www.aahistory.com/prayer.html

Friday, August 05, 2005

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Victory Outreach

Victory Outreach is having its World Conference 2005 in Long Beach and thought I would bring it to your attention. David Wilkerson of Teen Challenge will also be speaking. I have some familiarity with Victory Outreach but not that much about the Teen Challenge. program Al Cooper of Gods Learning Channel endorses the Teen Challenge program and I have to say I am quite impressed by Al's Book "Christian TV's Watchman on the Wall".

I think its safe to say there are a lot of people who had serious Drug Problems who overcame them through Victory Outreach and Teen Challenge.



http://www.victoryoutreach.org

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

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Testimonies of 23 former homosexuals

Well, I started this site with an emphasis on recovery from Alcoholism and Drugs. However, their are other conditions that people need to be deliverd from too. Addiction can also be a sexual addiction. The subject has come up here because Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are accepting of the Gay lifestyle. I have felt lead to speak out about this and will continue to do so. If you gave up your drugs and your alcohol but are still involved in the Gay life style, you havent found real recovery yet. Here is a link to the testimonies of 23 former homosexuals.


http://www.srcogic.com/closingthecloset/

 

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