My Spiritual Journey - The Conclusion, My Future

I am so blessed to have made it this far in life and I have so much to be thankful for. In 2005 I married Sandy, and she has faithfully stood by me even though I have given her reason not to. She knows my history, including my sins and loves me anyway. Most important though, she loves the Lord with all her heart, and does her best to follow the teachings of Christ. She loves my children like they are her own and serves her community with love and dedication. I love her so much.

I am also very grateful for my teachers, employers, siblings, extended family, my former wife Cindy, the mother of my children and her family. To anyone who loves, supports and nurtures my kids, how could I not be thankful?

What the Lord has planned for my future, I have no idea. As it unfolds I will continue to love and support my family and serve my community, seeking guidance from above. Thank you Father for leading me to this point, and let my life be one of showing gratitude to You for the sacrifice of Your Son and the blessings we’ve been given. Help me to be faithful.

Christianity and Alcoholics Anonymous

A few days ago I had a discussion with a fellow believer about their desire to be sober, and that how Alcoholics Anonymous wasn't a good option for them because it wasn't Christian enough.  The person said they only mentioned God in a vague sense, mostly referring to Him as a Higher Power.  Which is correct in my experience.  That saddened me to hear because when I first went to AA back in 2000 my faith in God was weak, and AA strengthened it.

If AA were any more "Christian" than it is now, there would be more feelings like this, that I found in a recovery forum written in 2009 - Are non-Christians really accepted at AA meetings? Are they welcome? I've heard there is such an importance placed on God at these meetings and I don't really believe in God. I'm 3 days sober and desperate to keep my sobriety...I'm ready to stop and do whatever it takes...I want to go to AA meetings to meet others like me but I'm just not sure if it will work because I'm not Christian and don't really believe in a God.

In the AA Preamble, which is read at every meeting it states, "A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety."

To the Christian wishing a more godly program, I have experienced individuals talking about how their Higher Power was Jesus Christ, with humility and confidence.

In my experience, Alcoholics Anonymous has the perfect level of spirituality in that it welcomes believers, and drives home the point to the non-believers that we cannot achieve sobriety by ourselves, but only with the help of a power greater than us.  There is such a power!  The program molds the alcoholic from the self-centered to the selfless, the "taker" to the giver, the antisocial to the prosocial while giving hope. I even recall some of my own ah-ha moments when I realized there were others more important than me and I needed to change.  About then was when I was able to recall what I had learned about God from my past, blend the teachings of the Bible with those of AA program, and have a Savior there waiting for me to offer forgiveness and grace.  It is a program that works, for those of any faith or lack thereof when they come in.

Other Links: AA Grapevine

If you have an opinion on this, I'd love to hear your comments.  Are you a blogger or wanna-be writer?  I'd love to share your uplifting story on any type of recovery here.  Just send me a comment to this post.

Not Your Typical Church Lady’s Bean Dip

Once in a while I have to stray away from outdoor topics when I have something significant to share.  This is one of those times.

I love any food Mexican, including bean dip. A few weeks ago I searched and scoured the web for a perfect seven layer bean dip, and hardly found one, much less a good one. So when the opportunity came up to provide a side dish at work, I decided to take it on as a challenge to create my own, with all the ingredients I like, but with a kick - like I like it. Here it is...

I call it Papa Gus' Not For The Faint of Heart, Seven Layer Frijoles Bonanza aka Not Your Typical Church Lady’s Bean Dip.  This recipe title is so long, it even has a comma!

Ingredients
1 16 ounce can traditional Refried Beans
1 packet Taco Seasoning
1 16 ounce tub Sour Cream
1 8 ounce can drained Original Rotel
1 8 ounce bunch fresh Cilantro
1 8 ounce pack of shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 medium Jalapeno

Here's how it goes...In a large bowl thoroughly blend the beans, taco seasoning and one-half to three-quarters of a cup of sour cream until its creamy and smooth like soft butter. Scrape the sides so as to get everything in and mixed well. Spread the bean mix in the pan, evenly layer on the drained Rotel, layer the remaining sour cream. Cover with most or all of the grated cheese depending on taste and looks, garnish with a light topping of chopped cilantro, then add sliced jalapeno disks cut slightly more than paper thin, seeds and all. You could garnish with firm chopped Roma tomatoes, but then that would be eight layers now, wouldn't it??  Feel free to raise or lower the heat by using hot or mild Rotel.  Cover with a lid, foil or plastic wrap, chill for a couple hours and serve with corn chips.

Hardware
Mixing bowl and hand mixer or a Kitchen-Aid type mixer
9x13 inch pan
Spatula and large spoons
Pan covering
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ideal time until serving: overnight or 2 hours to marry flavors.
Servings: Enough for a medium size group get-together or a family of four for 2 to 3 days.
Estimated Nutrition summary: Serving Size 1/2 Cup, Calories 95, Fat 7 g, Carbs 23g, Protein 8g.

Preliminary Evaluation - At the end of the lunch break the platter was clean, and that's a good sign.  Personally I prefer to take the heat up a notch, but not for the general population of folk in my area.

My Spiritual Journey - Compass Alignments, Part 8

A compass is a navigational instrument that measures directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth - but you knew that! Just as an explorer needs to check their bearing now and again, so do we. Things in life (other than God) that have kept me pointed in the right direction, with the greatest positive influence include the shared love of my family, music, service to others, children, interaction with people who have a bright, positive outlook on life, the outdoors and well behaved dogs. Conversely things that have caused my metaphorical compass to point me south include over indulgences of any kind, hints of immorality, thoughts of power, illusions of pride, inflated egos, and people who claim to be absolutely right about abstract concepts and matters of faith.

Our Father in Heaven is still shaping each of us, whether we accept it or not. The sooner we realize this; our life will become easier or at least more tolerable. For example, my temper will always flare if someone tells me their Jesus is better than someone else’s Jesus or when someone shows disrespect. In these shaping moments God has just put me in, I need to realign and realize that if I continue to be angry and judge, I will end up becoming like the older brother in the Prodigal Son story (Luke 15:28). I will, and experience has shown I have, meander away from the Lord and things will only become worse. This has been one of my most repeating life lessons.

Other significant alignments have come to me while in quiet time with God. I have frequently found peace in any building or place of worship and sometimes have created my own at a picnic table. When I take a drive in the car or walk down the road with my thoughts directly in prayer; that can help me beyond measure. I am finding more peace and wisdom in the Scriptures than ever before. At important times I have even heard God speak to me while I was praying. These times have been seldom, but none the less significant and real.

Enjoying the urban wilderness.

Working now in Orlando for the prison system puts me in the woods far less than my previous job as a 4-H Agent involved with youth shooting sports, but I'm hanging in there.  Do you know the saying, "You can take the boy out of the woods, but not the woods out of the boy."?  Well that's me, even if that saying goes completely different.

I started enjoying nature as a six year kid in old Fort Worth, Texas catching craw-dads in Mary's Creek by my house.  As a teen I worked and went to Scout camp for six summers in a row, and as a young man attended the BYU 30 day outdoor survival class now owned by B.O.S.S.  The woods, everything about the outdoors, and even the color camo brings me peace and comfort.  Can anyone who reads this relate?

Every day I look forward to going to work, not only for the challenges with my students but for the ride alone.  Driving to and from work along the Beachline Expressway, down four lanes of concrete I constantly spot wildlife and it makes my day.  Yesterday a raccoon blocked my walk way as I left the compound, driving home I spotted about 30 turkey, with one tough young Jake (young wild turkey) strutting his stuff, five miles later I saw a mama eagle sharing a fish with her two babies along the Saint John's River.  What a day!

I hope you have opportunity to enjoy nature and "the woods" in your area where ever you live, and if you're lucky enough to live in the country, count your luck stars and know that your envied by some, but have some kindred spirits among the rest of us.

Got a story to tell?  I'd love to hear them and see your pictures!  Comment below or send them to Mr. Gus via this email roundball@ymail.com.  I'll post them below in the comment section.

Finding Youself, Finding Balance

More and more often I am having these magical days, such as today where I meet inspiring people and learn inspiring thoughts through sound and imagery.  This is completely because I am learning to let go of fear and preconceived thoughts of how I should act and what I should say and do.  I am learning to follow my heart and emulate others who do the same.

In my transition class today I taught about wellness, and what it takes to be of healthy mind and body.  We spoke of balance and how sometimes our lives get out of kilter, which literally means out of good health or condition1. We spoke of keeping things in perspective and not putting too much time or energy into any one thing, or keeping family, love and other important values higher on the priority list than things that just won't matter in the long term.  As a matter of fact, I was going to write more about this but my ideas took a turn when I met Nelson.

Nelson Guda, who's images I've use here, is a photographer, artist and author from Ohio who travels the globe in pursuit of his art.  As PhD Biologist he could be doing many different things, but if you see some of his work such as the Sensual Rainforest you may see the influence of living systems and how they have impacted his artistry.  I am looking forward to his newest work, The Enemies Project and how he captures conflict and examines the many sides of this issue.

May God bless us all to truly discover the gifts within, our true selves and use them to the benefit of our brothers and sisters.