Willing
Are you willing to do what it takes?
God Grant…
I find the first two words of the Serenity Prayer crucial for me to focus on and never forget: “God grant.” It is another example of how God does for me what I cannot do for myself. I am powerless; He has all power. It’s also one of the early steps in learning some much needed humility, recognizing that this isn’t all about me, nor is my progress of my own doing.
Anonymity and Fear
When I came into the program, my life was in shambles heading downhill. I was late to my first meeting. I couldn’t find the room. At the church office I asked the ladies behind the counter where was “the men’s 12-step recovery meeting?” One hollered toward the back room, “Joyce, what 12-step meetings do we have running today at noon?”
Principle of Anonymity
The concept of anonymity as applied to Twelve Step Programs appears in Traditions Eleven and Twelve, which give guidelines for members of the fellowship.
Daily Challenge
My recovery requires me to form new habits. It takes time to develop a new habit. The accountability of a daily check-in was absolutely necessary for me to get the momentum required to make something routine. But, even this was not enough to motivate me to be consistent. I shared my struggle with another member and we had a new idea.
Staying Sober
There is no magic involved in staying sober. It is not a do-it-once-and-get-it-over kind of job. There is daily Grace and Help from our Higher Power, the benefits of working a program in the SA Fellowship, and “one-day-at-a-time” honesty, openness and attention. I have to pay attention to what I am thinking and doing; we have no vacation from sobriety work! Here are some practices I have found helpful over the years.
SA CFC
It is an exciting time to be in correctional service. Brian from Sacramento recently gave a seminar to a local diocese on how to develop SA at the New Folsom State Prison. From California to Poland and elsewhere we are building bridges with religious communities aligned with the SA sobriety definition.
Finance Report
Overall net income (income less expenses) was positive by $5,415. Revenues benefited from the sales of the new Step into Action book and the financial successes of the Fellowships conventions. Contribution income continued below budget. Expenses were in line with actual revenues.
Discussion Topic
How do you identify with the “Recovering Female Sex Addict” story?
Dear ESSAY
Hi Essay, I inadvertently shared the December issue of Essay today on several global WhatsApp groups of which I am an administrator. Instead of sharing the download link to sa.org/essay I automatically distributed it to over 500 people. It was pointed out to me that this was a violation of the copyright.
