Category Archives: 12 Steps

Believing that God Exists

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Once you accept the existence of God—however you define Him, however you explain your relationship to Him—then you are caught forever with His presence in the center of all things. – Morris West “Having our Higher Power as an integral part of how we experience all the hours of a day (whether they hold burdens or blessings) heightens our awareness of the fullness of our life. Believing that God exists for us and in us profoundly changes how we see every aspect of our day. “A number of us didn’t believe in God when we joined a Twelve Step program. Or if we did, many of us believed in a demanding or punishing God who had no relevance to our daily life. What a difference it makes to let a loving God take charge of our thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and plans for the future.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 16 *As We Understand God I was one of those individuals that didn’t believe in God when I joined a Twelve Step program. I was a devout atheist, and even though I’d suffered with an eating disorder my entire life, it took me five years … Continue reading →

Use My intelligence

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“What do you think of God,” the teacher asked. After a pause, the young pupil replied, “He’s not a think, he’s a feel.” – Paul Frost “If our approach to God rested on how much brain power we could summon, a lot of us would be in trouble. We can’t think our way to God. We have to feel our way there.” I don’t have to use my intelligence to get to God. I only have to want God in my life. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 11 *As We Understand God It’s true that when I was a devout atheist, I was searching for proof of God’s existence through my intellect. Not only was the idea of God as postulated by the religions I was familiar with make little sense—in fact, were contradictory—but looking through a lens of logic and the philosophical arguments of respected scholars over the ages failed to prove the existence of God. Yet, joining and working a 12 Step program gave me the evidence I needed. But it was combined with a feeling too. Hearing the stories of miracles and seeing the transformation of individuals gave me the logical … Continue reading →

Another Birthday

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“My obsession was all-powerful. Summoning all my resources, I could not dislodge it. Then three simple words did the trick: ”Came to believe.” – Anonymous “We were prisoners of our obsessions. No more. Three words, “came to believe,” were the key that unlocked the gates of our personal prison.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 1 *As We Understand God Today is three weeks from my belly button birthday. This year it is particularly special because (1) I’m taking vacation for my first ‘real’ travel in four years, and (2) I’m flying to Colorado to spend time and celebrate it with my dearest friends who relocated from Sedona shortly after I had moved back north to Prescott. But I have another birthday that is equally as important: the day more than 30 years ago I finally had the willingness to walk into a 12 Step meeting to address my eating disorder and addiction. When I heard the words “came to believe,” I started my road to recovery and sanity. That was the beginning of my coming to believe in a power greater than myself that could restore me to sanity and put me on a … Continue reading →

When We Give

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Sir Winston Churchill “Perhaps it goes against our instinct for survival to give away what we have… a fatal philosophy is formed: what I gain, you lose; what I lose, you gain. “This dog-eat-dog philosophy, of course, brings us nothing but grief. We are all in this life together, dependent on one another. We now know that when we give, there is no sacrifice; it is all our gain. We now know that when another loses, we lose something too. We are not in competition with others anymore; instead, we need them. They are our means to discovery; they are our doorway to the spiritual world.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” May 24 *As We Understand God The meditation book the aforementioned is quoted from is focused on 12 Step recovery. In working the steps to recover from an eating disorder and being a part of the fellowship, I have come to solidify the philosophy espoused in the excerpt. Helping one another in recovery, truly knowing that we are in this together—that we need one another—, that … Continue reading →

Prayer is…

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Over the centuries many folks have expressed their ideas about prayer. When I first got into recovery, easing away from atheism and moving towards coming to believe, I learned “prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God.” Here are some other thoughts about prayer gleaned from today’s “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” *As We Understand God. Prayer is… … an attitude, an awareness of God’s presence … a feeling that we are not alone—ever … a thankfulness, a silent appreciation of and communion with our source … stepping back and letting go I cannot separate any of the aforementioned—they are all part of my attitude as I step into the evening to relax, being aware of Spirit’s presence and hence assured I am not alone, feeling grateful for my Higher Power, and surrendering the evening and everything else to Spirit.

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Remembering My Higher Power

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“…our Higher Power never moves away. God is as close as our breath, awaiting our invitation to take charge. “It’s our ego that fights giving up control… We are frustrated again and again as we try to force what we think is the best solution; again and again, in the end, after we’ve given up the struggle, God smooths the path. “This program guarantees us a smooth trip every step of the way. All we have to do is give up control to God who is always waiting for us to turn our attention from our problems to God’s presence.” I will feel peace and joy throughout today because I’ll remember my Higher Power’s presence. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” May 11 *As We Understand God Ya know, I meditate each morning—and remember my Higher Power. I chant as I go through my Naam Yoga poses—and remember my Higher Power. I say an affirmative prayer over my breakfast meal, read spiritual literature and journal while I eat it, remembering my Higher Power. Yet as I move into the work day and the outer world, it seems so easy to forget my practices and the fact … Continue reading →

Change My Mind

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I get a kick out the overlap of topics amongst my morning readings. And, I also get a kick seeing the common ideas among various writers and philosophies. Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw Disastrous circumstances have forced us to change our mind. Now that we know we cannot get along without others, nor without a Higher Power to guide us. We are still tempted to go it alone…but we can change our mind as often as needed. With God’s help, I can exercise the greatest force for change in my life—I can change my mind. – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” April 22 *As We Understand God The aforementioned was written in the context of 12 Step recovery principles. It piggybacked on the following, an excerpt from today’s “Science of Mind” Magazine: Man’s conscious thought, acting through Law, may change any condition in his experience, provided he can clearly conceive of such conditions being changed. – Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind,” page 133 “Only by working from cause can a problem be solved. “If you want to solve a problem in your life, work from the cause, … Continue reading →

Separate from God?

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“To think you are separate from God is to remain separate from your own being.” – D. M. Street Oh my! What did I do when I was a devout atheist?! Was I really so out of touch with my own self? Of course, I didn’t think I was. Since I came to believe through 12 Step program and synchronicity provided me with the evidence I’d been seeking to prove the existence of God (it was just a different form of evidence that I’d expected), my concept of God is that It is everywhere, within me, within you, and surrounding us as well. [I still don’t subscribe to traditional religions in case you couldn’t tell!] It is The One, we are a part of It, and thus can never be separated from It. Now, there are times I may feel disconnected from Spirit, separate from God. However, I know that in reality, God is still around and in me. When I have such feelings, it means I’ve moved away from and need to get back into alignment with the Divine. I can do that through numerous practices, including singing, praying, meditating, and reading spiritual literature. Focusing on my breath totally … Continue reading →

Happiness Comes From Giving

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“Beginning with childhood, we all receive messages that getting is the purpose of living: we must have romantic love, sexual fulfillment, possessions, and prestige to be happy. “God has a different message: Help one another. We learn from experience in our program that happiness comes from giving—whether it be time, talent, money, or other things. Experience tells us that giving what we have to help someone else makes us a lot happier than keeping it to ourselves.” – “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” April 14 *As We Understand God Growing up, my parents were caring, giving people, but not strong role models of volunteerism. I did some volunteering as I grew older, but still wasn’t all that much into being of service. That changed dramatically when I joined a 12 Step program. Service and giving of one’s time, talent, and money is a huge part of the Program; it is the final step after working through the other ones: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive eaters, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” Step 12 is the culmination of a spiritual … Continue reading →

Growth Opportunities

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When I got into 12 Step program a few decades ago, my entire attitude about life, the world, and people changed. Actually, it was more like I just started learning about them all, formulating a more accurate view. The Program taught me how to live life on life’s terms, how to have improved relationships with people, how to approach situations from a healthier and more mature perspective. A concept I embraced was each problem contains its solution, and there is a learning for me when I have a problem, when I feel challenged by people, circumstances, and the like. Challenges are basically growth opportunities. “Concealed within each problem is an opportunity for spiritual growth resulting in greater understanding.” – Jack and Cornelia Addington “And our problems, then, are merely situations that confront us with the opportunity for greater self-expression.” – Ernest Holmes, “Observations,” page 19 – “Science of Mind Magazine,” April 12, 2022 If I am open and willing, I can learn and grow so much from challenges. In fact, my life is made richer by them, I gain a greater understanding of myself and others. I must be interacting with people, partaking in activities, being a part of life … Continue reading →