CRA Christians in Recovery (anonymous)

The 12 promises of AA

1. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.

Those who work the 12 step AA program and make a sincere effort will begin to see changes in their lives even before they are halfway done.

2. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

People who finish the steps will experience relief from the suffering of addiction and feel free to pursue a new life without alcohol.

3. We do not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

Those who work the program will gain a sense of acceptance that allows them to process their experiences, learn from them, and move on without guilt.

4. We will comprehend the word serenity, and we will know peace.

Addiction can lead to a constant state of inner turmoil. The AA program helps people find a calmness that is rare during active using, and that many addicts have never known in their lives.

5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

Many addicts don’t believe that other people understand what they’ve been through. But in AA, they often meet people who can identify with and learn from their experiences.

6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

Addiction makes users feel worthless and guilty about their actions. The steps can give people a sense that their lives have a meaning and a purpose, particularly through helping others.

7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Addiction leads to many self-centered behaviors. Helping other people find recovery can bring addicts outside of themselves and help them develop a genuine interest in other people.

8. Self-seeking will slip away.

The tunnel vision of focusing only on oneself and drinking usually begins to fade as people work the steps.

9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

AA can shift one’s perspective from hopeless to hope. People can begin to imagine a life where they are happy.

10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

Alcoholics who recover through AA don’t feel like they have to hide anymore or worry about how to support their addiction and maintain financial security.

11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

As the AA member gets deeper into the recovery process, they begin to see situations more clearly and can tap into their inner resources.

12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

The concept of a higher power is central to AA. This higher power, identified
as God (as we understand Him), becomes a guiding force in the person’s life.

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Alcohol is a drug. We are people with the disease of addiction who must abstain from all drugs in order to recover. As of May 2018 there were more than 70,000 NA meetings in 144 countries.

The one promise of Narcotics Anonymous is freedom from active addiction:

"An addict, any addict, can stop using, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live."

We take cakes to show others it can be done and to celebrate our sobriety/clean time.
I will be celebrating nine years of continuous sobriety soon We begin by asking for help.

"Welcome to Christian Chat and CRA. Thank you for sharing. I commend you for recognizing
God in your life with all the complexity within your family. God bless you.
I don't believe any of us can fully understand the cause, or why so many families are
experiencing similar concerns, but this 'epidemic' has become rampant. And, there are numerous
contributing factors, of which consists of a subtle change of human behavior over the past
fifty years, and now it has reached a dangerous level.
My experience spans seventy five plus years, and I have known the good, the bad and the ugly.
The last two plus decades, since God came upon my life which brought about a new beginning for
a renewed life, and by the grace of God, a second chance. And, it is not meant to be easy...believe it.
I have learned the significance of the Serenity Prayer. I have challenges every day, but I am
grateful of the Holy Spirit as a guiding 'light'. I can only hope and pray, you and others come
to understand the importance of knowing the 'presence' of God in our lives. Let us pray to be
responsible and accountable of our own attitude and behavior, and this will be a full time endeavor."
~My thoughts, from 'this side of the glass'~

Serenity Prayer

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2019 - WHY CAN'T GOD "GET WITH THE PROGRAM"

A deer longs for streams of water. God, I long for you in the same way. I am thirsty for God. I am thirsty for the living God. When can I go and meet with him? My tears have been my food day and night. All day long people say to me, “Where is your God?” When I remember what has happened, I tell God all my troubles. I remember how I used to walk to the house of God. The Mighty One guarded my steps. We shouted with joy and praised God as we went along with the joyful crowd. My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:1-5 NIRV)

The problems experienced by the writer of this Psalm are similar to the difficulties some of us are facing. We cry out to God night and day hoping he hears us and acts on our behalf. The people around the writer of the Psalm know he has put his hope in God but when they see no response, they ask him “Where is your God?” Has this ever happened to you? Does God seem deaf or asleep?

The Lord is far away from the wicked, but he always hears the prayers of those who do what is right. (Proverbs 15:29 ERV)

When we give our will and life over to the care of God, we become His precious children. He then begins to work all things together for our good. This includes our past as well as our future. Like any loving parent, God listens to our requests. Sometimes we want him to immediately remove all the consequences of our past wrongdoing. However, the answer to our prayer may be, “Yes,” “No,” or “Later.” Like any good parent, God decides the answer to our prayer and the time to act for our good.

In the end, the writer of the Psalm tells himself to put his hope in God knowing that he will have reason again to praise Him. If we persevere through trying circumstances, the same will be true of us. We will praise our wise God for His understanding and wisdom in all our affairs.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, As Your child I never have to fear the future on my own. You know my past, present and future and will guide me in all the right ways. Thank You for caring for me. Amen Partners in Hope

The roots of addiction

Addiction starts like a little weed and grows into a poisonous fruit. It is toxic, and harms everyone it comes in contact with. First victim, then the family, then society, and spills over into the medical and legal and tax systems. Simply picking the fruit and trying to get rid of it does not cure the problem.The problem is in the roots, as in any weed. The roots must be dealt with. There are many; however, the main offenders are bio/psycho/social/spiritual. Let us separate those into two groups: bio/psycho and social/spiritual.

Bio-Psycho: People have a misunderstanding, believing that psychological problems are imaginary, and neglect to realize that the brain is an organ. Problems with the brain are just as real as problems with the heart or any other bodily organ. A person can become physically dependent on a foreign substance in order to keep their body functioning properly. But a person can become neurologically dependent on the same substance and/or behaviour as in sex or gambling addiction. Because of the brain chemistry, endorphins, serotonin, adrenaline, and dopamine are just as addictive as alcohol or heroin. The rush received by engaging in certain behaviours, and the depletion of the hormones and brain chemicals that are released during those behaviors, once the behaviour stops, creates the phenomenon of craving that causes withdrawal, depression, or anxiety that can only be relieved by repeating the behaviour that started it all, whether that be the ingestion of toxic chemicals or toxic behavior, to return to a state of homeostasis.

Social-spiritual: humans are born with a natural need for love. It is normal, healthy, nurturing. In fact without love infants perish. It's called failure to thrive. A child kept in a nursery without nurturing and loving human contact will usually perish within a year. Receiving love from others keeps us alive from birth. As we mature, we reciprocate and learn to give love back. So the desire to be in social situations where we share and care with each other is the most normal thing in the world to do. However, some do not grasp that there is a spiritual void within many of us, and we do not know how to share the love of God with God, or accept His love for us as a parent, for He is our Father. So we tend to look for love in the wrong places with the wrong people, and often there is mood-altering substances or behaviours among the social groups that we associate with.

When we get to step one and realize that we are powerless and that our lives are out of control, we need to fill the void. In Step 2 we come to believe there is a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to sanity. That power is not us. In step three we make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, and ask God to fill the void. The rest of the steps are not a chant. They are a specific list of instructions on what to do, not what to say, to get our lives back in alignment with God's will for us. God is in every following step.

We at CRA are not psychologists, psychiatrists, gurus or shamans. We are living testaments to the power of God working in our lives, and putting faith into action, which is the steps. You have to work it; it works when you work it. Here is a corresponding reading.

This was dictated to me by Bob, which I then spoke into a speechtexter in order to post here

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019 - FLEXIBILITY

To be flexible means that we are adaptable and willing to yield when circumstances require short or long-term change. When we first come into a recovery program, people and our surroundings are often not what we are used to. In our addiction we usually did what we wanted, when we wanted. Now we are asked to follow a fixed schedule. People don’t do things the way we would. If we really desire to turn our lives around, we will need to persevere and be flexible.

So prepare your minds for service. With complete self-control put all your hope in the grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ comes. In the past you did not have the understanding you have now, so you did the evil things you wanted to do. But now you are children of God, so you should obey him and not live the way you did before. (1 Peter 1:13-14 ERV)

In sobriety our flawed opinions and views on life may be quite different than those held by the people around us. Being powerless over our dependency may not be something we are willing to admit. Accepting that there is a power greater than ourselves who can restore us to sanity may be something that we are not sure we agree with. We need to be flexible as we listen to those who have been in the program for a while. They were probably like us when they came in, but were willing to learn from their mentors, counsellors, peers, and others.

Show me your paths and teach me to follow; guide me by your truth and instruct me. (Psalm 25:4-5a CEV)

When we are flexible, we can learn new things. We do not reject what others are saying just because it is something we haven’t heard before. We can test the truth of what we are hearing against God’s word, recorded in the Bible. If we ask Him, God will bring clarity and understanding.

Jesus said: I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me,
for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. (John 12:47 NLT)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Teach me to listen and be flexible so I can learn about
Your ways and benefit from the wisdom of others around me. Amen Partners in Hope

I am posting this for Bob while his phone limits his online presence/participation

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019 - AM I LIVING WITH PEACE AND CONTENTMENT TODAY?

There are many items we can think about when we are compiling a daily inventory of how we are doing in life and recovery. One of them could well be, "Am I living with peace and contentment today or with fear, irritation, and worry?” Each day we pray to become more conscious of God's will and have the power to carry it out. It is God’s will for us to be content no matter what our circumstances are. That's not easy but God will show us how to improve our perspective as we go forward with Him.

Having respect for the Lord leads to life. Then you will be content and free from trouble. (Proverbs 19:23 NIRV)

The foundation of contentment comes from knowing that God is the one who gives us life and the one who promises to meet our needs each day. A lovely picture from the Psalms is that of a baby lying quiet and contented safe in its mother's arms after being fully provided for. This is how we need to see ourselves when our lives are in God's care.

Lord, my heart isn’t proud. My eyes aren’t proud either. I don’t concern myself with important matters. I don’t concern myself with things that are too wonderful for me. I have made myself calm and content like a young child in its mother’s arms. Deep down inside me, I am as content as a young child. (Psalm 131:1-2 NIRV)

To live contented is not to pretend that circumstances are perfect when they are not. Rather we find contentment in the knowledge that God loves and cares for us. Living contented doesn't mean that we have everything we want but rather that we are thankful for what we have and confident in God that all our needs will be met.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to affirm with confidence, “I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIRV) Where these words may differ from my experience, help me to trust You and develop the character strength of contentment. Amen Partners in Hope

Thank you for helping @Magenta I still fiddling with settings, the new keypad is a little different too.

You are welcome, Bob I just had to close Edge again because I keep getting this error message:

Bad Request

Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.
Size of a request header field exceeds server limit.

For years many of us have been tunneling our theology through our dysfunctional experiences with family and church, misinterpreting the Bible to justify unhealthy behaviors or to produce unnecessary guilt. Recovery means taking a fresh look at these old patterns in learning the true intent of scripture. We learn to understand his teachings in light of other biblical passages, and we quit beating ourselves up with isolated proof texts.

Understanding the Bible better relieve some of our struggle. For so long we may have tried to obey all the commands we heard from pulpits, because we wanted to give our all to God. Yet our feelings were so far removed from those ideas that obedience seemed impossible period guilt and self-loathing may have set in period in recovery we finally understand more of reality as God knows reality:

• That God loves us and declares us good enough;
• That his love isn't based on our perfect obedience;
• That He equips us to love others in healthy ways;
• That He knows our thoughts-including our evil thoughts-and loves us anyway;
• That He keeps all his promises, even when we don't understand how he's keeping them.

With this understanding is easier to get out of God's way so that he can help us grow.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019

HUMILITY

A humble life is grounded in a realistic view of ourselves. A humble person is not someone who feels inferior but someone who is overwhelmed by the undeserved goodness of God. We believe that God cares, therefore we no longer need to hide behind too much self-confidence or the burden of selfdoubt. Our security is in the safety of God’s acceptance and unfailing love for us.

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139:23-24 MSG)

An attitude of humility allows us to accept our dependence on God and follow His direction. With humility of heart, we listen to God's warning signals and turn away from any familiar path that is harmful. Humility permits us to follow an unfamiliar path with our hand in the hand of God. Humility allows us to lay down everything that hinders our way forward. We embrace God’s principles because we believe that they will ultimately produce fullness of life.

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:20-23 NLT)

Humility comes quietly to those who draw close to the Lord, trust in His goodness, and express that in their obedient behaviour. The God of time and eternity who created us in love is always close to us and invites us to rest close to His heart. With confidence, we can say, “God, here I am, I humbly ask you to remove all my shortcomings so I can relax in your presence now and always.” There, with Him, we can finally live as people of integrity and peace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for being with me when I grieve over the occurrences in my past. I am thankful that I do not have to face this sorrow alone. Today, I humbly ask you to remove all my shortcomings. Please hold me close to Your heart. Amen

(co Partners in Hope)

The Apostle Paul on several occasions compared the Christian life to a race. Not a 50-yard dash, but a marathon. It is a race of endurance, one that must be run with patience and discipline. The same comparison can be made to the life of recovery.
“One day at a time” means that our program is not for sprinters, it is for long-distance people. The sprinter does not have to worry about pace, since the race is short over in one burst of explosive energy. Long distance runner has to pace the race and even gain strength along the way. Too fast is too bad. The Chinese have a saying: “Consider the worm, his day is but 2 feet long.”. Such a small distance is appropriate for such a small creature, and it's a full day's work!
Too often in recovery we want what we want when we want it. We drive impulsively into the program, jumping from the 1st to the 12th step. Some of us even try to be sponsors in our first month of recovery! Such a fast pace is not progress. Our program is for steady, healthy, lifelong growth.
Solid success in our Christian life and in our recovery takes time, training and endurance. As we look to Christ (our running coach) and the Bible (our training manual) we’ll find ourselves better and better equipped to stay in the race.

Carl Jung on the Oxford Group

Carl Jung on the matter of an individual and his involvement in the Oxford Group:

Clearly the 12 steps originated in Christian traditions, transmitted directly through an evangelical movement. Conviction of sin, conversion, yielding to God, self-assessment, confession, restitution, prayer, witness; these are all classic elements of Christian piety.

The 12 steps are Christian, but AA is not. Under Sam Shoemaker's leadership, these 12 steps would have created a Christian group; Under Bill Wilson they make a group that has wider appeal, or it takes on the pluralistic religious coloration of our culture. Sam Shoemaker was one of the founding members of the Oxford group and Bill Wilson was one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. They worked together.

It was Bill W. that realized he needed to work with others but not to get them sober, (as much as) working with others was the key helped kept him sober. It may sound oxymoronic however we have learned in order to keep what we have we must give it away.