Gratitude and Charity: A New Way to Experience Life

 

Last week, I had the chance to share at an AA meeting. I chose the topic “Let Go and Let God”. As the conversation opened up, what came from the room was a beautiful wave of gratitude and charity—two powerful forces that, together, offer a new way to experience life.

Today, I received a quote by John Milton that seemed to speak directly to that moment:

“Gratitude bestows reverence… changing forever how we experience life and the world.”

In recovery, gratitude does exactly that—it transforms how we see everything.

When we begin to feel gratitude, we find we can no longer live trapped in the shadows of our past addictions. Acknowledging the calming, loving, and beautiful parts of our lives sends streaks of light across the mountains of darkness, interrupting the downward spiral. That light—sometimes faint, sometimes radiant—is enough. It’s the spark of hope for a new day.

We’re reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and charity. But the greatest of these is charity.”

And again:
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not… it beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4,7

In recovery, gratitude awakens the spirit. It lifts our gaze from what we’ve lost to what we’ve been given. But charity—true charity—is what happens when that gratitude doesn’t stay still. When it moves from the heart into the hands. When we love not just in word, but in deed and in truth.

Elder Helmut D. Wondra put it beautifully:

“Gratitude is not just a key to personal joy. It also motivates us to be a blessing to others and change the world for the better.”

To live in gratitude is to see the sacred in every breath.

To live in charity is to become a blessing in someone else’s.

Together, gratitude and charity change forever how we experience life—and how life experiences us.

🙏🏻🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️

Jesus the Christ in Historical Documents and Scripture: A Dual Witness

Many wonder if there is any evidence of Jesus Christ outside of religious texts. While the New Testament and the Book of Mormon offer profound spiritual testimonies of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, there are also secular historical sources that mention Him. These two types of records—historical and scriptural—offer a compelling contrast and harmony. One speaks of events, the other of eternal meaning. Let's explore how they align and differ.

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1. Historical Fact vs. Spiritual Witness

Historical Sources: Roman historians like Tacitus and Jewish historians like Josephus confirm that Jesus existed, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and had devoted followers who continued to spread His teachings after His death.

Scriptural Testimony: Paul and Nephi offer personal, prophetic witness. Paul writes, "I know whom I have believed…" (2 Timothy 1:12), while Nephi testifies of visions foretelling Christ’s birth and ministry: “I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.” (1 Nephi 11:20)

Key Difference: Secular sources record historical facts. Scripture reveals the divine purpose behind those facts.

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2. The Crucifixion

Tacitus: Jesus “suffered the extreme penalty” (crucifixion) under Pilate.

Paul: The crucifixion is central to salvation: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Nephi: Prophecies of Christ’s willing suffering: “And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught.” (1 Nephi 19:9)

Key Difference: History says He was crucified. Scripture says He died for a divine purpose.

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3. Post-Resurrection Testimonies

Pliny & Lucian: Describe Christians who worshiped Jesus "as to a god" and maintained faith even under persecution.

Paul: Personally encountered the risen Christ: “Last of all he was seen of me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:8)

Nephi: Testifies of Christ’s resurrection: “And he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings.” (2 Nephi 25:13)

Key Difference: Historical accounts describe the belief. Scripture reveals the personal witness.

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4. Power & Divinity

Talmud & Suetonius: Often describe Jesus controversially—as a sorcerer or rebel.

Paul & Nephi: Proclaim Him as the Son of God. Paul writes, “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9). Nephi declares, “The Son of the everlasting God.” (1 Nephi 11:21)

Key Difference: Secular sources speculate or criticize. Scripture declares divinity.

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5. Disciples' Devotion

Secular Records: Acknowledge the fervor and commitment of early Christians—often baffled by their courage and unity.

Scripture: Explains why they endured: “We are troubled on every side… yet not distressed… always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) Nephi adds: “I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus.” (2 Nephi 33:6)

Key Difference: Secular sources describe devotion. Scripture reveals the source: a living, loving Christ.

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Summary: A Dual Witness

Aspect	Historical Sources	Scripture
Jesus existed	Yes (Tacitus, Josephus)	Yes – by vision and personal witness
Crucifixion	Executed under Pilate	Willingly suffered for humanity
Resurrection	Believed by early Christians	Personally witnessed (Paul) and prophesied (Nephi)
Divinity	Questioned or criticized	Boldly declared (Son of God, Redeemer)
Disciples' Devotion	Described as unwavering	Explained by divine love and testimony

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These two types of records—factual and faithful—together help form a fuller picture of Jesus Christ. The historical sources remind us that He lived and changed the world. The scriptural testimonies declare why: He is the Redeemer, the Son of God, the Savior of all.

And ultimately, it is the personal witness—like Paul’s and Nephi’s—that transforms hearts, bridging the gap between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him.

Self-Honesty

 

When I first came into AA, I thought being honest simply meant not stealing from the cash register. So when people said, "You need to get honest," I assumed I already had that part figured out.

Then I read this:

"The deception of others is nearly always rooted in the deception of ourselves. When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God."
— As Bill Sees It, p. 17

That kind of honesty was something entirely different.

AA was asking me to go deeper—to share with a sponsor the truth about my past behavior and, even more challenging, to take action to change that behavior. It wasn’t just about confession. It was about transformation. I had to bare my soul and then do the work—what we in the rooms call repentance.

As Shakespeare wrote:

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
— Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3

If I wanted to stay sober, I had to move past the illusion that “everything is fine” when, in truth, nothing was going well. That meant ending denial and developing a new kind of self-awareness—one rooted in honesty, humility, and responsibility.

Paul's words to the Philippians helped me see the beauty and peace that come from living in truth:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things... and the God of peace shall be with you."
— Philippians 4:8–9

Self-honesty invites peace. It clears away the clutter of fear and illusion and opens the door to real connection—with ourselves, with others, and with a Higher Power.

It also opens the door to change.

We're not just called to believe—we’re called to act in alignment with the truth. Humbling ourselves, acknowledging where we’ve gone wrong, and sincerely asking for help—that’s the beginning of a changed life.

"And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them."
— Mosiah 4:10

In Step Four and beyond, we’re taught to take a searching and fearless moral inventory. But even before that, the invitation is simple and direct: start telling yourself the truth.

Recovery doesn’t demand perfection.
But it does ask for honesty.
And when we live in truth, we live in freedom.

Observe and Learn: The Commission of Easter

 

As Holy Week unfolds and Easter approaches, my thoughts turn to the sacred themes of death, resurrection, comfort for the fearful, affirmation for the doubtful, and the commission to carry the truth to all nations. It is a week that both commemorates and compels — reminding us not only of what Christ did, but of what we are called to do in response.

A Closer Look at Matthew 28

This Easter, I found myself drawn especially to the final chapter of Matthew’s Gospel — chapter 28. This single chapter encapsulates a profound journey from sorrow to joy, from doubt to commission, from the grave to the Great Commission.

Matthew records that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of James and Joses) came to see the tomb. Their testimony, preserved by Matthew, tells of an open tomb and a divine encounter — a vision of the risen Lord.

As they rushed to tell the disciples, Jesus Himself met them on the road. That moment — personal, intimate, and profound — is a powerful reminder that Jesus often reveals Himself first to those whose hearts are full of faith and love. It’s also worth noting that these were women — once healed by Jesus, now honored as the first witnesses of His resurrection. In doing so, Christ underscored the sacred value and voice of women in the unfolding story of God’s kingdom.

The Call That Follows

The chapter ends with Jesus giving a direct commission — not just to the remaining disciples, but to all who would follow Him. These final verses are not only sacred instructions but also a summary of our mission as believers:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
— Matthew 28:19–20

What This Means for Us

From this final charge, we can extract three core responsibilities — timeless, personal, and world-changing:

1. Proclaim the Resurrection
   Jesus Christ has overcome the grave. Through Him, the plan of salvation is not just promised — it is fulfilled. This is the heart of the Gospel, and it is ours to share.

2. Extend the Gift of Baptism
   The ordinance of baptism — symbolic of cleansing, rebirth, and commitment — is offered to all for the remission of sins and entrance into a life with Christ.

3. Teach Christ’s Commandments
   Chief among them:

   • “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

   • “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39)
     These two commandments are the foundation of a Christ-centered life.

A Promise of Presence

Christ’s final words in Matthew are not just a mission — they are a promise:

“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

We are not alone in this commission. His power, His comfort, His guidance — they remain with us, empowering us to carry on His work in every corner of the world and in every generation.

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Final Thought

This Easter, as we reflect on the empty tomb and the risen Lord, may we also reflect on our role in the continuing story. We have seen, through the eyes of Mary and the faithful, what it means to witness the resurrection. Now, we are called to live it — to go, teach, baptize, and love — with the eternal power of Christ who walks with us always.

The Journey from Amends to Forgiveness: A Reflection on AA’s Ninth Step

 

Yesterday, the topic of amends kept showing up in my life. Over and over again, I was confronted with one simple but painful truth: I’ve said “I’m sorry” countless times, and yet—when similar situations arise—I often repeat the same harmful actions.

Why? Because I haven’t addressed the character defects that drive the behavior in the first place.

Take this example: I promise a family member I’ll take care of something—a chore, a repair, a task—knowing full well I don’t want to do it. I say yes because I want to be liked. I want to avoid conflict. And when the task inevitably gets overlooked or ignored, I offer a hollow apology and a well-rehearsed excuse. It's a pattern I know too well.

This may seem like a small thing, but for an alcoholic, these moments are the crossroads where old behaviors meet new spiritual principles. This is where Step Nine comes in.

As Bill Wilson wrote in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,

“The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at the same time, is the very spirit of Step Nine.”

Step Nine isn’t about just saying “I’m sorry.” It’s about making things right—tangibly, honestly, and courageously.

Dr. Bob Smith, co-founder of AA, echoed this principle. He emphasized that real amends must be made in person whenever possible. Indirect efforts, he said, often come from fear or pride and don’t offer the same healing—for either party. He also made it clear that financial amends mean actual repayment, not empty promises.

In truth, if we are sincerely seeking forgiveness, then words alone will never be enough. Promises can’t replace action. Healing comes when we change our behavior and begin walking a spiritually driven path of honesty and integrity.

Desmond Tutu wrote in The Book of Forgiving:

“Forgiveness does not relieve someone of responsibility for what they have done. Forgiveness does not erase accountability.”

Katie Ashley, in her novel Nets and Lies, put it this way:

“Forgiveness was about more than just words—it was actions and feelings.”

And Scripture is equally clear:

• James 2:17 – “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

• 1 John 3:18 – “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

• Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

These verses call us not just to believe, but to live out our faith with mercy, justice, and humility.

Dear reader, the Ninth Step is not about seeking forgiveness through apologies alone. The amends we seek must be lived. We make direct amends by repairing what we’ve broken. We make indirect amends by addressing the attitudes and behaviors that caused harm in the first place—so we don’t repeat the cycle.

Here’s what I’ve found helpful:

1. Acknowledge the harm I’ve caused.

2. Discern what meaningful action can be taken.

3. Discuss it with a trusted and spiritually grounded person.

4. Then act—with humility, without expecting anything in return.

The goal isn’t to erase the past. It’s to demonstrate, through action, that we are becoming new people—people who are willing to live by spiritual principles.

Because true spiritual growth isn’t measured by how sorry we are. It’s measured by how much we’re willing to change.

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…” — Matthew 7:12

Good morning. How can I make amends today by correcting my actions?

From Bondage to Freedom: A Journey Through Passover, Easter, and Recovery

 

                                    

* A disclaimer: Even though the original conception of comparing Passover, Easter and AA principles is mine, much of the wording has been taken from ChatGPT.

There are seasons in life that echo ancient stories—times when we walk out of darkness into light, bondage into freedom, despair into hope. For many in recovery, this path feels both deeply personal and powerfully universal. As spring approaches and spiritual calendars bring us into the heart of Passover and Easter, these sacred stories resonate with a journey many of us know firsthand: the long road from addiction to recovery.

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🔹 Passover: Freedom from Slavery

The story of Passover tells how the children of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt. After years of oppression, God sent Moses to lead them out. But before freedom came, there was a final, devastating night: the firstborn in Egypt died, and the Israelites were spared by the blood of the lamb on their doorposts.

This wasn't just a night of survival. It was a turning point. The people of God were about to walk away from their past, from the chains that had defined them, and into a wilderness where transformation would begin.

Addiction is its own Egypt—a place of slavery to substances, fears, or destructive habits. Many in AA know what it’s like to live in that kind of bondage. But like the Israelites, we’re invited to leave that place behind—not by our own strength, but by grace and surrender.

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🔹 Easter: Sacrifice and Rebirth

Where Passover speaks of deliverance, Easter brings us into the mystery of sacrifice and resurrection. Jesus gave His life willingly, not only to atone for sin, but to break the power of death itself. His resurrection declares that new life is possible.

Recovery echoes this truth: something must die for something new to be born. In AA, we surrender our ego, our pride, and our self-will. Step Three says it plainly: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

That decision is a kind of death—and also a birth. As Jesus rose on Easter morning, so we too can rise—into new life, new hope, new freedom.

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🔹 AA: The Exodus Within

The Twelve Steps of AA are a spiritual roadmap, not unlike the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness. Each step helps us leave behind the old patterns and enter into something holy and healing.

Let’s map a few parallels:

Passover/Easter Theme	AA Step	Meaning
Leaving Egypt	Step 1: “We admitted we were powerless…”	Acknowledging our slavery and need for help
The Lamb's blood covers	Step 3: Surrender to a Higher Power	Trusting in a power greater than ourselves
Wandering the desert	Steps 4–9 (Inventory, confession, amends)	A refining season of truth, humility, and healing
Entering the Promised Land	Step 12: “Having had a spiritual awakening…”	A life of service, freedom, and purpose

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🔹 A Personal Journey of Freedom

If you're in recovery, or walking through a spiritual wilderness of your own, the seasons of Passover and Easter invite you to reflect:

• What chains are holding you?

• What needs to be surrendered?

• Where are you being called to trust in something greater?

Recovery is not a quick fix—it’s a daily exodus, a daily resurrection. But like the Israelites, we are not walking alone. Like the first Easter morning, hope rises with each step forward.

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🔹 Closing Thoughts

In this sacred season, may we all be reminded that freedom is possible. That transformation is real. That just as God delivered a nation and raised His Son from the grave, He can restore our lives too—one day, one step, one miracle at a time.

“We are not a glum lot.” — Big Book of AA

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” — Galatians 5:1

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The Democratic Experiment: Are We Still Protecting the One?

 
                                             

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government."

— Thomas Jefferson

Dear readers,

Today I am drawn to this quote from Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, a writer and signer of the Declaration of Independence and a key architect of early American government, emphasized the role of government as a protector—not a destroyer—of life and happiness. While this is not a history lesson, the relevance of this quote to our current time compels deeper reflection.

Our government has recently failed in one of its most basic obligations: to protect its citizens. A man was dragged from his home without due process and sent to another country. Despite a ruling from the highest court in the land affirming his rights, no meaningful action has been taken to return him. This means that our government—our government—has turned its back on one of its own without a word. No protest. No pursuit of justice. No defense.

We have declared to all the world that the United States of America is no longer willing to protect or defend those within its borders.

So, I ask myself: what would my ancestors—who fought in the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and both World Wars—say from the dust today? I cannot believe they would respond with silence. I believe they would echo the following voices of truth:

"The vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informed judgment, their interest can never be separated."
— Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1

"The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous."
— Frederick Douglass

"It is the responsibility of the government to serve all the people, and to protect their rights equally."
— John F. Kennedy

Our moral obligation to protect even one person—especially the vulnerable, the outcast, or the unjustly treated—is eternal. The Savior taught this beautifully in the parable of the lost sheep:

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
— Matthew 18:12–14, ESV

In the words of a Latter-day Saint prophet:

“Besides the preaching of the gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man.”
— John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 23:63

As I reflect on the words of prophets, presidents, patriots, and the Savior Himself, I cannot help but feel a solemn weight. When even one soul is abandoned, when one citizen is denied protection, our moral compass falters, and the foundation of our liberty trembles.

We cannot be silent. We must not grow numb to injustice. Whether through our voices, our votes, or our prayers, we are called to uphold a government that guards life and happiness, not one that turns away from them.

Let us remember the sacred duty passed down from those who fought and bled for freedom—not only to enjoy our liberties but to defend them for every soul, especially the one that is lost.

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What are your thoughts? Do you believe our government is still protecting the one?

Comment below or share this post if it resonated with you.