Hi, Kittymammas. The concept of turning everything over to God or an HP was really hard for me to accept when I started attending AlAnon. (I had issues with the western concept of God and organized religion.) The one thing that helped open my eyes/heart to the concept of a HP was reading Letting Go with Love, by Julia H. (a wonderful book about learning to detach). Her higher power was the sea... Reading that helped me see past the western notion of God as an HP and let me start defining my HP.
I think that whatever entity or concept you can trust to help you find serenity can be your HP. There was a really great thread back in May about finding your HP. I can never get the link-back thing to work, maybe some one else will remember the thread and can post it (?).
The AlAnon meetings I've gone to have been pretty open-minded about an HP. (One lady in the group changes the word 'God' to 'Goddess'.) So, just because this meeting didn't fit, doesn't mean another won't. I was told to give it at least 6 tries when starting out, which turned out to be great advice.