ONE DAY AT A TIME
Discovering the Freedom of 12-Step Spirituality
© 2007 by Trevor Hudson. All rights reserved.
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This book was originally published in 2005 by Struik Christian Media (Pty) Ltd. under the title One Day at a Time. Published by permission of Three Streams Publishers © Struik Christian Media and Trevor Hudson.
Scripture quotations not otherwise identified are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Twelve Steps and a brief excerpt from the book, Alcoholics Anonymous are reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (“AAWS”). Permission to reprint a brief excerpt from the book, Alcoholics Anonymous the Twelve Steps does not mean that AAWS has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that AAWS necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only—use of the Twelve Steps in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems, or in any other non-A.A. context, does not imply otherwise. Additionally, while A.A. is a spiritual program, A.A. is not a religious program. Thus, A.A. is not affiliated or allied with any sect, denomination, or specific religious belief.
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Cover design: Bruce Gore/GoreStudio
Cover illustration: Nicholas Wilton/Stock Illustration Source
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Hudson, Trevor, 1951–
One day at a time: discovering the freedom of 12-step spirituality / Trevor Hudson.
p. cm.
Originally published: Cape Town. South Africa: Struik Christian Books, 2005.
ISBN 978-0-8358-9913-0
1. Twelve-step programs—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Spirituality. I. Title
BV4596.T88H83 2007
248.8'629—dc22
2007030100
To Debbie, Joni, and Mark—special gifts from God
and
to Bill Meaker—patient encourager in all my writing efforts
CONTENTS
Preface: Finding the power to live for a change
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Mapping our journey
Step One: The courage to change
Step Two: Hope for change
Step Three: Decision time
Step Four: Daring to face ourselves
Step Five: Coming clean
Step Six: Ready and willing
Step Seven: The quest for humility
Step Eight: Reflecting on our relationships
Step Nine: Restitution
Step Ten: Maintaining progress
Step Eleven: Finding God’s will
Step Twelve: Sharing the message
Bibliography
Notes
FINDING THE POWER TO LIVE FOR A CHANGE
This book has been written for those who want to change. It is for men and women who feel the need to deepen their lives, to live more freely, to be happier. If you are not sure whether this includes you, let me be a little more specific: One Day at a Time has been written especially for those
•who worry too much—whose waking hours are plagued by all kinds of fears (about the future, about their relationships, about their children, about their health, about their finances) and who sometimes waken in the middle of the night with an anxious knot in their stomach and cannot get back to sleep.
•who struggle with some form of compulsive and addictive behavior—perhaps an addiction to a substance like alcohol, drugs, or tranquilizers; or perhaps to activities like making money, gambling, working too hard, watching TV soaps, online chats, computer games, shopping, sex, or even going to church every night of the week.
•who battle with increasing levels of stress and tension—those who feel that they cannot cope with the demands being made upon them, who feel that their energy resources have been depleted and that they cannot handle any more pressure.
•who sabotage their relationships with destructive patterns of behavior—things like trying to control others too much, withdrawing into sulky silences, blowing up in anger, always trying to “fix” those around them, or getting stuck in the mud of their resentments.
•who feel trapped by feelings of self-condemnation, guilt, and regret—who are weighed down by secret sins and baggage from the past; who constantly hear in their heads those inner, shaming voices, saying, “You are no good! You are not acceptable! You will never amount to anything! You are beyond redemption!”
•who may worship on a regular basis but somehow feel that their faith has become bogged down in pious clichés and empty ritual—those who long for a living and vital spirituality that leads toward the transformation of their personal lives and the environments in which they live, work, and play.
If
