God Is (Large Print Version): And I Thought It Was All about Me - The Gospel of Rev. Phil

I wrote "God Is" not as a speculator or as a spectator. I wrote about my life and my experiences and present this book as a gift to you, just as the experiences I share with you were gifted to me. I believe in being of selfless service to my fellow Spiritual beings. I believe each and every religion, theology and Spiritual practice points its practitioners in that direction. As is heard very frequently in the rooms of Twelve Step fellowships "you keep what you have by giving it away." Please allow me to expand on that by stating "you enhance what you have by giving it away." I wrote "God Is" for a number of reasons. First is to introduce to you an all-powerful, all knowing, ever present, unconditionally loving, non-judging Divine Presence that wants nothing but and works for your greatest good to be made manifest in your life. Second is to let you know that no matter how dysfunctional life starts out, no matter how self-destructive you are to yourself and/or abusive you are to others you are never without the possibility of transformation. The final reason is to provide you with understandings and tools to facilitate that transformation. I was blessed, for ten years, to have been able to host a Spiritual talk radio show as well as a Spiritual talk television show for an additional four years. Over the span of those fourteen years I was gifted with an unbelievable cross section of guests that provided me with an unparalleled education in the ways of both Spirituality and religion. This education ultimately broadened and strengthened the foundation of my beliefs in the Divine Presence. In "God Is" I look at what I would consider to be some of the more advanced, higher level teachings. I received such understandings as the three forms of Karma, The Law of Grace, Sufi beliefs about Charity, Mercy and nine definitions of True Spirituality. "God Is" also looks at the many teachers that taught me on my journey. Those teachers include Edgar Cayce, Emanuel Swedenborg and The Abraham Group. Spirituality doesn't take place in a vacuum. Life is our teacher, whether we acknowledge it or not. My life, my lessons, started out with trauma which led to drug addiction, which led to my healing utilizing a Twelve Step recovery program, which led me to the experience of meeting my Soul Mate and experiencing Unconditional Love from another human being. The Creator has also seen fit to equip me with what I consider to be a balance between the left and right hemispheres of my brain. As a result of my left brain capacity I was able to obtain a State of New Mexico Licensed Alcohol Drug Addiction Counselor (LADAC) designation. The therapeutic insights that come from obtaining this license, combined with the Spiritual gifts that the right brain facilitates, enables "God Is" to provide the reader with another tool, a Spiritual application of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy modality titled IAI. Throughout "God Is" I make reference to learning from several of the Steps of what is, in total, a 12 Step program. Being a 12 Stepper is not required to understand my journey nor receive the benefits of its lessons. In order for you, who are not 12 Steppers, to have a context for a 12 Step program I provided you with the official, original version of the 12 Steps, created by Alcoholics Anonymous. Listing Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 Steps should not be interpreted as an endorsement of them or imply that these were the Steps I reference as being worked. I have chosen to list this version as an acknowledgement to their being the original 12 Steps. Since their creation numerous 12 Step programs have come into existence, each, with permission from Alcoholics Anonymous, modifying the 12 Steps to reflect their own particular application. Above all else, "GOD IS."

About the Author :
I, Rev. Phil, am an Ordained, Trans-Denominational, Interfaith Minister and the Spiritual Head of Church of the One God, a 501(c)(3) religious charitable organization in Santa Fe, NM. I received my ordination on September 15, 1997 from the New Mexico Theological Seminary. I am also a practicing Twelve Step recovering drug addict who, with God's blessing, has not found the need to take any mood and/or mind altering substances since August 17, 1987. During the span of my recovery I have seen how the spiritual principles that the Twelve Steps are based upon change not only my life but the lives of countless other individuals who engage in the program. Over the course of my recovery I have been blessed to be allowed to host a spiritual interview radio talk show for ten years and a spiritual interview television talk show for four years. These experiences have furthered my belief that the spiritual principles behind all 12 Step programs help people deal with their problems more effectively than any other therapeutic modality. My ministry is dedicated to the mission of carrying the message that God is a power beyond a human being's ability to comprehend, that it is unconditionally loving and non-judgmental and that everyone can better their lives with the implementation of spiritual practice and by the application of spiritual principles in their lives. I also believe that worship is a private matter. We all define the Divine Presence differently and therefore meditate and/or pray differently. Membership in a group or organization is desirable. Connection to the Great Spirit is essential. Therefore, my ministry promotes the essential, not the desirable. It isn't a congregational ministry nor will I ever ask you to make a contribution or to follow any person or entity in any form of ritual or campaign. My Spiritual autobiography, "God Is - The Gospel of Rev. Phil," is an aspect of my ministry. The Gospel is the conveying of the hope, faith and grace that is there for you from a Creator that loves you all unconditionally and never judges you. Because all too often in our history, the messenger has become more important than the message, I request that you embrace the message and view me as nothing more than the pen that this message flowed through. May you always walk in LOVE and LIGHT.