Lots of New Developments

My apologies for not being more devoted to posting to this blog in the preceding few weeks. I've had a lot of fascinating developments and I havn't really had time to come here and bare my soul.

The SAA Christmas party was an astounding success and we had wonderful attendance. It was a delight for all of us to gather in a very non-serious setting and all of us to just have fun. We will certainly have to do it again.

As you can no doubt easily read from the picture, I will be getting hitched in short shrift. I presented my beloved with the ring (sapphire with six small diamonds with a platinum antique scroll band) on December 10 at our favorite restaurant and she said yes. I already have things arranged with the church of our choosing, and we will be married on July 26, 2008. I'm quite excited. We will be having a very traditional Mass with the smells and bells, not to mention lots of chanting in English and Latin. I am, indeed, a very lucky man.

Also just got back from a retreat at Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Conyers, GA) with one of my sponsees. We attended the Liturgy of the Hours (Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline) there and worked on the Steps. He completed Steps 4-7. I'm very pleased. It was a tremendous atmosphere to bear our souls to one another. I also presented him with his 1 year chip/token at a meeting of our sister fellowship, SLAA, there in Atlanta.

There are also some exciting developments in terms of my local SAA group. We are soon to be expanding from one meeting weekly in our geographic region to three. The women are starting their own meeting, and we are adding in an afternoon meeting on Sundays. Exciting times to be a sex addict, I must say.

I am just filled with gratitude. Lots of beautiful things going on for me in my life. That said, however, my finances are struggling far more than I would like at this time. I am filled with a lot of fear these days, and it looks as if I may be forced to "ask for help" from my mother. This isn't a prospect that this adult healthcare professional relishes in the slightest. But I am going to be forced to. With having to cut back a shift weekly since the middle of the semester, I have some rather insurmountable financial obstacles that arn't disappearing. My pride and ego are frightened at such prospects. However, at times we must do those things that are most difficult.

I am also in the process of re-working Step 9, and I have quite a few amends that I have been not looking forward to making. I am not relishing the prospect. But I have been procrastinating too much on these things. It is far easier for me to busy myself with my sponsees and helping them work their Steps.

Chris