WOW!

It’s the Ten Week Club!

For each $25.oo ticket tou can win every week for Ten Weekly Drawings.

Proceeds Benefit The Starting Point, Inc.
A 501 (c) (3) Organization

Drawings are held at the conclusion of the free 7:00 pm lecture every Wednesday Evening.

Ten Weekly Drawing Total Jackpots:
July 17 – $50
July 24 – $100
July 31 – $150
August 7 – $200
August 14 – $250
August 21 – $300
August 28 – $350
Sept. 4 – $400
Sept 11 – $500
Sept 18 – $1000

www.StartingPoint.org
856–854–3155, ext 100

THE STARTING POINT & EMIL’s

partnering to benefit THE STARTING POINT

Every WEDNESDAY IN MAY

(Dine in, Pick-Up, Deliver, Online) at

EMIL’s FAMILY RESTAURANT

413 W. CRYSTAL LAKE AVE.(Thriftway Ctr.)

HADDONFIELD

856-833-1717

WEDNESDAYS

ALL DAY, DINE IN OR TAKE-OUT

ORDER ONLINE OR BY PHONE

MUST Mention THE STARTING POINT When ordering.

Emil’s will donate 20% to THE STARTING POINT!!!!

THE STARTING POINT THANKS EMIL’S FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

WE HOPE YOU’LL TAKE YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS FOR A GREAT MEAL ON WEDNESDAYS.

The month of May is so special, a time to spring forward.  Nature teaches us so much about life.  Winter is a time to hibernate.  Spring is a time for change.  The month of May allows us to leave the cocoon and become the butterfly.

Our recovery program is a time for all of us to experience continuous growth.  What I love so much about recovery are the promises that are given us if we can only learn some of the simple principles of life.  Let’s examine some of these principles that will allow us to live as people enjoying the journey.  Once again, we need to see our struggles as a way to grow.  Let’s look at these beautiful spiritual principles and slogans.

“One day at a time”, the most basic and simple way to live. We are told to put yesterday to rest, don’t worry about tomorrow, concentrate and enjoy the moments of today.  What a simple way to live life.  All of us only have this moment of today.

“Easy does it”, life is an ongoing process. Real growth takes place at a slow pace.  We all have compulsive natures, but all good things happen a little bit at a time.  To quote my Dad, “Take your time, everything will happen when it’s suppose to”, or as we say in recovery, “Everything happens in God’s time, not ours.”  Patience is the key to personal growth, let’s relax and enjoy the journey.

“First things first.”  Do one thing at a time.  One of our codependency traits is to try to do too much.  Let’s learn to take things slow and to complete one thing at a time.  Unfinished business creates stress and anxiety.

“But for the grace of God.”  These are words of gratitude and love.  Whenever you see someone struggling and hurting, remember to pray for them and be grateful for what we have.  This will teach not to judge anyone and to stay away from gossip.  Remember when you work on yourself, it’s a full time job; you will then leave everyone else alone.

“Take what you can use and leave the rest”.  We are all special and unique human beings.  We are exactly who we are suppose to be.  We have been sent on this earth to discover the gifts that God gave us.  We were sent into a world that is at times both dysfunctional and scary.  On our journey we are going to experience our human frailty.  In order to grow and discover ourselves, we are going to experience many different ways that we should.  The secret to life is to be open to all experiences as teachable moments.  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Recovery tells ‘progress not perfection’.  Real growth is to be open to what works and to leave the rest.  Each of us must find our own way to growth.  I am reminded of a special saying from the Bible, “In my Father’s House, there are many mansions.”  There are many different ways to the same end.

We are all seeking the same thing.  Hopefully to work through our struggles to new birth.  We are always in the process of being born.  May is a time to watch the world come alive, trees bud, flowers bloom, and we feel the peacefulness of new spring air.  The butterfly in us stands to spread its wings.  An attitude of positive thinking help us to realize as our recovery programs tell us, you will experience things beyond your wildest dreams and imagination.  We are a people in progress.  There is so much for us to learn from life, let’s try to be open to the teachers that God sends our way and know that we are not alone.  Our Higher Power will always be there, if we only ask for help.  Enjoy this special month of new birth, pray and be open to God’s will for us.  Let’s try to remember that every day we are both a teacher and a pupil.

Our prayer is that we will always be open to learn and grow.  May God bless all of us today and each day of our journey.  Remember to smell the flowers.

 Happy spring and birth!

2013 CODEPENDENCY 5K Run Sponsors

By Vince DiPasquale

 
April 1st is always considered April Fools Day, a time to have some fun and pull pranks on people.  It’s also a month of showers!  That is supposed to bring May flowers!  Since it is a month of transition and play, let’s take time to reflect on two very special words in recovery, humility and humor!

It’s almost a time to leave our little cocoon and learn how to become a butterfly.  One of the most special gifts of life is to take time to be able to laugh at life and a time to be open and grow.  We spend so much time trying to figure out life instead of just living.  Life is a journey of experiences, each one from birth to death  are teachable moments if we are open to learn and grow.  So many of us are always trying to find answers or looking for what is wrong with us, that we never learn how to live. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously and learn the secrets to life, play and socialization.

Children are our greatest teachers.  When I was a priest stationed in Atlantic City, during the early 70’s, we had a workshop at our church, where we brought all the churches of the area together to have a workshop on the civil rights issues.  Meanwhile, in the back hall we arranged for the children of the churches to be taken care of and to have a play day.  We, as adults, were intellectually trying to work on our issues, while the children were trying to give us the solution.  They were playing, having a great time.  They had solved the civil rights issue.  If only we could learn from them.  Let’s all learn to enjoy each other and overcome our fears of each other.

We have so much to learn from each person we experience.  Life is such a great teacher.  Each one of us is unique and special.  Today I understand that there is no such thing as a bad person.  There is bad behavior, but deep down inside we are God’s creation.  Our struggles, mistakes and hurts are but teachable moments, if we have the humility to be open to learn and grow.  I would like to share with you, two ways to look at life, so that in time we’ll be able to see words such as struggle and growth as the main part of life’s journey.

Our higher power is always trying to teach us lessons.  The mothers that are reading this can relate to what I have to say.  As children getting ready to be born, inside our mother’s womb we are comfortable and we just don’t want to leave.  It’s our cocoon & in about 9 months something starts to happen. We are getting to be too big & it’s time to leave yet we don’t want to leave.  This is our first struggle with growth. The doctor tells mom to push, we battle and struggle, then it happens, we are born. Our struggle brings us into this world.  It is our first lesson.  As we then continue through life, we will experience many struggles that hopefully will become our strength.  Always remember that for every negative there is a positive.

We are not alone on this planet; the journey of life cannot be lived in a vacuum.  I love to look at all of life as a gigantic living library, each one of us a book in the process of being written.  Each day as we are given the gift of life another chapter in our book is being written.

If we take the time to share our stories with each other, we will realize how much we can learn from each other. Spiritually we go from one cocoon to new birth on many occasions.  Our recovery program teaches that in giving we will always receive. Let’s try to work through our fears so we can receive the powerful gift of love that we all have within.  It is the power that will allow us to heal and grow.  Let’s stay humble and open to life’s lessons.

We must also, in order to get through life,  have a sense of humor.  If you can’t laugh at life, you’ll lose it.  We are all children inside.  Try some things that will help you loosen up.  Get a friend and go to a playground, play on swings, sliding boards, seesaws, or just lie down in the park and watch the clouds go by.  Let’s learn just to be, pull a prank on someone in fun, blow bubbles and especially when you wake up in the morning, run into the bathroom and stare in the mirror. If you don’t laugh, something’s wrong!  We are all little children inside. I am convinced that laughter is a great form of therapy.  My wife and I attended a workshop run by Loretta LaRoche. Loretta comes from an Italian family in Brooklyn.  She made us laugh until it hurt, telling stories about her dysfunctional family.  One day as we loosen up we will be able to laugh at our experiences even if they were not funny.  Give yourself credit, celebrate life, it’s yours.

Let’s take time during this month of transition, embrace God’s gift of humility and humor, as God’s way of showing us how to navigate the journey of life.  Remember what my seven year old grandson said to me when I was complaining about a rainy day, he said, “Papa, don’t worry, the sun is still shinning behind the clouds.”  Let’s all keep looking for the sunshine in all experiences of life.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

The month of March is a time of transition from winter to spring. It is as if we were all in a womb getting ready for birth. At times, this month can be unpredictable. If it comes in like a lion, it will hopefully go out as a lamb, yet we never know. Many of our older generation would say, “It’s time to get outside and blow the stink off.” In sports it is also a time of ending, “March Madness” in basket ball and a new beginning in baseball. Let’s take some time and reflect on how this month teaches us about life.

Our 12th Step speaks of a spiritual awakening, as we become aware of God’s gifts to us. We need to share them with others. In the first eleven steps of our program, we are taught to make time within as we walk this special journey of life, so we can enjoy new beginnings. The winds of March teach us to release our old self and transition to the real us. We must always have the willingness to change and grow.

Recovery teaches us that we should view life with a positive attitude. Our history is our greatest teacher. Every experience will one day become our strength. Let’s take time as we invest in our personal growth, to become healthy and positive people. Life is too short to dwell on the negative.

Let’s take a short journey through these twelve beautiful principals of life that were given to us by our Higher Power.

The first three steps help us to lay a strong foundation on which solid growth is based. In the first step we meditate on three special words, Powerlessness, Surrender and Acceptance. They help us to face reality.

Step two gives us the gifts of trust and faith, to remind us that we are being guided on our journey by something much more powerful, a Higher Power. We are being taught to open our hearts and mind, to all of God’s messengers. It is the step of faith and humility.

Step three reminds us, “to let go and let God”. Release our ego (control) and have the willingness to be open to change and grow. Let’s stop trying to figure out life and learn to go with the flow. Once again we are reminded that we are not in charge.

In steps four through nine we are given the opportunity to do our personal work, an adventure of awareness and growth. We are now ready to face our history (personal inventory), to share it with another, to begin the real journey of healing. We take time to face our humanness (our defects of character), another wonderful way of getting to know ourselves. We learn to live by the principle, “All things happen in God’s time, not ours”. Our personal growth is a slow process, a little at a time (patience). In this step, we are also taught how to make peace with the past and to become self- healers. In working these steps, always be open to guidance and direction.

Steps ten through twelve are the daily everyday living steps. We are being taught to take time each day to reflect on life. (A Daily Inventory). Prayer and meditation are two special gifts that God gives us to help us both to communicate with God and through meditation to listen and fill our soul with peace, serenity and love. We are taught each day to be open to God’s plan for us. Each day as we wake, we are given the greatest gift of life for another day. Say a prayer of gratitude and take time to meditate on positive thoughts for the day. Finally, live each day as though it was your last. Work your program. The way you live your life will carry the message to others. We are all God’s agents and each day we are both teachers and pupils to each other.

As we experience the transition of Mother Nature, may the winds of March lead us to become people of transition and growth. Enjoy the journey. May we all experience God’s gifts as we discover who we are on the journey of life. May all of us be blessed each and every day on this earth.

Enjoy the transition into the new birth of spring!

by Vince DiPasquale

When we think of February, two things come to mind, winter and Valentine’s Day. I call it the month when we can allow ourselves to reflect on those moments just before our birth. We felt safe and comfortable in our mother’s womb and really did not want to leave and enter into this dysfunctional world. The journey was a struggle and painful, but at the moment of birth we felt love. This month, we are still in the cold of winter looking forward to the birth of new life, spring.

Isn’t it interesting that Valentine’s Day is placed in the middle of this month to remind us that we have inside of us this special gift from God: the power to love. Deep inside this energy is the force that will allow us to forgive, heal and be open to learning and growing. It is the energy that softens us to be gentle to ourselves and others. We were all taught the secret to life’s journey is to love ourselves and to share the gift with others. Yet we are human, we have to go through pain and hurt to come to forgive and love. My Dad always told me, “You don’t know how to get up until you fall down.” Life is a balance of negative and positive. We need both! To become people of love we must embrace both.

Our 12 step program teaches us that all of our experiences will one day become our strength and hope. Acceptance is the key. My Dad once again taught me some powerful lessons that today I see as his love for me. My Father was a city farmer. We lived in Camden yet my Dad had a farm in our yard and at the railroad yards. He used nothing but fresh horse manure in his garden. One day, I was in our yard and my Dad told me to pick up a hand full of soil and taste it. He confused me but then came the lessons. All that manure that we put into the ground was changed into vitamins and minerals to feed the plants. Manure was the fertilizer of love to help those plants to grow and produce. Life is the same. Our experiences, struggles and pain, if we can accept them and learn from them, become our fertilizer for growth. They become our strength. Love is the energy that allows us to heal, make peace and let go.

Learning to love ourselves is the ultimate spiritual journey of life. We are God’s creations, as we become stronger, as we face life, as we are open to heal, make peace and do closures. Our life will be filled with this gift, the power to love. Then by our example, love is an energy that can’t be contained. We are a power house of love. It will flow out of us to others by the way we live our life.

Our 12th step says, “Having had a spiritual awakening”. By learning to love ourselves we will then carry the message of love by the way we live our lives. We are all God’s children. Let’s make this month, that is dedicated to love, a time to learn to love ourselves and to share our love with others. May we all have a blessed and joyful Valentine’s Day.

 God Bless!

As we begin a New Year, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions that in time we probably will not keep,  let’s dedicate this year to developing new attitudes toward life’s journey.  When our creator sent us on the Journey of Life, we were given some really special gifts, the Spirit and energy of being able to love ourselves and others. We were also given the power of willingness.

Life is  a process that is always changing.  If we are open to flow with the changes, we will experience things beyond our wildest dreams.  God only wants good for us, so we have been given the tools we need for the Journey.  Yet in order to grow we have to be the participants in the battle and struggle between good and evil.   We are taught in our Recovery Program that all of our experiences, if we are willing to face them, will in God’s time, teach us our strengths. It all comes down to our attitudes and vision.  One of the greatest awakenings for me was the discovery that there are no absolutes, everything in life is always changing and growing.  We are unique as human beings in that we can look at life as survivors or thrivers.

Let’s look at some special words of Recovery.  Willingness differs from Willpower, Willingness is the attitude of being open to all the downsides of life.  To have an open mind and to always allow ourselves to be teachable is different than willpower which really is control power.  We cannot control life’s journey,  we must be willing to be open to the lessons we need to learn.

Change is a powerful spiritual word that can at times be scary; we are a people in constant process of change. Nothing stays the same,  if you don’t believe that, look in the mirror every day; not only must we change physically but we also experience change emotionally, spiritually and socially.   This is the real adventure of life.  The enemy of change is fear, yet once we face it and embrace it, we experience the positive energy of growth.  Even our relationship with our Higher Power hopefully is always changing like any relationship.  If we are able to come to the unconditional acceptance of life in the present, then we will be able to move forward to new directions.  Willingness is the attitude that allows us to grow.

All of life’s experiences are gifts from God, they are the strongholds we go thru to discover our strength.  We are a people of hope, we are teachers and pupils, each day,  each experience,  each person that comes into our life helps us to discover the beauty in each of us. Remember, we are not an accident or mistake. Everyone is exactly who and where they are supposed to be.  At this moment in time,  when we are able and willing to accept this turn, we are ready to know change and be led to life’s next experience.

Our resolution for the New Year is to have any attitude of gratitude for what was, to accept where we are today and to be open to where we will be led in the future.  Have faith and know that if we do the footwork, all things will happen in God’s time, not ours.  Let’s always be willing to be a people on the move so that one day we will be united with our creator on the other side.

Let’s all pray that we may be open to our Higher Power’s will for us and that we have the strength to carry it out.

Have a peaceful and wonderful New Year filled with God’s Blessings.

Prayers and LOVE to ALL!!!

Click of the link below to learn our you can help us continue The Starting Point’s work.

Join Our 250 CLUB today!

Dear Starting Point Family,

Do you believe The Starting Point is now 35 years young?

This year we are hoping to give The Starting Point a present of thirty five thousand dollars. With your help and that of the Higher Power we will reach our goal.

We are asking for a donation of $35, $70, $105 or any amount to help us to continue our work.  For a dollar or more for each year of The Starting Point’s history of good work your will have our gratitude and  appreciation for helping us of continue the work of all who are associated with The Starting Point.

As we prepare to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, let’s not forget December is the month we celebrate the Festival of Lights, the birth of a child, and the sharing of the abundance of life.

Allow us to thanks you in advance for your support as you share from your heart. As always, keep our work in your prayers.

With love and daily prayers, your servants,

Vince DiPasquale and the Board of Directors

Please download the form below and return with your gift.

Capital Campaign Kickoff

All donations are tax deductable.