The Recovery Show - 12 step recovery for those of us who love alcoholics or addicts.

Mary Pearl T on Step 12 – Episode 297

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:37 — 29.7MB)

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.

Join us for the conclusion of Mary Pearl T's workshop on the 12 steps. She clearly illustrates, with warmth and wit, how she understands and lives this step.

Readings and Links

Listeners wrote and called with reflections on these episodes:

Spiritual Awakenings and Experiences, episode 296
Spencer and Amy — a couple in recovery, episode 294
Judgement, episode 104
S-Anon, episode 280

The other Mary Pearl episodes are

Step 1, episode 259
Step 2, episode 263
Step 3, episode 264
Step 4, episode 268
Step 5, episode 271
Step 6, episode 274
Step 7, episode 282
Steps 8 and 9, episode 286
Step 10, episode 288
Step 11, episode 291

Two listeners shared their own hope, strength, and experience on a question from an earlier episode, “What if my loved one never finds sobriety?”

Please add your sharing

Our 300th episode is coming soon. How has The Recovery Show helped your recovery? What episode touched you? Did you go to your first meeting after listening to us? Have you been a guest on the podcast? Call or send email with your answer to one of these questions, or to one I didn't think to ask. I'd love to construct our 300th episode from your voices.

Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com with your questions or experience, strength and hope.

Spiritual Awakenings and Experiences – 296

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:52 — 19.7MB)

What was your spiritual awakening? What spiritual experiences have you had?

Step 12 starts with “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps…”. The AA “Big Book” speaks of “a spiritual experience” as a key to recovery. What's going on here? Do we have to have some sudden “white light” experience to truly be in recovery?

Both traditions answer, firmly, “No.” The Big Book says, simply, “Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience.” Al-Anon's book How Al-Anon Works affirms that “more commonly … we experience a gradual awakening of the spirit”.

I found meaning in the story of the Buddha, who, shortly after his enlightenment, was questioned by a person he encountered on the road if he was a god, a wizard, a man? To which he responded, “no”. When the man asked “Well, what are you then?”, the Buddha said “I am awake.”

In this episode, 4 people describe a spiritual awakening or experience from their lives.

Readings and Links

We read from

How Al-Anon Works, Chapter 8, Step Twelve.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Appendix II

A listener wrote about the Al-Anon book Having had a Spiritual Awakening, and how it led him to a gentle awakening.

Want to contribute?

Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com with your questions or experience, strength and hope. Or just leave a comment right here.
Continue reading “Spiritual Awakenings and Experiences – 296”

Kerri K – Speaker talk – 295

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:34 — 31.9MB)

A listener and erstwhile guest, Carrie, suggested this talk. She writes,

Such an incredible story! Chock full of life experiences, wisdom, humor and hope. I’ve listened to it several times over the years.
Makes me want to go hike in Phoenix and get a teddy bear to pass around. 😊

Upcoming

An upcoming topic is spiritual awakenings. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com to share your own spiritual awakening or spiritual experience. Or just leave a comment right here.

Spencer and Amy — a couple in recovery — 294

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:42 — 32.5MB)

Recently, my wife, Amy, and I were guests on the podcast Sober Speak. This is our sharing — what it was like, what happened, and what it is like now. We spoke both of our own experience and of our shared experience.

I hope that something we said connects with you.

Lynne – Grief can be a wonderful thing – 293

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:44:32 — 47.9MB)

Lynne tells her story – what it was like, what happened, and what it's like now. She touches on grief both before and after entering recovery, on parenting, and on co-parenting with an alcoholic. Lynne tells of the alcohol fueled death of a close friend, and of the later crisis that brought her into Al-Anon. I really enjoyed our conversation together.

Readings and Links

Lynne read from Courage to Change, January 2.

She recommend the “grief book”, Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses.

Her home group is working the Steps, Traditions and Concepts using the workbook Reaching for Personal Freedom.

In response to questions from listeners, we mentioned some resources with “open talks” from AA and other programs:

Recovery Radio Network, which is both a podcast and a website.
XA Speakers, a website with a huge collection of speakers from many “anonymous” programs.
Sober Speak, a podcast where members of AA (and occasionally Al-Anon) share their stories.

A listener shared that she recently started using Insight Timer, and thanked Eric for recommending it.

Upcoming

An upcoming topic is “having had a spiritual awakening”. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoveryshow.com to share your spiritual experience or awakening. Or just leave a comment right here.
Continue reading “Lynne – Grief can be a wonderful thing – 293”