From: Sara DeJesus <s_m_dejesus@...>
Subject: Re: [Recovery-World-Al-Anon] Happy Monday!
To: Recovery-World-Al-Anon@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, July 13, 2009, 2:16 PM

Dear Ones,   I hope I don't offend anyone, but I don't agree that we are where we are because that is where God wants us to be.  It is my understanding that we are where we are because that is what we are able to believe for.   The following story which supports what I am trying to say is just anecdotal evidence (meaning that it is a story that backs up what I am saying but isn't a scientific study of multiple situations that would produce better proof) but it is a powerful one.    Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who ended up being arrested for hiding Jews during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, spent years in Nazi prisons.  She had a relative that had a Jewish woman as a maid. The maid had false papers showing some other race than Jewish, and the relative was protecting her.  Ond day the relative had Nazi authorities show up in her house - point to the maid and ask straight out if she was Jewish.  The relative answered that she was.  The authorities left without taking the Jewish woman with them or arresting the relative.  The maid made it to the US shortly thereafter and the relative was never arrested.  The relative had the faith, and the conviction, that if she didn't lie the woman under her protection would be safe.  That just doesn't happen "in the real world."  There was something else operating.  I believe it was faith.    Not to offend anyone who is not a Christian, but Jesus did say to each person that it was that person's faith that had healed them or saved them from whatever Jesus had helped them with.  He even told one person "As your faith is be it unto you."  My understanding of this is that our faith - not the religion, creed, or doctrinal type of faith, but the ability to allow God's power to flow for us - is the foundation of our reality.  Changing our faith changes our reality.  A more secular way of saying it is:  Change your thinking, change your life.   Faith takes its orders from the subconscious.  In the subconscious are the beliefs that we developed growing up - it is kind of like the operating system in a computer.  If the subconscious is full of beliefs of unhappiness, failure, abuse, etc. that is the reality that will be created by our choices - subconscious choices.  So old, subconscious beliefs have to be changed before faith operates like it is supposed to.   Part of changing faith is losing the belief that evil can hurt us.  This is very, very difficult if one has been traumatized and if one is still living in a difficult situation, but this is one of the reasons Al-Anon teaches us to learn to be happy where we are.  That is the foundation of changing a belief that we are being victimized and life is awful to a belief that life is healthy and good.  Without this change we take our belief patterns with us and recreate them no matter how far or how often we run.   Learning to be happy (as possible) where we are, AND learning to allow change to take place that is not in our direct control, are the two skills needed to live in faith and for permanent changes for good to take place.   For me, I haven't been able to do this without a lot of prayer back-up and good thoughts from others to bring good into my life and hold it there until my faith heals enough to be able to maintain the good myself.   I am truly sorry if I have offended anyone with what I have said here, but this is the truth, even if I haven't chosen the wording that would be most acceptable.    You have each grown dear to me very quickly.  All my best wishes are in my prayers for you.  (((HUGS)))   Love, Sara  --- On Mon, 7/13/09, Debby Smith <debbysmith2003@ yahoo.com> wrote: From: Debby Smith <debbysmith2003@ yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Recovery-World- Al-Anon] Happy Monday! To: Recovery-World- Al-Anon@yahoogro ups.com Date: Monday, July 13, 2009, 10:58 AM Kim, Very kinds words.  Yes, we are where God wants us to be.  We are not suppose to question why, but I will be the first to say, I fail at that request.  I ask for strength.  I run a taxi service, and one of my customers told me once that was my problem.  When you ask God for strength he puts obstacles in your path to build it.  I can't imagine that is true, but it sure seems that way at times.  I am going to pray for guidance.       Debby Smith From: kimadams12171982 <kimadams12171982@ yahoo.com> To: Recovery-World- Al-Anon@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 12:50:06 PM Subject: [Recovery-World- Al-Anon] Happy Monday! Good Morning Everyone! Hope Monday is starting out good for each and every one of you. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed all the dialog yesterday and I really appreciate each and every one of you. We all have such crazy lives.Days filled with frustration, anger and sometimes even hatred.It is so nice to be abled to connect with people who totally get it. As much as we don't understand it, we are where God wants us to be right now. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. Just keep telling yourselves that you do matter and you are important to this world. Kim