CHAPTER FIVE:
Recovery—A Way of Life
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21, New International Version)
One night, I had a dream. I saw a perplexed person (no face or size) staring into a dark tunnel. The person was holding a flashlight in one hand and a map in the other. God told me that the map is the Twelve Steps, the flashlight represents willingness and the tunnel is God’s will and His love. In order to find recovery, we walk through the tunnel, where we find God’s guidance and compassion.
I picture many people looking into the tunnel, but stopped in their tracks. Some say, “It’s too hard” or “I’m not that bad.” And sometimes life is okay. IE: the grass is green enough (tolerable recovery). We have options. God gives us free will, but He also offers us gifts. On the other side of the tunnel, there are beautiful gardens beyond our imaginations!
Every time I put down a problem food or let go of another character flaw, I walk through yet another tunnel. Recovery is ongoing. Whatever the struggle, God never brings you to it without bringing you through it. I will keep my flashlight in hand and carry my map (along with my Bible, of course) and walk the walk until God brings me to my next tunnel. Thy will, not mine, be done.
It’s Electric
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. (Hebrews 11:1, The Living Bible)
Sometimes I stumble in the dark groping for the light switch. When I find it, I fully expect the lights to go on as I flip the switch. Although I cannot see the wires in the wall, or the current traveling through them, nor do I understand the technical application, I believe in electricity. It is a proven fact to me. Switch off, I sit in the dark. Switch on, I see. Faith is believing in your heart and knowing the truth. Jesus reveals Himself to His children through the Holy Spirit.
…Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” (John 8:12, The Living Bible)
Can you imagine the day when Noah started building the ark? God asked him to design and build a huge boat on dry land. Strange as it may have sounded, Noah heard the command and began the work. People thought he was crazy. Faith carried him. The mission was peculiar, but he continued. We all know how this story unfolds. God held the master plan. Noah and his family lived while the others perished in the flood.
The world is full of people voicing their opinions. The media tells us what to do, what to wear and what to think. It is time to stand up and focus on God—the true source of love, wisdom and power. We find peace, serenity and joy when we let go of our fears and trust God.
Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] (John 14:27, Amplified Bible)
The Serenity Prayer with Scripture
The Serenity Prayer guides us into right thinking when we struggle with the ebb and flow of life. Scripture affirmations reinforce the truth that sets us free one day at a time.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2 Timothy 4:16-17, New Living Translation)
God, grant me the serenity
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, New Living Translation)
To accept the things I cannot change,
…I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. (Philippians 4:11, Amplified Bible)
The courage to change the things I can,
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. (Psalm 37:5, The Living Bible)
And the wisdom to know the difference,
Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Amplified Bible)
Living one day at a time,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23, Revised Standard Version)
Enjoying one moment at a time,
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24, New International Version)
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1, New International Version)
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, New Living Translation)
Trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to your will;
We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8-28, New Living Translation)
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy... (Psalm 28:7, New Living Translation)
And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen (by Reinhold Niebuhr)
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6, New International Version)
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (John 3:l6, Amplified Bible)
Heart to Heart—Are You a Food Addict Like Me?
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32, New Living Translation)
If you want to live free from compulsive overeating and food obsession, strap on your seatbelt and get ready for the ride of your life! Realization, acceptance and surrender are the first steps. Take some time—when you are not rushed—and write your thoughts in response to each of the following questions.
What is your goal? Unconsciously I had a fantasy that thin people were emotionally stable and happy people—lovable and loved. Today I know that thin is just thin. It is not always the result of emotional or physical health. Examine your expectations. If you succeeded on a diet and reached your goal weight, how would this accomplishment change your life?
Do you feed a feeling? Do you automatically turn to food to fix a broken heart or a wounded spirit? As a child, did you learn to respond to feelings (happy or sad) with excess food? List the family members who influenced your relationship with food.
Note: Many food addicts come from dysfunctional families. In recovery we learn that it is okay to love our families while accepting the fact that some of our closest relationships were not always healthy—physically, emotionally or spiritually.
Who is your God? People say that whatever occupies most of a person’s thought-life is their God. Do you wake up in the morning thinking about food, think about it during your daily activities and go to bed thinking about food?
Many people who struggle with overeating, poor body image and food obsession try many different avenues in search of a solution. What weight loss techniques have you tried through the years? Make a list of doctors, diet and exercise programs, pills, hypnotists and the like and talk about the benefits and deficits of each program.
Do you think that self-control through behavior modification is the answer to recovery from compulsive* overeating and food addiction?
*Compulsive is a term that describes an act outside of our will. We want to do what is right but cannot resist the very thing that we know causes us harm. It is a downward slide. In the advanced stages of food addiction, an overeater takes one compulsive bite and then loses control, more or less, depending on the individual’s progression of the disease.
…No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t. (Romans 7:18, New Living Translation)
My rendition of steps one, two and three: “I am powerless over food. Despite intelligent reasoning and a determined will to stop overeating, I cannot do it without dependence on God. Lord, I surrender. Give me wisdom and willingness to succeed today where I have failed previously.”
Smile. This is a one-day-at-a-time, one-step-at-a-time program. The disease of food addiction is debilitating, progressive and ultimately fatal, however, through the amazing love and grace of God, we offer you a solution. Through shared experiences of like-minded people, the disease can be arrested one day at a time.
“Help! Somebody, please help me! I have fallen and I can’t get up.”
The poor chap had fallen into a pit. A doctor answers the cries with intelligent reasoning. He writes a prescription and throws it into the hole, but to no avail. The painful moans continue, “Please, God, help me! Isn’t there somebody who can help me?”
A pastor wanders by, scribbles a prayer on a piece of paper and throws it into the hole. Still more groans, “Woe is me! Help me, God!”
A kind stranger walks by and immediately jumps into the hole. The troubled soul yells in disbelieve, “Are you crazy? Now we are both stuck in this hole!” With an assuring smile, the gentleman replies, “Trust me, my friend. I’ve been here before. I know the way out.”
Twelve-step programs create a circle of love. We find love and then pass the torch. We love others. It is a blessing and a joy to share our experience, strength and hope with those still suffering.
Two are better than one… If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12, New International Version)
“Mommy, I can’t do it!” Daniel stomped out of the room frustrated once again. Time and time again, he tried to tie his shoes. I wanted to teach him, to instruct and guide him. He was stubborn. He was just like me. Demanding independence, he’d yell, “I CAN DO IT MYSELF.” I sat and watched him tangle the laces, twisting them, twirling them in and out, up and down. I waited for him to ask for help. It was a long, hard road. In time, he surrendered and let me teach him the skills he lacked. Desire and determination were not enough.
The same theory applies to recovery from food addiction. People want to diet. They set their minds toward the goal of being thin (and sane), but they cannot stop overeating. When a person understands addiction and says, “Yes, I am a food addict. I surrender.” He needs to learn how to arrest the disease. Compassionate people have experienced success and are anxious to help. It is obvious, however, that we are unique, and people come with different needs. There is a bottom line—addiction is a physical malady. We need people. We need God. With patient perseverance and open communication, each person can grow beyond the disease into a happy, joyful life.
Teachers, guides, mentors, helping hands, sponsors—whatever the title—they are a necessary piece of the puzzle to get well. People need people to shine a light in the darkness. God has magnificently designed a plan for each of His children. The suffering, afflicted ones can come together and find God’s care and protection. We can comfort the brokenhearted, announce liberty to captives—those actively overeating—and open the eyes of the blind—Christians who are uninformed about eating disorders and food addicts lacking faith.
…the time of God’s favor to them has come…he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. (Isaiah 61:2-3, The Living Bible)
One courageous day, I stepped out of my isolation and faced my addiction. It was the first step to a changed life. I learned about addictive behavior by listening to people in recovery. I cried with them, rejoiced with them and witnessed new life in them. Hope arose in my spirit. I was not alone anymore.
If you want what we have, we offer helpful tools as options to consider. They are not rules, requirements or regulations, simply what has worked for other recovering people who are addicted to excess food. Always pray for guidance. Be honest, open and willing to listen. God sets the pace. Slow and steady wins the race. (For a condensed version of the basic tools, see Meeting Format, Appendix B: Recovery Tools.)
Food Plan:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6, New International Version)
To live free from overeating, it is important to make a decision (a firm commitment) to follow a specific, disciplined plan of eating. Although there can be “different strokes for different folks,” most long-term recovering food addicts avoid sugar, flour and wheat, plus our personal binge foods.
We feel that God and abstinence are the most important things, without exception. The Bible teaches us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (1); our ties to Him are not contingent on what we do (2), but on simple, childlike faith (3). However, we feel separated from God the minute we say, “Yes” to some “forbidden fruit.” When Eve listened to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, her relationship with God changed the moment she ate that enticing apple. It was not her food. In abstinence, we can see more clearly what God wants us to do, and we can enjoy the fruits of believing (5).
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans l4:l7, New Living Translation)
See (l) Romans 7-8, (2) Ephesians 2:8-9, (3) Luke 18:l7, (4) Genesis 3:1-8, (5) Galatians 5:22-23.
Prayer and Meditation:
[Jesus said,] Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, New International Version)
To stay connected to the only true source of strength, we dedicate a specific time in the morning (before we begin the hustle and bustle of the day) to pray and meditate. This gives us the opportunity to bring all our thoughts and concerns to the Lord. We seek His guidance and direction. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit: “…Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby).” (John 14:16, Amplified Bible) And He taught us how to pray:
When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:6-8, New Living Translation)
Prayer Partners/Friends in Recovery (i.e., Sponsors):
Most food addicts contact one or more persons daily on the telephone or through the Internet. We find freedom when we commit our intended plan of eating to another person (or persons) in recovery each new day. Beyond food, people in recovery share a mutual desire to seek and do God’s will. Bonds are tightly woven as we pray together for knowledge and wisdom in all our affairs.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12, New International Version)
Support Groups/Meetings:
Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew l8:20, New International Version)
Meetings are gatherings of two or more like-minded people who come together to share their experience, strength and hope in recovery. Fellowship with other addicts gives us the opportunity to identify our common concerns, and we share the gifts we receive through the program.
Full of Faith (or full of food?):
Christian 12-Step Recovery from Food Addiction
As an outreach ministry, our purpose and vision is to touch the hearts, minds and souls of compulsive overeaters and food addicts everywhere with confident expectation of ongoing recovery through faith and hope in Jesus. Check the web site: www.fulloffaith.com for the current list of meeting times and locations or you could start a meeting in your hometown. (See Meetings—Promote, Organize and Conduct Support Groups.)
The Twelve Steps for Christians Support Group:
An in depth study of the 12-steps from the Christian perspective.
Twelve-Step Support Groups for Compulsive Overeaters and Food Addicts:
CEA/HOW (Compulsive Overeaters Anonymous/HOW)
FAA (Food Addicts Anonymous)
OA (Overeaters Anonymous)
RFA (Recovery from Food Addiction)
Check the telephone directory, the newspaper or the Internet for meetings near you.
The Telephone:
The telephone is an easily accessible mode of communication that helps us to handle the highs and lows we all experience. We can “reach out and touch someone” instead of reaching for the food, which is no longer a viable option.
The Internet:
The Internet provides light to a diverse audience. From coast to coast, people with addictions share their experience, strength and hope in recovery. People attend various 12-step meetings on-line, go to chat rooms and obtain vast information about the different aspects of recovery. Visit our web site: www.fulloffaith.com and join one of our e-mail loops for personal encouragement and support.
Literature:
Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word. I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map—and your commands are my chart and guide. I long for your instructions more than I can tell. (Psalm 119:18-20, The Living Bible)
The Bible is our ultimate source and guide. However, Alcoholics Anonymous supplies easily identifiable keys to recovery from addictive behavior and daily devotionals are helpful to maintain progress in the program. Many recovering addicts read three books each day: The Holy Bible, a page of Alcoholics Anonymous and a daily devotional, maybe Twenty-Four Hours a Day, plus other 12-step recovery literature as their quest for knowledge and truth increases.
Recommended reading:
Alcoholics Anonymous, third edition, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Service, 1976
Food Addiction: The Body Knows by Kay Sheppard, Health Communications, Inc. (Revised l993, 1989)
From the First Bite: A Complete Guide to Recovery from Food Addiction by Kay Sheppard, Health Communications, Inc. (2000)
Holy Hunger: A Woman’s Journey From Food Addiction to Spiritual Fulfillment by
Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Vintage Books (2000)
The Life Recovery Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (1998)
The Twelve Steps for Christians, Revised Edition by Friends in Recovery, RPI Publishing, Inc. (1994)
Twenty-Four Hours a Day, Hazelden Foundation (1975)
Why Can’t I Stop Eating?: Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Food Addiction by Debbie Danowski and Pedro Lazaro, M.D., Hazelden (2000)
Writing:
Most food addicts write a committed food plan each new day. Some people write in a food journal and some write to one of our Internet e-mail loops. Either way, when we make a commitment, it releases the obsession to entertain food thoughts. We plan what we do and do what we plan. People in recovery often say, “People who fail to plan, plan to fail.”
We also write fourth-step inventories and periodic entries in a journal. When we put our thoughts and feelings on paper, it opens the lines of communication to God. Writing a list of our daily blessings helps us to acknowledge the gifts we receive. On a bleak day, we reflect back and live each day with an attitude of gratitude.
Love and Service:
….Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14, New International Version)
Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, told us that “love and service” kept him sober. The same theory works for all addictions. When we extend our hearts and hands to other people, we become a reflection of God’s love.
We can show up at meetings, make a phone call or help a newcomer get started in the program or we can call a friend or family member to say, “I care about you.” Maybe volunteer to help at a nursing home, a homeless shelter or a hospital. There are always people in need of a gentle smile or a word of encouragement. The key is to reach out and share the good news of Jesus in simple acts of kindness. By our examples, we are “salt and light” to the world. (See Matthew 5:13-16.)
Do for others what you would like them to do for you... (Matthew 7:12, New Living Translation)
Refraining from criticism and gossip, we accept that we are people striving toward recovery. We are all equal in God’s eyes.
Don’t just pretend that you love others; really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of good. Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other… Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all! (Romans 12:9-10,16, The Living Bible)
Spiritual Training and Encouragement
Church: To grow in spiritual matters, it is helpful to attend a Christ-centered church. A healthy church provides a well-rounded diet of Christian education through the messages presented at weekly services, Bible studies and small group ministries. Fellowship is instrumental in understanding living faith.
Television and Radio Ministries: We can benefit through practical teaching of God’s Word in the comfort of our own homes. Personally, I have found some rich and rewarding messages in the ministries of Life in the Word with Joyce Meyer, In Touch with Charles Stanley, Focus on the Family with James Dobson and Family and Marriage Today with Jimmy and Karen Evans.
Christian Music: We listen to music that soothes our spirits in times of trouble and directs our minds to righteousness, peace and joy in believing.
It is wise to incorporate some form of physical fitness as a part of a daily routine. Walking is a common choice. It is easy to do, requires no special equipment (beyond sneakers) and it fits into most lifestyles. Bike riding, canoeing, volleyball and strolls on the beach are fun activities. When we need to rake leaves or shovel snow, we try to consider the health benefits, instead of the chore. Asking God for help, we make an effort to incorporate exercise into our everyday lives.
God introduced me to a 12-step recovery program for my food addiction; He blessed me with freedom from compulsive overeating and food obsession. In my clarity of mind (without excess food), I began to see other areas of my life that needed healing. I welcomed the opportunity to understand God’s instructions from reading his Word. The Twelve Steps for Christians supplied the map of the Bible for sustaining the highest quality of life—peaceful, happy, joyful existence on earth.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (Romans 12:l-2, New Living Translation)
Acknowledgment of my powerlessness, and the very real fact that I only knew what I knew, were the baby steps to healing. As I remained abstinent from sugar and flour each new day, I began to see God’s will in my life.
I learned how to love and accept love.
I learned that calm, respectful tones of communication worked.
I learned the skills necessary to respond in appropriate ways when annoyances and resentments flooded my thinking.
I learned to face my fears and work through them.
I learned to replace negativity with positive, life-giving affirmations.
I learned to stop manipulating and controlling people.
I learned that people are worthy of their opinions, and that it was okay if someone had a different opinion than mine. It didn’t make them “good” or “right” and me “bad” or “wrong.”
I learned to properly and respectfully take care of myself.
I learned that inappropriate behavior was not acceptable from anyone.
I learned to accept and use criticism in a positive, constructive way.
I learned that I was worthy of love and respect.
What people thought of me was none of my business. I had to be willing to listen and admit, time and time again, that I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
In God’s time, with His constant help, I grew to understand and love myself and enjoy God’s perfect plan for my life. I began to accept life on life’s terms. I learned to trust God in everything, knowing that He was guiding my recovery.
The 12-step program works if you “work” it, although it is not always easy. Physical, emotional and spiritual healing requires patience, perseverance, love, understanding, commitment and accountability. You will find joy unspeakable if you apply these principles to your life. I didn’t say, “You might find joy unspeakable.” I said, “You will find joy unspeakable” through God’s amazing grace!
If you open your hearts and minds to God’s perfect plan, and focus your attention on Him, your life will continue to have more and more quality. Peace, joy and unfailing love will follow you everywhere.
Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! [Ps.24:3,4] (Matthew 5:8, Amplified Bible)
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our food addiction—that our lives had become unmanageable.
I am completely discouraged—I lie in the dust… (Psalm 119:25, The Living Bible)
Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word. I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map—and your commands are my chart and guide. I long for your instructions more than I can tell. (Psalm 119:18-20, The Living Bible)
Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, New International Version)
Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work…(Galatians 6:4, Amplified Bible)
Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed… (James 5:16, Amplified Bible)
Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his punishment is proof of his love. Just as a father punishes a son he delights in to make him better, so the Lord corrects you. (Proverbs 3:11-12, The Living Bible)
Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong… (l John 1:9, The Living Bible)
Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31, New International Version)
Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13, New International Version)
Step l0: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. (Ephesians 4:23-25, The Living Bible)
Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit's wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:18, New Living Translation)
Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to food addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
It is God himself, in his mercy, who has given us this wonderful work [of telling his Good News to others] and so we never give up. (2 Corinthians 4:1, The Living Bible)
Permission to use the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous® for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.