2-27-18 Twelve Stepping with Spiritual Support from Scripture

Psalm 119 v 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

STEP 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Are you reading Gods Big Book ? It is a book with all you will ever need to know about life. The pages are full of insights and promises that have the guarantee of heaven and the Cross.Some of our habits especially bad ones will keep us from reaching our maximum God given potential. Some of these habits can only be removed by God. We must recognize, expose, and be honest with God , ourselves , and others . Bringing it to light will take its power and once powerless it is easily removed or stopped.

John 15 v 7" If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

By Joseph Dickerson/Recovery Connections Need Help email us recoveryfriends@gmail.com

Psalm 103v3 He forgives all my sins and Heals all my diseases!

Psalm 103v3 He forgives all my sins and Heals all my diseases!

Dear Joseph, We are thrilled to announce that Partnership for Drug-Free Kids has been selected as an official charity partner of the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon! This means you have the unique opportunity to run with us as one of our Partners for Hope at the world’s largest marathon on November 4, 2018. Our runners will have guaranteed entry in the race by raising funds to support families struggling with their son or daughter’s substance use. If you are interested in running or would like to volunteer, please click here to complete your application. Thank you for uniting with us to ensure families receive the resources and compassionate, one-on-one support they need to empower their loved ones towards recovery. We hope to see you at the iconic finish line! Sincerely, Kaila Sassano Vice President, Development Partnership for Drug-Free Kids Run or Volunteer as a Partner for Hope P.S. Limited spots available — apply today!

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“Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday.  Realize the past no longer holds you captive.  It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it.  Let the past go.  A simply abundant world awaits.”   ~~Sarah Ban Breathnach  “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”   ~~Rick Warren “But there’s a beginning and an end, you know?  It’s true that you can’t reclaim what you had, but you can lock it up behind you.  Start fresh.”   ~~Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds Statement #9  “The past is gone forever."   No longer am I victimized by the past. I am a new woman. Trying to smother feelings of regret, I unknowingly cut myself off from living or experiencing life.  Replaying past events over in my mind, longing for different consequences and angrily blaming others, I attempted an escape through alcohol.  Yet try as I might, I simply was unable to escape from myself.  It was a painful way to exist. The results of living Statement #9 in action feel incredibly freeing and uplifting.  This Statement drew me right into the Women for Sobriety Program.  Statement #9 feels nurturing and validating each time I read it.  To me, it says you have felt pain and it may have hurt deeply, yet you are stronger than what happened and can move forward and not be defined by it. Statement #9 is also a reminder to embrace the beauty of the moment.  Over the weekend while driving, my husband and I witnessed an incredible sunset.  Bands of rain were cascading down beside the fiery, setting orb, casting a crayon box full of colors across massive cloud formations. The area was vast and without a tree line, so we enjoyed this full display for miles, and it was spectacular!  I tried to capture this beauty with some photos, but none would catch the stunning magnificence, so I stopped clinging to the fleeting beauty and experienced the moment.    Hugzzz Karen Hi 4C Women, The past was my constant companion for a very long time. It held me captive from living in the present. It blinded me to the amazing possibilities of a New Life. What's incredulous is that while I was living in the past, I could only recall the good times, never the struggles or self-doubts. I obviously had self-doubts about my ability to handle situations, make decisions and trust my instincts but I ignored all of that. Letting go of the past meant an honest reality check of the truth - the whole picture of what was wonderful and what was not. Those rose-colored glasses were becoming crimson red glasses.  When I finally ventured into the present by reflecting and working through the grief and pain of the past, I finally understood that I had to take charge of my life. The past looked "perfect" because I was so miserable in the present. I took emotional abuse and believed it to be the truth. Rather than becoming empowered, I shrank and hid. How could I come from a position of power if I wasn't my own advocate, my own best friend? It was easier, or so I thought, to live in the supposedly perfect past than to begin healing, finding my voice, make very difficult decisions and discover how it felt to be in the present, aware of my choices, responses, reactions. The biggest challenge I faced in all of this was to forgive. I had to forgive those who hurt me and that meant myself as well. I realized I was hurting myself unnecessarily. One thing I learned about forgiveness is that it doesn't mean reconciliation or acceptance of mean-spirited people. It means I can live in peace, heal from the pain, become a survivor and not a victim. Living in the present also meant being aware of what my needs were, and are, and how to express them. I forgave myself for dwelling and living in the past for way too long, for not being strong enough to stand up for myself and to work through all of the pain I numbed with alcohol. It was not enough for me to just forget it, I had to heal from it. This is why I cringe when I hear people say, just get over it. That kind of letting go for me is not healing work. It is temporary and in the past, was a trigger when the pain returned. I called healing work the path to freedom and to this day, I still see it that way.  I encourage you to think about what is holding you hostage, how you can work through and heal from that pain or grief and what are your current needs. Can you express them with calmness and if they are not met, find another way to achieve them? Peeling away the layers of pain while giving up my numbing agent (alcohol) was extremely difficult for me. Through perseverance, I was able to experience the joy of freedom and empowerment. Letting go of the past is the key to peace, contentment and the ability to handle the next challenge from a position of power and strength of mind. And trust me, there will always be opportunities to use the tools of letting go.  Bonded, 4C WFS Member Check out Women for Sobriety's Blog Site. If you received this from a friend, we welcome you to JOIN our email list. Copyright © Women for Sobriety, Inc. | All rights reserved | Federal ID # 23-1972763 Email: contact@womenforsobriety.org | Ph: 215.536.8026 | Fax: 215.538.9026 http://womenforsobriety.org | http://www.wfscatalog.org

Women for Sobriety, Inc. | P.O. Box 618, Quakertown, PA 18951-0618  | About our service provider Sent by contact@womenforsobriety.org

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Top Drug & Alcohol News of the Week   FEATURED NEWS: Can Vivitrol Help People Leaving Jail Stay Off Opioids? Researchers at New York University are studying whether providing the opioid-addiction medicine extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) to individuals when they leave jail reduces their risk of relapse and overdose. Read More FDA Announces Voluntary Destruction and Recall of Kratom Products The Food and Drug Administration this week announced it is overseeing the voluntary destruction and recall of kratom products. Read More   Many Teens Say Peers’ Vaping Led Them to Try E-Cigarettes Almost 40 percent of teens who use e-cigarettes say seeing their peers use the devices led them to try vaping themselves, a new government report finds. Read More Help Us Continue to Empower Families:   Donate Now Tell a Friend People With Life-Threatening Infection More Likely to be Using Prescription Opioids A new study finds people with a potentially fatal infection are more likely to be using prescription opioids than those without the infection. Studies in animals have found opioids suppress the immune system, The New York Times reports. Read More Legislative Hearings on Opioid Crisis to Focus on Law Enforcement, Public Health House Republicans will hold a series of hearings on addressing the opioid crisis, with a focus on law enforcement, public health and insurance coverage, according to The Wall Street Journal. Read More As More U.S. States Legalize Marijuana, Mexico’s Drug Cartels Turn to Heroin Mexican drug cartels are turning to heroin as more U.S. states legalize marijuana, according to USA Today. Read More Other Headlines of Interest The Poison We Pick: This nation pioneered modern life. Now epic numbers of Americans are killing themselves with opioids to escape it. (New York Magazine) Fentanyl: The deadly drug haunting America (The Washington Post) How a Police Chief, a Governor and a Sociologist Would Spend $100 Billion to Solve the Opioid Crisis (The New York Times) Should employers keep testing workers for pot? (CBS News) Opinion: Opioids are causing people to go deaf — here's what lawmakers can do (The Hill) City Officials See Progress in Effort to Curb Opioid Deaths (The New York Times) Chris Cornell's widow opens up on his battle with addiction before suicide (ABC News) Cops to clothes donors: Please remove your drugs before giving (New York Post) Elizabeth Wurtzel: Giving Up Drugs Was the Hardest Thing Ever. And I Have Cancer (Time) Mr. Steves Goes to Washington – to Talk Drug Policy (Rolling Stone)

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