Category / Miracles

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The System Failed the Reiner Family


The brutal deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, allegedly at the hands of their 32-year-old son Nick, tragically and dramatically brings the systemic failures of the current treatment practices and approaches for substance abuse, mental health and homelessness into stark relief.

In a 2016 People Magazine article Nick stated that his first trip to rehab was at age 15 (2008), returning 17 times with sporadic periods of homelessness between trips.

Since the publication of the article it has been reported Nick had numerous further stints in treatment, both for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and mental health issues (principally schizophrenia), and was placed in a mental health conservatorship for a year in 2020. In interviews Nick has been candid about his mental health struggles, illicit drug use, including Crystal Meth and homelessness.

With over 40 years in recovery and one of 14 Certified Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialists (CMHRPS) in California I know – and have known – many Nick Reiners’ as well as their families and loved ones who struggle and suffer as well trying to comprehend their often-baffling behavior, consistently questionable decisions, the lies and manipulations coupled with the frustration of dealing with a wholly inadequate system in seeking help for them.

For most initial contact when seeking help is routinely conciliatory and accommodating in tone while your information is gathered for placement. But once admitted to a SUD treatment or a mental health facility the realities of the current system become painfully apparent. Try to imagine (I am sure many reading this won’t have to) dealing with someone in a call center, often in another country working from a carefully worded script, making decisions on the length, level and type of care you, your child or loved one receives.

Having personally lobbied for clients who were making real headway, only to have further treatment denied based on inflexible metrics and cold financial benchmarks, knowing the possible real-world consequences, the frustration is impossible to convey with mere words.

Then there is the nightmare call from a parent whose child “completed” treatment and returned home, often with the best of intentions but lacking an integrated Aftercare plan, within weeks, sometimes days succumbs to an overdose. As you can rightly imagine, words fail.

Additionally individuals who “AMA” (leave Against Medical Advice) often “disappear” into a shadow world of no questions asked hotels/motels, homeless encampments, or Skid Row . Nick chose this path, by his own accounts, numerous times.

Trying to explain to someone that their child or loved one has “left” and legally you can provide no information due to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations; saying this is a hard conversation doesn’t come close to the reality of it.

The true horror begins though when they fall prey to rehab “body brokers” who stalk this shadow world. For brokers these individuals are gold since upon relapse and reentry into treatment their insurance payout clock resets.

Brokers are essentially human traffickers who are paid finders fees from unethical facilities to locate “relapsers” and encourage (i.e. pay) them to return to treatment. Though costs vary, the average in California for a 30-day Residential Rehab is over $50,000 . Once the facility bills their insurance and gets paid, the broker receives an additional large kick back (thousands of dollars) for their efforts.

Routinely the individual will leave treatment again, relapses (often with the assistance of the broker), and the cycle repeats. Body brokers have been known as well to fraudulently purchase insurance for individuals to perpetuate this horrific but incredibly lucrative illegal practice.

I worked with many on their 4th, 5th or more times around this block. One young man I worked with was on his 41st round of treatment. He was an expert at the game and lured other clients in to it. In 2023 one of the owners of a facility this young man cycled through was arrested for utilizing body brokers and money laundering and is currently incarcerated in a Federal Penitentiary. HIPAA must be amended to more easily identify these individuals and facilities for prosecution.

We may never know if Nick Reiner fell into this dark circus, but he would have been a very tempting target. The Reiner’s case demonstrates, by all accounts, that Nick received the best treatment and support available, and though we will probably never know with certainty all that transpired, like so many Nick fell through the holes and his parents paid the price emotionally for years watching their son struggle despite their best efforts, and if accounts are true, finally with their lives.

Though the Government does occasionally hold someone’s feet to the fire for malfeasance, fraud is rampant. Every year from the local to the Federal level BILLIONS of dollars are spent on addiction, homelessness and mental health and the results are, if I am being kind, lackluster at best to downright tragic. Since 2019 California alone has spent over 24 BILLION on these issues which has accomplished precious little while the funds are mostly unaccounted for.

Additionally since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Healthcare Providers profit margins have increased by a reported 230% yet coverage and resources, particularly for this population, though still substantial, have diminished.

Today’s current built-in limitations and hurdles, of both Healthcare Providers and Governmental agencies, coupled with a lack of any real cohesion between the professional and non-professional treatment communities perpetuates the lack of any truly effective and AFFORDABLE Aftercare for sufferers and their families after a SUD treatment cycle or mental health hospital stay.

Combine this with the overall failure in honestly addressing the realities of the homeless population, which is largely composed of the addicted and mentally ill, while adding in the unfortunate stigma toward addiction and mental illness that is alive and well and a true picture begins to take shape.

A new and innovative paradigm is required. A fresh but uncomfortable look at the current state of professional treatment practices, the failure of truly integrating the real-world experience of those living full lives free of active substance abuse and untethered mental illness and homelessness into a new, all-encompassing approach.

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change is as true today as ever.

In conclusion: the resources for change are available now, the problems lie in the bureaucracies that manages them, the bad actors preying on this population, the current regulations and restrictions which often do more harm than good, the one-dimensional approaches, in both professional and real world recovery, and the lack of any real coordination between professional engagement and those demonstrating real world recovery must all be addressed.

Instead of one-size-fits-all metrics, arbitrary limits and counterproductive restrictions, the focus must be on the individual’s needs, bringing to bear all the tools and approaches available today while effectively utilizing the deeply experienced individuals in both long-term SUD and mental health recovery who stand ready to be of service since it is an integral aspect of their continued success. As the saying goes “To keep it you have to give it away.”

But as dire as it is, there is hope. Habilitat in Hawaii created a model based on long-term engagement (i.e. Aftercare) teaching people to live beyond their addictions and homelessness which has worked with thousands since 1971 and recently the Grammy Award winning artist Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) was instrumental in opening the first 100% free recovery and medical center for the homeless in Nashville which provides 200 beds and is privately funded, as is Habilitat.

As a society the hope is that the Reiner tragedy is the spark which ignites real conversation with a no-holds-barred assessment fomenting concrete actions and positive change. The question is, will it?

I am the creator of Miracles Of Recovery which is a blueprint for an honest dialogue concerning addiction, mental health and homelessness. I am one of 14 CCAPP Certified Mental Health Recovery Peer Specialists (CMHRPS) in California having over 40 years’ experience in personal recovery. I have worked with individuals from all walks and strata of society, from Park Avenue to park benches, from the instantly recognizable to the forgotten and lost, and have dealt with all manner of governmental entities, agencies and healthcare providers (both public and private) intimately familiar with the often one-dimensional “solutions” and the insidious stigma and curious prejudices surrounding treatment, recovery processes and homelessness found in both the professional and “real world” recovery and mental health communities.

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Stepping into the Unknown: Trust vs. Doubt

“When you have come to the edge of all you know and are about to step out into faith one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.” Patrick Overton

THE UNIVERSE (GOD) operates on FAITH, not fear. TRUSTING means stepping into the unknown despite the discomfort. It is choosing possibility over certainty. DOUBT thrives in certainty, in staying where we have always been. But TRUST requires us to embrace the unknown as a place of INFINITE POTENTIAL. The greatest obstacle to TRUST is DOUBT and DOUBT is INSIDIOUS. It shows up as FEAR, HESITATION or SECOND-GUESSING our every move. It’s the voice that says, “What if this doesn’t work?” or What if I fail again?” That voice isn’t truth; for every time we choose TRUST over DOUBT we strengthen our ability to create, teaching our mind and body to align with our SPIRITUAL VISION rather than our limiting beliefs and fears. (Definition of INSIDIOUS: having a gradual and cumulative effect: subtle, developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent, awaiting a chance to entrap, treacherous, harmful but enticing, seductive. Insidious is the birthplace of Morbid Reflection, the Demiurge, our Hungry Ghost.)

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Let Go and Let God

                                                         Part 4

                                         

“Someday surely we will see the principle underlying existence as so simple, so beautiful, so compelling that we will all say to each other, ‘How could we all have been so stupid for so long.” John Wheeler, Princeton University professor of physics from1938 to 1976. He worked on the Manhattan Project and was instrumental in designing the Hydrogen bomb.

                                                      TRUST

“The universe has a divine plan for each of us, and it is unfolding in its own perfect time.” Caroline Myss

THE UNIVERSE (GOD) demands only one thing from you to give you everything you desire: TRUST. Yet this seemingly simple requirement is where most people falter.  Without realizing it, they hold on to doubt, control and fear. Building invisible walls that keep their deepest desires at arm’s length.                                                                         

THE IRONY: These barriers aren’t imposed by THE UNIVERSE (GOD) but by the refusal to surrender fully to its flow (“Half measures availed us nothing.” BB pg.59” “…it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery… BB pg. 133). Trusting the unseen forces of creation is an act of courage (“All men of faith have courage. They trust their God.” BB pg.68). It requires stepping into the unknown, a place where logic and certainty dissolve and INTUITION takes over (“We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” BB pg. 84). Most people avoid this step clinging instead to the comfort of the familiar, even if it means settling for a life far below their potential. (“I may be in shit, but it is my shit and it is warm and familiar.” Heard by compiler in an AA meeting. “If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.” BB pg. 76)

But those who dare (i.e.to be sufficiently courageous) to TRUST will find that the universe (God) responds in ways more extraordinary than they ever imagined. This is NOT a vague promise but a UNIVERSAL LAW waiting for you to activate it.

(Critical to move forward: What “Universal Law” is referenced here? Principally manifesting: that which we dwell/focus on we bring into our lives i.e. Reaping and Sowing. This foundational principle or teaching is found across the spectrum of Religions and Spiritual Paths spanning our recorded history. Hermeticism addresses this as: The Principle of Mentalism which emphasizes the power of the mind in shaping reality. It states that our thoughts and beliefs create our experiences and shape our lives. By understanding and utilizing the power of the mind, we can consciously create the reality we desire, additionally it highlights the interconnectedness of all things. It states we are all part of the Universal Cosmic Mind (God), and our individual consciousness is an extension, part and parcel, of all Creation.

BB Promises i.e. manifesting: “We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us – sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize (manifest) if we work for them.” BB. Pg. 84.)

                    SO, WHICH WAY WILL YOU LEAP?:

(… “crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade; we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?” BB pg. 53)

                              OK, ARE YOU READY TO UNRAVEL? THEN:

Let’s unravel HOW THIS WORKS and what it means for your life: True TRUST begins in the present moment. Without PRESENCE, TRUST is hollow, a word, not an EXPERIENCE.

(Presence: to become manifest, constituting the one actually involved: at hand.)

The POWER OF CREATION lies in the now, yet so many people live (engaging in MORBID REFLECTION) in their past (reliving memories of shame, regret, etc.) or future (projecting anxiety/fear, while dwelling in catastrophic thinking). They replay old memories rehashing emotions tied to (negative) experiences long gone or they project themselves into an IMAGINED future full of (negative) “What-ifs.” This mental time travel robs them of the one place where life actually unfolds: THE PRESENT.

PRESENCE is more than just being physically here. It’s a state of FULL AWARENESS, where your mind, body and emotions converge in the moment. When you are TRULY PRESENT your energy is undivided and your focus sharpens. THIS is where TRUST begins to grow, not from forcing outcomes but from aligning yourself with the flow of life. By practicing PRESENCE you learn to silence the inner noise, transcend old patterns and create space for something new to emerge (“As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.” BB pg.63).

THE PATH to PRESENCE is not always easy (Simple, but not easy; a price had to be paid. It meant destruction of self-centeredness. BB pg. 14). Old habits, distractions and external demands constantly pull you away. But every time you redirect your attention to the NOW you reclaim a piece of your power. Over time this becomes a habit, a skill that allows you to access the FULL ENERGY OF CREATION, and with this energy, you can finally start designing the life you truly desire.

                OK, READY FOR THE GREATEST OBSTACLE?

The greatest obstacle to TRUST is DOUBT and DOUBT is INSIDIOUS. It shows up as FEAR, HESITATION or SECOND-GUESSING your every move. It’s the voice that says, “What if this doesn’t work?” or What if I fail again?” That voice isn’t truth; it’s a SURVIVAL MECHANISM designed to keep you stuck in what’s familiar.

(Doubt: is the voice of ego, vanity and morbid reflection, our indwelling “Hungry Ghost”. It is “yeah buts” and “you don’t understands”, all rationalized anger and seemingly justified resentments (for in truth NO resentment is ever justifiable), any holier than thou or “better than” attitudes as well as being the fertile breeding ground for all catastrophic ruminations. It is the town crier for the Kingdom of DIS, shouting discord, disharmony, disagreement, disappointment, disapproval, disenchantment and many more but all leading to the same destination: the counties of restlessness, discontent and irritability which make up the capital city of Dis-Ease.)

(Insidious: having a gradual and cumulative effect:subtle, developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent, awaiting a chance to entrap, treacherous, harmful but enticing, seductive. Insidious is the birthplace of the Hungry Ghost.)

(Survival Mechanism: a way of seemingly protecting oneself from being hurt. PTSD is a survival mechanism.)

THE UNIVERSE (GOD), however (in truth), operates on FAITH, not fear. TRUSTING means stepping into the unknown despite the discomfort. It is choosing possibility over certainty. DOUBT thrives in certainty, in staying where you have always been. But TRUST requires you to embrace the unknown as a place of INFINITE POTENTIAL. (“Perhaps there is a better way – we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. We are in the world to play the role He assigns. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity.” BB pg. 68. “When many hundreds of people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith.” BB pg. 51)

(Faith: something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in and loyalty to God. “When you have come to the edge of all you know and are about to step out into faith one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.” – Originator Patrick Overton)

(Infinite: extending indefinitely: endless, immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive: inexhaustible.)

(Potential: something that can develop or become actual.)

HERE’S THE SHIFT:(We Step out in Faith) Every time you choose TRUST over DOUBT you strengthen your ability to create. You teach your mind and body to align with your VISION rather than your fears (For we are: “Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity…” BB pg.62). Over time DOUBT loses its grip. The ENERGY you once wasted on “What-Ifs” becomes the fuel for transformation. TRUST isn’t just a belief: IT’S A SKILL and every act of FAITH makes you better at it.

(Skill: a learned power of doing something competently: a developed aptitude or ability.)

(“Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish. BB. Pg. 16.” “We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.” BB pg. 60. “What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all of our activities. ‘How can I best serve Thee – Thy will (not mine) be done.’ These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.” BB pg.85)

(Constantly: continually occurring or recurring: regular)

                                            OUR EMOTIONAL STATE:

Your emotional state is a reflection of your level of TRUST. When you operate from a place of guilt, anger, or fear (resentment) you send a message to the Universe: “I don’t believe things will work out.” These emotions anchor you to the past and block you from stepping into a brighter future.

(“Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease.” BB pg. 64. From which births selfish motives and actions, “I have a right to be angry” justification, etc. i.e. Morbid Reflection.

“It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment (any resentment actually) leads only to futility and unhappiness (i.e.: “I don’t believe things will work out.”). To the precise extent that we permit these, do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile. But with the alcoholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience (which is based in Faith and Trust), this business of resentment is infinitely grave. We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of alcohol returns and we drink again. And with us, to drink is to die. (Note: not all who trod this path drink, but they do die spiritually and emotionally, living often long lives of restlessness, irritability, hopelessness; taking up permanent residence in the Kingdom of DIS, existing in quiet desperation, doubt and deep and abiding resentment.)

If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics (actually everyone) these things are poison.” BB pg. 66)

(Dubious: questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality, unsettled in opinion: doubtful.)

                                      TO TRUST THE UNIVERSE:

TO TRUST THE UNIVERSE (GOD) you must MASTER your EMOTIONS. This doesn’t mean suppressing them but learning to transform them. Begin by asking yourself: “Does this feeling align with the life I want to create?” If the answer is no, it’s time to let go. Replace those lower vibrations (Through the employment of prayer and meditation) with gratitude, love and joy, emotions that signal TRUST in your vision.

(“People are often unreasonable and self-centered (Their curriculum). Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives (Their curriculum). Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you (Their curriculum). Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous (Their curriculum). Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them (And their curriculum) anyway.” Mother Teresa)

                                                        GRATITUDE:

The act of feeling GRATITUDE before something has manifested is a GAME CHANGER. It is as if you’re telling the UNIVERSE (GOD): “I trust you so deeply that I AM already celebrating.”This emotional alignment isn’t just positive thinking; it’s a POWERFUL SIGNAL that draws your desires closer. When your heart and mind work together in HARMONY the UNIVERSE (GOD) cannot help but respond.

(Harmony: pleasing arrangement of parts: congruence, agreement, accord, internal calm: tranquility.)

One of the hardest parts of TRUSTING the UNIVERSE (GOD) is LETTING GO of control. Society teaches you to micro-manage every detail of your life. To plan endlessly and to leave nothing to chance. But the TRUTH is, the more you try to control, the more resistance you create. (“Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his own way. If his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful…What usually happens? The show doesn’t come off very well. He begins to think life doesn’t treat him right. He decides to exert himself more.” BB pgs. 60-1.)

                                                       LETTING GO:

Control stems from FEAR, the fear that things won’t work out unless you intervene. Letting go doesn’t mean abandoning effort; it means releasing the obsessive need to dictate outcomes (Outlining). (“Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.” BB pg. 58 “Half measures availed us nothing.” BB pg.59 “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well (surrendered). Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs.” BB pg.63)

TRUST requires SURRENDER, not inaction. Imagine holding onto a rope so tightly that your hands bleed. LETTING GO doesn’t weaken you; it frees you. By TRUSTING the process you allow the UNIVERSE (GOD) to work on your behalf often in ways you couldn’t have planned or predicted. (“If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing”. BB pg. 76) (Note: the word surrender does not appear in the text of the BB.)

(Nil: nothing, zero.)

(Absolutely: completely or totally.)

                                                    THE SURRENDER:

SURRENDER is not PASSIVITY; it is the ULTIMATE ACT OF FAITH. It’s a declaration that you believe in something GREATER THAN YOURSELF (“We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. ‘Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?’ As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.” BB pg. 47).

(Emphatic: force or intensity of expression that gives impressiveness or importance to something.)

(Assure: to make certain the coming or attainment of something: guaranteed.)

This act of release doesn’t just free you it creates space (opens our heart and mind) for the UNIVERSE (GOD) to DELIVER MIRACLES. When you TRUST, you align with DIVINE TIMING and things begin to unfold effortlessly. As your TRUST deepens the UNIVERSE (GOD) starts to communicate through SIGNS AND SYNCHRONICITES.

                                      SIGNS AND SYNCHRONICITES:

These moments aren’t random; they are confirmations that you’re on the right path. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, A SUDDEN INSIGHT or a SEQUENCE OF EVENTS that seem too perfect to be coincidence. These are bread crumbs left by the UNIVERSE (GOD) guiding you closer to your desires. The beauty of these signs is that they energize you. Each one feels like a small MIRACLE, a reminder that the UNIVERSE (GOD) is listening. Instead of dreading your daily practices you begin to look forward to them. TRUST becomes not just A NECESSITY BUT A SOURCE OF JOY. With every synchronicity your BELIEF STRENGTHENS and the cycle of TRUST AND MANIFESTATION ACCELERATES (A promise).

When you start noticing these signs don’t dismiss them. Acknowledge them as evidence of your alignment. Let them fuel your enthusiasm and deepen your commitment to TRUSTING the process. The UNIVERSE (GOD) speaks in whispers and the more you pay attention the louder those whispers become.

                                                       TRUE TRUST:

TRUE TRUST ISN’T SOMETHING YOU DO, IT IS SOMETHING YOU BECOME. When you TRUST deeply, it transforms your identity. You no longer have to remind yourself to BELIEVE; you simply embody it. (Walking the way we talk, in truth, a day at a time.)

(Transform: to change in character or condition: convert.)

(Embody: to make concrete and perceptible.) (“What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind.” BB pg. 87)

                                              THE PROFOUND SHIFT:

This SHIFT IS PROFOUND BECAUSE IT CHANGES EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE. Your thoughts, emotions and actions ALIGN EFFORTLESSLY with your vision. Living as someone who TRUSTS means you STOP CHASING. Instead, you ATTRACT. You no longer rely on EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES to validate your FAITH. Instead your INNER STATE becomes the FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE. This is where TRUE FREEDOM lies: NOT IN CONTROLLING OUTCOMES BUT IN KNOWING THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS SUPPORTED. When TRUST becomes second nature the UNIVERSE (GOD) reveals its MAGIC in ways you could NEVER have imagined.

(Profound: having intellectual depth and insight, all encompassing: complete.)

                                                   TRUE MANIFESTING:

It is not just about manifesting your desires; it’s about becoming the person capable of receiving them. THE UNIVERSE (GOD) DOESN’T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT; IT GIVES YOU WHO YOU ARE. TRUST is the bridge between where you are now and the life you’ve always dreamed of. (Who am I? What am I? Why am I? To live in TRUST and truly manifest each of us MUST answer these questions to and for ourselves.)

                                                        THE CHOICE:

Every day you face a CHOICE: TO TRUST OR TO RESIST. The UNIVERSE (GOD) doesn’t demand perfection, endless effort or blind optimism. It SIMPLY asks for your TRUST. That TRUST unlocks the door to EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE.

(“We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we have just outlined.” BB pg. 88)

THE QUESTION IS: ARE YOU READY TO GIVE IT (TRUST)? The moment you do you’ll realize that LIFE ISN’T SOMETHING YOU FIGHT AGAINST. IT’S SOMETHING YOU CREATE WITH EVERY THOUGHT, FEELING AND CHOICE. TRUST AND WATCH (effortless action) AS THE UNIVERSE (GOD) WORKS MIRACLES ON YOUR BEHALF.

(“The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!” BB pg. 153)

                                                       Finally:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations.But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” Buddha Siddhartha Gautama

                                        2500 years later this:

(Resist) “…undue attachment to a particular teacher, a particular textbook, or a particular church or other organization. It is a mistaken loyalty. It is an unselfish error, but a deadly one. Any religious teacher or writer, however eminent, any church or center, however much beloved, is still but a means to an end. The end itself is spiritual growth. Recognize with gratitude all the help you receive from any source, but remember that your loyalty is due to God, through your own spiritual development. You must feel free at any time to go wherever you get the most help, irrespective of personal considerations.” Emmet Fox

(Irrespective: functioning without or having no regard for persons, conditions, circumstances, or consequences.)

             SO, WE TRUST BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW THAT:

“Infinite intelligence is at the core of your being. It will guide and direct your thoughts, your actions, and your words if you will let it (TRUST). It will bring you the perfect right answer…” Emmet Fox

AA, Addiction, authenticity, Buddha, Course in Miracles, Emmet Fox, faith, God, Lao Tzu, metaphysics, psychic pain, recovery, Serenity, spiritual basis, Spiritual Living, spirituality, surrender, trust, wisdom

black mountains under the stars at nighttime
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Believing in God is Delusional? Let Go and Let God Part 3

BUT, WHAT ABOUT:

(After the Pink Cloud dissipates?)

“The wars which had been fought, the burnings and chicanery that religious dispute had facilitated, made me sick. I honestly doubted whether, on balance, the religions of mankind had done any good. Judging from what I had seen in Europe and since, the power of God in human affairs was negligible, the Brotherhood of Man a grim jest. If there was a Devil, he seemed the Boss Universal, and he certainly had me.” BB pg.11

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able, and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” – Epicurus

“God is omnipotent, omniscient, and controls everything. Unless something bad happens. Then that was the Devil.” Author Unknown

“I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.”  Clarence Darrow

Ignorant: destitute, lacking in knowledge or education.

“Isn’t killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?” Arthur C. Clarke

“The world holds two classes of men; intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.”  Al-Maʿarri (Blind Arab philosopher 973-1057)

So then, does that mean:

God Sounds Delusional, The Devil Sounds Logical ?

“Logic is great stuff. We liked it. We still like it. It is not by chance that we were given the power to reason, to examine the evidence of our senses, and to draw conclusions. That is one of man’s magnificent attributes. …Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not to believe…” BB pg. 53

Magnificent: impressive to the mind or spirit: sublime, impressive, exceptionally fine.              

Sublime: to elevate or exalt especially in dignity or honor,to render finer (as in purity or excellence).

Attributes: a quality, character, or characteristics ascribed to someone or something.

At Pains: to try hard to do something. (“Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”) Malcolm Forbes

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Albert Einstein

Intuitive: the power or faculty of attaining direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference. “We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” BB pg. 84

“We feel and know that we are eternal.” “The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is.” Baruch Spinoza

 The Brain:

Left side: Logical, Rational           Right side: Intuitive, Holistic

I will believe it when I see it.          I will see it when I believe it.

We are a drop in the ocean.           We are the entire ocean in a drop.

He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. John 21:6 English Standard Bible

Our Personal Devil’s Advocate is the “Ghost” voice within propagating our “Yeah buts”, “You don’t understand…”, and all “What aboutism” which is at the heart of all our self-serving arguments/justifications for any negative/problematic behavior, thinking or action.  Many of which first came to light in our 4th & 5th Steps and without vigilance (Steps 10&11) will bedevil us in recovery, making hard going of life, and often paving the way of relapse.

The question of Manifestation for the alcoholic/addict is simply: why do those who become “awake” (worked the Steps) relapse? Choosing bondage of self over freedom in Spirit.

So: What is real? What/Who do we trust? Believe in?

“Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.” Niels Bohr, winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics.

An atom is approximately 99.9999999999996% “empty” space, yet atoms make up everything we touch, see and feel. The entire corporeal world we “inhabit”. Yet our world isn’t “mostly empty space”. It is “mostly” electron clouds, vibrating with energy, bound together by the quantum rules that govern the entire Universe.

“Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think.” Werner Heisenberg winner of the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics for the creation of quantum mechanics.

 SO:

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Max Planck

“All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” Max Planck Nobel Prize winner in 1918 for his work on Quantum Theory.

“When I went to the moon I was a pragmatic test pilot. But when I saw the planet Earth floating in the vastness of space the presence of divinity became almost palpable and I knew that life in the universe was not just an accident.” ~ Edgar Mitchell Lunar Module pilot Apollo 14. Spent 9 hours walking on the moon.

The “vastness” of space: Consider- if you take the average diameters of all the planets and add them up, you get approximately 247,306 miles. At apogee, which is when the Moon is farthest from the Earth, the distance between the two objects is about 252,300 miles so….

Additionally, for perspective, at best case alignment, traveling at 50,000 miles per hour it would take over 6 years to travel to Neptune. At this same speed it would take over 59,000 years to travel the 4.4 light years to Proxima Centauri (our closest neighboring star).

Which Brings Us Too: 

The Why Of Relapse, What Do WE Really Believe

“When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?

Arrived at this point, we were squarely confronted with the question of faith. We couldn’t duck the issue. Some of us had already walked far over the Bridge of Reason toward the desired shore of faith. The outlines and the promise of the New Land had brought luster to tired eyes and fresh courage to flagging spirits. Friendly hands had stretched out in welcome. We were grateful that Reason had brought us so far. But somehow, we couldn’t quite step ashore. Perhaps we had been leaning too heavily on Reason that last mile and we did not like to lose our support.” BB pg. 53

Reason: the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational ways.

“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God’s universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.” BB pg. 25

“Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all – everyone? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing.

When ready, we say something like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me (the corrosive influence of) every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” BB pg. 76

The next paragraph puts the “God delusion” in its proper place, for us:

“We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.” BB pg. 68

“…asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.” BB pg. 83

“Who are you to say there is no God?”

This man recounts that he tumbled out of bed to his knees. In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence of God. It poured over and through him with the certainty and majesty of a great tide at flood. The barriers he had built through the years were swept away. He stood in the Presence of Infinite Power and Love. He had stepped from bridge to shore. For the first time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator.” BB pg. 56

“They had seen miracles, and one was to come to them. They had visioned the Great Reality – their loving and All-Powerful Creator.” BB pg. 161

“A great revulsion has risen up in him. Seemingly he could not drink even if he would. God had restored his sanity. What is this but a miracle of healing?” BB pg. 57

SO:

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”  Thomas Aquinas

Faith: something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in and loyalty to God.

We will believe it when we see it.  Explanations, physical evidence required. Faith lacking or absent altogether.

We will see it when we believe it. No explanation or physical evidence required. Faith in demonstration.

When we have reached the end of our knowledge, with only darkness, fear and uncertainty stretching out before us, we step out in Faith, and either God’s promised solidity will greet our feet or we will be taught to fly.

Miracles

Miracle: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.

Manifesting: to make evident or certain by showing or displaying.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein

“The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!” BB pg. 153

“We are convinced that a spiritual mode of living is a most powerful health restorative. We, who have recovered from serious drinking, are miracles of mental health.” BB pg. 133

“We cannot subscribe to the belief that this life is a vale of tears, though it once was just that for many of us. But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn’t do it. Avoid then, the deliberate manufacture of misery, but if trouble comes, cheerfully capitalize it as an opportunity to demonstrate His omnipotence.” BB pg. 133

“God is not He who is, but That which is.” Baruch Spinoza

Posted by Vincent Lee Jones

by Vincent Lee Jones

Mindful Diligence

Living on the Spiritual Basis requires diligence, mindful of what are we planting (or allowing to remain) in our spiritual garden (consciousness). To be free of the fear driven life we need to ask ourselves regularly: Am I trying to impress others, curry favor, perhaps falsely believing, hoping, if they think I am okay, I am? That true happiness lies in the approval of others? Have we surrounded ourselves with people quick to co-sign whatever we are selling, while avoiding those who may ask uncomfortable (honest) questions or point out obvious truths we may not want to hear? Perhaps even employing a little “guilty with an explanation” reasoning when attempting to justify a bad decision or some selfish behavior?

Living on the Spiritual Basis teaches us that the unexamined life leads only to futility and frustration, a life filled with fear-based thinking and action, burying us in the bondage of self. So our path is simple, if not easy: we must perform a daily inventory of our spiritual garden and when we discover a “weed,” and we will from time to time, we honestly address it through prayer, asking to be shown the truth and what corrective action is required. If it is a troublesome pest, one that seems to keep sprouting up, we discuss it with a trusted spiritual advisor or friend, someone who will tell us the truth, even at the risk of the relationship, for the truth will set us free. Gratitude is an action, and grateful people are happy people, so always thank the Miraculous for this marvelous new ability to see mistakes and character flaws and the continuing willingness to be free of them, a day at a time.

https://miraclesofrecovery.com/

 

© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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