Dear Chevra -

We heard today, on the noon Conference Call Line, wonderful shiur given by Rabbi Feigenbaum that was very uplifting and pertinent to these days before Yom Kippur. And it ties in SO WELL with what we learn in our program, specifically about the 9th Step Amends call. If anyone can put together a synopsis of the shiur and share it with the olam, it would be of tremendous service.

ALSO...

This morning I finished listening to a recording of a past Shiur by Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, that is on Kol Haloshon (a free dial-a-shiur service) this week. Every Motsoi Shabbos they change the recording, so it is only available this week.

It's GEVALDIG!! And much of it's focus is on OUR STRUGGLE, Rabbosei, both with hirhurrim and meiseh. The focus is on NOT BEING MEYAYEISH (not giving up), overcoming destructive guilt, and learning how much love and PATIENCE Hashem has for us even tho we have sins. You'll hear the Stiepler's answers to these questions, and from many others.

Please, I recommend VERY strongly for everyone who can to call in to Kol Haloshon, and be prepared for an hour shiur that will be SO WORTH IT, especially NOW, Before Yom Kippur and in-between cycles. I'm going to listen again and take notes this time around. Follow the prompts to select: (1) english; (1) shiurim in parsha and tanach; (8) for Rabbi Reisman's shiur; then at the next prompt select (1) to begin hearing the shiur.

Kol Haloshon has different access numbers that may be local to you and cost less or nothing. If you can't find it on their website, contact them for local numbers.

www.kolhalashon.com

G'mar Chasimah Tovah!!

Steve

hmm steve.. steve.. where do i know a steve....???

CHEVRA!!

Do you see how Hashem will do for us what we can not do for ourselves??!!

Reb Guard told me that this Shiur is already accessible on the GYE site, FOR YEARS!! Here's the link:

www.guardureyes.com/GUE/Music/mus/ShiurYesodos.mp3

Thank you again, Reb Guard, for ALL that you do!!

Another G'mar Chasimah Tovah to ALL Y'ALL!!

Chevra,

I just installed K9 Protection on my work computer (MAC) thanx to Reb Tzvi (GYE's Filter Gabbai), may HKB"H bless him and his family with ALL if His Protection!

I made a few kabolos during Neilah. One was to install a filter today. I will be arranging with my wife for each of us to hold half the password, so settings cant be undone unilaterally. I will also be signing up with yishmoreini, making my rav the recipient of reports if i go to improper url addresses.

Let's face it, as an addict, fear of failure leads to procrastination, and wasting critical time, plus the "idle hands are the devil's playground" syndrome. So another kabolla was to avoid what I used to do, taking my lunch into my home office, and using the excuse that since both my hands were busy while eating I'll just go onto CNN/Arutz Sheva to catch up on the news (big time waster cuz I coudn't stop following the news story links) or watch movie trailers and clips (time waster PLUS actress/fashion/plot triggers). Now I have accepted upon myself to 1) always eat those "working meals" in the kitchen, away from the computer (this way ALSO I wont forget to bentch in time), and 2) not to go onto the internet for secular entertainment or to unwind or stall - in the words of the Big Book, "unless i have a good reason for being there."

I recommend anyone who has not arranged a filter to do so. K9 now also offers filters for ipads, iphones, and more. See their home page. And it's a JOY to work with Reb Tzvi, he's very helpful and knowledgeable, and a big mentch.

A Gutte K'vittel, A Piska Tova, A Good G'Bentched Yaor, etc etc etc….. and CHAG SOMAYACH!!

:D

Chevra,

Here's an interesting piece of advice I just read from a weight loss article. We can apply it as a great motivational tool for all our endeavors, and ESPECIALLY for how we view our commitment to our Program of Recovery:

[this advice] comes straight from Yoda, of Star Wars. Young Luke Skywalker is trying to become a Jedi Knight, and he’s trying to get his light saber to work, and he’s trying to do four triple somersaults while battling 30 bad guys (you know, mundane stuff like that) and he’s failing miserably! So he goes and complains to Master Yoda that he’s trying very hard but it’s just not working! Yoda wags his finger at young Skywalker and says in Yoda speak: “Try not! Do or do not! There is no try!”

There in lies the key to your success. You don’t try to set the alarm clock; you set it. You don’t try to get to work at 9; you get there. To say you will “try” to do something gives yourself permission to fail. (“It’s okay, I really tried hard not to eat that whole bag of chips, but they were soooo good, I couldn’t help myself!”) But henceforth, you will not try to avoid certain foods; you will avoid them. You won’t try to eat certain foods; you will eat them. And the more you do this, the more you will become that person. Why? Because that’s who you are!

From now on, you are a doer, not a tryer!

So, chevra, let's ask ourselves, "Am I just TRYING to keep up with my Program of Action, or am I really keeping up my Commitment to DO IT, each day, one day art a time?"

Me, I'm putting down that bag of chips. And "When the Chips are Down," I KNOW I CAN DO IT!!

steeeeeve steevv?? sounds soo familiar??

Steve wrote on 09 Oct 2011 21:17:


Steve good going.

One thing- call the teck support when installing yishmoreini (covenant eyes) to make sure it will work with k9. I had some programs that brought down my computer while trying to install yishmreini.( i think it was pic block- some program someone posted here on gue about a year ago or more and cannot remove it from my computer. all it does is brings down the system. )

Be well my friend.
--hm

Thanx for the warning!

wher do i remeber this guy fom????
hmmmm???

bardichev wrote on 10 Oct 2011 14:34:


Bards, while you've been standing still trying to remember, your ice cream melted all over your hand.

Clean up your act already…

heuni memass wrote:

I don't know if you realize this but Covenant Eyes has its own filter. I've been using it (the Webchaver rebranding of it) together with the monitor for a good amount of time now and haven't had any problems. Ask the Tech guy whether mixing k9 with Covenant Eyes will slow your computer down or cause either one of the programs to malfunction.

...and of course you know Steve that ultimately it's the mind that is the most effective filter/monitor. For an addict filters and monitors are just guardrails on the highway, but the addicted mind can blow through the guard rail and bowl down the hill given the opportunity..

Gmar Tov!!

YVY

very true, my friend.

But if there is a dangerous cliff, it would be irresponsible for the engineers of the road to skip putting in a guardrail. For those of us who might sometimes not wake up when we hit the bumps at the white line of the shoulder, we need to hit the guardrail to wake up. Others of us USE the guardrail to help us stay away from the edge of the road. The Torah also teaches us to make gedarim. I'll live better in the correct lane when i have the gedarim i need. CHAZDAI HASHEM!!

S.

Steve wrote on 10 Oct 2011 16:00:


Absolutely Steve. I knew you knew.. I just know for myself (still using a filter and monitor) that I only entered real recovery when I realized that the filter and monitor was not the answer. I really thought it was - thought it would answer years of this vicious cycle and I could finally live the life outside addiction. I blew through every filter and monitor, found every loophole "testing" how well it works. It wasn't the answer. Hashem is the answer and I'm so grateful He pushed me off this cliff and introduced Himself to me

YVY

kol hakavod, Steve

Hi Gang,

We're starting a new 12-Step cycle in a week, on Monday Oct 31. My cruise is open for breakfast at 8:30 am NYC time, DC's at high noon with Lunch & Learn, and Shlomo's serving nite caps at 10:20pm. Fun and Sun on the high seas, as we leave our addiction on the shore and head toward Port Recovery. Don't forget your sunscreen and your Big Book! Everyone's welcome aboard!

Full Speed Ahead!!