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Spiritual self-talk is atremendous tool for developing your power of choice. It helps you expand the brief moment of decision between what stimulates us and the response to that Stimulus.What, you might ask, is thestimulus? It is the physical and mental experience of knowing how that stimulus"feels”.
 ANSWERS
 A brief guide to Accomplishingthe ImpossibleBe patient! Takes a moment todownload.
New Advice to Parents: Tell the Truth About Your PastDrug Use
The latest research from the Hazelden Foundation comesdown firmly on the side of truthfulness when it comes todiscussing drugs with kids. More than 90 percent of bothparents and teens see parents as role models on drug-use issues, whether or not teens were aware of theirparents past drug use.
 By: Stanley Popovich
Everybody deals with anxietyand depression, however somepeople have a hard time inmanaging it. As a result, here isa brief list of techniques that aperson can use to help managetheir most persistent fears andevery day anxieties. When facing current or impending tasks that feel overwhelming, thefirst thing you can do is to divide the task into a series of smallersteps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time
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The Dark Night of the Soul 
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The blues, Winter blues, depression, just down and out, sick and tired of being sick and tired... whatever we call it... this is a time of year when many live a life in darkness both inside and out. This issue of The Gabriel will focus on what the mystics called “The Dark Night of the Soul.” We hope you find it enl ightening. Cla raT 
TIPS TO MANAGING ANXIETY
&
DEPRESSION
 YOUR INTERNET COMMUNITY FOR RECOVERY
✢
ALWAYS AVAILABLE
✢
ALWAYS CARING
G
 ABRIEL
2010- WINTER EDITION
 the
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HRISTIANS IN
R
ECOVERY
N
EWSLETTER
Continued on page 4
 
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 ABRIEL
The Gabriel 
 
is a publication of Christians-in-Recovery® dedicated to the upliftingand inspiration of it’s members and friends.It is published4 times a year, once eachquarter.
The Gabriel StaffClara T.—
Editor
James A. —
 Associate Editor
Terri—
Proofreader
Obie —
CIR Executive Director
CIR Membership—
ContributorsChristians in Recovery®, Inc. is a 501(c)(3)non- profit corporation. We are a group ofrecovering Christians dedicated to personalone-on-one sharing of faith, strength andhope as we live each day in recovery. Wework to regain and maintain balance andorder in our lives through active discussionof the 12 Steps, the Bible, and experiencesin our own recovery from abuse, familydysfunction, depression, anxiety, grief,relationships and/or addictions of alcohol,drugs, food, pornography, sexual addiction,etc. CIR is comprised of people like youwho becomeMembersand/orDonate. CIR is governed by aBoard of Directorsthatmeets on a regular basis.
Our Vision
It is the vision of the Board and SupportingMembers of CIR to continueto use thelatest technology, in addition toconventional means, to reach those whowould normally not seek help-- to catchthose who fall through the cracks-- and tofurther spread Christian hope, healing andfellowship to those in need of recovery. Ourvision to go well beyond recovery sopeople can fully discover, explore andmagnify all possibilities God intends forthem as individuals.Christians in Recovery® is NOT:• A crises center or hotline• A substitute for attending church• A professional therapy group• A substitute for professional help orassistance•Geared to any one denomination•Intended to replace secular recoverygroups or meetings•Intended to replace or undermine anyother Christian organization or group.
 http://www.christians-in-recovery.org
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 A parable for sp onsors & sponsees
Goldie, the cutest little long-haired chihuahua is my new gift from Ruth hereon CIR. We’ve spent the whole holiday vacation bonding and just enjoying eachother’s warmth. But the honest truth is that she’s learned to “go” outside via myfront door and the resulting hidden time bombs are embarrassing not to mentionhard on my grass. So... my task this Holiday Vacation time was to get a doggiedoor put into my sliding patio door (check), get a little fence put up for her in theback (check) and train her to go outside in the back. She used a doggie door atRuth’s house so I felt like it would be a piece of cake.
I carried her outside and down the steps and got the fence all secure. Then itwas time to teach her to come back in the same way she went out--via the back door and the steps. She’d climbed them before with no problem so I thought heythis will be easy. Well, Goldie balked at the first step. Nope. Don’t recognize that. Iwant to come in the front door (aka the easier, softer way). Nope. Not going to let you in that way. I wheedled and I pleaded and I praised when she approached thefirst step. But she is shy and bashful and it was new and unknown. So I pulled outthe can of French Style Green Beans. She loves green beans. (You’ll have to ask Ruth and Joan about that). Oh she wanted that green bean SO badly but justcouldn’t make first step. She’d approach it and then run away, looking all aroundfor another way. “Maybe there are some green beans here on the ground. I knowI found one here before.” Nope. But there’s that one. Ew. Okayyyy. She eased upto that first step, grabbed that green bean and ran. It took a long time but shefinally got up that first step, grabbed a bean off the second step and acckk (yeahthat’s a sponsor word... acckk) was back on the ground again. Well I kept plying with green beans... it’s attraction not promotion after all, right? ONE Step up....run back down.. Step two... then three... patiently I fed little pieces of green beansto Goldie. I found out prettyquickly that I hadto keep her attention or shewouldn’t see the green bean “land”to get it. She spent a fair amount of time at each step sniffing the step itself. Trying to figure out what it was. And always she’dgo up a step or two. Before long she wasn’t even aware she was climbing stepsanymore, but what she did know was that it was all new and she didn’t like that!Finally, finally she made her way all the way up to the lower deck.
 WOW. Good girl! Then the last 4 steps to the screened porch, she was getting full. Green beans not so attractive anymore. “This is strange. I don’t know thisway. I think I need to go find a different way.” So more patience. More trying notto scare her off. More trying to show her the way. Finally when she was just notgoing to climb that last step, and I was tired and my feet were wet from putting the fence up in my slippers (yeah dumb I know) I gave up and went inside. Ithought well she’s so close... maybe if I turn on the microwave she’ll hear theding. I had just turned back to the dining room when in Miss Golden Girl prissedright through the dining room into the kitchen like she knew exactly what she wasdoing. As soon as my back was turned and I had given up for the third time... she just decided to come on in. Sigh.
So the next time you’re ready to give up on yourself, or if your sponsee seemsto go up a step or two but then right back down... be patient. God wins in theend. Happy New Year to all and many blessings as your find your own life’sdelight one step at a time.
ClaraT, Editor
 
Musings
by ClaraT 
 
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Musings by ClaraT
A lesson in the “green bean” step model 
5
What’s New @ CIR 
A small sampling of CIR’s information pages 
6
Gleanings
Excerpts from the Message Boards, Prayer Requests,CIR News 
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Jim’s Table:
 
What Did You Call Me! 
Labels... what they do to people
10
Poets Corner
Featuring poems submitted by Jim A., Roadrunner and Ruth
14
This ‘N That 
Random assortment of goodies that didn’t fit anywhere else
16
A Last Word On the Steps
How the steps work “in a nutshell” by Joe & Charlie
101
Tips To Managing Anxiety & Depression
 
An original article by CIR contributor Stanley Popovich.
7
Recovery Events
Online Course Schedule for Spring Semester - Seize the Opportunity!
9
Christian Recovery Reading Room
A nice assortment of books, pamphlets, even t.v. andwebsites
11
Healthy Attitudes
Timely Article on New Year’s Resolutions by Jim Aquila
12
Is My Depression SAD? 
A member’s perspective on seasonal affective disorder
 Wondering if there are any more issuesof the Gabriel? Well yes! View theSummer & Fall 2009 issue as well as Archives of past Gabriel issues.The Gabriel available on CD @Recovery.com bookstore.It would make a great gift to a fellowrecovering Christian.Do you have stories, poetry or original articles you would like to submit for publication in theGabriel? Links to websites and evenoriginalimages are welcome. Remember if you did notwrite the article, we must have copyrightpermission for it to be published in The Gabriel.Email your submissions to:clara@christians-in-recovery.org 
 
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