Steps on the Road to Recovery

Steps On the Road to Recovery for 23 to 29 November 1998.

Published Last Week. A daily hint published each day since June 1996. This is past my second year anniversary since starting this site. Page Down for the next days that are added a day at a time. I have moved to http://www.recoverybydiscovery.com and this daily page is now here at https://www.recoverybydiscovery.com/daily.htm . I would appreciate any feedback, questions and suggestions that you have.

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What I am mainly going through now is the DSM-III-R Desk Reference a "disorder" at a time and commenting on the spiritual and recovery aspects. The DSM is what the American Psychiatric Association uses to label symptoms to facilitate communication in their community. Unfortunately, the labeling from the DSM can shut down communication with those seeking temporary assistance and spread the stigmas of mental illness. The DSM can also bring some comfort by telling some that others have had the same experience. I am adding additional comfort by pointing to some ways to start getting out of the "disorders". I am not writing about cures. I am writing about how the cure process works over time. Instantaneous cures can be as traumatic as the original event that generated the disorder or illness. Instantaneous cures do not do us any good when we get the same disorder back since we have not changed the thought system that caused the disorder in the first place.

23 November 1998

Today we are still continuing with "300.81 Somatization Disorder". This is

where we have at least 13 of 35 physical symptoms for several years after age

30. As I have written before, there are levels of anything and there could be

a range of 1 symptom of any level to all 35 symptoms at a high level. Like

Hypochondriasis above, the doctors can not find a physical cause and the

patient is concerned enough to take some remedy and or change their life

style. Symptoms are significant and need to be paid attention to and we

need to verify medically that there really is no physical cause that can be

cured. After we have given the doctors their chance we can see if we can

help ourselves by changing our minds.

Today we are on the 27th symptom, urinary retention or difficulty urinating.

This symptom brings an easy question to mind to ask ourselves. What am I

pissed about that I am holding in? How can I express what I am upset about

in effective ways? How can I resolve this issue within myself? Of course,

this symptom could be part of a natural process like when giving birth or

other natural processes.

It is never about "them". We really only upset ourselves about ourselves.

They remind us of something that resonates within ourselves. We would be

calm and objective and effective in resolving what was going on, if it was not

our issue. We could even leave easily in peace if it was not our issue. If it is

a child involved, they could need help.

None of this means that we need to stay around anyone that hurts us.

We can be reminded of our issues from watching movies consciously or

other ways without getting directly hurt.

24 November 1998

Now we come to the sexual symptoms. There are four symptoms for

both sexes and four just for females. The first symptom is "burning

sensation in sexual organs or rectum (other than during intercourse)".

Burning is both as sign of our wound and the fire that can heal our wound.

A lot of the following questions can be used for all four symptoms. The next

symptom is sexual indifference. This could be many things. Are we indifferent

about life? Have we had too much sex? Are we enlightened and over our

physical needs? Is it more likely that we are angry at our partner? What is

it that we do not like in our partner that reminds us of our issue? What is our

real issue? What is going on with our partner that is making this family system

less functional? The next symptom is related, pain during intercourse. What

is it that we do not want to happen here? What are we really angry about?

The last symptom for today is impotence. I remember an interesting experiment

where they tried using estrogen on the partners of a group of impotent men. The

results were impressive, over 90% of the men became potent. The whole point

is that sex is about a relationship. Part of that relationship is what is going on

between two unconsciousness that are conscious. We are different people in

different relationships. Part of becoming more conscious is to reduce the amount

of the change in consciousness when we are in different relationships. That is

one of the many reasons to continue consciousness expansion.

25 November 1998

Consciousness expansion has another need. That is to keep things simple.

As everything becomes significant and interesting, simplicity is more needed

than ever. You all know, keep it simple sunshine, KISS. That is one of my

challenges and when I do keep it simple, those that are complex disturb

themselves. Somehow my simplicity endangers their complexity. And indeed

simplicity does threaten complexity since the truth works to free up the

complexity.

When I get to the hear of the matter I do find that it is simple there. There

is beauty and elegance in simplicity. On the other hand I am grateful for the

complexity so that I can be interested in the simplicity.

26 November 1998

Thanksgiving! A day to be reminded to give thanks all our other days. As

the bible wisdom says in essence: Give thanks in everything, for this is the will

of God in Christ concerning you. Now why would we give thanks for the the

rocks in our life? Because we asked for the rocks at some time. Like JC

said, if you ask for a fish you get a fish and if you ask for a rock you get a rock.

So, as an example when we asked for justice for the murderer we got our own

justice and judgment. When we cursed the bad driver we get our curse. We

ask by what we do, what we believe, what we say, in fact everything. That is

why to give thanks for everything. That is our new opportunity to do new things,

think and say new things, and believe new things.

27 November 1998

To complete the symptoms for "300.81 Somatization Disorder" we have the

last four sexual symptoms. These symptoms are for females only, since they are

painful menstruation, irregular menstrual periods, excessive menstrual bleeding, and

vomiting throughout pregnancy. The most obvious question to ask our female

selves is: What is it that we do not like about being female? When we have any

problem with being the sex our body is, we have an issue to resolve. That is

good news. Knowing that, we have someplace to start, unraveling that which

we are using, to keep us from learning who we really are. That is easy to write

and challenging to do. The doing works best by getting to know the lord

most high within ourselves and everyone else.

28 November 1998

Freud said it was love that healed. Jung said it was resolving spiritual issues that healed. They are both saying the same thing to me.

Someone once asked me if the devil could be saved. I took it as them asking if God could save them, given where they were coming from. I said that the

God I know so far, could. They ended up saying that they could not accept what I said, based on their understanding of the bible. Recently, I got the

following inspiration from the Comforter that comforted me more on this question. All will ultimately be saved, according to my new reading of the bible as

follows:

<????> are Strong's numbers in the King James version of the bible in Online Bible 7.10.

Rev 21:1 And <2532> I saw <1492> (5627) a new <2537> heaven <3772> and <2532> a new <2537> earth <1093>: for <1063> the first <4413> heaven <3772> and <2532> the first <4413> earth <1093> were passed away <3928> (5627); and <2532> there was <2076> (5748) no <3756> more <2089> sea <2281>.

What happened before this, to bring about a new heaven and a new earth? That is shown in the previous verses:

Rev 20:10 And <2532> the devil <1228> that deceived <4105> (5723) them <846> was cast <906> (5681) into <1519> the lake <3041> of fire <4442> and <2532> brimstone <2303>, where <3699> the beast <2342> and <2532> the false prophet <5578> are, and <2532> shall be tormented <928> (5701) day <2250> and <2532> night <3571> for <1519> ever <165> and ever <165>.

Rev 20:11 And <2532> I saw <1492> (5627) a great <3173> white <3022> throne <2362>, and <2532> him that sat <2521> (5740) on <1909> it <846>, from <575> whose <3739> face <4383> the earth <1093> and <2532> the heaven <3772> fled away <5343> (5627); and <2532> there was found <2147> (5681) no <3756> place <5117> for them <846>.

Rev 20:12 And <2532> I saw <1492> (5627) the dead <3498>, small <3398> and <2532> great <3173>, stand <2476> (5761) before <1799> God <2316>; and <2532> the books <975> were opened <455> (5681): and <2532> another <243> book <975> was opened <455> (5681), which <3739> is <2076> (5748) the book of life <2222>: and <2532> the dead <3498> were judged <2919> (5681) out of <1537> those things which were written <1125> (5772) in <1722> the books <975>, according to <2596> their <846> works <2041>.

Rev 20:13 And <2532> the sea <2281> gave up <1325> (5656) the dead <3498> which <3588> were in <1722> it <846>; and <2532> death <2288> and <2532> hell <86> delivered up <1325> (5656) the dead <3498> which <3588> were in <1722> them <846>: and <2532> they were judged <2919> (5681) every man <1538> according to <2596> their <846> works <2041>.

Rev 20:14 And <2532> death <2288> and <2532> hell <86> were cast <906> (5681) into <1519> the lake <3041> of fire <4442>. This <3778> is <2076> (5748) the second <1208> death <2288>.

Rev 20:15 And <2532> whosoever <1536> was <2147> <0> not <3756> found <2147> (5681) written <1125> (5772) in <1722> the book <976> of life <2222> was cast <906> (5681) into <1519> the lake <3041> of fire <4442>.

The answer in the bible is that everything, not in the book of life, was cast into the "lake of fire", before the coming of the new earth and new heaven.

Then, what is the "the lake <3041> of fire <4442>"?

Using translations of Strong's numbers from Online Bible 7.10.

<3041> limne {lim'-nay} probably from 3040 (through the idea of nearness of shore); ; n f AV - lake 10; 10 1) a lake

<3040> limen {lee-mane'} apparently a root word; ; n m AV - haven 2, the fair havens + 2570 1; 3 1) a harbour, haven

<4442> pur {poor} a root word; TDNT - 6:928,975; n n AV - fire 73, fiery 1; 74 1) fire

So the lake of fire could be described as a harbor of fire or a haven of fire or a consuming fire.

And who is the haven, the safe harbor, the consuming fire?

God.

And what would be consumed?

Everything would be consumed, but God.

So everything not in the book of life, becomes transformed back into the spirit of God, when it is cast into the haven of fire, the lake of fire of God, the loving and merciful one. That means that God is fantastic enough to save even the devil, who was a fallen angel, who will finally fall into to lake of love and mercy and return to his father to become as he was. A case of another prodigal son returning with a celebration.

29 November 1998

Why is it important, that God wins in the end? Because, that fact can change

our attitude towards all of life. Life can become fair again. Even though only

a third of the people in the United States believe in the bible, this culture effects

the other two thirds. The fact that this part of the christian culture believes in

a fearful and loving God instead of an unconditional loving God, infects the rest

of our country and our world. Believing in a wrathful God that is unconditional

loving is crazy making. When we have parents like that, many of us need mental

health coaches to recover from that crazy making.

I read someplace that a majority of those in mental hospitals had religions

issues as a part of their sickness. I have met many that do indeed have religion

as a part of their sickness. Their sickness can be traced to their God concepts.

I know that I was better off before I found God, to just be open minded, to not

know. When I began to know, I was better off since I knew a forgiving God. I

got over the symptom phase of my bipolar disorder a lot easier since I was

looking for what was, instead of telling myself and others what was. Terror is

not easy, but it is a lot easier going through that valley of death with a loving

and forgiving God.

I foster Discovery and Recovery and the Life of Your Dreams,

Michael Foster, M. A.

Mental Health Coach

"Learn HOW to recovery by discovering the blocks you need to remove and the actions you need to take and what you need to let go of as your blocks to your blessings."

From my book in process, The Spiritual Cookbook (Generic Recipes for a Better Life)

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I started my daily page, because it is useful for me to look for some recovery tip or secret each day for my spiritual growth. we and I only need one secret to work on and let it work on me each day. They are secrets because they are usually the opposite of what the majority of society teaches. They must be secret because they are not commonly used. A friend of mine once said "Common Sense is not much in Common.". Now that I have grandchildren I am also writing for them. I would have really liked for my grandparents to have passed on what they learned.

I am including Sunday as it is my formal day of learning the lord most high's secrets. If you would like ask questions, or contribute some of your wisdom, or want to make some comments or want to vote for which day to put on my tip of the month page or tell your success stories, click Michael Foster, M. A.