"The game of life is the game of boomerangs.  Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy."  -Florence Shinn “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you."  -James Allen “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”  -Goethe  Long before I had ever heard of WFS, I began to practice Statement #5.  Where or when this happened is not as important as the fact that it happened.  Thoughts of sobriety slowly began to enter my mind, and while these initial thoughts brought about anxiety and deep fear, they also brought an inkling of relief.  This was the beginning and first glimpse of sobriety and a beautiful new way of life. Statement #5 in action provides a portal for possibility.  No matter the thought, action can sprout from within, just as Jean Kirkpatrick states in our Program Booklet:  “First the thought, then the reality.”  Sobriety and recovery grows and flourishes with thoughts that are tended to in a 4C garden.  When this soil is enhanced with such nutrients as caring and compassion, a foundation for unlimited growth is unearthed. Tending to this fresh and bountiful garden requires daily effort; planting seeds of joy, balance and independence, managing those pesky negative or doubtful weeds when they crop up and gently watering the blossoming bed with life sustaining love, produce a variety of continuing growth and flowering moments that are available to harvest for a lifetime. How do you tend to your growing garden of recovery? Hugzzz, Karen  Hi 4C Women,      This morning the message in my church was on joy and contentment.  As I sat there, I thought about how much my life was changed because of the WFS program.  It is through the Statements that I learned to build a much needed foundation of peace and contentment.  As we all know, sobriety/being clean is not a promise of a perfect life, far from it.  What it gives us is the opportunity to practice being a 4C woman.  We have challenges, wonderful moments, scary moments, sadness and joy and through it all, we need to work on personal and emotional growth.  As we do this, it becomes clear that this is hard work yet so rewarding.  I can say that my identity, self-perception, and the words I used to describe myself in the past were cruel, negative and untrue.  I took over for all those people who bullied me, criticized me and broke my spirit.  It’s known by many as the Inner Critic, the one who is eager to point out each mistake and wrong choices to confirm the long ago held negative opinion of ourselves.  It also acts as a protector of sorts.  If I believe the Inner Critic’s negative definition of me, i.e., you’re not smart enough, then it has prepared me for rejection.  It lessens the fear because I am prepared and expecting it.  If I don’t feel like a 4C Woman, I won’t have to deal with the painful feelings that “might” occur.  Believing the Inner Critic assures that emotional growth and positive change will not take place.      Statement 9 comes to mind whenever I think of the Inner Critic.  He holds onto the past to victimize us and that is his joy.  This is why Statement 5 is so important to practice, to believe, for it is how we learn to believe in ourselves, build our self-esteem, to develop a truthful, accurate definition of who we are TODAY!  We know that if we make mistakes, it cannot destroy our identity.  A mistake is a life lesson not a lifelong curse to keep us down.      The last words on the screen as the service ended today spoke to me, “It never gets easier, you just get better.”  I mentioned this a few weeks ago that I thought life would be so much easier at my age but this is not the case.  I have learned to handle the challenges better because I am a 4C woman, thanks to the guidance of WFS and my commitment to change - my thoughts and my actions.   -WFS Member   List what you are… Capable of: Competent in: Caring about: Compassionate about: Women for Sobriety, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your Donations Help Support WFS's Ongoing Services. Thank you! 100% of your donation reaches WFS and contributes to our mission. Buy or Sell Items on Ebay and Help Support Women for Sobriety. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates to WFS. 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 Unsubscribe recoveryfriends@gmail.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by contact@womenforsobriety.org in collaboration with Try it free today

"Don't make the process harder than it is."  -Jack Welch “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." -Confucius “There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth.”  -Leo Tolstoy  Sobriety and recovery need not be complicated.  In the past, I made things complicated with my alcohol use, repetitive thoughts and from dwelling in fear and uncertainty.  The WFS Statements provide a life affirming course to follow which can carve out beautiful simplicity from an overly complicated existence. Statement #6 epitomizes this simplicity by providing choice.  Life can be ordinary or it can be great.  It is up to each woman to decide what she needs.  Since my life was so drama-filled before sobriety, I wanted and needed to learn how to embrace the ordinary moments available to me.  The beauty of a sunset, the clean fresh air, or chatting with a friend are all simple moments that feel great to me. Alcohol complicates abilities, thinking and can wreak havoc on the human body, creating imbalance and confusion.  Sobriety and recovery opens the door to simplicity through the WFS Statements, which can arrive slowly yet at other times at warp speed.  Simplicity feels so much more comfortable, like a well-loved blanket or that favorite pair of shoes.  No matter your preference, life is simply great sober! Hugzzz, Karen  I’m not sure I agree with Confucius that life is simple; however, I have to admit that there have been times when I made situations more complicated with my reactions due to my inability to process what was really happening.  I just plain reacted!  I love how Karen defined life being ordinary or great.  After all these years, I had not considered seeing ordinary as also being great depending on what I needed at any even given moment.  It’s a relief to think about it that way.  It reminds me of the positives we share at the f2f meetings.  It’s not a competition, it’s how we handled a situation differently, felt differently or responded in a more positive, healthy manner.  So it is with life being ordinary or life being great.  Greatness can be felt in the ordinary if that is what we are experiencing at that moment or in experiencing something new, taking a risk, facing our fears.  The beauty of Statement #6 is that we are able to learn and make different choices as we become aware of our recovery goals. Questions to consider: What was the last fear you faced and took the challenge to work through it? How did that risk change your outlook on life being ordinary or great? Do you know what your needs are now to create a great life, remembering that the ordinary can be great? Have you chosen a path that will create the life you want?  If not, what is the stumbling block? If you have created your ordinary, great life, consider sharing your strategies with those who are struggling Bonded through encouragement and support, WFS Member Women for Sobriety, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your Donations Help Support WFS's Ongoing Services. Thank you! 100% of your donation reaches WFS and contributes to our mission. Buy or Sell Items on Ebay and Help Support Women for Sobriety. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates to WFS. 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 Unsubscribe recoveryfriends@gmail.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by contact@womenforsobriety.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Twelve Stepping with Support from Scripture 7-29

Galatians 5: 1 It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery.

Slavery -The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner's control, especially in involuntary servitude.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

NO MATTER WHAT! Whatever it takes to stay free do it. Helping others get free from the chains of Slavery is a sure fire way of giving back.Step 12 tells us it is our duty to show others the way out of Slavery. I keep using the word Slavery to emphasize at least from my perspective, addiction owned me and my DOC was my master. A harsh one at that! My master (DOC) controlled everything in my life.I had to lie, cheat and steal for my master (DOC). My master (DOC) took everything in life family friends home cars children jobs money and I could go on forever about all that was taken from me by my Master(DOC)! No matter how hard I tried, I was in chains and there was no way I could get free. One day under a bridge in Philly a man handed me a little booklet. In the book was a story about a man who lived life just like me and in the end, He died and went to Hell. Like a truck, it hit me I was the man in that book! Right then and there my Spirit was awakened and I did not want to die under that bridge and go to hell.Supernaturally a strength came upon and my mind cleared and I walked away from that bridge and that life of slavery. The book gave clear instructions to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and He will Set you free. That man who handed me that book was doing Gods work through his 12 step duty and with his simple but effective way of reaching out my 16 years of slavery came to an end. GOD IS GOOD! 

By Joseph Dickerson / Recovery Connections 2017   

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July 24, 2017 - ABC News contributor Chris Connelly has interviewed a litany of celebrities, athletes and public figures over the past three decades, and in a new digital series, "The Callback," he reunites with stars with whom he has history to catch up about their lives and careers...In a wide-ranging interview, the actress delves into how she got involved with the project, as well as topics including her sobriety...

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