CIR KBs

Christians in Recovery Knowledge Base article

Gentleness: Can Real Men Co Gentle?

What do you think? Can real men do gentle?

For most of my life, “gentle” described one thing.

Toilet paper.

Toilet paper was supposed to be gentle, and we all know what happens to toilet paper.

I grew up in a blue-collar family. The adults in my life scrapped and fought their way through Depression and war. The values were hard work, self-reliance, sacrifice, and hard work. You made your own breaks and earned your own way. You got what you wanted by working harder than everyone else. If someone stood in your way you shoved them aside.

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Heaven or Earth? The Choice is Simple

Hebrews 9:27-28 NKJV
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

I read in a book once that the early church didn’t celebrate birthdays because they found life to be so painful, but rather celebrated deaths because death was the transition from this life into heaven. I know that growing up, our church celebrated funerals and called them graduations. These celebrations were filled with joyous songs because we knew that the person who had died was now in the presence of the Lord, a place we all wanted to be.

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Christians Attitudes/Actions Toward One Another

      John 15:12 – Love one another
      Romans 5:13 – Don’t pass judgment on one another
      Romans 12:5 – Be members of one another
      Romans 12:10 – Honor one another
      Romans 12:16 – Live in harmony with one another

      Romans 14:19 – Build up one another
      Romans 15:5 – Be like-minded toward one another
      Romans 15:7 – Accept one another
      1 Corinthians 12:25 – Care for one another
      Galatians 5:13 – Serve one another in love

      Galatians 5:26 – Don’t provoke or envy one another
      Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens
      Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another
      Colossians 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive one another
      1 Thessalonians 3:12 – Abound in love toward one another

      1 Thessalonians 4:18 – Comfort one another
      Titus 3:3 – Don’t hate one another

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Rev. Dr. A. Philip Parham

A.Philip Parham, an Episcopal priest and counselor, serves on the board of directors of the National Episcopal Coalition on Alcohol. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, where he did his dissertation on the pastoral care of married couples and families affected by the alcohol. He has written many books and articles on alcoholism and privately published The Church And Alcohol: A Resource Manual.

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Susan B., Director

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Ruth C., Advisory Council

Born in Maine, Lives in Maine, Will probably die in Maine

Occupation: Pediatric Nurse

Hobbies: Boating, woodcrafts, gardening, Cruising CIR site, did I mention boating?

Qualifications: I am a child of the King, and that Qualifies me for anything He desires of me (including membership on the Advisory Council of CIR). I have lived a life of struggles and hiding, that is until Christians in Recovery. My life has not been the same since August of 2001 when I found the unconditional love of Jesus here on this site. Church had been nothing but a painful experience for me growing up. I was sexually abused by a Sunday School teacher who was the saint of the church. I learned to keep secrets and put on masks.

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Jim S., Former CIR Advisory Council & Board of Directors President

I was born in northeastern Ohio on May 6, 1933, moved to Arizona in 1946, attended school through college and graduated in 1955 with a B.S. Degree in Medical Technology. Got married to my dear wife on December 26, 1951. Through ROTC I entered the U.S. Air Force becoming a fighter pilot for ten years and a Contracting Officer for another ten years. Retired in 1975 as a Lt/Col after twenty years of service and moved back to Arizona. While in the Air Force I was stationed in Germany for three years as well as a three year tour in Iran as well as many overseas shorter trips. During my entire Air Force career I was an active alcoholic and got sober in 1974 through AA. I attended AA meetings regularly for ten years and still occasionally attend meetings.

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Seven-Point Summary of Original Akron A.A. “Christian Fellowship” Program

The essence of the A.A. program was, and still is, helping the alcoholic who still suffers by carrying to him a message of what God has done, and can do, for him—if he wants that help and diligently seeks God. The lesson is that the first three AAs soon wanted to develop a program for others coming after them. Others who would, like they, be or become Christians, and diligently seek God’s help. To carry a proper message, and effectuate miraculous recoveries like their own, the first AAs developed some very definite practices that were used by the early Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship.”

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It’s Awfully Easy to be Judgmental

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. ~Carl Jung

He saw me glaring at him.

As he walked slowly and deliberately to his car in the handicapped-reserved space beside mine, I did everything possible to silently display my contempt. He obviously didn’t need that spot. I wanted to make sure he knew that I knew and that I disapproved.

I’m not sure why I felt the need to be the parking space police that morning. I was having a particularly hard time getting my chair situated beside my car, and I guess I wanted to vent my frustration on someone else.

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