Power and control. This is the third item on the list in the talk given a few weeks ago at the meeting I attended. It can lead us into addictive and dysfunctional behaviors. For me, power and control was my drug of choice. Forget alcohol, or mind-altering substances. I loved, no, I thirsted after power … Continue reading Recovery = integrated life
I love getting to hear new speakers at a meeting. Someone with a fresh take on the topic of recovery. No matter what their background is, I look for what I can learn from their perspective and insight. Last night, we heard a speaker who, while not in full-time recovery ministry, was still very well … Continue reading Let’s go camping
In recovery circles, we talk often about telling our stories, to heal, to encourage and to process what has happened in our life. The story can be fraught with danger, peril and violence. Or, it can be like a soap opera, all that’s missing is the dramatic soundtrack to give the over-blown emotions the added … Continue reading Where I end…and You begin.
Sometimes I find myself quite busy. Busy with the tasks at hand, of life, of family, of my recovery. We all can pull up a virtual to-do list that is longer than our day. This list of chores, duties, considerations, etc can nag us like our parents did to clean up our rooms or do … Continue reading Unplugged
In recovery, we will have bumpy road. It’s not a case of if the road is bumpy. It just will be bumpy. Kind of like those old-time westerns, where people are riding a wagon train, and you watch the wagon pitch and rock as the horses pull the wooden wheels over the hard-rutted ground. Some … Continue reading The bumpy road 🚧
Happy end of the week, everyone! Getting coffee this morning, it occurred to me that we all experience pivot points, or light bulb moments in our recovery journeys. One such came to mind as I enjoyed the first sip of warm java. Sitting in a meeting one night I was listening to others share and … Continue reading Don’t dare to compare
In talking about my character flaws, I will refer back to my fourth step as the place that I began to identify certain patterns of behavior that were more or less destructive, even though I didn’t go to jail or rehab for these actions. The funny thing (and not HA-HA funny, but hmmm, funny) about … Continue reading Plan for Pain
A while back, I sat through a talk that in part intrigued me, called me out and insulted me. The speaker basically said that those of us in recovery and that have been in crazy relationships have broken pickers. Simply put, something is broken about how we find those we choose to spend our time … Continue reading Choosing Wisdom over Chaos
A beautiful weekend. And not just because it stopped raining for more than an hour. But because we celebrated that fact that we have a lovely, profound gift of love that is at the very core of our recovery. During the winter months, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and in the Spring, we celebrate … Continue reading Planting to Harvest 🌾
Drum roll please…ta-da! And, here we are, at step 3. In the big book, step 3 states “Made a conscious decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” I have enormous respect for Bill W. and the founders of modern recovery. But here is where … Continue reading Step 3, or How we use our Tools against the Ego Zombie
