Linda lived up north in Hayward. Along with Larry and the other Recoverees, she had come to Eau Claire for a Recovery Conference. Through a friend, she had gotten a place to stay in the city, and she looked forward to the celebration. It turned out to be the worst couple of days of her […]

Saint Dymphna is the patroness saint of stress, anxiety, and mental health conditions. I received a prayer card from a friend several years ago. The source for the prayer is J.B. CO. Prayer to St. Dymphna Lord, our God, you graciously chose St. Dymphna as patroness of those afflicted with stress, anxiety, and mental health

Reflection for today. Our recovery, our friend, walk with us today. Hand in Hand, guide us to learn and to know what is good. Arm in arm, help us grow in our faith and love for one another. Side by side, stay by us to protect us and show us your ways. Heart to heart,

There is no room for us to boast about our efforts in Recovery. We lift our eyes to God (our higher power) and recognize with gratitude the divine grace and power at work in our lives. The 12th step says, “We gain self-awareness and insight into our Recovery as a result of listening to the

Recovery’s message fills us with wisdom, strength, and healing as we face the joys and challenges of each day. During our reflection time, we begin by quieting our minds. Then we listen for a personal invitation to divine love, and we receive wisdom to live like people working a Recovery Program every day and in

We are learning the way of Recovery from many people in our lives. This may include a person we meet at a support group, a therapist, a relative, presentations we have attended, books we have read, and other sources. We learn from our connections to reflect, abstain from unhealthy urges, and forgive people who have

During a support group, I spoke about the role of forgiveness in my life. I performed a Google search to find a solid definition. “Forgiveness is an intentional decision to let go of resentment and negative feelings towards someone who has wronged us, even if they don’t deserve it or haven’t apologized. It is about

Please remember in your prayers today my mother, Margaret Ann Winter. This is the fourth anniversary of her passing into eternal life. I am in the editing process for my second book. It will be 365 Super Reflections, one for each day of the year. Today’s blog is focusing on Day #6. Next to each

Mental Wellness Step #5 of the 12 steps is, “We seek to educate ourselves about Recovery from the activities we participate in because it expands our capacity to heal.” This blog will challenge our assumptions about how to respond to those who have caused us harm. We are to love our enemies by loving the

Step #4 in Recovery is, “We share our Plan of Recovery with a spiritual being and at least one other person.” Today, you are the one other person. I attended a therapy appointment earlier today. We reviewed my Plan of Recovery: This is my Plan of Recovery. It is a concrete tool I use to