La Hacienda

Here is another great story ED gave me, enjoy!

The Butterfly

During an outing to the river property, one of the members of the group stopped to admire a butterfly.  Later, when we reached the river, he stated that while admiring the butterfly he suddenly realized how beautiful it was and that the butterfly did not know of its own beauty. He went on to say that he had an epiphany (a flash of insight) as to the reality of how we see others and ourselves. Too often we are in too much of a hurry to see the true beauty in ourselves and others.

Ironically, later that day on the way home I stopped at a convenience store to get a cup of coffee. When I was about to leave I noticed a young man and a small child in the parking lot. The young man had two six packs of beer in one hand and the child holding on to the other hand. The young man had stopped to talk to another young man and stated that he was hurrying home to watch the game on TV.  At that moment the child had noticed a butterfly and was trying to get his fathers attention to look at it. The father looked down at his son and stated “we don’t have time for that” and hurried over to his truck, put the beer and his son on the passenger seat, and closed the door. The child stood on the seat, looking at the butterfly as they drove away.  This experience leaves me questions:

• What opportunity to share a moment with the child was missed?
• What lesson did the child learn from this experience?
• And what can we learn from this example. 

“The day fades in glory, a most exquisite rite of passage that suggests to me that all things will end well, that death brings first a glorious light, providing us the opportunity to see things in wonderfully unique colours, before the night falls.” (quote via)

I took this picture as I was driving into Bandera, Texas a couple of weeks ago.  Sunsets, and sunrises for that matter, fill me with awe and gratitude.  It’s one of natures way of reminding me that there is definitely a Power greater than myself.  Take some time this week to marvel in the magic of a sunset.  Of course, if you are up with the roosters, take in a sunrise.

La Ha’s Alison B. literally ROCKS off the clock.  Alison has been with us for several years in the Discharge Planning Department and also does lectures from time to time.  Here is her story…..

God really does have a plan for our lives…and His plan will begin the minute we give our life to Him. The 12 Steps provide a way to begin doing just that. 

My husband, kids, and I recently moved to the Kerrville area from San Antonio, and in the move I ran across a small ‘fill in the blank’ diary I had written in years ago, actually at age 8.  In the book it asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and I had written in SINGER in my little 8 year old handwriting (it was cute.)  I have always had a love for singing and for as long as I can remember I have had a true desire to sing and make music.  This little journal entry reminded me that God has been doing for me what I could not do for myself.  You see, one of my biggest fears is being in front of lots of people.  Today I sing with a band out of San Antonio, The Mark Swayze Band.  We lead worship for a  church almost every Sunday, and we lead camps in the summer and winter for junior and senior high kids.  I have also traveled with this band all over Texas and even as far as San Jose, Costa Rica.  In August we will travel to Nashville to record our first CD.  The road has not always been a perfectly easy one, but God has walked every step with me.  

My life was much different just a little over 12 years ago. I was very lost, broken and struggled with alcohol addiction.  The day came when I realized that me on my own was not working out so well.  I walked into an AA meeting and although it took me a while to grasp this program, each day got easier and better…now I walk, gratefully, in His grace and peace every day.

Now, I really have something to sing about  :)

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.  I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself’  Psalm 89:1-2

Awakening

Is sobriety all that we are to expect from a spiritual awakening?
No, sobriety is only a bare beginning;
it is only the first gift of the first awakening.
If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on.
As it does go on, we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life
— the one that did not work — for a new life that does work
under any conditions whatever-As Bill Sees It, p.8

This picture reminds me of something that Mark Houston always talked about.  The idea that if God were an ocean would you go to Him with a thimble or an aquarium.  This tells me that usually I am the one that sells myself short.  Today, I want to stay on the path of growth.  Getting sober isn’t the destination, I want ALL that God has intended for me.  Don’t get me wrong, my sobriety is my foundation and without it God wouldn’t be able to build.  How are you limiting God’s work in your life today?

(photo via me from my recent vacation)

A Message from the Grave Yard

Remember Ed?  When he worked as a case manager at La Ha he would write down stories of the miracles and examples of God working in his patients lives.  He has sent me a few of these powerful records.  They are stories of spiritual awakenings and healing that happen on our campus day in and day out.

The Grave Stone

A patient came to me and told me a story about going to a grave yard and doing service work by straightening up the flowers and picking up the trash. While there he noticed a grave stone that marked the grave of a young man, it showed his birth date and the date of his death. The grave stone next to it appeared to be that of his fathers, when reading the inscription he realized that there was no date of death. My patient suddenly remembered what his father had said to him when he had brought him to treatment. “I have worried for so long that I would lose you and that the drugs would take your life”. He said that he suddenly became over come with sorrow and began to weep when he realized how much suffering he had caused his family and loved ones. 

Meet my friend Jenni Schaefer; she is an author, singer/songwriter and speaker.  She recently wrote a fantastic article for Recovery Today, “God-Connecting in my Own Way”.  I love the way she chronicles her relationship with God, and how it changes in her recovery from her eating disorder.  At first, she relied on other people’s connection.  She soon realized that she had to put the effort if she wanted the “relationship” with God.  I am sure Jenni’s story will continue to change, as mine has, the longer we both stay in recovery.     

(photo via)

“Those of us who have come to make regular use or prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light or food, the body suffers. And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions and our intuitions of vitally needed support. As the body can fail its purpose for lack of nourishment, so can the soul”. Twelve and Twelve, pg. 97

Bill W. makes a pretty powerful case here on how important prayer is. Earlier in this chapter he talks about how we may be rockin’ and rollin’ in one area of our program, like service work, and justify our lack of effort in prayer. It’s so easy to stick with what we are comfortable doing but that isn’t what recovery is about. We have to stretch, grow and change; the only way to do it is to do the uncomfortable. If your mind is anything like mine, sitting still is the least comfortable thing to do! But we do it anyway.

Have a happy, peace filled Sunday

(photo via)