Recovery, LGBT and in the news

Ban on "gay conversion" therapy clears New York state assembly

Advocate.com: June 16, 2014 - Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy Clears N.Y. State Assembly | Advocate.com.

How losing a gay and HIV+ son to suicide turned one family to activism

Huffington Post: June 16, 2014 - How Losing Our Gay, HIV-Positive Son to Suicide Turned Our Family Into Activists | Nancy Harrington.

Hoarder killed after floor in home collapses under weight of debris

Huffington Post: June 16, 2014 - Hoarder Dies After Floor Collapses Under Weight Of Debris Inside Connecticut Home.

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A De-Cluttering Story: In Praise of Helping a Hoarder

Meet the parents fighting on the frontline for marriage equality

Advocate.com: June 16, 2014 - PHOTOS: Meet The Parents — On The Frontline of Marriage Equality Fight | Advocate.com.

The Good Men Project: Casey Kasem, you've finally reached your stars

The Good Men Project: June 16, 2014 - Casey Kasem: A Farewell Tribute -.

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US radio DJ Casey Kasem dies at 82

For opponents of marriage equality, the losing streak continues

Associated Press: June 16, 2014 - For marriage equality opponents, the losing streak continues to grow – LGBTQ Nation.

Two new websites offer support, resources for gay dads

LGBTQ Nation: June 16, 2014 - For gay dads, two new websites help navigate joys, struggles of fatherhood – LGBTQ Nation.

June 16, 2014 - Step by Step

Step by Step
Monday, June 16, 2014
 
" ...'Faith without works is dead.' ...We have made a list of all persons we have harmed and to whom we are willing to make amends. We made it when we took inventory. We subjected ourselves to a drastic self-appraisal. Now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past. We attempt to sweep away the debris which has accumulated out of our effort to live on self-will and run the show. If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes. Remember it was agreed at the beginning we would go to any lengths for victory over alcohol." - Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd Edition, 1976, Ch 6 ("Into Action"), p 76.

Today, to what lengths will I go for "victory over alcohol" or, in some cases, the process of reconciling myself with the injuries I inflicted on other people during my drinking days? The Eighth and Ninth Steps tell us to surrender with absolute humility by asking our Higher Power for the strength and courage to do His will, not ours, and by facing and apologizing to the victims of our injury and harm. That we might not be willing to make amends to someone does not give us an easy out; as the Big Book says, we must continue to ask for the will to do so "until it comes." In making amends that are required, we may be accomplishing more than taking responsibility for the hurt we inflicted on others: we finally can be done with the guilt, shame and regret we have carried and reconcile ourselves to the sickness of our spirit. And in doing so, we can start to heal. How far will I go for "victory over alcohol?" Today, I go to any length. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2014

June 16, 2014 - Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Monday, June 16, 2014
 
AA Thought for the Day
But even faith is not the whole story. There must be service. We must give this thing away if we want to keep it. The Dead Sea has no outlet and it is stagnant and full of salt. The Sea of Galilee is clean and clear and blue, as the Jordan River carries it out to irrigate the desert. To be of service to other people makes our lives worth living.

Does service to others give me a real purpose in life?

Meditation for the Day
Seek God early in the day, before He gets crowded out by life's problems, difficulties or pleasures. In that early quiet time, gain a calm, strong confidence in the goodness and purpose in the universe. Do not seek God only when the world's struggles prove too much and too many for you to bear or face alone. Seek God early, when you can have a consciousness of God's spirit in the world. People often only seek God when their difficulties are too great to be surmounted in any other way, forgetting that if they sought God's companionship before they need it, many of their difficulties would never arise.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not let God be crowded out by the hurly-burly of life. I pray that I may seek God early and often.

Hazelden Foundation

June 16, 2014 - A Day at a Time

A Day at a Time
Monday, June 16, 2014
 
Reflection for the Day
The Ninth Step of The Program is: "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." To make restitution for the wrongs we've done can be extremely difficult, to say the least; if nothing else, it deflates our egos and batters our pride. Yet that in itself is a reward, and such restitution can bring still greater rewards. When we go to a person and say we're sorry, the reaction is almost invariably positive. Courage is required, to be sure, but the results more than justify the action.

Have I done my best to make all the restitution possible?

Today I Pray
May I count on my Higher Power to stop me if I start to crawl out from under my Ninth Step responsibility. May I feel that blessed, liberating wash of relief that goes with saying, out loud, to someone I have harmed, "I was wrong. I made mistakes. I am honestly sorry." May I not worry about cracking that brittle, cover-up crust of my ego, because the inside will be more mature.

Today I Will Remember
Restitution is blessed.

Hazelden Foundation