Thrill of Being Alive

I have always believed that spirituality is a gift that needs to be polished. And we polish it, poetically speaking, by taking time to remember those moments when we feel most alive.

In my book Spirituality and Recovery, I seek to explain this awareness by giving examples that most of us can identify with; in this sense the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

"Most times, we are not in contact with our God-given spirituality. We miss it, reject it, or ignore it. The time and occasions when we make contact, those wonderful occasions when we feel and touch the very essence of our life flow, we glow with enthusiasm. At such moments, it is great to be alive. It is not only great to be a alive, it is great to be who we are and alive.

Such moments are abundant, but we often miss them. We concentrate on clutter, the superficial, the unreal, so that we miss the beauty that has been given and the splendor that surrounds us.

Are you in touch with your life? Are you there in your life? If you answer yes, then you are already aware of the thrill of living, the wonder of living, and that constant spirituality.
When two people are in love, it is loudly present. It shouts from their eyes, faces, and sprightly walk. Love is overflowing, demanding attention. It radiates from the most discreet, respectable, and proper people. It cannot be hidden or disguised. When two people are in love, life is filled with meaning and everything is exciting.

The shared telephone call between young lovers and the nervous pronunciation of the name sends shivers down the listening lover's spine. The meal and walk in the park become a sacramental communion that radiates a real presence. Even the making up after a silly argument becomes a joyous experience of generous forgiveness. Love makes everything exciting, meaningful, and extraordinary." (Chapter 3 - Page 48-49)

Spirituality and Recovery has recently been published by Health Communications Incorporated and is now available at various places including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And for those of you who live in the Long Beach Orange County area, a wonderful recovery store called Easy Does It on Broadway in Long Beach has signed copies available. Visit their website for store hours and directions or call 562-621-1042.

It Is Given

This Thanksgiving, instead of thinking about what you need, focus on what has already been given.

The power of choice is an essential ingredient for being divine souls in human form. 

Like Jesus we can change the world if we choose; heal the sick and feed the poor.
Thank God for what we have been given.

My Beliefs are What Make Me Human

I remember reading that C.S. Lewis was essentially hopeful because he believed that God has won the battle with the devil. It was over. Truth has conquered evil. I also believe this metaphysical story, Goodness has been victorious.

It is with this as a background that I say today that it is easier to get well than to stay sick. For the alcoholic, sobriety is an easier path; it's really difficult to live each day as a drunk.

I've not always believed this. I used to say that it is hard to get sober and I came to realize that this was giving energy to the negative; it seemed to suggest that the disease of alcoholism is stronger than the human spirit.

Yes, it is not easy to get sober but it is easier than the pain and chaos of being drunk; as I said earlier, it's not easy to live as a drunk.

A major shift in our thinking comes when we begin to ask - "Who are we? What is a human being?"

Today I believe that we reflect the divine. Indeed, we truly are divine creatures who were created to love and be loved. When we cease to love, when we begin to hurt ourselves, we disconnect from that divine energy. We feel powerless. Heavy drinking or other addictive behaviors create feelings of powerlessness and unmanageabilty. But this is not who we essentially are; truly we are divine.

C.S. Lewis sensed this. The victory has been won. We are victorious. Now let's live as winners!

Rev Leo

A Spiritual Awakening

The good thing about having an author write a column is that you hear about a new book before the book is published; in my case, I’m talking about The Happy Heretic. It is the result of my spiritual awakening that happened years ago when I realized that everything I was told I didn’t believe. Or, to put it another way; we believe a thing until we don’t believe it anymore.

I think everyone who enters into recovery soon realizes that they are not only seeking healing for their drug and alcohol use, other things are involved. For some it is food, sex, gambling; in my case it was religious codependency.

Is the phrase religious codependency new to you? Well, that’s why I wrote this book. More importantly, that’s why it is being published by Health Communications Incorporated this December. It speaks of a toxic message I heard growing up; God is everything and I am nothing without God’s grace. Well, I don’t believe that. Oh, I realize that I’m not God, but I am something. Yes, God certainly wanted me to get sober, but I needed to want it enough to change my behaviors. The God that I believe in today, so very different from the God I was raised with, has given Leo something of himself (free will) at birth. I am a child of God that, with this gift of free will, is able to make creative choices. I’m no longer nothing; I am something.

For the alcoholic who was riddled with guilt, shame and low self-esteem this belief has proven to be transformational. I’m an essential part of my recovery.

Today I am able to understand the word responsibility in a new and challenging way because I’ve moved away from that religious codependency that kept me waiting for God to fix or rescue me. God’ grace requires my involvement; I have become part of the change process.

This spiritual awakening has also helped me understand that I have not inherited the sin of Adam and Eve. They were responsible for their behaviors, and they paid the price; I’m responsible for my actions and behaviors. The term original sin has come to mean for me, original blessing. I’ve moved away from sin into a state of blessedness. Their sins, your sins, they are not my sins. As the saying goes: I was born an original, I’m not going to die a copy.

For me, this spiritual awakening has created an amazing shift in my life. Notice I said my life, not just recovery. Yes, I need to take responsibility for my recovery from alcohol and drugs but this healing from religious codependency has affected health, finance, relationships…and prayer.

I’m no longer praying for God to take away my problems and challenges, rather I’m affirming in my prayers the need to think differently and act responsibly. Health issues became my issues. If I want to pray about my cough, and I’m a smoker, then I need to act differently. Asking for God to remove my financial insecurity, if I’m spending too much money at Starbucks, doesn’t make sense today. Requesting a loving partner, without doing the footwork, is really a cry for magic, not miracle.

Has this spiritual awakening made me critical of the words and prayers used at recovery meetings? Not really. I’ve always realized that the program is inspired, not dogmatically dictated and it is necessary for me to interpret what I hear and read. True, the prayers on the wall are not as I would have written them but I look to the meaning behind the words. What is said with one hand always needs to be balanced by what is being said in the other hand. I need to let go; and also be responsible. I need to be quiet and listen; but there is also a time to speak. I need to assist others; but also take care of myself.

Yes, you can say it; Leo will never become a bleeding deacon!