Sobriety and Spirituality

Rev. Sunshine Daye
 27 yrs of Freedom

          Sobriety & Spirituality

A face book friend asked "knowing we are perfect, whole and complete, how do we get up and identify with a disease each time we speak at a meeting?"

First I will address the concept of being whole, perfect and complete. Many spiritual people throughout the world live with the cosmology that because we are made of God, (Higher Power, Life Itself) then that which is true of God is true for each of us.  Therefore God is Whole, Perfect and Complete and so am I, since I am of this same Source.

Starting from this basic truth, the question arises if I am whole, perfect and complete then why would I contradict that truth with anything less that this perfection when I identify myself as an alcoholic, addict, binge over eater, sex addict, etc...?

Here is one way to look at it. I am whole, perfect and complete - that is the spiritual truth of me. My spiritual nature is whole.  As I live in this physical world I am faced with the opportunity to still know the truth of who I am regardless and irrespective of how things appear in the physical form.

My experience of addiction is only an experience and it is not who I am, as much as, what I experience.  When folks identify at a meeting it is an act of letting others know I have had a similar experience.  I see it as the code word to gain access to the spiritual tools of a recovery process that has shown me a life free from addictions and freedom from a false belief that I am separate from my Source.

Words don't have meaning - people give the meaning to the word - so what does your word mean for you?  Early in sobriety I learned the acronym for the word alcoholics is A Life Centered On Helping Others Live In Complete Sobriety (Spirituality, Serenity). So when I identify as an alcoholic this is what I mean and my life has been dedicated to living out this mission of helping others live in serenity, sobriety and spirituality.

Not picking up a drink or substance aka being dry is a start. The bigger part is uncovering the thinking, fear and misconceptions that lead me to seek solution and solace in chemicals or in a bottle.  That is where the work is.

There is a solution and the solution is not spirits but Spirit, not substances but Substance! Spirit and Substance are terms for God and we have been looking outside of ourselves for the answer.  It has been said that the Kingdom of God is within.  So the Indwelling Presence is what we seek to recover our whole self back from the misconceptions, stinkin' thinking and fears that have run rampant in our life!

When we take a closer look at the 12 steps, we realize they are designed to connect us with the Creative Intelligence that becomes the solution to all of our daily living problems.  At least half of the steps make some reference to this powerful spiritual connection. Those who really utilize the power of these steps emerge from the living hell they have experienced to the greatest sense of heaven. Heaven being a state of consciousness is really a life of freedom, joy and peace.  It seems that sobriety & spirituality make a perfect team.  I so glad my alcohol addiction brought me right back to myself, my whole self.

If you want to discover your own I Am within or need help with the spiritual aspect of sobriety contact me to schedule a Revealing Experience.

Love Always,
Sunshine

Will you Marry Me?

Now that the Supreme Court has spoken and the California 9th Circuit Court has reissued marriage licenses, I propose that we begin consciously using language that supports the equality that has been the birthright of every human being.  The Principles of Life and the laws of the land sometimes don't match up for a period of time and now we are awakening to a dawn of a world that works for all of us not just some of us.

Let's face it, in the throws of daily activities most people endeavor to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.  As we individually and collectively move forward in the pursuit of happiness most people are not looking to harm other in such desperate pursuit of their own happiness. 

What does it matter to you what love looks like, or feel like to another person?  Love is Love in the long run!  Yes there have been extreme cases of perceived love - an example that comes to mind is the parent whooping a child while saying "I'm only doing this because I love you!"  Hummm if I am that child I know there is another way I can actually learn a lesson vs being whooped out of frustration or anger.

Oh yeah this started out about equality and love and yet it can be so deeply rooted in child rearing.  My point being that marriage in California is available to men and women of legal marriage age.  I hope we can just call it marriage now instead of gay marriage or straight marriage or same sex marriage.  The more we ourselves begin using inclusive language the more it just becomes what is given and expected.  Marriage is available!  It is marriage.

In my work as a minister who can legally perform marriage ceremonies - I enjoy watching the love that shared between the couples and the invited guests.  The energetic is so beautifully delicious that people are just loving the liveliness and power of Love itself.  When I officiate marriage ceremonies the main factor is the love that is present and it is palpable.  It comes from me, from the couples, from the friends and family and that is the most important factor as we all pursue happiness.

This is indeed happiness - to love and be loved and to experience love as freely under the human laws as well as the Universal Law of Love.  I continue to enjoy love in my life and it goes without saying that there is also something meaningful when others around me support mymarriage and encourage the success of our marriage in the pursuit of our happiness.  If everyone had that type of encouragement and support what a great people we would be.  

 I am happy to witness the milestone we have made and look forward to the global awakening of a design for living that works for everyone. 

Rev. Sunshine Daye is available to perform marriage ceremonies for loving couples!
sunshine@sunshinedaye.com

Alcoholism & Addiction

Alcoholism & Addiction

Many people have asked me to share my experience strength and hope with them as it relates to alcoholism and drug addiction.

  

I believe more is being revealed to me - even now.  It has been written that "people drink because they like the effect produced by alcohol."  I agree with this statement to the degree that I certainly enjoyed the effect  at some point.  It wasn't always like that.   

At first the effect was similar to being picked up and spun around - that dizzy light-headed feeling.  Certainly as a kid I had no control of the effects of being spun around or alcohol.  I had to become accustom to it and learned how to manage the feeling.  After all, drinking was a natural part of my life - as it was all around me and in my home.   

Toward the end of my drinking - it took more alcohol and drugs to get me stable and even more to get me tipsy and high.  It was illusive for sure.  Nothing ever really got me feeling good for very long.

  

It was the time in between the beginning and the end that I enjoyed the effect produced by alcohol - that was so short-lived and I didn't realize it until I embraced a spiritual way of living that was that has granted me a joy-filled life.  

This Labor Day weekend a group of 25 women are getting together to explore spirituality and 12-step recovery.  By sharing our stories and supporting one another we consciously create amazingly rich lives.  We are celebrating  life, releasing fear and increasing our conscious contact via prayer and meditation & fun in the San Bernadino Mountains.   

There is a spot for you!  You can be one of those 25 women by signing up today!  If you register before May 31st you get the early bird rate of just $199 - the best part is you can pay half now and reserve your bed for the entire weekend.  This rate includes lodging, 5 meals, all workshops, facilities and ground use.   

This is a great get-away weekend and most importantly a wonderful way to invest in your life.  For more information call The Revealing Center at 562.599.7000

Mountain Range, Water, Sunshine & Friends!

Today I reflect on the activities of the weekend.  I am always amazed at the beauty and love around me.

On Saturday I had the great opportunity to get on the Catalina Express 6:15am boat.  I did a 30 minute Metta meditation and enjoyed the remaining 30 minutes with a nap.  Upon my arrival I felt like I was on vacation.  My dear friends LeAnn & Deanna showed me the Royal treatment - breakfast at home with great morning discussion, lunch at the Descanso Beach Club and then we went out on the boat to the back-side of the island, jumped in the water and snorkeled.  Amazing snorkeling in these beautiful waters off the parts of the island only available by boat.  

The mountain range, water, sunshine and friends was perfect.  I love my life!  

Setting up

Hi Everyone,

This is Caitlin, Sunshine's web guru ;-) I'm setting up this blog for her, and have to test it with something!

Sunshine is rocking and rolling toward providing you with uncompromising information, inspiration, guidance and joy. Stay tuned as we move through the process of getting all the systems in place.

Also, many of you received an email that seemed to be spam - but it wasn't. We just switched over to a new email marketing company, and the learning curve was a bit more than we anticipated.

We have wiped the slate clean, and will be starting over again in the next few days... so 167 of you will need to re-opt-in. And hopefully the rest of you will join us as well.

We apologize for any inconvenience this process has caused, and we are excited to keep moving forward!

Peace,

Caitlin Crest

Zephyr Graphics & Web Design

www.zephyrgraphics.com