Chevra:

Ahoy Shipmates.  We are certainly making significant progress on our Journey to Freedom.

We've long ago cruised past "The Island of Bodily Causes" and recently we sailed past "The Bay of Mental Reasons."

[  :) - I think I just got a little carried away Gang! ]

With Chapter 4 -" We Agnostics" in the Big Book, we've dropped our anchor at the Shore of Spiritual Maladies.

We received a lot of comfort from the authors today as we were told that "we commenced to get results - as soon as we had a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves."

We all answered once again, "Hineini."  And when asked if we are willing to believe that there is a "Power greater than myself" we all declared YES!  So without even knowing it, we charged right into the Second Step of the Program - "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

Imagine how I felt, as your Sponsor with such a happy and agreeable crew on Board today.  It was as if we all drank some strong Ale and sang Cum Baya My Lord, Cum Baya!

It all seems so simple and it makes me wonder why didn't we just do this before.

And then I realized that it's one thing to make such a strong declaration and it's a whole 'nuther thing to put it in practice.  I can speak from years of experience and tell you that so often, we stand in the way of our own success!!

Sure we want to be cured of this dreadful disease.  Yes, we want to be recovered (in the past tense).  And even more, we can't stand this character defect and we want to be rid of it.

So let me just ask you, "why haven't you had success before?"  It seems so easy!

Chevra, we have spent a lifetime developing our perspective and motives to be the best sexaholic possible.  We've invested heavily in taking on the perfect outlook in life to become the most Restless, Irritable and Discontent person possible.  And our EGOs are like a helium balloon, ever expanding and ever soaring higher.  Do you think we can abandon all this so quickly??

And more than that, think of all the people around you.  Your spouse, your children, your family, your co-workers, your chavrusa. 

Most likely, they don't have a clue that you are even on this Journey to Spiritual Growth and Freedom.  So you know what happens, THEY treat you the way they've always treated you.  And then you get sucked back into the pattern of behavior that you are most familiar and comfortable with.  Just like the clothes you pick out of your closet on a lazy Sunday. 

So we're trapped, you might say.  I'm going to keep acting (and acting out) the way I've always done.  It's familiar to me and it's familiar to everyone around me.  Surely, we are swimming up stream --- into the currents of a Tsunami.

That is unless you come to realize that by yourself, you will drown in this current.  But with your complete and total surrender to Hashem, He will bring you through to the other side.  Just think about Nachshon ben Aminadav - who took his first step into the Sea of Reeds - yet no splitting of the Sea.  Then he went in up to his waist - still no splitting.  Then up to his neck - still not splitting.  Then when he was about to immerse his head and entire body into the sea - it split!!

That too, is where each of you stand today.  With the dust of Mitzrayim still on your sandals - still behaving like an Egyptian - still irrigating your fields with the waters of "de-Nial." 

Yet today, you are at the waters edge - ready to take that step into the unknown - to a place you've never been before.  And like Nachshon, you are not alone!  But you have to rid yourself of yourself if you are to make the sea split!

Looking FORWARD,
Duvid Chaim