Hi Jessie,

Nice to have you back! It really is nice to be here and be with people who understand...and who are serious about their own recovery.

Colette

: I haven't been hanging around here
: much. I've been "out in the
: world" perhaps trying to
: convince myself that I can dabble
: in the Standard American Diet
: (SAD) to "fit in". Or
: just trying to go it alone for
: whatever reason. Something
: happened today, though, and it
: made me realize how much I miss
: spending time with like minded
: people.

: This morning's church sermon ended in
: way I felt was quite...sheesh, I
: don't even know the word. A part
: of me wanted to scream. A part was
: seething. Another (louder) part
: said, "Keep quiet, no one
: will listen or believe what you
: have to say."

: Anyway, the sermon ended like this:
: the teenagers of the church came
: in with trays of cookies. The
: trays were passed from row to row
: in the same manner as communion or
: offering, and everyone was
: encouraged to take one. While
: eating, the pastor said,
: "You've just gotten a little
: taste of God's grace."

: I'm not going to give all the lead
: up, but do know the message wasn't
: as thin as it sounds. I get the
: point of it. The surprise cookies
: were a metaphor of God's grace.
: But what an awful awful metaphor!
: God's grace is like a man-made,
: nutritionally stripped,
: over-sweetened concoction that's a
: gateway drug for our youth, and
: leaves a large percentage of the
: human population feeling empty
: with cravings that can never be
: satisfied???

: How do I even begin discussing how
: damaging such a message is,
: especially when our church is
: supposed to be a "safe
: place" for addicts who arrive
: by bus every weekend, people who's
: lives have been destroyed by
: addiction to the point that they
: are living in a homeless shelter.

: Okay. This is helping. I'm realizing
: I can't let this one go without
: saying something to the higher
: ups. It's too important.

: *Deep breath*

:

: As for me, time to get myself back on
: track...

: Jessie