Overcoming Fear and Anxiety With Prayer and Spirituality

One of the most peaceful thoughts in the entire world was written by the Apostle Paul: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). If we truly believe this promise and appropriate it for our daily living, we will know complete and abiding peace. The divine promise remains true: "The Lord will bless his people with peace" (Ps. 29:11).

My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 358
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 10,024
Amount Saved: $4,260.20
Life Gained:
Days: 40 Hrs: 5 Mins: 54 Seconds: 28

and in your protection, strength;
and in strength, understanding;
and in understanding, knowledge;
and in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;
and in the knowledge of justice, the love of justice;
and in that love, the love of existence;
and in the love of existence, the love of God, God and all goodness.
My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 322
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 9,016
Amount Saved: $3,831.80
Life Gained:
Days: 36 Hrs: 5 Mins: 0 Seconds: 13

When all else fails, follow directions.

The slogan below reminds us that arrogance can undermine recovery, that there is little sense in trying to reinvent the wheel. If we just listen and watch, we'll find that most of the answers to our questions have been provided for us, that our problems really aren't that unique that others haven't found ways to solve them. Sometimes the answer to our questions are found on the box of NRT. Often people already have what we want. Hanging with those Winners and listening to them can help provide direction.

~AA (Big Book)


My Morning Prayer

Bless this day
keep me safe and whole
kind and compassionate

Bless my path today
Help me to act with wisdom
and live in perpetual gratitude

Bless my human family
who are everywhere & everyone
Bless the creatures and plants
May all life be blessed on this day

~ Abby Willowroot 2008


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 289
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 8,092
Amount Saved: $3,135.65
Life Gained:
Days: 32 Hrs: 14 Mins: 19 Seconds: 43

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 275
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 7,700
Amount Saved: $2,983.75
Life Gained:
Days: 31 Hrs: 0 Mins: 11 Seconds: 41

“Let us join in a circle of silent meditation for the purpose of sending love and healing to the lonely and suffering that wish to find us.”

Closing prayer, the Circle Chant: “I am a circle, I am healing you. You are a circle, you are healing me. Unite us, be as one. Unite us, be as one.”

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 250
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 7,000
Amount Saved: $2,712.50
Life Gained:
Days: 28 Hrs: 2 Mins: 51 Seconds: 37

Being of Service

"Working with others is only the beginning of service work."

Basic Text p.59 (NA)

We're in recovery now. Through living the program, we've attained some stability in our lives. Our faith in a Higher Power has grown. Our individual spiritual awakening is progressing comfortably. So now what? Do we simply sit still and enjoy? Of course not. We find a way to be of service.

We tend to think of service only in terms of committee service or holding a position at some level, but service goes far beyond this understanding. In fact, we can find opportunities to be of service in nearly every area of our lives. Our jobs are a form of service to our communities, no matter what our occupation. The work we do in our homes serves our families. Perhaps we do volunteer work in our communities.

What a difference our service efforts make! If we doubt this, we can just imagine what the world would be like if no one bothered to be of service to others. Our work serves humanity. The message we carry goes beyond the rooms of recovery, affecting everything we do.

Just for Today: I will look for opportunities to be of service in everything I do.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 244
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,832
Amount Saved: $2,647.40
Life Gained:
Days: 26 Hrs: 16 Mins: 51 Seconds: 32

The problem with cigarettes is that they cause dignity to go up in smoke. Brenda

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 238
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,664
Amount Saved: $2,582.30
Life Gained:
Days: 25 Hrs: 23 Mins: 21 Seconds: 19

Most things can be preserved in formaldehyde, etc.; dignity, however, is not one of them. The Big Book
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 236
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,608
Amount Saved: $2,560.60
Life Gained:
Days: 25 Hrs: 19 Mins: 41 Seconds: 47

And then I said, That's what it means
to testify: to sit in the locked dark muttering
He throws packs, bottles, and needles out the window;
to feed to the river.

Who slapped him first?

The demon has covered his face
with his hands. It's really only a reflex
of the history that sired him:
something to say, "You are beating down
too hard on my pith helmet; the oil slick
on the river's not my fault, and you know you love it;
when are you coming home?"
In the sludge that drowns the river, the rats
pick fights with the debris. The demon knows us all
by name; he's looking through his fingers
like a fence.

(If you're going to delete this poem, please tell me. I don't know if you deleted the last one or if I posted it somewhere else.)
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 232
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,496
Amount Saved: $2,517.20
Life Gained:
Days: 25 Hrs: 9 Mins: 26 Seconds: 23

Why does Higher Power Matter?

The concept of higher power is germane to most 12 Step programs. The founders of Alcoholics Anonymous�a stockbroker, Bill W. and a medical doctor, Dr. Bob, like myself, were not particularly religious. However, they realized that to put their lives on the paths they desired, they needed to believe in a power greater than themselves. They realized that their own will powers were shaky at best. When left to their own devices, they made utter messes of their lives. They needed a power that was much less fallible and, therefore, more trustworthy than their own.

Although the concept, and belief, in a higher power is often seen as a religious one, it can also be seen as an aspect of simple spirituality. It is a spiritual concept, wherein you can establish a one to one relationship with a Higher Power (HP) of your choosing. As Bill W pointed out, “rarely have they seen a person fail who turns themselves over to this simple program,” as long as they’ve had the capacity to “practice rigorous honesty.” Those with grave mental problems do and have recovered. No one is required to interpret your relationship with your HP. It is personal. As was said in an earlier post, HP can be anything�God, Bob Marley, Patsy Cline, Gandhi, Jesus Christ, a door knob. The only requirement is that your Higher Power be loving, reliable, and tough.

I have an HP that practices tough love, because that is what I need. Therefore, my HP is not a co-dependent. However, my Higher Power is of tremendous help to me. It keeps me from feeling lonely and confused. First, co-dependency does not mean being helpful. My HP does for me what I can not do for myself. The operative words are “can not do for myself.” It is only co-dependency when you do for people what they can actually do for themselves. That’s why helping children, newcomers… is not a function of co-dependency. What people can and can not do for themselves can be confusing, but as you grow in recovery (sobriety, smobriety, etc.) the lines become less blurry.

It can be difficult to admit that through our addictions we have lost our sanity. And it can take a lifetime to straighten out the problems caused by the addiction(s). No one is perfect is their beliefs. Our HP can change as we do. That’s why “believing” is often referred to as “coming to believe.”

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 232
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,496
Amount Saved: $2,517.20
Life Gained:
Days: 25 Hrs: 9 Mins: 16 Seconds: 33