THE LORD ALONE Step 1 – day 2 (p.13) 2 Nephi 12:11 – And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. From the first 12 step recovery meetings I […]
Here Again-Step One
Carnal-mindedness means caring more about things that will die (pass away) than those things that have eternal significance and will live eternally. It’s so easy, being mortal, to slip back into seeking hope and fulfillment in carnal (temporal, of this physical realm) things. Scripture Capturing Exercise 1 (p. 13) Remember, to be carnally–minded is death, […]
I Teach Them Correct Principles
At Phil’s recent ALS checkup, we were told his decline in this coming year would be much harder to bear than the last 16 months since his diagnosis. Over the next few days, I found myself under siege, attacked with such fear and grief. Watching Phil’s decline this past year has been a constant source […]
Beliefs Precede Thoughts or Acts
There is an old adage: As a man thinketh, so is he. I’ve learned, though, that I can change my behavior and even my thinking (internal vocabulary and dialogue), but if my beliefs are not changed, my recovery is not yet heart deep. Finding recovery through the 12 Step program is not just a cognitive […]
What Is Required
This morning, while gleaning through my journal entries from April 2000, I found the following precious truth. I find that as I face this new challenge in my life (my sweetheart, Phil, losing strength by the month to ALS), I am needing to reread and glean strength for myself from my past journal entries. This […]
A Serious Study of the Book of Mormon, Pt 6
Coming to Know the Goodness of God 1 Nephi 1:1 — “ . . . having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God . . .” As I sat still and allowed Nephi’s words to find their way to the depths of my heart, I began to realize that in […]
Awakening to a Serious Study of the Book of Mormon, Pt 5
1 Nephi 1:1 continued The Reality of Paradox in Mortality: having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; . . . “ . . . having seen many afflictions in the course of my days”! Now here was a concept I […]
A Serious Study of the Book of Mormon Pt 4
Owning the Truth About My Childhood: “. . . having been born of goodly parents, . . .” Before I began to get rigorously honest about my very challenging childhood and allowed myself to grieve the deficits and losses I experienced in it, I was “put off” by Nephi from the second he introduced himself […]
Awakening to a Serious Study of the Book of Mormon, Pt3
Slowing Down and Finding So Much to Ponder In Just One Verse So it is that, in all humility, I would like to share here, the richness and depth of five personal applications/insights that the Lord opened to me in just the very first verse of the Book of Mormon—1 Nephi 1:1 and convinced me […]
Awakening to a Serious Study of the Book of Mormon (pt 2)
Finding the Headlines, Applying Them to My Own Story One day, as I was correlating the teachings of the Book of Mormon with the principles in the Twelve Step program of recovery, checking the steps against the most correct book ever written, with the hope growing in my heart that there could someday be an […]