SoberSitesBlog

The Institute of Chemical Dependency Studies

2012-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

If your looking to get into the addictions counseling field than check out ICDS....

"The Institute of Chemical Dependency Studies, a NAADAC approved education provider, sets the standard of excellence in initial, ongoing, and advanced clinical and professional training and development in the field of addiction counseling."

http://www.cdstudies.com

Blog of the Month

2012-01-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

SoberNuggets

This is simply a space for recovering alcoholics and addicts to share the joys, struggles and realities of a sober life. Please feel free to read, write, share but most of all, enjoy.

I have been sober and drug free since Jan 28th, 1996, thanks to HP and AA. At Easter Vigil 2007 I was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church, amazing! Thanks to HP and AA!

Sunlight of the Spirit Music

2011-12-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Great gift ideas... 12 Step/Recovery music from Sunlight of the Spirit Music

"Our recovery music CDs cost less than a trip to the therapist, and you don't even have to leave your home. Listen. Discover. Recover."

http://www.sunlightofthespirit.com/category/1-12-Step-Recovery

Blog of the Month - Sober Inspiration

2011-12-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

Soberational Experiences & Strange Happenings In Recovery

"Hi I'm Ashling and I'm an Alcoholic. You can read more about me in my First Blog entry in June 2011: What's in an Ashling"

http://soberinspiration.blogspot.com

Cheryl's Bookmarks

2011-12-03T16:37:00.001-08:00

What a FUN gift for a friend in recovery!

http://www.cherylsbookmarks.com/recoverypackages.htm

Alcoholic Outsider Artist

2011-12-02T12:18:00.001-08:00

Check it out art lovers!

"For Sale REAL Outsider Art by a REAL grateful recovering drunk. I have accumulated over 60 recent pieces from early spring until today. Email (parker@grouptour.com) me for sizes and availability. Will ship before Christmas and the winter holidays."

For more details and to make a purchase go to...

Alcoholic Outsider Artist

BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY SALES & SPECIALS from Your Favorite Twelve Step Stores!

2011-11-22T10:58:00.001-08:00

TwelveBeads

When you buy the Giving Is Beautiful gift set you can purchase a TwelveBeads Chaplet for %50 off!
http://www.twelvebeads.com/TwelveBeads_Cyber_Monday.html

offer valid November 25 - 28

Cheryl's Bookmarks

With every purchase of $5.00 or more you will recieve 10 free bookmarks!
http://www.cherylsbookmarks.com

offer valid November 25 - 28

Your Recovery Day

Use code BFriday for 30% off and free shipping!
http://www.yourrecoveryday.com

offer valid November 24 - 26

Love My Recovery
Stop by Love my Recovery and check out the the amazing Black Friday specials
http://www.lovemyrecovery.com

Torah and the Twelve Steps

2011-11-14T18:58:00.001-08:00

Residential Addiction Recovery Program
Spiritual Therapy integrating Jewish Wisdom with the 12 Steps

"Torah and the Twelve Steps, Inc is a spiritually based action oriented drug and alcohol rehab which integrates the spirituality within Torah Judaism with the Twelve Step model to effectively treat the underlying cause of addiction."

For detailed information please visit http://www.torahtwelvesteps.org

The Token Shop

2011-11-10T15:56:00.001-08:00

LOVE THIS PIECE! This is such a great piece to buy for many friends! Affordable and thoughtful you can place it right in a card. Give to members of your homegroup, sponsees, or retreat friends. Beacuase really, who doesn't need a Guardian Angel?

From The Token Shop

Rockers In Recovery

2011-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

This is so great! Rockers in Recovery - Click this link to check it out for yourself.

http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v4/index.cfm?stationCallSign=WRIR

St. Francis Prayer Leather Bookmark

2011-11-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

Top grain tooling leather bookmark with the inspirational St. Francis prayer (11th step prayer) beautifully engraved. This is a gift that will inspire and endure.

From Athena Engraving

Quantity pricing available

Giving Is Beautiful

2011-11-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

New Jersey artist Gwen R and musician Laura C are joining with Marti Hottenstien's How to Save a Life Foundation to fight addiction. The "Giving is Beautiful Fundraiser" is centered around specially designed addiction recovery prayer beads from http://TwelveBeads.com combined with a CD from songwriter LauraC at http://lauracmusic.com.

Sales can be made via the Internet and are open to anyone who would like to donate. When visitors to TwelveBeads.com purchase the gift set, $20.00 will be deposited into the foundation's account.

The Giving is Beautiful HOPE Necklace features 8mm and 6mm black obsidian beads with gun metal Miyuki hex cut glass and bead accents. Black obsidian is known for its protective qualities and is believed to absorb negative emotions such as anger, fear, and criticism. The necklace and CD are available at http://www.twelvebeads.com/Giving_Is_Beautiful.html

"All three of us are passionate about addiction recovery and are always looking for new ways to help others," Gwen R said.

All donations go directly to the How to Save a Life Foundation http://howtosavealifefoundation.org and help those who can not afford treatment. Since its founding in June 2007, How to Save a Life has helped more than 400 people receive addiction treatment. The foundation dedicates its work to the memory of Karl Hottenstein who was denied treatment for drug addiction. He died six weeks later.

Gwen R and Laura C struggled with addiction and now put great energy into helping others in the daily effort to remain sober. "Addiction is not a moral failing but a disease that can only be cured through treatment," Hottenstien said.

Gwen R is a graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia and is founder of TwelveBeads.com. There she offers her own designs of prayer beads that soothe, heal, and bring hope. All promote recovery from addiction.

Laura C has been on CBS' The TODAY SHOW twice, various news stations around the country, She has performed at major events and continues to travel with her band. Laura C has been nominated for a coveted PRISM award.

The CD "The Gift of Brokenness" is about Laura C's journey. In a way, each song is a piece of her, as she took herself apart and put herself back together again. It is about dealing with anger, despair and fear. And ultimately, it is about joy, hope and healing.

"Our focus on healing, both through art and music, makes us a good match for helping How to Save a Life. Marti Hottenstien does wonderful work through her foundation," Gwen R said.

All of TwelveBeads recovery jewelry features 12 core beads used to say special devotions or affirmations. The central purpose of the beads is to help the wearer connect with his or her Higher Power.

Contact: Gwen R

cinderellamom96@comcast.net

http://www.TwelveBeads.com

http://howtosavealifefoundation.org

http://www.lauracmusic.com

Blog of the Month November 2011

2011-11-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

12 Steps of Recovery

"I am an Adult Child (of an Alcoholic)

…and a 30-something year old woman living in Cape Town, South Africa. My life has been a great struggle, even when things were good, I was waiting for them to come crashing down around me, and they usually did.

My recovery in a 12 Step Fellowship has made the single biggest difference to my life. For 30 years I wondered what was wrong with me and what to do to fix myself. I came to find that there is nothing wrong with me and all I need is Love. So my steps are a process of learning to Love myself & others. I share in the hope that you will know that you are not alone and that you can also be Loved.

Please respect my anonymity and I will respect yours."

http://12stepsofrecovery.net

Christians In Recovery

2011-10-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

For all of you who have gotten back into their Christian faith or never lost it join http://christians-in-recovery.org/ to help the vision happen...

"Our Vision - It is the vision of the Board and Supporting Members of CIR to continue to use the latest technology, in addition to conventional means, to reach those who would normally not seek help--to catch those who fall through the cracks-- and to further spread Christian hope, healing and fellowship to those in need of recovery. Our vision is not just recovery but to go well beyond recovery so people can fully discover, explore and magnify all possibilities God intends for them as individuals."

SoberMoms

2011-10-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing about being a sober mother is we are all SOOO busy! If you work outside the home forget about it! But there is a need for us here on the net. There are women at home trying to stay sober, some have never been to a meeting. They are reaching out. One mother can not help all these women but many mothers can. If you are a sober mother and can spend a few minutes a day on your computer please stop by SoberMoms and get involved.

http://sobermoms.spruz.com/

3rd and 7th Step Prayer Leather Bookmark

2011-10-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Let us start to create that gift list for the holidays! I love this bookmark from Athena Engraving. It is a great price point when you want to get someone a little something but can not spend to much OR as an addition to a recovery book. How perfect to have the 3rd and 7th Step prayers at your fingertips.

Athena offers quantity pricing on this item so if you have a group your buying for it is even better.

The description...

"Beautiful top grain tooling leather bookmark with AA's inspirational 3rd and 7th Step prayers beautifully engraved. This is a gift that will inspire and endure."

$7.00 for 1
$6.25 for 6-11
$5.00 for 12 and more

ADD IT TO THE LIST!

ORDER HERE

Silkworth.net

2011-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! If your a history buff and in recovery you should definitely check out http://www.silkworth.net/. The site is rich with information from the Big Book to biographies, prayers and the Steps. There is a page featuring " An in depth look at the writings, articles, letters and documents of Dr. William Duncan Silkworth, M.D. -also known as Silky."

This site is BOOKMARKABLE!

Improve Our Conscious Contact - Angela Pugh

2011-10-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

October brings a brand new contributor to the IOCC blog. Welcome Recovery Coach Angela Pugh. Angela has already given us two posts. Sharing her experience strength and hope with... My First Contact & My Prayer. Come and follow the blog on Facebook and Networked Blogs.

ImproveOurConsciousContact.blogspot.com
A Multi Contributor Step 11 Blog

Blog of the Month - Higher Powered

2011-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

October Blog of the Month award goes to Higher Powered. The Higher Powered blog is one of the few that long time consistently posted on sober blogs. Higher Powered has been posting daily since December of 2004. That takes some serious commitment folks! Even though HP has a fabulous sense of twisted humor you can see how his recovery is truly priority. Thank you Mr. Dave for all you give back to the rest of us in recovery.

*THIS BLOG FEATURES ADULT CONTENT*

"A POSITIVE ATTITUDE MAY NOT SOLVE ALL OF MY PROBLEMS, BUT IT WILL ANNOY ENOUGH PEOPLE TO MAKE IT WORTH THE EFFORT. I am an alcoholic and a sarcastic smart-ass. I am recovering from the alcoholism. My first and only sobriety date is September 5, 2003."

Visit Higher Powered at http://texandave.blogspot.com/

Outside Issues Magazine Launched

2011-10-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

September marks the first edition of the new recovery based magazine Outside Issues. A mass distribution for the launch was done at the Philadelphia PRO-ACT Recovery Walk on September 24th.

The cover story for Fall is about the original drummer from Guns and Roses, Steven Adler. Adler is a repeat attendee of the Pasadena Recovery Center on the VHI reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. The interview took place at a fundraiser for the How To Save A Life Foundation, SoberStock in Bensalem, PA. where Adler headlined with his new band Adler's Appetite.

The next edition of Outside Issues will bring you an interview with "one of America's funniest comedians, Craig Shoemaker. His personal tale of survival through sobriety is a story not to be missed."

To get your edition of Outside Issues write to Executive Editor David W.
mailto:editor@outsideissues.com

Just For Today Meditations

2011-09-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

Check out this one stop site for all your daily readings!

"Just For Today Meditations was formed so that there would be one stopping place for all meditations. They are posted all over the net! We hope that this will be useful to all people who want to be able to join in Recovery and to learn a new way of life that is developed through Spiritual Principles. We are only few, the site is very new. But we have much hope that this is what People in General would want is a home that they can actually get down to business and be able to freely join in discussions and learn and help each other. That is what we are taught in many of the Recovery Related Sites and Programs. We can only keep what we have by giving it away. We join hands together to be united and Unity is what it is all about."

It is a community forum that includes the Joe And Charlie Big Book Study Tapes and other juicy tid bits for your sobriety! http://www.justfortodaymeditations.com/

Rabbi Writes for Improve Our Conscious Contact

2011-09-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

The featured writer on the IOCC blog this month is Rabbi Yisrael Pinson.

"Rabbi Yisrael Pinson, is the Director of the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House - a rabbi and spiritual mentor to the Jewish recovery community of Metropolitan Detroit. Since joining the Friendship Circle in May 2002 he has galvanized the outreach efforts of the Friendship House by becoming the spiritual mentor of the more than 400 addicts and their families who seek spirituality and support from the organization."

Please visit IOCC and read his amazing post The Melody & Primal Cry. To learn more about Rabbi Yisrael please visit Chabad.org

TwelveBeads Celebrates Six Years On Line

2011-09-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

TwelveBeads a prayer bead and recovery jewelry company celebrates six years of online business September 24, 2011. Originally it was strictly recovery prayer beads and later Twelve Step prayer jewelry was added. The intention of all TwelveBeads products are to use the pieces as a tool for repetitive prayers, affirmations and meditation. To celebrate year six there is a weekend $60 for $40 sale. Shop SALE HERE A little about the creator of TwelveBeads...

"I purchased my first set of prayer beads in my twelfth year of sobriety, after going through a hard time with life in general. This is when I hit an emotional bottom and had a second spiritual awakening. I started to seek out ways to deepen my spiritual practice. A friend told me that it takes six repetitions of something for the brain to truly process it. When I prayed I started to repeat my prayers six times using my fingers to keep track of my count. Searching for meditation aids online, I found a woman (Nancy T.) who made Anglican Prayer beads and happened upon her Serenity Beads at Innerlightcentral.com. I began to use them daily and found deeper meaning in the Third Step Prayer and the Seventh Step Prayer. I go around the beads saying a prayer per bead. Soon both prayers took on new meaning to me. I hope you too will find something deeper in this practice."

Blogger of the Month September

2011-09-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

Life Without Beer Goggles An alcoholism blog about the journey of living life sober.

At the point of this blog’s conception, Oscar is in his late-thirties. In the past four months he got laid off, found a job, divorcing and was let go from his new job. Oh yeah, he’s a recovering alcoholic, sober for over six years.

IOCC August Contributor David Lee Byrd

2011-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

lDavid is an author of two books; his first, “Living a Spiritual Life” (LSL) chronicles his spiritual journey during the 17 years of his own recovery process. It offers insights on finding and building a spiritual way of life that avoids religious dogma and legalism.

LSL takes you on a journey of self discovery where you will find the beauty and joy you deserve in this life. The path lies within you; you are filled with a power packed potential that is just waiting to be realized.

His second book "Life Seeds" is a collection of Poetry that encompasses life’s many ups and down, its joys and sorrows. All of the poems are based on real life experiences that resonate with honesty, humor, insight, and wisdom.

As a licensed minister, certified drug and alcohol counselor, single parent, and student at Argosy University where he is working on a Masters degree in the behavioral sciences David’s life is incredibly rich and profoundly diverse.

He lives by the principles that he teaches. A promise that he made many years ago was, “to never, ever teach or encourage another person to do what he himself had not first tried, and found to be successful.”

http://segue101.blogspot.com/