~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GuardYourEyes Chizuk E-Mail (No. 1168)

Getting stronger every day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KOFER NEFESH PIDYON KAPPAROS

Last Chance!

GYE's Annual High Holiday Campaign

~ Day 7 ~

What greater zechus and tikun for Yom Kippur than having a share in the Teshuvah of thousands of others?

Yossle wrote:

I've been here since the day after Yom Kippur 5773. Back then, I was full of resentment towards my wife. And I was a "big tzadik" for making the marriage work, of course. But now... there are no words to describe the love and admiration that I have for her, and how lucky I feel. Back then, I also harbored tremendous resentment for myself. But now.... I can't begin to describe the SIPUK that I get out of living life FOR REAL.

There are no words to describe the hakoras hatov that I have to GYE and to the chevra on this site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chaim wrote:

I couldn't stop my addiction. I felt like a lowlife. I never felt like Hkb"h wants me to daven to Him. I felt like Hkb"h would spit on my face every time I davened.

Then I found Guard Your Eyes. I am not signed up to any forums and I have not done any 12 step programs, etc. however I get the emails daily. The emails have given me such chizuk you have no idea. To know that there are so many people out there with the same problem gave me a huge boost. To get emails twice daily giving me chizuk and telling me how the fight is what Hkb''h wants helped so much. But I had my ups and downs, a few clean days here, a few weeks there. And then I read an email about the 90 program. I said to myself, okay let's do it. One day at a time. I am reaching 90 tomorrow be"h!

You have no idea how I feel lately. I feel like I am on cloud 9, like a bird flying in the sky. I have not said to myself in 89 days "you are worthless". I feel close to Hkb"h. I can't explain what it feels like to think during Neilah on Yom Kippur, "Hkb"h wants you to daven to Him" and never felt that before. Do you have any idea what it feels like to listen to Yossi Green's "Elokai Neshama" and mamash feel like you have a neshama.

On my 40th day clean, I went out with a girl. From the first date I knew this girl was special. Tomorrow will be our 50th day going out and it looks like we are going to be getting engaged very soon. Coincidence? I don't think so, besides it being on the 40th day, I was able to actually have clarity and be able to think straight while going out with her.

All I can say is, GYE you saved my life and made it so much better. If anyone reads this letter, know you are not alone, there is a whole huge amount of people in the same battle and hkb"h wants u to fight that yetzer hara. Hatzlochah!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our goal for this year is to raise $100,000.
So far $50,000 has come in

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

DONATE SECURELY HERE

Anonymous donations possible / Donations are tax deductible

Checks can be made out to: "Guard Your Eyes" and mailed to:

GYE Corp. P.O. Box 32380 Pikesville, MD 21282 U.S.A.

Donations by phone (24 hours a day): 718-878-3075

Tizke Lemitzvos and G'mar Chasimo Toivo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Today's Issue

Torah Thought of the Day: Ohr Hachayim Hakodosh on Aroyos

Attitude: Give Up the Fake Stuff!

Quote of the Day: Chazon Ish: Every Bit of Kedusha is Precious

Food for Thought: Addiction Recovery One-liners

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rabbi Feuerman's Friday Phone Conference

Parshas Bereishis - "Compassionate Curiosity"

Parshas Hashavua and Addiction Recovery

8:30 AM NY Time

3:30 PM Israel Time

The call-in number is:

U.S: 209 255 1000 Israel: 076 599 0060

Participant PIN: 637207#

For archive of previous Shiurim see here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Category: Torah Thought of the Day

The Ohr Hachayim on Arayos

Yom Kippur Torah reading discusses the inyanim of "arayos". The Ohr HaChayim HaKadosh on the parsha writes the secret to recovery for those who have stumbled in these areas.

Ohr Hachayim in Hebrew.

Download a PDF of translation and explanation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Category: Attitude

Give Up the Fake Stuff!

By M.Z.

Rachel was shopping with her mother one day, when she saw a fake $5 pearl necklace behind the counter. She wanted it, and her mother told her that she has $2.50 pocket money, and, if she helps around the house, she'll get the rest. One week later, Rachel got her necklace. It was her most prized possession: she slept with it, ate with it, and wouldn't take it off; so much so, that after a while it even started going off-colour.

One day, her father came to put her into bed and said, "Rachel, do you love me?" Rachel immediately said she did. Her father then continued, saying, "Will you give me your pearl necklace?" Rachel offered her best doll with all its matching clothes, but the father left and said, "No, it's not what I asked for, but that's ok."

This happened over a few weeks, each time Rachel would offer her father another toy in her possession: her books, farm animals, dress up clothes... Each night the father departed, having declined Rachel's offer.

One night Rachel's father entered her room to put her to sleep and found her crying; tears streaming down her face, she handed him her treasured necklace, saying, "Here, Daddy, I love you more."

Without hesitation, her father reached into his pocket and pulled out a real diamond necklace for her. He said, "I was waiting for you to be ready for me to give you this. I couldn't give you the real thing unless you were willing to let go of the fake one."

The message is so clear. Hashem is simply waiting for us (me) to get rid of the superficialites that we've become attached to. And when that happens, then He's able to allow us the experience of His true Goodness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Category: Quote of the Day

Every Bit of Kedusha is Precious

By Davukbashem

At the big tznius asifa in Lakewood this week, Rav P.E. Falk said over a story involving the Chazon Ish.

Many years ago, a neighboring irreligious kibbutz asked Rav Mendelsohn, rav of Komemiyus, to come give a drasha in their kibbutz. He categorically refused due to the mixed (men & women) crowd etc. They came back a second time and told him: "We discussed it, and since we very much want you to speak, we agreed to set up a mechitza for your drasha". Rav Mendelsohn was still uncomfortable with the idea, so he went to the Chazon Ish. The Chazon Ish advised him to go. "Not because I think that your drasha will have such an effect on them," he said, "but because those few minutes that there will be a mechitza in that kibbutz will give so much pleasure to the Ribbono Shel Olam."

It's not all-or-nothing; every bit of kedusha is so precious.

G'mar chasima tova lonu ulchol Yisrael!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Announcement

The Nesivos Shalom Conference Call

SUNDAY Mornings from 9AM to 9:30AM EST

Reb Noach Schwartz, LCSW will give a shiur in Nesivos Shalom specially geared to GYE members, followed by insights, sharing and Q&A.

Kindly call in for an enjoyable, educational, and chasidishe schmooze!

Call in number:

From U.S: (605) 562-3131

Israel: (076) 599-0060

(From other countries, see this page)

PIN# 952533 (for all countries)

For Reb Noach's therapy page here.

For Reb Noach's website here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Category: Food for Thought

Addiction Recovery One-liners

In recovery, we're learning a new behavior. It's called Be Who You Are.
Addiction is like sitting on a hot stove and wondering what that burning stench is. It's not about dumb. It's about numb.
It's not what I know in recovery that keeps me sober. It's what I do that keeps me sober.
What defines us is how well we rise after falling.