Introductions

[Martin Thompson]

Who are you?
Hey all. I’m Marty Thompson and I’m a grateful Catholic in recovery. I love in Northlake Texas with my wife and four boys.

Where are you from?
I am from LaBelle, Florida, near the Fort Myers/Naples area.

What’s your background?
I grew up in a broken home with mother and one younger brother and no religious or faith practice.

What do you do for work?
I am a Catholic mindset coach with Metanoia Catholic,
And I help Catholic married men conquer lust:
https://go.metanoiacatholic.com/resident-coach-marty

What are your interests?
I enjoy spending quality time with my wife and boys. I live Coaching and homeschooling my boys. And I love connecting with other men at the parish and in CIR.

What do you hope to gain?
I hope to attain deeper faith and recovery and fellowship with awesome Catholics in recovery.

What are you struggling with?
Working on surrendering control and pride.

What are your concerns?
Being the best husband and father for my wife and children.

and any other things that you would like to share.

I got sober in November of 2000 in AA. I was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church a few years later. In 2007 I married my amazing and beautiful wife. In 2012 I decided to go back to school, and in 2020 I received my degree in Catholic Theology. A few years ago I decided to get certified to become a Catholic mindset coach, and on January 1st this year I was hired as a resident coach with Metanoia Catholic Coaching.

I’ve been attending CIR meetings for about a year now. I host and facilitate a virtual CIR men’s book study on Wednesday night and a virtual men’s workbook step study on Sunday nights. I also contribute to writing a reflections for meetings once a month.

I am super grateful for the life God has blessed me with and “the best is yet to come”, so they say!😁😃

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by Martin Thompson.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by Martin Thompson.

[Marc French]

Who are you? Marc
Where are you from? Greenwich, CT
What’s your background? Raised Catholic, exited the church, went the protestant way, came back to the Catholic Church this year
Where do you live? Altamonte Springs, FL
What do you do for work? IT
What are your interests? Yankees, Jets, writing music and poetry
What do you hope to gain? Maintaining my 13 1/2+ years of sobriety, help others and myself, grow my faith
What are you struggling with? Alcohol, and a family of alcoholics

[Jennifer Pena]

Who are you? Jennifer

Where are you from? Hillsboro, OR

What’s your background? I was a teacher and evaluator for preschoolers with handicaps, Early Childhood Special Educator. I am now retired.

Where do you live? same as above

What do you do for work? Mostly in my garden when the weather permits.

What are your interests? Learning how to fully surrender to God, gardening, my children and grandchildren, becoming sane.

What do you hope to gain? Sanity, sobriety, peace, health, to become fully alive.

What are you struggling with? Oh boy .. pride, trying to control situations, forgetting that God is in charge .. I am still trying to figure out what God’s plan for me is.

What are your concerns? I am figuring out my life moment to moment, step by step. I do not yet have a sponsor; however, I have a good friend and a Spiritual Director and an in person weekly CIR group and with the grace of God I have made my way through Step 5. I am hoping that the struggle I have gone through with Step 4 and 5 will produce good fruit for the rest of my journey.

What can I expect from this group? Where to from here?

[Jim]

Hi All! My name is Jim and I’m a grateful member of CATHOLIC IN RECOVERY. Those of you who attend the ZOOM meetings have probably seen and heard me before, my “handle” is Jim S. (San Diego). I’ve been affiliated with the Recovery movement since 1995. I have been a part of 12 step fellowships that have to do with recovering from growing up in a dysfunctional family where certain chemicals were abused by a parent, and also from the underparenting of the other parent who was sexually abused when they were young, but never got help in recovering from it. As a consequence, I took on survival behaviors that have led me to, let’s say, not be the best version of myself. One big sickness I took on was severe scrupulosity, in which I actually had a mental breakdown in 2018 and had to be hospitalized for. Thank God I’ve had a miraculous healing in that area.
Like many in CIR, I became frustrated in the anti-religion tone that is often expressed in such fellowships, but have fortunately been able to find recovery from a multitude of outside sources, such as great therapists, Mens Groups, etc.
I joined CIR in mid 2020 as the pandemic was in full effect, exclusively attending the online ZOOM meetings. I helped start the Friday Night Mens General Recovery meeting and it has been of great joy to be of service to the fellowship. I also of course get far more back from you all that I can ever give-of which I am eternally grateful. In 2014 I finally decided to “officially” work through all 12 steps with a sponsor-I had been attending secular 12 step programs on and off by about 18 years at that time. It was a very powerful experience. But I have to say that straight, unadultered Catholic spirituality has been the most powerful for me.
One passion I have in recovery is learning about the Catholic connection to the history of the 12 step recovery movement. I love when I hear old recordings of priest speakers talking about how they recovered. One book I’m reading right now is WRITING THE BIG BOOK: THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF AA by William Schaberg. Such material really helps me to work a healthier program of recovery and not falling into the temptation of making recovery programs my god; rather than rightfull seeing them as a gift from God, but made up of many flawed human beings.
Well, that’s about it for now! I’d love to connect with others-especially men-in the Southern California area.

[Faith Ballard]

Who are you?
Faith B
Where are you from?
We moved to Florida when I was five from the Carolinas
What’s your background?
oof, long story! here for codependency as a friend and family member of multiple addicts
Where do you live?
Florida (big bend)
What do you do for work?
Contract management and purchasing for a state agency
What are your interests?
The Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the 12 steps, the lives of the saints, theology, music, apologetics
What do you hope to gain?
Lord willing, to finally make it through the 12 steps by the grace of God, and continue my recovery.
What are you struggling with?
sneaky hidden efforts of my will/psychology/self to control based on fear…pride…judgement…shame…overwhelm
What are your concerns?
not so much a concern as a wish- that Catholic in Recovery THRIVE and GROW by the grace of God and that no harm come to it! I am so thankful to have found CIR! Taking my recovery and spiritual life NEXT LEVEL – ALL GLORY TO GOD!

[Chris Abshear]

Who are you? My name is Christopher Abshear

Where are you from? Dayton, Ohio
What’s your background? I am a Paramedic and I converted to Catholicism in 2006, but it has been a rocky relationship for many years
Where do you live? Dayton, Ohio
What do you do for work? Paramedic
What are your interests? Reading, Prayer, Video Games, Tabletop Games, Card Games
What do you hope to gain? Renewed relationship with my Catholic Faith, a deep lasting and grateful sobriety
What are you struggling with? Alcohol
What are your concerns? Loss of family, disease, death

My name is Chris and I am a grateful recovering alcoholic and my sobriety tends to go in spurts. I’ll have long stretches of sobriety (months) and something with throw me off the path. Usually, from my time in AA I have learned that it is my character flaws, my selfishness and my egotism that throws me off the path. I accept that I am egotistical. I am the first of four children. I bucked the system all the way. I became Catholic as a teen and it was a fight with my passionately Protestant parents. I left that behind and explored tons of different religions. Paganism, Buddhism, even Scientology. I didn’t just want to read about the world I wanted to experience every bit of it. I became atheistic for awhile. This lead to many existentialist crises which really tended to feed my alcoholism.

After my recent relapse something hit me. A light went off. I knew I had to get sober, I had to mean it. Not just go to meetings, roll the dice and hope everything will be okay. I really needed to follow the 12 Steps, Read the Big Book and loose the ego. The ego has been the biggest thing that gets in the way of my sobriety. I am glad and really excited to be here. Reestablish my Catholic Faith and be sober for the rest of my life.

[Jena]

Greetings all! I’m Jena, a Catholic single mom of three, graphic designer and am blessed to have found recovery. I’m in Johnson City, TN but grew up around Nashville.

I was a cradle Catholic but knew zero about theology at age 18, despite never missing Mass, faithfully attending CCD, and being involved socially through the choir and nursery. I left the church. I found my way back and had a huge reversion in 2000-2001 due to an adult catechesis group and Catholic radio. My life changed and began to be Christ-centered.

I started my recovery journey in 2006 in Al-Anon. But I didn’t start taking my program seriously until 2014. By ‘taking it seriously’ I mean, I found a home group, got a sponsor, read the literature, and did service work. My life, and my side of the street started to get better but… around me got much worse. I’m incredibly grateful for having my faith and having found recovery to help me through the next few years of literal hell. Okay, maybe purgatory. 😉

In late 2020 I discovered CIR and was over-the-moon excited about this program! I started attending my virtual home group, which is a “General Recovery” meeting. The next several months I grew a lot… I realized that my ‘harmless’ self-medicating with sweets was not harmless at all… it was disordered eating. Later I discovered ACA/ACDH and have focused my recovery program in adult children since. Qualifying for most of the recovery programs, I opted to focus on adult children because I believe that is where my core trauma began and the root of where all the gunk came from.

Since ‘hitting bottom’ my life has continued to improve. While I certainly still have my battles, pain, and I am 100% a work in progress… my life has never been better than it is today! I owe it all to Our Lord, our faith, and recovery. Keeping an attitude of gratitude and one day at a time are my guiding principles.

In April we brought an in-person “General Recovery” meeting to my parish. I also lead a virtual prayer group on Fridays at 3pm ET where we pray the Divine Mercy together. Join me anytime!

• This reply was modified 7 months ago by Jena.

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