The Second Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous says, “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.” For a long time, that tradition...
A popular adolescent development program is called 4-H. It stands for: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The 4-H program helps develop leadership, public speaking, and problem-solving skills, in adolescents and teens. It also focuses on improved academic performance and...
When my little sister shot and killed her husband, my older sister thought it was because she drank too much whiskey. She sent her a case of wine, thinking that it was the whiskey that caused the trouble, and wine would be much safer. We alcoholics frequently have the...
Every Wednesday, I teach classes on addiction and mental health at a residential program in downtown San Antonio for men and women who have been recently homeless. I have the men for an hour, and then the women. A new woman came early for class. She had picked up a...
I have been given the opportunity to be a part of a group participating in what has been named, “The 90 Days Retreat.” It is an online group designed to cover several modules in the areas of self-growth. The first module being all about self-worth. Cue the heavy...
“Surrender, Surrender, but don’t give yourself away, hey, hey” When I was introduced to recovery and the 12 steps, I only knew that surrender was the name of my favorite Cheap Trick song. I had been hustling and grinding through life for forty years with no clue how...
December often raises many questions for family members who have a loved one active in an addiction – or a loved one early in recovery. It can be difficult to know how to support our loved one. Below are a few simple tips. Gain an understanding. It’s helpful know...
“Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.” – Step 7 from the Al-Anon Family Groups “I am fairly certain that given a cape and a nice tiara, I could save the world.” – Leigh Standley My previous approach to problems that I would have:...
“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” – Step 6 from the Al-Anon Family Groups I recently caught someone, who I love, in a lie. It hurt. Hurt wasn’t the first emotion to appear: anger was. Of course, anger does a really...
