My Experience

I feel prompted to share with you one decision I made early on in my recovery path that has blessed my life and hopefully blessed the lives of others.

I have consistently attended weekly ARP meetings since that first night in 2013 when I fearfully attended my first meeting. 

Soon after beginning the program, I came to the conclusion that I could not do this alone. I needed help--lots of help! So in each meeting, I started collecting the cell phone numbers of others who were attending the meeting. 

Then during the week, I would make an effort to send out text messages complimenting them on a particular share they had given or giving them encouragement.  I also asked specific individuals to pray for me when I was struggling.

I found that most everyone was receptive to receiving a text message and at the same time they were very willing to provide support.

Early on in this process, I also felt prompted to begin this blog and to share this blog with others in my group. With that goal in mind, I printed up small business-size cards with my first name, my blog address, and my phone number and invited my new friends to check out my blog and to call or text me at any time.

Hello, My name is Xxxxxxxx            Please check out my blog:                    12StepLDS.com         My number is 999-999-9999   Feel free to call or text me at any time

Then each week as new participants joined our group, I handed them my card. As a result of my collecting phone numbers and passing out my cards, I have been blessed with some of the greatest friendships of my life.  And I can honestly say that these men who attend ARP meetings are some of the greatest men I have known in this life!!!

To this day I both receive and send text messages every week to many of these wonderful sons of God, who are doing their best to stay in recovery and keep the commandments.  

They do not judge me, and I do not judge them. But together we lift each other up.

 In the relationship I have with these friends in recovery, my favorite saying is:

 “When you reach out to another person you bless TWO lives!”

This one decision, to both offer support to others and request support from others has been one of the greatest blessings in my recovery.

Of course, the real source of recovery comes from the Savior.  But many times He sends His angels with flesh and bones to help us.  And these friends have been my angels.