Originally Posted by ToughChoices

Good morning, class!

Looking forward to a bright, cold day of work. I sing to myself as I walk through the snow - I'm sure people think I'm a little strange, but it helps keep me centered and positive. There's a hymn from my youth that I've come back around to:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, O Lord. Take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10-12.

You can fill-in-the-blank with the HP of your understanding, and it's a lovely 7th Step prayer!

Currently, I'm re-working the Steps using Herb K.'s "12 Steps to a Spiritual Awakening" on YouTube. It is wonderful, with a tremendous focus on prayer (talking to HP), meditation (listening to HP), and contemplation (marveling quietly in the presence of HP). Life changing for this constantly brain-chattering girl. The series is free to watch, with worksheets that can be printed, lovely spiritual exercises, and reading assignments. This focus on coming into relationship with God keeps me sober, positive, and new.

For me, recovery is NOT just about the cessation of detrimental behavior, it's about the creation/re-connection of something beautiful. Desire for this connection to power and peace motivates choices that allow me to grow and flourish and accept life as it rolls under me.

God created me to be a river - flowing, raging, cutting a path.
Addiction built a dam that turned that river into a still, shallow, stagnant pool.
Recovery tears down the dam so that God's will for me can flow through the world.
Where will I go? What will I accomplish? Life is the adventure of finding out!!!
How could I ever dream of returning to stagnancy?

Have a beautiful Tuesday, all!
-TC