Welcome Newcomers!

The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to fellowship and celebrate God's healing power in our lives through the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes* and Christ-centered 12 Steps. This experience allows us to be changed. We open the door by sharing our experiences, victories, and hopes with one another. In addition, we become willing to accept God's grace in solving our life problems.

By working the Christ-centered steps and applying their biblical principles found in the Beatitudes*, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others.

As we progress through the principles and the steps, we discover our personal, loving, and forgiving Higher Power -- Jesus Christ.

Welcome to an Amazing Spiritual Adventure!

* You can find the Beatitudes in the Bible: Matthew 5.

Small Group Guidelines

The Small Group Guidelines are the foundation of Celebrate Recovery:

1. Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Limit your sharing to three to five minutes.
2. There will be NO cross talk. Cross talk is when two individuals engage in conversation, excluding all others. Each person is free to express his or her feelings without interruptions.
3. We are here to support one another, not “fix” one another.
4. Anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared in the group stays in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
5. Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.

Some are sicker than others. Some of us need a Savior.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15,16

I may not ever have much in common with the biblical writer, Paul – but I know we have his “trustworthy saying” in common. I found freedom by admitting I am sicker than others and that I need a Savior. I thank God that I found grace even though I was so far gone that I didn’t dare seek it.

My name is LaViva. I am a believer in Jesus Christ that struggles with alcoholism and depression.

After living my sickest, drunken dreams and barely surviving the nightmare of full-blown alcoholism and a life of debauchery, I poured my last 40-ounce down the drain. That was nine years ago by the grace of God. I found a solution to my spiritual, mental and physical malady in the 12 steps. I found a loving and forgiving God through the acceptance and care of people in the rooms.

God has done amazing things since I gave myself over to His care. Today I have a loving husband and a wonderful daughter. I have a job that gives me the opportunity to be of service to others everyday. And God is bringing me to the next level of my recovery: I am coordinating a new recovery program at my church called Celebrate Recovery. In this program we address our hurts, habits and hang ups through a Christ-centered 12 step program.

I personally invite anyone even slightly interested to our regular CR meetings on Friday nights at 6PM at Burbank Seventh-day Adventist Church at 710 S. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502. I can be reached through outreach@burbanksda.com or 818.848.7051.

May God bless you, especially if you have a feeling you might be “sicker than others”, like me.

The Road to Recovery

Recovery Principles, based on the Beatitudes, by Pastor Rick Warren

Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable. Step 1
"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor." Matthew 5:3

Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. Step 2
"Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control. Step 3
"Happy are the meek." Matthew 5:5

Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. Steps 4 & 5
"Happy are the pure in heart." Matthew 5:8

Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. Steps 6 & 7
"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires." Matthew 5:6

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others except when to do so would harm them or others. Steps 8 & 9"Happy are the merciful." Matthew 5:7 "Happy are the peacemakers." Matthew 5:9

Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and gain the power to follow His will. Steps 10 & 11

Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. Step 12
"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires." Matthew 5:10

CR: Things We Are/Things We Are Not

Things We Are:
A safe place to share
A refuge
A place of belonging
A place to care for others and be cared for
A place where respect is given to each member
A place where confidentiality is highly regarded
A place to learn
A place to grow and become strong again
A place where you can take off your mask
A place for healthy challenges and healthy risks
A possible turning point in your life

Things We Are Not:
A place for selfish control
A place for therapy
A place for secrets
A place to look for dating relationships
A place to rescue or be rescued by others
A place for perfection
A place to judge others
A quick fix

What is Codependence?

My good feelings about who I am stem from being loved by you.
My good feelings about who I am stem from receiving approval from you.
Your struggle affects my serenity. My mental attention focuses on solving your problems or relieving your pain.
My mental attention is focused on pleasing you.
My mental attention is focused on protecting you.
My self-esteem is bolstered by solving your problems.
My self-esteem is bolstered by relieving your pain.
My own hobbies and interests are put aside. My time is spent sharing your interests and hobbies.
Your clothing and personal appearance are dictated by my desires as I feel you are a reflection of me.
Your behavior is dictated by my desires as I feel you are a reflection of me.
I am not aware of how I feel. I am aware of how you feel.
I am not aware of what I want -- I ask what you want. I am not aware -- I assume.
The dreams I have for my future are linked to you.
My fear of rejection determines what I say or do.
My fear of your anger determines what I say or do.
I use giving as a way of feeling safe in our relationship.
My social circle diminishes as I involve myself with you.
I put my values aside in order to connect with you.
I value your opinion and way of doing things more than my own.
The quality of my life is in direct relation to the quality of yours.

THERE IS A SOLUTION.
By working through the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes with Jesus Christ as your Higher Power, you can and will change! You will begin to experience the true peace and serenity you have been seeking, and you will no longer have to rely on your codependent behaviors as a temporary "fix" for your pain.

Adult Children of the Chemically Addicted

Common Characteristics among ACA

- Adult children of alcoholics guess at what normal is
- Adult children of alcoholics have difficulty in following a project through, from beginning to end
- Adult children of alcoholics lie while it would be just as easy to tell the truth
- Adult children of alcoholics judge themselves without mercy
- Adult children of alcoholics have difficulty having fun
- Adult children of alcoholics take themselves very seriously
- Adult children of alcoholics have difficulty with intimate relationships
- Adult children of alcoholics over-react to changes over which they have no control
- Adult children of alcoholics constantly seek approval and affirmation
- Adult children of alcoholics feel that they are different from other people
- Adult children of alcoholics are either super responsible or super irresponsible
- Adult children of alcoholics are extremely loyal even in the evidence that the loyalty is undeserved
- Adult children of alcoholics look for immediate rather than deferred gratification

The Problem

Many of us found that we had several characteristics in common as a result of being brought up in an alcoholic or otherwise chemically addicted household.

We had come to feel isolated, uneasy with other people, and especially authority figures. To protect ourselves, we became people pleasers, even though we lost our own identities in the process. All the same, we would mistake any personal criticism as a threat.

We either became chemically addicted ourselves or married them or both. Failing that, we found another compulsive personality, such as a workaholic, to fulfill our sick need for abandonment.

We lived life from the standpoint of victims. Having an over-developed sense of responsibility, we preferred to be concerned with others rather than ourselves. We somehow got guilt feelings when we stood up for ourselves rather than giving in to others. Thus, we became reactors, rather than actors, letting others take the initiative.

We were dependent personalities — terrified of abandonment — willing to do almost anything to hold onto a relationship in order not to be abandoned emotionally. Yet we kept choosing insecure relationships because they matched our childhood relationship with alcoholic parents.

These symptoms of the family problem of chemical dependency made us “co-victims” -- those who take on the characteristics of the alcoholic without necessarily ever taking a drink. We learned to keep our feelings down as children and kept them buried as adults. As a result of this conditioning, we confused love with pity, tending to love those we could rescue. Even more self-defeating, we became addicted to excitement in all our affairs, preferring constant upset to workable relationships.

This is a description, not an indictment.

The Solution

The solution is to become your own loving parent.

As the ACA group becomes a safe place for you, you will find the freedom to express all the hurts and fears you have kept inside and to free yourself from the shame and blame that are carryovers from the past. You will become an adult who is imprisoned no longer by childhood reactions. You will recover the child within you, learning to accept and love yourself.

The healing begins when we risk moving out of isolation. Feeling and buried memories will return. By gradually releasing the burden of unexpressed grief, we slowly move out of the past. We learn to re-parent ourselves with gentleness, humor, love and respect.

This process allows us to see our biological parents as the instruments of our existence. Our actual parent is the Higher Power, Jesus Christ. Although we had alcoholic parents, our Higher Power gave us the 8 Principles of Recovery.

This is the action and work that heals us; we use the Steps, we use the meetings and we use the telephone. We share our experience, strength and hope with each other. We learn to restructure our sick thinking one day at a time. When we release our parents from responsibility from our actions today, we become free to make healthful decisions as actors, not reactors. We progress from hurting to healing to helping. We awaken to a sense of wholeness we never knew was possible.

By attending these meetings on a regular basis, you will come to see parental chemical dependency for what it is and know how that affected you as a child and continues to affect you as an adult. You will learn to keep the focus on yourself in the here and now. You will take responsibility for your own life and supply your own parenting.

You will not do this alone. Look around you and you will see others who know how you feel. We will love and encourage you no matter what. We ask you to accept us just as we accept you. This s a spiritual program based on action coming from love. We are sure that as the love grows inside you, you will see beautiful changes in all you relationship, especially with God, yourself and your parents.

I Can't, We Can

In Celebrate Recovery we fellowship.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!... Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves... A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

It was not many years ago that those in recovery were viewed by others as weak, not as courageous individuals seeking help for their life's problems. Some of the early AA meetings were held in church basements, where members would enter by the back door so that no one would see them and identify them as alcoholics. Thank God, those back-door days in the basements are gone. Our recovery program is a safe place, not a dirty secret. It is a regular place where people in recovery can join together, fellowship with one another, and share God's answer on how to overcome their struggles by His power.

You don't have to go it alone. We get there together.

CR Orientation October 13, 1PM

Join us for an orientation to Celebrate Recovery
October 13, 2007 at 1PM
at Burbank Seventh-day Adventist Church
710 S. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502

Learn more about Celebrate Recovery and how you can participate. Lunch will be served. Free childcare available.

Call or email to RSVP: (818)848-7051 or outreach@burbanksda.com