Taking Steps

 

If ADDICTION to any of these are a problem for you or someone you love ...

Alcohol
Anorexia & Bulimia
Codependency
Gambling
Marijuana
Narcotics
Prescription Drugs
Overeating
Overspending
Pornography
Self-Injury
Sexual Promiscuity
Tobacco & Nicotine


... You might want to consider taking steps ... 

THE 12 STEPS

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

A Chance To Use The Things I Have Learned ... 

I am in recovery.  I will always be in recovery.  Anytime, I start to get too comfortable ... Anytime, I let my guard down, the thing I am recovering from will find a way to show up in my life and remind me that I am worth all the hard work!  When bad things come into my life, I can fight back at those bad things by asking God for help, getting back to the books, working my program and getting support and encouragement from my family and friends.

Martin Luther wrote about getting regular visits from the devil.  The devil would "stop by" to bring doubt, discouragement, low self-esteem, fear, anger, pride and a lot of other "gifts" to torment Martin Luther.  The devil used whatever he could to push Martin Luther off his godly path by telling him, "God didn't really love him", and in the beginning, the devil was successful, but every time the devil went away, Martin Luther got stronger in his faith and the next time the devil visited, the devil wasn't as successful as he had been the time before. 

One day, the devil knocked on the Martin Luther's door.  Martin Luther got up and answered the door.  When he saw that it was the devil again, he said, "Oh, it's just you."  He didn't get excited or worried or fearful.  He just shut the door and went back to his work.  Martin Luther knew that God loved him and there was no reason to argue with the devil about it anymore. 

The devil had used up all his tricks and none of them had worked!

In fact, in some way or another, every time the devil showed up to try to convince Martin Luther that God didn't love him, his very presence became proof that God must love him very much or God would not allow him to be tested.  The devil's visits became reminders that ... we are only human and that there are things that will pull us off our course ... but it's okay!  God loves us anyway and all we have to do is get back on the path.

Sometimes, It's Good To Look At Where We Have Been ... So We Can See How Far We Have Come!

I have earned the right to share my journey with you!  I paid the price.  I served my time in his hell.  I fought my way out.  I did the work.  I SURVIVED.   

I remember feeling trapped. 
I remember what it was like to walk on eggshells. 
I remember being so nervous. 
I remember not being able to sleep because the nightmares were even worse than the nightmare I was living. 
I remember being afraid.
I remember being afraid to tell anyone. 
I remember feeling embarrassed.
I remembered wondering what people would think if they knew. 

I remember.    

I know there are others out there who are feeling just like I did.  I know you are out there.  I know you are scared.  I know you don't know what to do.  I know it feels like being lost in the dark.  

I don't have all the answers.  I'm just one woman ... who found a way out of a dark place.  Maybe something I learned will help you?  

I hope so because I am writing for you.   

I don't care what other people think!  I know some people won't understand us.  I know some people don't want to believe us because they are still in denial about their own stuff ... Maybe, they have their own addictions?  Maybe, they have turned their back on a sister or a friend because the addiction was just too hard to watch?  How people react isn't always about you.  Everybody has their own stuff that either holds them back, pushes them forward or tears them apart.  For now, OTHER PEOPLE isn't our concern.  It's you and me we are talking about.  I am in recovery and maybe, you are too?  Maybe, you wish you could be but you don't know where to start? 

Start with the Step One:

Admit you are powerless over your addiction - that your lives has become unmanageable ...

Then ... go to Step Two ... 

There is a way out of addiction.  I'm not turning my back on you!  I'm here.  I'm sending help in the only way I know how.  I'm sending you the words that helped me to heal.  I'm sending you the wisdom of others who helped me.  I'm not judging you or telling you what to do.  I'm sending you love and prayers and encouragement because no matter where you are or how dark your world has become ...  

There is a way out!