Would you like to recover from alcoholism and addiction? Do you believe that God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, can relieve you of those problems? According to the fourth edition of Alcoholics Anonymous—known affectionately within A.A. as the “Big Book”–an effective way to recover from alcoholism is to establish a relationship with God.
Moving from Being “in Recovery” to Having “Recovered” Read More »
Dear God,
I pray for those who struggle with alcohol or other drugs. Please let them know how much you love and care for them.
Please don’t let them bury themselves in guilt and shame. You are a God who forgives. You are the God of the second chance and even of the third and fourth chance.
Help those in recovery find a job. Give them an employer who understands addiction and will make it possible for them to work and still be able to attend recovery meetings.
Give them real friends who will love and respect them and hold them to the standard of staying clean and sober.
Bless them with a sponsor who will both encourage and challenge them to do their step work.
Prayer for Those in Recovery from Substance Abuse Read More »
In recovery, we need to stay focused on the path ahead. There are many obstacles that can effortlessly obstruct our growth process. One deadly sin that we should always steer clear of is pride. Anyone in recovery is extremely susceptible to external hindrances because we were once slaves to them during our addiction. Outside hindrances can include numerous things, such as shame, resentment, fear, self-centeredness, and pride, 
among other things. If we are to evade these hazardous obstacles, we should harbor and uphold a humble spirit. Once we are finally clean and sober, have gone to meetings, and have worked the program, we learn that God alone can cure us of our past sins. We must surrender our will and our lives over to the care of God. And this, my friends, requires an act of humility.
Humility in Recovery Read More »
As you take inventory you will be tempted to become defensive. Our life patterns are part of us. When we start to look at them honestly for the first time in our lives, our immediate reaction is to dig in our heels and try to justify our past behavior.
In the fourth step you have to be relentlessly honest. You have to look at yourself objectively and refuse to defend anything that is wrong in your life (past or present). The first step out of your dark pit and into the light and victory starts with complete honesty.
Step 4 – Defensive Self-righteousness Read More »
Anger is a normal emotion everyone feels at times. But unbridled anger can be disastrous for the alcoholic/addict and their loved ones. If anger is allowed to get out of hand it can even trigger a relapse.
Identifying the Problem
If you are an addict or alcoholic frustration and anger can be caused because you may feel your rights are being ignored or your needs are not being met.
Anger and the Alcoholic/Addict Read More »
1 John 2:29-3:3
If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of Him. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And all who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.
Our Behavior Should and CAN Reflect Who We are in Christ Read More »
It is OK Not to Have a Sponsor
Not everyone in recovery has a mentor all of the time. It is OK not to have a sponsor or recovery buddy! It is important for you to have a special rapport with the person who is going to be 
your recovery buddy or sponsor. Do not try to rush the process The more time you spend finding an appropriate person the more likely you will find someone who is a good listener and communicator. Not everyone is able or willing to commit to being a good sponsor. They may have other obligations that prevent them from being an effective mentor.
When You Have No Sponsor or Recovery Buddy Read More »
If you just can’t stop your addiction or behavior this booklet will help.
I Just Can’t Stop! How to Overcome Addiction Read More »
Denial is actually a defense mechanism implemented to protect us, to keep the mind solvent in lieu of perceived danger. It’s a form of personalized reframing, neuro-linguistic manipulation meant to increase survivability. Yet many of us turn it into a catalyst which allows us to continue our voluntary journey into perdition.
Denial is the ability to lie to one’s self in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. It is the ability to delude one’s self with reasonable to superb success. Only when denial diminishes does character take root.
And, once again, character is identified and maintained by one’s personal beliefs.
Denial Needs to Go Read More »
When you begin to make serious permanent life changes, and you have been unemployed, look for work that will honor you as you honor work. When you do the kind of work that you have a passion for, it starts with working on yourself. You have the capacity to get a good job. So many people in early recovery will just settle for any type of work because they are thinking through the filter of negative thinking. It is true that you might have to work because of a court or other legal mandate. Whether you are in that situation or not, you can still find work that has longevity and brings you great pleasure and satisfaction.
Finding Work after Recovery Read More »
