Willingness

I learned about this tool from my Irish friend because she put up a link to an online version of it on her blog. I like tools like this, though I don’t often pick them up. Like much of what is available to me to grow spiritually. I seem to have been so desensitized to pain [...]

I think, therefore I’m in pain.  I’m in pain, therefore I am. My bed is crippling me and I have no immediate or intermediate hope of getting a new one.  I have a significant bill (from my wonderful attorney) which I’ve ignored for months now that requires my immediate attention (now that I have a job).  [...]

Caught in the Snide And in that dreadful place Those spooky empty pants and I Were standing face to face. I yelled for help. I screamed. I shrieked. I howled. I yowled. I cried. Oh! Save me from those pale green pants With nobody inside. -Dr. Seuss Isn’t that the essence of fear?  When we finally find [...]

I don’t normally duplicate work I produce elsewhere, but there are only so many ways you can say the same thing.  In this case, it’s something I need to say in every channel I write in. Just like with drugs and alcohol, it seems to be a natural part of my character that until I have [...]

I wrote a post over at the Second Road the other day about the hurdles we face in finding the Higher Power of 12 step programs. The idea for the post came from a conversation I had with a friend a few nights ago wherein he told me that the only ‘God’ he was willing [...]

Remember these? High school gym shorts from the 1980’s. Wow. At the time I thought they were pretty hot, at least on certain guys. You had to have pretty great legs to pul[ this look off, but there were always a couple of guys in gym class who fit the bill. I think the poly-knit [...]

In the late 80s and early 90s they were not an uncommon site along the freeways leaving downtown Los Angeles; huge condo projects festooned with banners that read “If you lived here you’d be home now.” When the topic was brought up at a meeting, what are you doing today for your recovery, it’s [...]

I spent yesterday in service to AA. I began the day at 7 AM with my friends Owen and Robert driving to Oregon to attend my first Area Assembly, the semi-annual meeting where the General Service Representatives (me) from around southern Idaho (the area) gather to conduct the business of Alcoholics Anonymous. It [...]

Wow.  I’m glad that’s over with.  Now aside from burping up fish oil, which, if you’ve never experienced it, I really think you need to, and the minor annoyance of 14,000 people trying to cure breast cancer blocking the road to my aunt’s house, I am feeling like myself again. I don’t often have episodes like [...]

I genuinely like and admire who I am because of my work. -GrrlScientist I alluded recently to the Benedictine motto, “Ora et labora.” That is actually only a derivative. The actual motto is, “Orare est laborare, laborare est orare.” To pray is to work, to work is to pray. It is not exactly accurate for [...]

This post was originally published Feb. 10, 2008 and was taken down pending adjudication of another case. Now that has been done and I am restoring the post. To choose what is difficult all one’s days, as if it were easy, that is faith. W. H. Auden They tell me I seemed relaxed; that I did not [...]

embrace c.1300, from O.Fr. embracer “clasp in the arms, enclose,” from en- “in” + brace “the arms,” from L. bracchium (neut. pl. brachia). Replaced O.E. clyppan, also fæðm. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper Last night, late, I stepped out on my front porch to smoke a cigarette. I still smoke cigarettes. For some reason [...]