Avraham raised children in eretz Yisroel, 1 son left his ways of kedusha. Yitzchok raised children in eretz Yisroel, 1son left the ways of kedusha. Ya'akov raised his children in the lowest place:charan. ... And from there we have the 12 shvutim.

There is no world to be afraid of. Only a world to find G-d and His miracles in.

(I'm not knocking 'todays' israel.. Just applying Torah to our lives)

(For the record; beside the gratitude I feel for so many blessings from fellowship and sobriety, right now I'm in enormous pain. Enormous. Maybe in a few days I'll have the time to write why... )

gevaldiga vort. thats so true. But being in a good avira certainly helps me.... The truth is i find that the "state" im in (excuse pun) isnt nearly as important as the "state" of mind im in. Im a real statesman, haaa.
I hope you're pain subsides soon.

Puns to the max! Nice work, luuu.

As much as I run from this fact all the time, pain exists in order to be felt. Sounds like you're feeling it -- and we're all here to help you move through it when you're ready! Chazak v'ematz.

Yep. We all here to help :-)

My gosh! Sometimes my headache is so big... U'll need a tylenol just by coming within 3 feet of me..

Sobriety is a gift. A few days a go someone said to me "Hey!, you really look like your in a good mood today!" :-).... 

"Don't worry", I replied.      "I'll get over it"

The heat + schedules + city life =  big constant headache...

Aint my cup of tea...

Simply sharing right now, just not to have machshava zaras (MZ's).. As they want to FLOOD into me on these hot tiring days with many things remainging to be seen.. Tuition for next year, summer camp, family vacation, approval from work etc.. And many more.. Hashem help my head stay as pure as possible

I am in GYEA gye annonymous.. I'm BH addicted to GYE

BH 2 struggling boys from frum homes put on tefilin today.. All it took was a bit of smiles and care (Tonight is the yartziet of Shmuel ha'navi. Chidah writes that ever since the churban Shmuel has given up his place in gan eden ha'elyion to 'come down' to the lower gan eden to express his efforts in mourning. So to I was more than happy to 'go down' out of my comfortable seat to interact with these young men and bring some more yiddeshe light where there wasn't too much.) One of the boys is even the nephew of the rabbi in this AMAZING(!!!!) Shavuos story www.fjc.ru/news/newsArticle.asp?AID=904005.

I'm convinced that these efforts add even small bits of zechusim to help stay connected to H' even when the outer and inner darkness is MASSIVE. Also today I was part of a group to help raise $ for a newly BT couple have a kosher kesuba w/a rov on a bes din.. BH not too much $$$. Instead of chasing the passions of the world, I channeled the passion (the very same passion) to help another. Good night. 

So here I am: with my wife's happy agreement I fell asleep @ 10 (very early for me) woke up @ 2:30 am, finished learning (I am alone now w/access to web... What a brocha H' helps me to choose learning!) And now it's 4:45 am. May'oyvay t'chak'maynee (from my enemies I became smart)(tehilim 119 yom 26 b'chodesh) .. I used to keep insane hours In my destructive days... The flip side is learning to use that trait with loved ones as I sometimes need to 'keep crazy hours' in kedusha..

Davka now, it's quiet, no kids to chase, no phones insanely ringing, I even get to clean parts of the house now too :-)...

  The levi'I'm carried the mishkan in a midbar, all around a deathly midbar. They didn't start untill they were at least 30 years old...

Even if we were in the worst inner or outer midbar up until now, it doesn't matter at all! We have Hashem's blessings to be holy not only for ourselves but to even have full confidence as yidden as we walk, full of kedusha, even in a deathly midbar... And even more; wherever the yidden went in the midbar, beautiful fruit trees and springs of living sweet waters grew!(Bamidbar Rabba)

I'm not excited that the world looks like a midbar of death..I don't care at all..

With Hashem's blessings it just means it's time to make another call, another prayer, another assistance to another friend, or even another smile to another stranger, and slowly a beautiful world is created for all.

Let's make no mistake here: on 'auto pilot' just going with the flow, I am ONE STEADY STREAM OF CONSTANT MACHSHVAS ZORAS!

The only way I've learned to 'be good' is through choosing constant interaction (in the mind, heart and hands) with Hashem Himself: very often as He is found in other people..

It's not all the time a 'glorious' experience...

It is constant though.. And includes ALL of my speaking, laughing, hugging, singing, learning, praying, screaming, kicking and crying..

It's a very real life.. BH

Beautiful,  I love your posts,  They are full of positive energy, Keep em coming.

Hey! You! Yes you!

Headaches, stress, confusion and tension are still ZERO EXCUSE to act out!    Sobriety/shmayety!! I guarantee my headaches are as big as anyone's right now!..

Acting out is still out of the question!!

Here's one unquestionable fact I have zero doubt about whatsoever:

Life is unimaginably much, much better than we think it is.

Even in my best moments: it's still beyond words, better than that.

And it's working in our favor..  All the time.

"Ach le'lokim domi nafshi"

"L'cha dumiya s'hilah"


With A deep breath with a quiet, inner resolve..

A good deed done with joy and faith that the blessed Al-Mighty is supporting and encouraging you with love..

And most especially with endlessly positive thoughts,..

We access this 'reality' beyond our limited human minds.




The greatest blessings are always, at every moment, readily available.
It'll only help us by actively attempting to 'let them in' and not 'spoil' them.

One benefit of B'tachon "reduction of aggravation felt in business: if products don't sell. Or you can't collect money, or if one becomes sick. For one is sure that the Creator, may he be blessed, arranges his affairs and chooses what is for his good better than he (the yid) himself can. As it says "ach lay'lokim domi nafshi"