Rally for Recovery! 2007
On September 15, 2007 recovery community organizations and our allies will be hosting walks, rallies and other events to put a face and a voice on recovery and mobilize support for policies like the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 (H.R. 1424) that support recovery. Check out whether there's an event in your area on September 15th below. For events happening, click here!
It up!
Thanks CO for posting about this. Thought I would "bump" this up, as we just got back from a great picnic and some awesome shared recovery. And who said AA and NA could not co-exist on the same ground? ;) This was a terrific experience and was held 10 minutes from where I live!
Although the picnic is still ongoing in our region ('til 8:00 p.m. eastern), I know there are many here who are an hour or two or three behind me. Check out the site CO posted for you to see if there is a listing near to you.
'tis a gift!
Sammy
Sammy,
Glad you went and had a good time. I just read this article and thought you may like it.
The Four Paradoxes in Recovery
Erik Bohlin, M.A.
In recovery, paradoxes become evident.
We surrender to win.
We give away to keep.
We suffer to get well.
We die in order to live.
We SURRENDER TO WIN. We need to totally surrender unconditionally. We acknowledge that we cannot win the battle against addiction and have totally made a mess of our our life. We are better off if we stop running our life and let God run it for us. We pray in Step 11, "asking only for God's will and the power to carry it out." We are like a prisoner of war who who surrenders with our hands up and we do whatever our higher power tells us to do.
We GIVE AWAY TO KEEP. This strange expression identifies our selfishness and understanding that we can only be healed as "we give away what God has given us." "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) When we are hoarding, greedy and stingy we are likely to use our addiction again as we have left a state of Grace.
We SUFFER TO GET WELL. There is no way to escape pain or suffering in this life. It is a truth that most alcoholics as well as most people try to ignore. The alcoholic, drug addict and sex addict use their substance to avoid suffering. This is why they use. Many people reserve the term alcoholic for those that really suffer--shaking, needing another drink, getting sick from drinking. But perhaps they are numbing themselves in minor ways and are too out of touch with themselves to identify that they are drinking as a form of self medication. To recover, we must go through the pain. We must learn to be mature and to face reality. Thankfully, the 12 steps help us face reality with the Grace of God.
We DIE TO LIVE. This beautiful paradox comes right out of the biblical idea of "losing our life" (Matt. 10:39) and denying one's self and carrying one's cross. (Matt. 16:24) The harder we hold on to our life, the more it slips through our fingers without us realizing it. (We call this white knuckling it) But when we empty ourselves of our ego, and die to our dreams, our will and our ways, God will give us life. We must die daily. While we may decide to surrender at a certain point of time, we must surrender every moment, so as to acquire God's grace to keep us sober. This only comes through death, his and ours.
Glad you went and had a good time. I just read this article and thought you may like it.
The Four Paradoxes in Recovery
Erik Bohlin, M.A.
In recovery, paradoxes become evident.
We surrender to win.
We give away to keep.
We suffer to get well.
We die in order to live.
We SURRENDER TO WIN. We need to totally surrender unconditionally. We acknowledge that we cannot win the battle against addiction and have totally made a mess of our our life. We are better off if we stop running our life and let God run it for us. We pray in Step 11, "asking only for God's will and the power to carry it out." We are like a prisoner of war who who surrenders with our hands up and we do whatever our higher power tells us to do.
We GIVE AWAY TO KEEP. This strange expression identifies our selfishness and understanding that we can only be healed as "we give away what God has given us." "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) When we are hoarding, greedy and stingy we are likely to use our addiction again as we have left a state of Grace.
We SUFFER TO GET WELL. There is no way to escape pain or suffering in this life. It is a truth that most alcoholics as well as most people try to ignore. The alcoholic, drug addict and sex addict use their substance to avoid suffering. This is why they use. Many people reserve the term alcoholic for those that really suffer--shaking, needing another drink, getting sick from drinking. But perhaps they are numbing themselves in minor ways and are too out of touch with themselves to identify that they are drinking as a form of self medication. To recover, we must go through the pain. We must learn to be mature and to face reality. Thankfully, the 12 steps help us face reality with the Grace of God.
We DIE TO LIVE. This beautiful paradox comes right out of the biblical idea of "losing our life" (Matt. 10:39) and denying one's self and carrying one's cross. (Matt. 16:24) The harder we hold on to our life, the more it slips through our fingers without us realizing it. (We call this white knuckling it) But when we empty ourselves of our ego, and die to our dreams, our will and our ways, God will give us life. We must die daily. While we may decide to surrender at a certain point of time, we must surrender every moment, so as to acquire God's grace to keep us sober. This only comes through death, his and ours.
Morning CO -
Thanks for posting the "paradoxes", as it has been some time since I have read them. Read on and enjoy, as I thought I had seen them in an AA story before:
The Professor and the Pardoxes
Hope your day is as special as you!
Hugs ~
Sammy
Thanks for posting the "paradoxes", as it has been some time since I have read them. Read on and enjoy, as I thought I had seen them in an AA story before:
The Professor and the Pardoxes
Hope your day is as special as you!
Hugs ~
Sammy
