WELCOME HOME

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Dear Brothers and Sisters 4/29

If you are coming home from your addiction, war and military service or any other distant place, I am so glad you are here. You are truly one of us. Don't worry about not being very religious. Spirituality very much gets us in touch with our Higher Power whom we choose to call God.

If you need treatment referral for detox, rehab, after care or veterans services, please give us a chance to help you.

All our referral services are free and we may be able to get you reduced rates or special considerations.

If you just need to talk, call me at 239 . 851 . 2283. Please leave a voicemail. That is my personal cell phone.

Chaplain John Petruska

EASTER / PASSOVER GREETINGS

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Dear Friends 4/8/12

Wishing you a blessed, happy and wonderful Easter and Passover season. I am looking forward to being of service to you in the spring and summer season as both a substance abuse and mental health counselor and ordained minister / chaplain.

John Petruska

239 . 851 . 2283

www.swflcompassionministries.org

www.veterans-foundation.com

3/13 FREE EASTER OFFERS

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Dear Family 3/13/12

Welcome to all our great visitors and new members. I hope to be at your service anytime I am needed. TY so much for joining our group. Please feel free to write or call anytime.

239 . 851 . 2283. You can also send me an IM or add me to your skype contacts: revjohnpetrusk

Our mailing addresss is:

Chaplain John Petruska

5781 Lee Blvd. # 208 - 394

Lehigh, Fl. 33971

My email / pay pal account address is:

compassionswfl@comcast.net

I love getting Big Books, Step Books, Life Recovery Bibles or any inspirational magazines like the Grapevine or books to pass on to my clients while they are in rehab. They are of course given free and without obligation.

I am also a certified substance abuse and mental health counselor with the state of Florida as well as a Chaplain and ordained minister. I am always very happy to answer your questions about spiritual things.

If you would like to send me an email address, I will add you to my distribution list for perks for you and friends as well as invites to events in my area where I would hope to meet many of you. Not all these offers are recovery related. Some are for job positions, educational opportunities or discounts for products in your community that are not normally advertised.

All your info stays confidential.

I ALSO POST SOME GREAT ITEMS ON CRAIG'S LIST. PROCEEDS GO TO HELP MY CLIENTS IN RECOVERY GET BACK ON THEIR FEET AS WELL AS VETERANS MAKING TRANSITION COMING HOME FROM THE WAR AND MILITARY SERVICE.

I AM ALL ABOUT " PAYING IT FORWARD."

BUSY DAY WITH COUNSELING SESSIONS AND EVENING MEETING AT REHAB.

I would like to send you a free Easter Devotional packet which includes a Chaplain's Cross Necklace. If you cannot afford a bible, I would be very glad to send you a men's or woman's hardcover devotional bible. This is a limited time offer as resources permit. No cost or obligation to you. Just send your full name and mailing address to me. Delivery comes straight from a warehouse to you within 10-14 days.

Hugz 2 All

3/12

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Dear Family 3/12

Came to believe - Romans 1:18-20

This step speaks of the process of coming to faith or belief in a higher power. Unfortunately, it's not all gum drops and lollipops. God has some expectations of us as well. He is first of all looking for a real relationship with Himself. I believe this is a reason for our creation.

God loves to have sons and daughters but it is important to Him how they act in this world.

God wants us to do good and be good in the sense that our lives are meant to have value and not hurt others.Many times, we need to re-think a sitaution before we speak or act. It helps us to have self control and forgive the humanity and stupidity of others as we ourselves need forgiveness so many times. We let our emotions do our thinking for us. All the more reason to work on our character defects to help with our self growth and discipline.

Jesus said He brought a new Commandment to love our neighbor as ourself and then He told the story of the Good Samaritan as an example. The key to this story is prejudice and compassion. Jesus was born as a Jew into the Jewish or Hebrew culture. He tells a story about a Samaritan.

These people were disliked by the Jews and considered inferior because of their mixed race of ancestors.

In the story, it is the Samaritan who goes out of His way to help a Jewish man who has been robbed and beaten and left for dead. It is important to note that the Samaritan came along after two other Jewish men had passed the victim without stopping to help. One of them was clergy. The Samaritan then takes the victim and treats his wounds and put Him up in a hotel until the man heals and pays all the expenses from His own pocket, expecting nothing in return.

We come to faith in a Higher Power by considering how we are changing in our recovery. We are encouraged to pray, to talk to the God of our understanding. We are soon thinking differently and acting with much more compassion towards others than we have had in a long, long time. Little by slowly, God shows that He is interested in us getting and staying clean and sober.

The truth of God has been stamped into the heart of every man and woman. All of nature testifies of his greatness and goodness. And yet there are many terrible things that happen in the world and in our lives. It is with this in mind that we look to a better place, which we call heaven.

We can't earn it by ourselves because we do keep sinning even when we know God. However once we have embraced Step 3, surrendering to Him and His will, we have a spiritual or supernatural awakening in our soul and our nature is changed.

The Easter message about Jesus paying for our sins and our forgiveness is to set us free from the old life, which includes our addiction. It is in Him that we have a new life or re-birth.

Our miracle is accomplished by the grace and mercy of God and our working of a program. This reminds us of where we came from and how we were living. Our program provides structure and a family with a common disease so that we are not alone. We refer to this sometimes as a support group.

We often become part of each others lives in the process and continue to help others like us live a better life. We are all weak and have addictive behaviors, some much worse than others.

But.........we are all sick trying to get well and stay well.

I would like to send you a free Easter Packet. It has an Easter Devotional booklet and a Chaplain's Cross Necklace. While supplies last, send your full name and address. All your info always kept confidential. Help me make this journey of sobriety and sanity as we help others.

If you would send us Big Books, Step Books, Life Recovery Bibles or inspirational books and literature, I would greatly appreciate it. I pass them out at rehab, every week.

Just a little note to Sherry for all the help she has given us. Thank you sister. You are a blessing upon blessing.

My Mailing address is:

Chaplain John Petruska

5781 Lee Blvd. # 208 - 394

Lehigh, Fl. 33971

email / pay pal is:

compassionswfl@comcast.net

If you cannot afford a bible, I will send you a men's or women's devotional bible as resources permit. Please send your full name and mailing address and make sure to state that you want a bible. I will put you on a special list to send one.

hugz and luv to all

2/25 CHANGING THE WORLD

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:05:00 +0000

..........I Could Sing of Your Love Forever

http://youtu.be/hwuZ-kDYZoU

Todays' Inspiration

Some people find it hard to believe in a Power greater than themselves. Many of them are angry over the hand of cards they have been dealt in this life.. Others consider themselves too intelligent to believe in something they cannot see. Their smarts are working against them. But not to believe in such a Power forces us to atheism. It has been said that atheism is blind faith in the strange proposition that this universe originated in a cipher or a Big Bang and aimlessly rushes nowhere. That's practically impossible to believe. The physical laws of the universe did not happen all by themselves but as a result of an intelligent design.

I think we all can agree that alcohol / drugs are a power greater than ourselves. It certainly was in my case. I was helpless before the power of my disease which by the way, I couldn't see but sure felt the consequences. Jesus said " you cannot see the wind, where it comes from or goes to, but you can see the affect it has on the trees. Do I remember the things that happened to me because of the power of my DOC.

Heart and Soul

The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the things we can see and touch and the immoral will be overcome in the day of judgement. That's not some phoney baloney scare tactic. It will be very real. It is interesting to me how many people are troubled by the Mayan Calendar which the experts already admit it is can be off my 150 or more years.

I am ready to meet God any time, not because I am a good person but because Jesus died as payment for my sins. Gradually the spiritual is overcoming the material in our minds. How was it Bill W. achieved the impossible success of getting clean and sober after a life time of addiction. He had certainly been dealt a suckee hand of cards. He had seen many of his soldiers die in war. His wife had two miscarriages; he lost his fortune because of the Great Depression. After his spiritual awakening as in step 12, he and Dr. Bob managed to stay clean and sober and start the fellowship known as AA.

Gradually the moral is overcoming the immoral. Faith, fellowship, and service are cures for most of the ills of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that they cannot do. I want to make the world a better place one day, one life at a time and God,

my Higher Power is helping me to do that.

Prayer

I pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may be part of the cure for the ills of the world. I am willing to invest everything I am or will be to help others come to that place of faith in God.

Don't forget your welcome packet for joining the group or Easter Devotional and Cross necklace. Send your full name and address. They are totally free. All info confidential.

Hugz to All

2/12 BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Dear Family 2/12

Welcome to all our visitors and new members. Please write or call anytime. It is 44 degrees this morning in SW Florida. That is very cold for us. I had to put the heat on in the house to take the chill out. Also had to put our dog's rock star coat on to keep him nice and warm.

Sipping on a hot cup of coffee to get the brain awake and going to an early morning meeting with God. Hoping to start a new recovery group very soon.

Gateway Grace Fellowship, 13241 Griffin Drive, Ft. Myers, Fl. 33913

The music and teaching and fellowship are awesome. Times 8:30 Am and 11AM.

For those of you that would like to send ski caps, sweat shirts, sweaters, etc. in good condition and clean for my clients. Many were homeless, in jail and have very little or nothing in the way of warm clothes. New underwear and socks, unopened, still in package are always a great blessing also. We give everything freely to our clents and brothers and sisters. We also bring food to the rehabs and homeless shelters from our veterans foundation.

I always need Big Books, AA, NA, and Step Books, Life Recovery Bibles and inspirational magazines like grapevine or other books. I buy all I can from my disability check until it is gone I have everyone looking for these to buy at Goodwill and all the other thrift stores. There are never very many. If you see one, please buy it and send to me.

Mail to:

Chaplain John Petruska

5781 Lee Blvd. # 208 - 394

Lehigh, Fl. 33971

email / pay pal address

compassionswfl@comcast.net

239 . 851 . 2283

hugz to all

BLOGZ AWAY - WOUNDED WARRIORS

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +0000

PRAYING FOR MARINE CORPS VETERAN Lloyd.

Spent 6 years as a sniper and has 27 confirmed kills and it has been haunting him every day.

He said he was with the 2nd Marine Division, 4th Force Recon Battlaion and was a sniper in Somalia, Mogadishu, Lebanon, Beruit and many places that the US government would never admit to.

I will work with him to file for disability so he doesn't have to live in the woods anymore and be so sick.

Yesterday he called and said the pain was so bad, he kept hitting his hand with a hammer to distract himself. He has PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder and cirrosis from his alcohol addiction. He has been in rehab 6 times.

I talked to him for about 30 miinutes about AA, getting to a VA hospital for help and God forgiving him and Lloyd forgiving himself.

The Holy Spirit always gives me special things to say and uses strange situations within my life to build friendships.

After I had been talking to Lloyd for about 20 minutes, my grandson, 2 1/2 years old walks out of the bedroom naked, carrying his diaper. I started laughing and told Lloyd what was going on and he laughed also. From a near suicide and a death wish to laughter among two old brothers from the war. We trained at many of the same Marine Corps bases so we had lots to talk about.

God help us all, wounded warriors and brothers and sisters fighting the disease of addiction.

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING AT REHAB WAS AMAZING AND WE WERE ALL LAUGHING AND HUGGING EACH OTHER AT THE END. FOR MANY, WE HAD FOUND NEW FAMILY AND WERE NOT ALONE ANYMORE, THANK YOU JESUS.

hUGZ 2 ALL

WRITE OR CALL ANYTIME

239 . 851 . 2283

THE MORNING AFTER, OMG, TAKE ME NOW

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:10:00 +0000

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Welcome to all our visitors and new members. Please write or call anytime. 239 . 851 . 2283

Feel free to join in discussions or blogs and or post photos on group site that are in good taste.

Visit our website with some new youtbe videos that are AWESOME.

Also free treatment referrals. I may also be able to get you a scholarship or reduced rate at rehab or to cut through the red tape to expedite your getting help.

www.swflcompassionministries.org

Today's Inspiration

We got a blast from our first hit or few drinks. I guess it was fun then but oh too quickly we were out of control and doing things we regrettted so very much. For a while, the world seemed better and we thought we were stronger and wiser. Our " game on " with members of the opposite sex was also much better or so we thought. We may still be facing consequences for those actions. But how about when the balloon goes POP and bursts. The terrible hangover, withdrawl and depression that comes the morning after? OMG, take me now LORD. I still remember the sickness after all these years later very vividly. Now, in Recovery, we get a real clean high, not a false feeling of exhilaration, but a real feeling of satisfaction with ourselves, self respect, and a feeling of friendliness toward the world. The buzz from our drug of choice just creates an illusion. The hang over the next day is the opposite of pleasure. I am finding serenity and lasting peace in my recovery program.

Heart and Soul

I will practice love and compassion to all men and women that I encounter today. Self-senteredness instead of God-centeredness pulls me from the flow of God's Holy Spirit.

I will try to see good in all people, those I like and also those who are a PITA and grate on my last nerve. They are all children of God, just like me. I will try to get along with all people, because the more love I give away, the more I will have and my heavenly Father will be well pleased with me and help me more in my journey through this life.

If you are not sure how to get into heaven, write or call me? I have a roadmap and guide book to help you. I will be glad to pray with you for any need you have. It always works better by phone.

239 . 851 . 2283. Please leave a voice mail if I don't pick up immediately.

Today's Prayer

I pray that I may do all I can to love others, in spite of their many faults. I pray that as I love, so will I be loved.

Jesus said, " for as you plant good seeds, you will reap a great harvest. " Or as we might say today " what goes around, comes around."

Don't forget to request your free welcome packet. Never any cost or obligation to you.

Send your full name and mailing address. Kept confidential and anonymous.

HUGZ AND LUV 2 ALL

NEW RECOVERY GROUP - YOU'RE INVITED

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:55:00 +0000

Dear Family

If you live in Lee County Florida, you may want to meet us on Sunday Morning at Gateway Grace Fellowship for great music and teaching, 8:30 AM or 11AM.

13241 Griffin Ave. Ft. Myers, 33913

We are submitting our outline for approval to kick off our Recovery Group for substabce abuse at the church. We have already purchased the curriculum. Give us a call for more info if interested.

239 . 851 . 2283

In the last couple of weeks, we have unpacked Empowered Healing in Acts 3, and Empowered Prayer in Acts 4. Next Sunday we’ll walk through Acts 5 where you will see how “the empire strikes back.” The enemy always does, especially when a significant move of God is in progress. So we will be unveiling the reality of Empowered Warfare next Sunday. Do your best not to miss it and invite as many folks as you can. I don’t want you to be blindsided by the enemy’s counter-attacks as the Spirit of the Living God moves among us! See you next Sunday!

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Pastor Mark

www.markpgonzales.com

www.storyofgodandman.com

HUGZ 2 ALL

MY WILL OR HIS WILL?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hello and good morning to all our visitors and new members. So glad you are here. Please write or call anytime. 239 . 851 . 2283.

Today's Inspiration............MY WILL OR HIS WILL :?

Alcoholics / Addicts are people who started using or drinking for a variety of reasons. For many it was to get outside themselves and leave their inhibitions behind or just to have fun or because, in the beginning, it felt so good. Sometimes, it is to deal with depression or significant emotional events. Other times it is for acceptance. No one wants to feel left out or like an odd duck and not hip to today's experiences. We usually start out slow and a few of us go full tilt from day one. We humans are truly strange creatures. If God didn't love us so much, he would have never put up with us this long. We are always making the same mistakes and suffer the same consequences over and over again, but that the pain and hopelessness grows so much worse. They refuse to admit they have a problem. It doesn't make us weak, it make us smart and opens the door for help. So maybe we don't make it for a while in recovery and relapse.

SO WE KEEP TRYING. PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON YOU. YOU ARE THE BEST YOU THAT YOU HAVE..... and the only one. They still think they can handle the stuff. They won't swallow their pride and admit that they're different from others with a life controlling issue and there are many. God will help you if you are truly workig the steps. # 3 is all about surrender and turning your life and will over to God. It doesn't make you weak. It opens a door to a whole new world for you and me.

My drink of choice is ginger ale if I am feeling sweet or club soda with a twist and I never get tired of them. Once in a while, I will have a root beer. I goes so good with chili dogs.

I have an addictive personality in so many areas. I must constantly police myself and pray every day for God's mercy and strength. Some days, I feel like a winner and other times, not so much.

Then I rush to a meeting and come away smiling and happy. My four years in therapy also made a big difference. I take a hand up from anyone who will lend one. I am proud of some accomplishments which took hard work and committment but I never ever want to be prideful or full of pride. God is in the driver's seat and I am just the co-pilot. Some of us need more encouragement than others. We are all beautiful and different just like a snow flake. No two alike even if they look somewhat the same.

Heart and Soul

I believe that God has all power. It is His to give and His to withhold. I pray for good gifts and life lessons that will keep me out of trouble and from hurting the people I love.

He will not withhold it from the person who stays close to him. It is just like my children, when they are trying to do right, I run to help them if they want it. If they are doing dumb, I just make some suggestions and let them decide what works and what does not. God lives in me and through me. His spirit directs my path, Proverbs 3:5. I will learn to live in God's presence and then I will have those things, which are God's will for me. Not every prayer is answered yes. Others are answered no because they are not good for us. If we really push God, He will usually let us have what we want and then find out, the hard way that our Heavenly Father has a better idea. Sometimes, the best looking package is not what is good for us. Many years ago, I had a troubles, lonely, stubborn friend who always wanted to do his own thing. He made himself and outcast. Many reached out to him. His father got him a good job with a great pay check. He had been using drugs for many years to self medicate. Then he went out and bought a shiny new red corvette convertible. He was always looking for what was missing in his life.

One night after work, he took the corvette up to 120 mph and died in a wreck. power, and joy.

When God was missing from my life, He sent a friend to share his faith and re-kindle mine. God did not stick me in some third world in a mud hut to be a preacher, although he might, but first He and I would come to terms with such an idea. Maybe someday, I will go back to Viet Nam. The thought has always been in my mind, but the time is not yet, if at all.

Where will God take you when you surrender? I don't know but it will be an exciting adventure full of love and happiness and I am sure, more than a few tears, but that is life on this planet.

God's Word says there are no tears or crying in heaven. I am looking forward to it and seeing all my friends and loved ones who have gone on before me. What a re-union that will be!

The bible refers to it as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may get myself out of the way, so that God's power may flow in and out of me to others. I pray that I may surrender myself to Him and His will for me.

10 DAYS LEFT FOR FREE OFFERS OF:

CHAPLAIN'S NECKLACE

DAILY BREAD DEVOTIONAL

WELCOME PACKET

Just send your full name and mailing address: Confidential and anonymous.

My mailing address is:

Chaplain John Petruska

5781 LEE BLVD. # 208 - 394

LEHIGH, FL. 33971

Please send any recovery literature that you can. New or used in good shape is a huge blessing to all our clients and friends in recovery and me.

Tuesday night, I will celebrate my birthday at rehab. # 63. I will take a sheet cake and maybe some ice cream also to share with my brothers and sisters in Recovery.

Hugs 2 all