To him, AA is a program of action, not belief. If we’re honest, kind and living in the love, we’re going the right way When I was a month or so sober, a fellow came up to me after a meeting and declared emphatically, “You’ll never stay sober if you don’t accept God in yourContinue reading “Swimming With the Current – Grapevine Article August 2025 By John K.”
Category Archives: Love
Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.
Note – Allen B. is also Dr. Allen Berger the author of a number of articles in our Emotional Sobriety section of the website and the book ‘12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety’. I stood there in line growing more and more impatient. After all, I had important things to do. I didn’t have theContinue reading “Unacceptable – Grapevine Article October 2022 By Allen B.”
Love & Humility Reveal Reality – The Art Of Loving By Eric Fromm
Extract from Chapter 4 “The Practice of Love” This classic book, The Art Of Loving, has some great wisdom for how the practice of love and humility relate to our ability to experience ‘life as it is’ … to avoid the distortions of our self centeredness. You may also find these articles linked below onContinue reading “Love & Humility Reveal Reality – The Art Of Loving By Eric Fromm”
Courage – Grapevine Article March 1949 By L.J.
A TRUE story that makes you stop and think is this one, and it may give you new courage. It’s a story of courage and kindness. It’s about two A.A.s who live in Fort Payne, Ala. One member of that group is physically handicapped. Without help he could never attend an A.A. meeting. But someContinue reading “Courage – Grapevine Article March 1949 By L.J.”
The Essential To Recovery Of Self Acceptance By James Hollis
There is something in us, all of us, that knows what is right for us, which path is ours and not someone else’s, something that pushes us beyond our comfort zone into areas of growth, development, and presence in this world greater than we have lived up to this point. ….While all the twelve-step programsContinue reading “The Essential To Recovery Of Self Acceptance By James Hollis”
Humility Heals Our Pain – Twelve & Twelve Step 7
Our decision in Step 3 is one that needs constant renewal and affirmation. I think of it as a imperfect movement towards willingness not willfulness … a movement toward the pain, uncertainty and hard work that I used to move away from, an experience (perhaps a ‘with God’ knowing) of the true freedom that comesContinue reading “Humility Heals Our Pain – Twelve & Twelve Step 7”
Bless My Enemies – Recovery Poem/Prayers By Saint Nikolai Velimirovich
As we attempt to practice the willingness of Step 8 , we are confronted with this dilemma and challenge: “If we are now about to ask forgiveness for ourselves, why shouldn’t we start out by forgiving them, one and all?” – Twelve & Twelve p.78 I find this poem/prayer to be extremely helpful in openingContinue reading “Bless My Enemies – Recovery Poem/Prayers By Saint Nikolai Velimirovich”
Searching In The Shadows – Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation May 28th
This meditation can be helpful in our ongoing Step 10 and Step 4 work of critical self examination and radical acceptance. It suggest a perspective change and supports the 10th step spiritual axiom that when I am disturbed there is something wrong (or off) within me. Jungian therapists Connie Zweig and Steve Wolf describe shadowContinue reading “Searching In The Shadows – Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation May 28th”
Forgiveness – Spirituality Of Imperfection (Extract From Chapter 15) By Ernest Kurtz
To forgive, truly to forgive, involves letting go of the feeling of resentment and of the vision that underlies that feeling—the vision in which we see ourselves as being offended against, the vision of self-as-victim. As in all matters relating to the spiritual, focusing on feeling distracts from the more profound and truly important issue—theContinue reading “Forgiveness – Spirituality Of Imperfection (Extract From Chapter 15) By Ernest Kurtz”
Growing Up Emotionally – 12 Smart Things To Do When The Booze And Drugs Are Gone By Dr. Allen Berger
Emotional sobriety doesn’t spontaneously appear. We have to work hard at growing up. Bill did. In addition to the time he spent working the Steps, getting spiritual direction from the Reverend Sam Shoemaker, spending time alone in contemplation, and working with others, he also sought out psychotherapy. His therapist was the famous Dr. Harry Tiebout,Continue reading “Growing Up Emotionally – 12 Smart Things To Do When The Booze And Drugs Are Gone By Dr. Allen Berger”